fbpx

How To Learn Songs By Ear

One of the most impressive musical skills is transcribing a song by ear. In my opinion, being able to learn songs by ear is the most important musical skill to possess, especially if you’re looking to play the blues or jazz. And there is a strong reason why I say that. At a glance… 1. Chord progressions 2. Melodies and solos Look, if you’re able to play what you hear on your speakers, you’ll eventually be able to play what you hear in your head and that’s the best part of having this skill. Being able to learn songs by … Read more

Want to learn a piece of music quickly and effectively? Follow these 8 Steps…

At a glance…1. Read the whole score2. Listen to the whole piece3. Play through the entire piece           slowly4. Divide the piece5. Use various techniques for               different passages6. Put the whole piece together7. Rinse and repeat8. Find an audience to perform I think you’ll agree with me when I say: It’s REALLY hard to learn a piece of music effectively or learn to play piano unless you spend hours practicing it . Or is it? Well, it turns out, you can dramatically reduce your time spent learning a new … Read more

100+ Musical Terms For Beginners Learning Piano

When you first begin learning piano, you will start an exciting journey of learning both a new instrument and a new language—the language of music. Musical language is not used in everyday life and can be confusing at first. To help you out, this glossary of musical terms contains 110 common words that often appear in piano music. Many of the words are in Italian, the language that most composers use when giving directions in their pieces. As you learn piano, you will see these words more and more and become familiar with them. These terms are very important because … Read more

Finding Time to Learn Music: Balancing Work, Life and the Love of Song

The typical modern schedule is more hectic and demanding than ever, and that can make finding a healthy balance between work, family, and life’s many other demands – and pleasures – difficult to achieve. Unfortunately, it’s the things we love to do – the things that are good for our bodies, minds and spirits – that often get pushed to the back burner in favor of fulfilling obligations. That makes the pursuit of music even more important, as studies of music’s effects on our well-being have shown that listening to music – and especially playing music – can impart a … Read more

Looking for a New Year’s resolution? How about listening to classical music?

It’s almost New Year. Have you found your New Year’s resolution for 2015? Would you like to introduce classical music into your life? If you have always wanted to know more about classical music but felt overwhelmed by this seemingly difficult kind of music, here is a list of things you can try to make listening to classical music more fun. Bob Satterfield [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons 1. Just relax and use your imagination. This applies to a lot of things, including listening to classical music. Even if you know nothing about classical music, try to let your imagination … Read more

Recording Technology and Music Listening

Nowadays listening to music cannot be easier. You purchase and download the music directly into your listening devices–computer, iPod, iPhone, or any smart phones. CDs are almost unnecessary. Nonetheless, have you ever thought about how altogether music listening was a totally different kind of experience decades ago? (All together: Music listening was a totally different kind of experience decades ago.) Moreover, how would recording technology influence the decisions of producers or composers? Today I want to talk about how recording technology can influence the music world more deeply than we usually give it credit for. Although Thomas Edison’s phonograph in … Read more

Tempo rubato

Musical concept: Tempo Rubato Tempo rubato, a type of tempo marking, instructs the performer to freely, expressively speed up or slow down at certain passages. In Italian, “rubare” means “to steal,” and “tempo” means “time.” Therefore “tempo rubato” means the time of some measures are stolen by the others. There are two different kinds of tempo rubato. The first kind is when the underlying pulse stays the same and the tempo is slightly varied. This type was common in the eighteenth century and received a lot of discussion from writers at that time. During the rubato passage, some measures are … Read more

Pizzicato

Musical concept: Pizzicato Pizzicato is a playing technique when bowed stringed instruments, rather than using a bow, pluck notes with the fingers. The sound produced is percussive. This technique was first used by the Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) in his Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorida in 1624. The strings are usually plucked by the forefinger of the right hand. The violin virtuoso Paganini was the first person to extensively use the left hand to pluck the strings while the right hand continued to bow.If you would like to hear how pizzicato sounds, the third movement in Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. … Read more

Bossa nova

Musical genre: Bossa nova Bossa nova is a movement in Brazilian popular music from the late 1950s that caused many changes in Samba. The originators include Antônio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto. Their Chega da saudade was the first important recording of this new style. Bossa nova features distinct rhythmic patterns, which are usually played by acoustic guitar. Singing, unlike in other popular music, is subdued. This music style also displays increased harmonic and melodic complexity. Other musical influences, besides samba, also include cool and bebop jazz. Now let’s hear two albums: Antônio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto’s Chega da … Read more

Tango

Genre: Tango The term “tango” has many meanings and interpretations, but it is commonly understood as the Argentinian urban dance in the twentieth century. It’s usually in duple meter, meaning each measure has two or four beats. Each piece usually has two sections and the second section is in the relative minor or dominant key of the first section. The lyrics are usually about love and life in a pessimistic, dark manner. In the Rhythm of Tango—by Leonid Afremov Tango became internationally known in the beginning of the twentieth century and the most popular ballroom dance during World War I. … Read more