Not everything is in 4/4! Learn about polyrhythms, or rhythms where two (or more) rhythms occur simultaneously. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/about-polyrhythms/
Musical U’s Anastasia Voitinskaia gives a rundown of polyrhythms, where they’re found, and how to count them, and why you should make them a part of your musical repertoire.
Listen to the episode! https://www.musical-u.com/learn/about-polyrhythms/
Links and Resources
Polyrhythm for Beginners: https://www.musical-u.com/learn/making-sense-of-polyrhythms/
Playlist of songs with polyrhythm: http://musl.ink/polyrhythmplaylist
Let us know what you think! Email: hello@musicalitypodcast.com
Major and Minor are two basic qualities that pervade our musical system. How does this apply to piano players? https://www.musical-u.com/learn/major-and-minor-resource-pack-preview/
We talk about major and minor keys, major and minor scales, major and minor chords, major and minor intervals… Hearing the difference between them is a crucial step in growing your musicality.
Many times we simply resort to the old idea that major is “happy” and minor is “sad”. That might work with chords in isolation. But it’s usually not quite that simple when we encounter major and minor “in the wild.” What happens when playing minor chords in a major key? Major chords in a minor key? And how can a simple interval sound major or minor?
The unique way in which notes are laid out on your instrument, and the resulting patterns required to play major and minor scales, chords, and intervals, can actually help to untangle it all.
In this month’s Instrument Packs Musical U’s Resident Pros take on the topic of major and minor – how to find them, play them, and hear them on your instrument.
Major and Minor are two basic qualities that pervade our musical system. How does this apply to guitar players? https://www.musical-u.com/learn/major-and-minor-resource-pack-preview/
We talk about major and minor keys, major and minor scales, major and minor chords, major and minor intervals… Hearing the difference between them is a crucial step in growing your musicality.
Many times we simply resort to the old idea that major is “happy” and minor is “sad”. That might work with chords in isolation. But it’s usually not quite that simple when we encounter major and minor “in the wild.” What happens when playing minor chords in a major key? Major chords in a minor key? And how can a simple interval sound major or minor?
The unique way in which notes are laid out on your instrument, and the resulting patterns required to play major and minor scales, chords, and intervals, can actually help to untangle it all.
In this month’s Instrument Packs Musical U’s Resident Pros take on the topic of major and minor – how to find them, play them, and hear them on your instrument.
Today we’re joined by Kendra McKinley, a San Francisco singer-songwriter whose music has been described as having a “striking musicality”. http://musl.ink/pod82
We think that’s a great way of putting it, so we were delighted to have the opportunity to sit down with her and learn more about where that musicality came from and how she goes about writing and recording her songs.
Kendra is a perfect example of a musician that will be called “talented” and whose music will make you think she has gifts that make it all come easily. But as you’ll hear in this interview, those abilities have come through dedication and very thoughtful pursuit of music-making, and the opportunities and projects she’s enjoyed haven’t been dropped in her lap by luck or fate, she’s been out there putting in the time and efforts and making it happen.
In this conversation we talk about:
– Kendra’s musical upbringing and the one pivotal experience that made it suddenly clear that she wanted to be a musical performer as a career
– The process of recording her first album, Treat, and why it turned out to be such a wonderfully varied “buffet” of songs
– Her recent artist residency in Big Sur, an incredible and unique experience that produced a new EP and helped inform who she’s becoming as a musician
Kendra’s album, Treat, really lives up to its name, as being a treat for your ears to enjoy, and this conversation was no different. It was fascinating to get to speak with Kendra and understand where this music has come from and what she has coming up next, so we hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we did.
Did you know that it’s possible to practice your musical repertoire even when you don’t have your instrument in your hands? http://musicalitypodcast.com/81
Learn all about the skill of audiation, a.k.a. imagining music in your head, and how it can improve your musical memory, your understanding of the music itself, and even your performances.
Listen to the episode: http://musicalitypodcast.com/81
Links and Resources
Interview with Sharon Mark-Teggart: http://musl.ink/pod80
Interview with Gerald Klickstein: http://musl.ink/pod10
Interview with Donna Schwartz: http://musl.ink/pod68
Gordon Institute of Music Learning: https://giml.org/
About Active Listening: http://musl.ink/pod35
Let us know what you think! Email: hello@musicalitypodcast.com
Major and Minor are two basic qualities that pervade our musical system. How does this apply to bass players? https://www.musical-u.com/learn/major-and-minor-resource-pack-preview/
We talk about major and minor keys, major and minor scales, major and minor chords, major and minor intervals… Hearing the difference between them is a crucial step in growing your musicality.
Many times we simply resort to the old idea that major is “happy” and minor is “sad”. That might work with chords in isolation. But it’s usually not quite that simple when we encounter major and minor “in the wild.” What happens when playing minor chords in a major key? Major chords in a minor key? And how can a simple interval sound major or minor?
