Category: General Music
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How to Turn Negative into Positive
I recently was at a rehearsal, and one of the charts had the tempo marked as “not too fast.” When recording some piano parts, I was thinking “don’t rush.” These moments got me thinking about how trying not to do things is less…
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Keyboard Harmony: Triads over Bass I
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In a previous video, we discussed learning the various major triads by playing them through the cycles of 4ths and 5ths. In this lesson, we will learn some ways to use these triads to build more complex chords.
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Three Keys to Improvisation
Improvisation is the spontaneous creation of music. Depending on the style, there will be various guidelines and boundaries that define what will work, but in all these situations, there are three skills that need to be in balance. All of these can be improved using organized practice…
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Working With Difficult People
After the last post about rehearsals, I got a message from a former student about his experiences with what we will classify as a “difficult person.” Most of the ideas we discussed there are about what we can do to be professional, but not about what to…
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How to Have a Good Rehearsal
Over the years, I have gathered some ideas about rehearsal etiquette. I know I have messed some of these up, especially as a young, excitable musician. These ideas apply to every style of music, from orchestra to rock bands. (I have done both) Some of these…
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Keyboard Harmony: Triads in Cycles
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Cycle of 4ths Here is a lesson on practicing major triads through the cycle of 4ths. The pattern of chords ascending by perfect 4ths (two whole-steps and one half-step) is fundamental to tonal harmony, and is sometimes called “strong root motion.” Practicing these patterns helps us learn to find these chords in all 12 keys,…
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Bad Digital Keyboard Actions (Why does it hurt when I play?)
Ever wonder why some keyboards are harder to play than others, or why your hands hurt after a gig on certain keyboards? In this article, we are going to look at certain design elements that make some keyboards hard to play. I tested a selection of keyboards available to me as a cross-section. Many musicians…
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The Three Elements of Practice Loose Ends
It may seem odd to have a part four in a three part series, but there are a few things to add that we can think of as the “filling” for our triangle. These have more to do with the planning and organization that goes into musicianship, as well as the emotional issues that come…
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The Three Elements of Practice Part III
So far, we have examined the concepts of repetition and reinforcement, which make learning possible by imprinting the knowledge and making it “stick.” The third element of this triangle involves testing and experimenting with the things we have practiced. Learning the limits of our preparation is how we make our learning stronger and more useful.…