Author: Randy
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The Big Lie, Part II
Content is King …like this random rainbow dashboard picture. Publish articles, release free music, make YouTube videos. This is how we build our “tribe” and create “engagement,” thus building our “brand” and setting ourselves up for prosperity. I discussed the other Big Lie in a previous…
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Obfuscation through Pedanticism
Ever find yourself in a conversation with some people who suddenly switch to another language to talk to each other? While certainly a bit rude, there are a couple reasons why they might have done this: They may be more fluent in that language, perhaps needing to get…
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The Loss of Creative Innocence
Ever have an idea, invention, or creative thought, only to find out somebody somewhere in the world had already done that same thing?
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Why Improvisation Matters
If you don’t play jazz, blues, or some other type of music that involves spontaneous playing, you might wonder what purpose there is in learning to improvise. Sure, “jazzheads” can sit around listening to John Coltrane or some other historic figure, but how can…
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Myths and Mysteries about Technique
I believe in clarifying terms, not to dwell on word-play or language, but to identify concepts and approaches to get things done. In our journey as musicians, the term “technique” gets tossed around and is used to describe many different things. Let’s examine this, and find a…
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Symmetrical Scales – Geometry in Music
In the previous article, we examined seven-note scales, arguably the most “familiar” sounds in tonal music. Since 7 doesn’t divide evenly into 12, these scales can’t be symmetrical, meaning they don’t repeat an interval sequence. (except at the octave, of course) Today,…
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How Many Scales Are There, Really?
One thing my students often ask about is “scales” and which ones to learn. In an effort to clarify this, here are some permutational ways to look at this question. Keep in mind, I’m not really talking about which ones are…
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Gotcha! (off-topic)
It seems that being insincere, criticizing something that you actually do yourself, hiding your “true” purpose or painting yourself as righteous when you are not, is the worst possible sin.
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Creativity: You’re Doing it Wrong (Part I)
Well, not necessarily, but you probably could be doing it better. What is “creativity” and how do we make it happen?
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Each of Us is a Universe
When we close our eyes, we still sense all our surroundings; this is because we live in a virtual reality inside our mind. Our raw sensory input would be overwhelming and confusing, so we filter and process it into our own private 3D film, with…