Chords are sometimes referred to with numbers, and chord progressions as a series of numbers, such as I-IV-V or 1-4-5. Find out what these numbers mean, how to build chords on any note in any key, and how you can use this to write unforgettable songs! http://musicalitypodcast.com/33
Let us know what you think! Email: hello@musicalitypodcast.com
Today we’re speaking with Casey McCann, founder of Eclectic Music and The Little Middle School in Atlanta. At Eclectic Music, they have the tagline of “Turning ordinary people into musicians”, which we love! http://musicalitypodcast.com/32
We had the pleasure of meeting Casey in person recently and found her to be such a kindred spirit in the way she thinks about music education and the importance of empowering musicians with ear skills and musicality from the outset.
Talking with her was so enjoyable that we knew we had to have her on the show, and share some of her ideas and insights with you too.
Casey is the founder of Eclectic Music which offers music lessons and classes to musicians of all ages, and The Little Middle School, a small private academic program for ages 11 to 14. Casey believes that anyone can learn anything, as long as they have the tools and guidance.
She especially enjoys working with students who have struggled in the past and helping them to find success. And she’s also incorporated musicality training into The Little Middle School’s academic program, something we talk about in this conversation.
As always, we were keen to dig into Casey’s own early music experiences and how she developed her musicality before starting to help others to do the same. We talk about:
– The key insight about guitar and music theory that let her immediately have new freedom playing piano
– How she was able to start playing songs by ear, even without formal ear training
– Why at her school they let students pick each day what instrument they want to play rather than expecting them to pick one and stick with it for weeks or months
There are a few really key insights in this episode as well as a refreshing and powerful philosophy on approaching music learning in general. We loved having the chance to speak with Casey again and we think you’re going to really enjoy hearing her perspective and seeing how it can impact your own musical life.
Listen to the episode:
http://musicalitypodcast.com/32
About Casey McCann
Eclectic Music – http://www.eclecticmusicatlanta.com/
The Little Middle School – http://thelittlemiddleschool.com/
Let us know what you think! Email: hello@musicalitypodcast.com
Making a name for yourself in the music business can be a frustrating task, to say the least. For some musicians, this is because they are going about it all wrong. While sending your information to a multitude of record labels certainly won’t hurt, it’s not actually the best way to find success.
Here are 6 tips for finding that “big break” you’ve been searching for. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/musician-make-name/
Piano players are a special breed of musician, and they know it. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/10-things-piano-players-do-differently/
What other musician starts their day at 6 A.M. playing their Hanon exercises (the left hand playing reverse scales in triplet to eighths in the right hand), practices a half a dozen hours a day, and considers themselves a pure failure if they bat only 98% of the notes in performance? What other performer can hear a song a few times and then given a commanding and perfectly executed performance of it five minutes later? What other music-maker can dream up eccentric and incredible new ways to play their instrument?
No other musician can keep a sloshed drummer in time at a rock concert, manage to pull together a high school choir to sing harmoniously despite only two rehearsals, lead an entire congregation of non-singers in hymns centuries old, and bring a bride to tears on the most important day in her life… all in one weekend!
So here is our wonderful tribute to the most astute and multitalented musicians of us all (or at least, we’ve tricked ourselves into thinking so!): the piano players. Here are the 10 things that set them apart from the rest:
Musical U has a guest expert on modal improvisation to answer all of these burning questions – and more… http://musl.ink/modalimprov
If you’re just diving into the world of improvising with modes, it’s likely that you have a lot of questions. What is a mode, and how is it different from a key? How do you know what mode to use for soloing? What is the theory behind modes? We have a guest expert on modal improvisation to answer all of these burning questions – and more…
Brian from Zombie Guitar here! Firstly, I wanted to say a thank you to Adam, Musical U’s Communications Manager, who has given me the opportunity to do a guest post for Musical U.
The topic of this lesson is beginning modal improvisation. This lesson is going to be divided into three parts:
Part one: What the goal of using a mode, as opposed to just playing within a key?
Part two: Fretboard applications of modes. (We’re going to take a look at the minor pentatonic scale, and how to add notes to it in order to essentially create either the Aeolian mode or the Dorian mode.)
Part three: The theory behind modes and when to use them
So with that said, let’s get started: http://musl.ink/modalimprov
About Brian: Brian is the creator of the Zombie Guitar and the Zombie Guitar Improv Course, which teaches players how to visualize and approach the fretboard, and apply music theory to the guitar to create incredible licks, phrases, and solos. A guitarist with over 24 years of playing under his belt, Brian has been the lead guitarist of Philadelphia-based cover band Fish Out of Water for the last 10 years.
Get more from Brian at Zombie Guitar: https://www.zombieguitar.com/
Today we’re joined by Steve Nixon of FreeJazzLessons.com, one of (if not the) top websites for playing jazz piano – though actually it covers some non-jazz material too, and if you’re thinking that jazz means “advanced”, this episode is going to set you straight. http://musicalitypodcast.com/30
Although Steve specialises in piano, pretty much everything we talk about today applies across all instruments, and most of it is highly relevant outside of jazz too, so whatever instrument and genre you play, you’ll get a lot from this conversation.