The unique way in which notes are laid out on your instrument, and the resulting patterns required to play major and minor scales, chords, and intervals, can actually help to untangle it all.
In this month’s Instrument Packs Musical U’s Resident Pros take on the topic of major and minor – how to find them, play them, and hear them on your instrument.
Today we’re joined by Sharon Mark-Teggart, who along with Dr. Sally Cathcart runs The Curious Piano Teachers, one of the leading organisations training up the next generation of piano teachers. http://musicalitypodcast.com/80
You’ll discover in this episode they’re leveraging the latest research into what makes for effective learning and teaching to help those new teachers be more successful, enjoy their teaching more, and be continually developing and improving throughout their teaching career.
On the face of it you might think this interview is one for aspiring piano teachers only, or perhaps just music teachers. But we would strongly encourage you to take the kind of attitude Sharon talks about in this conversation: one of curiosity. She talks about how she would sometimes go along to training courses that didn’t seem directly applicable to her, for example ones designed for classroom music teachers – but by being open-minded and curious she found she would always come away with a ton of new tools and inspiration to apply in her own teaching.
In the same way we would encourage you to listen to this conversation and not just take it at face value. When we talk about teachers and students, try to consider how it all could apply not just to your own role in a student-teacher relationship, but also when studying resources online by yourself, or even when you sit and practice and you act as your own teacher. We think you’ll find that all the insights Sharon shares in this conversation can be very relevant to you in one context or another in your own musical life.
In this conversation we talk about:
– The transformation Sharon went through in her own teaching, and why she is now so passionate about changing the status quo in piano teaching.
– What it means to bring curiosity to your teaching and learning, and why that can be so powerful.
– The teaching toolbox she has built up and now shares, including the surprising variety and power in the questions you can ask to accelerate learning.
We also talk a bit about the online course and teaching diploma training they have developed, and so if you’re a teacher yourself or know somebody who is, you won’t want to miss the details of that.
Listen to the episode: http://musicalitypodcast.com/80
Links and Resources
The Curious Piano Teachers: https://www.thecuriouspianoteachers.org/
The world of online music learning is ripe with opportunity for a musician interested in self-directed learning. In this episode, we explore the factors that should go into choosing an online course that is compatible with your musical goals and vision. http://musicalitypodcast.com/79
Links and Resources
Interview with David Asher Brown: http://musl.ink/pod78
Interview with Jeremy Burns and Matthew Scott Phillips: http://musl.ink/pod34
Interview with Chris Owenby: http://musl.ink/pod72
Interview with Prof. Anders Ericsson: http://musl.ink/pod62
Interview with David Isaacs: http://musl.ink/pod60
Christopher’s interview on the Learn Jazz Standards podcast: https://www.learnjazzstandards.com/blog/ljs-podcast/get-help-with-practicing-jazz/ljs-82-set-game-changing-goals-musicianship/
Musical U Roadmaps: https://www.musical-u.com/training/roadmaps/
Listen to the episode: http://musicalitypodcast.com/79
Let us know what you think! Email: hello@musicalitypodcast.com
Today we’re talking with composer David Asher Brown, who is also the man behind PianoCub.com, a website that can help anybody to start learning piano online. http://musicalitypodcast.com/78
David’s work as a composer is wonderful and varied, and well worth a listen – but as you’ll be hearing, that’s just one clue as to the fascinating variety of projects and interests David has explored during his musical career so far.
We’ll give our usual disclaimer that although David’s the man behind Piano Cub, this conversation runs much broader than piano, and certainly has something to interest any type of musician.
In this conversation we talk about:
– The two big experiences that truly tested David’s commitment to a life in music, and what helped him through.
– How long it took him as a piano player to learn to play church organ when he was called in last minute for a gig in France.
– How David’s website Piano Cub tackles possibly the biggest challenge in online learning, keeping the student motivated and engaged.
This conversation is packed with wisdom and insights from an experienced composer and innovative music educator, so there’s sure to be something that will add value to your own musical life.
Listen to the episode: http://musicalitypodcast.com/78
With so many possible uses, it can be difficult to know exactly what we mean when we say “tone”. In part two of our series about tone, we look at three more common uses for this multipurpose word, and how to contextualize them in music. http://musicalitypodcast.com/77
Links and Resources
About the Word “Tone” (Part One): http://musl.ink/pod69
Interview with Donna Schwartz: http://musl.ink/pod68
Donna Schwartz’s course on saxophone tone: https://donnaschwartzmusic.com/join-killer-saxophone-tone/
Series on Bass Tone: https://www.musical-u.com/learn/series/bass-tone/
Tuning Your Instrument: https://www.musical-u.com/learn/musicality-means-tuning-your-instrument-by-ear/
Hearing Tone, Timbre, and Texture: https://www.musical-u.com/learn/hearing-tone-timbre-texture/
Listen to the episode: http://musicalitypodcast.com/77
Let us know what you think! Email: hello@musicalitypodcast.com