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Guide to Drum Kit Notation – Folk Music

Categories Drums Theory

Those of us who read Western Classical music notation are often guilty of assuming that it is the holy grail to musical literacy and competence, and that such notation can be universally applied to all musical styles. While Western notation is undoubtedly an incredibly versatile and adaptable form of communication, this assumption can be dangerous when trying to learn many styles of folkloric music, each with their own unique vocabulary, history, and notation. This article will explore the ways in which these styles of music are passed on, in some cases through notation and in others through aural tradition. We … Read more

Practicing as a Percussionist & Pianist: An Interview with Rachel Lee

Categories Music Practice

Liberty Park Music has always been keen on embracing a wide collection of genres. We love to provide perspective from musicians of different backgrounds, countries, and music styles. Following the episode on contemporary artist, William Benckert, today’s episode brings you a multi-talented instrumentalist, well-versed in piano and percussion, Rachel Lee. A graduate from Royal Academy of Music, Lee spent 4 years pursuing her bachelor studies in London. She returned to Hong Kong, spreading her love for music through teaching and performing. In pursuing piano and percussion, Lee tells us how she allocates her time to develop each respective skill, her … Read more

Practicing as a Contemporary Pianist: An Interview with William Benckert

Categories Music Practice

In our latest episode of LPM’s practice series, we manage to land an interview with Scandinavian jazz and electronic pianist, William Benckert. To shade light on different practicing techniques, our past interviews have included collaborative pianist Dr Minjung Seo and jazz pianist Steven Paszkowski, both bringing valuable insights to specific genres: classical and jazz. This time round we bring in another jazz pianist who derives influences from electronica and other contemporary tunes! Hailing from Sweden, Benckert currently resides in London with a fellow musician roommate. While exploring the local music scene, he creates compositions on the side for different ceremonies. … Read more

Scary Movie Music: Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells in The Exorcist

Categories Arts and Entertainment Music in General

In the month of October, Liberty Park Music presents you the 2nd episode of theme music analysis in our annual Halloween Horror Movie reviews. For our first video, we dissected John Carpenter’s revolutionary film Halloween. This time round, our very own movie junkie Nick Vaky selected an all-time horror film: The Exorcist. He evaluated the melodies used in the film and how each element work its way to get under your skin – or not! The Exorcist, adapted from a novel with the exact title, turned into a cult classic when it rolled out in 1973. The accompanying music became … Read more

Practicing as a Jazz Pianist: An Interview with Steven Paszkowski

Categories Music Practice Piano

As promised, Liberty Park Music is committed to presenting the best guides for practice from industry experts all around the world. For the pilot episode, we had a rare opportunity to interview Dr Minjung Seo, a collaborative pianist, who revealed some of her most treasured tips when it comes to practicing. Continuing on, we unveiled yet another amazing and talented individual, Steven Paszkowski: a multifaceted musician. In this new episode, we stepped in the shoes of Paszkowski and soaked in his knowledge as a performer, composer, and educator. Not forgetting how practice is imperative to all musicians, he shared how … Read more

Facebook Series: Live with Brendan Bache

Categories Drums

At Liberty Park Music, a global community of music lovers drawn together, we believe in presenting our international audiences the finest assortment of music from all over the world. In this upcoming series, we are bringing a string of Facebook Live Feeds from our teachers around the globe to you. These live feeds zoom into our teacher’s perspective and expertise on music; furthermore, it gives you an early preview of how lessons are crafted for students. LPM teachers provide step-by-step instructions for easy comprehension and juicy tips on improvement techniques. Join us on this euphonious journey to understand how each … Read more

5 Must-Know Fretting Techniques For Beginner Guitarists

Categories Guitar Music Practice

Knowing how to properly fret a note is highly important to your guitar playing journey. Use the wrong technique and you’ll end up with sore hands, buzzing notes, and possibly an injury. The good news is that fretting a note is very easy! There are really only five things you have to take note of: proper finger placement, fingertip accuracy, thumb position, curvature of the fingers, and wrist position. In this article, I outline these five issues with images so you can check in with your technique. 1. Proper Finger Placement When you fret a note, keep your finger as … Read more

The Ultimate Parental Guide for ABRSM Piano Practical Examination

Categories Music Practice Piano

Every child fears examinations. This fear is no different for your child when they are heading into an ABRSM piano practical exam, sweaty palms are definitely the first thing you will notice about them. Biologically speaking, being anxious before an upcoming test or exam is perfectly normal; however, the degree of anxiety can be managed with the right amount of quality practice. Before we dive into the different ways that you can help prepare your child for an ABRSM piano practical with tips from our knowledgeable teachers and students who have taken multiple ABRSM exams, let’s take a look at … Read more

Liberty Park Music Recommends – Top 5 Drum Apps To Tryout Today

Categories Drums

WE ARE BUSY. There are work deadlines hanging over our heads, commitments with family and friends, and don’t forget that sleeping, eating, and exercising are pretty important. Sometimes it can feel like we just don’t have time to practice our drum technique. FALSE. Our success or our failure is determined by two things: 1) how much time we put into practicing, and 2) how efficient our practice is. As busy professionals, we can’t devote hours of each day to pounding away on our drums hoping to gain the skills we need to reach our goals. Maybe you want to learn … Read more

What are Dominant and Diminished Seventh Chords?

Categories Music Practice Piano

Dominant and diminished seventh chords are common and important features of music. It’s hard to find a piece of music that doesn’t use either of these. In fact, they’re so prevalent that the higher grades of the ABRSM examinations require students to know them by heart. Unfortunately, they’re also rather dissonant and odd sounding. I remember asking my piano teacher what was the point of learning such harsh sounding chords. Nevertheless, when used appropriately, they sound perfectly beautiful and logical in the context of the whole piece. We’ve probably already heard and played these chords in many pieces of music, … Read more