Steve has an impressive background as a musician and music educator. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, he played over 1,800 gigs as a professional pianist in over 17 countries around the world, performing with Grammy Award-winning artists such as Koko Taylor and Buddy Guy.
He’s taught over 14,000 piano lessons and created FreeJazzLessons.com, the largest jazz piano education website in the world, which reaches over 60,000 students each month.
In this conversation we talk about:
– Steve’s opinion on the importance of musical talent versus hard work and how much each has contributed to his own enormous success
– His philosophy on improvising – and a cool trick for how you can make your improvisation sound more interesting, even with just a single scale over a single chord
– Plus the importance of rhythm skills and three great tips for how to develop your own sense of rhythm
And if you’re starting to think about getting called on to play Christmas music this year, you won’t want to miss what Steve shares about making the same-old Christmas tunes feel fresh and exciting for your audience.
Listen to the episode: http://musicalitypodcast.com/30
Inner Circle program: https://www.freejazzlessons.com/inner-circle
Steve’s interview on the Learn Jazz Standards podcast: https://www.learnjazzstandards.com/blog/ljs-podcast/get-help-with-practicing-jazz/ljs-85-practice-smart-improve-quickly-feat-steve-nixon/
The Musicality Podcast: Finding Chords in Scales: https://www.musical-u.com/learn/about-finding-chords-in-scales/
Let us know what you think! Email: hello@musicalitypodcast.com
Transcribing music ensures that it can be replicated again and again by different musicians while still maintaining its melody, rhythm, and dynamics. http://musicalitypodcast.com/31
It’s a beautiful thing, and picking up the skill of transcribing can do wonders for your musicianship! Here, we discuss how to tailor your transcription style to your instrument and your goals, and share some hidden benefits of learning to put music to paper!
Listen to the episode: http://musicalitypodcast.com/31
Links and Resources
Steve Nixon interview episode: http://www.musicalitypodcast.com/30
On today’s show, we’re joined by David Andrew Wiebe from Music Entrepreneur HQ. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/finding-and-sustaining-creativity-with-david-andrew-wiebe/
David’s a man of many projects, and as well as writing on his site MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com and hosting the New Music Industry podcast, he is also a songwriter, performs regularly with two bands and has written a book, “The New Music Industry“, soon to be followed by another all about the creative process, called “Flashes of Elation”.
We discovered David’s work when featuring a podcast episode of his “The Importance of Ongoing Self Education for Musicians” in an article on our website. And it’s been a real pleasure to dive into his web and podcast archives and have this opportunity to speak with him on our show.
In this conversation we talk about:
– Why performing regularly was so important to his finding freedom of creative expression and tapping into his musical instinct on guitar
– What he recommends to beginner song writers trying to find inspiration
– The conflict between thinking about “passion” and “inspiration” versus just getting solid creative work done day after day
– His number one tip for musicians collaborating in a band or other creative projects
One thing we love about David is his ability to balance the creative spirit with the down-to-earth practicalities of being a musician. It’s fascinating to talk with him and hear his perspective and if you’ve ever struggled creatively, you’re going to really enjoy this conversation.
In simple terms, “dynamics” just means how loud or soft each note is. But don’t let that simple definition fool you. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/power-dynamics-resource-pack-preview/
Dynamics are one of the richest tools a musician has to bring expressiveness to their performance and add their own style to a piece of music.
In this month’s Instrument Packs we looked at this important but often-overlooked topic: the power of DYNAMICS!
Let’s take a peak! https://www.musical-u.com/learn/power-dynamics-resource-pack-preview/
Learn more about Musical U Resident Pro Nina Rosenberg:
http://www.aninrose.com/
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AninRoseMusic
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/aninrosemusic
→ Learn more about Instrument Packs with Resident Pros
https://www.musical-u.com/learn/introducing-musical-u-instrument-packs/
If you want your practice to pay off, it’s important to develop good practice habits and stick to them. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/about-good-music-habits/
Approaching your music practice with the best goals, intentions, and instructions unfortunately isn’t enough. If you want your practice to pay off, it’s important to develop good practice habits and stick to them. On this episode of The Musicality Podcast, we start you off with four simple habits you can work into your routine!
Interview with David Andrew Wiebe http://www.musicalitypodcast.com/29
Music Entrepreneur HQ http://www.musicentrepreneurhq.com/
New Music Industry podcast http://www.musicentrepreneurhq.com/podcast-archives/
Christopher Sutton’s interview on LearnJazzStandards.com https://www.learnjazzstandards.com/blog/ljs-podcast/get-help-with-practicing-jazz/ljs-82-set-game-changing-goals-musicianship/
Music Student 101 podcast http://musicstudent101.com/podcast-library.html