Category: videos

New musicality video:

Genres come and go, pushed into oblivion by new trends in music. Yet few styles have stood the test of time as well as ska music. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/ska-music/

The distinctive instrumentals, raw energy, and forward-driving brass section has given ska music the chance to carve out a niche in the musical world.

Birthed in the streets of Jamaica, ska spread to the rest of the world, seeing two waves of revival, decades of success, and no sign of becoming obsolete.

This fascinating style is extremely rich in its history, evolution, and culture. Many questions arise: What are the origins of ska music? What did ska music sound like in the 60’s compared to the 90’s? What is dancing to ska music called?

Read on to learn about the three waves of ska music, the instrumentation and rhythms that make it unique, how it compares to reggae, and of course, the identity of this mysterious “Rudy” character mentioned in an overwhelming number of ska songs.

Though diverse in itself because of its numerous revivals and fusion with other genres, there are distinct rhythms and instrumentation found across the board in ska music.

Throughout its varied history, instruments used in ska music have been quite consistent. Apart from the standard bass, guitar, drums, keyboard, and vocal lineup shared with most popular music from the 1950s to today, a strong horn section features prominently in many bands.

Let’s take a closer look at the specific roles these instruments play in ska, and how these roles have shifted over the decades:

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/ska-music/

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Learn more about Musical U!

Website:
https://www.musical-u.com/

Podcast:
http://musicalitypodcast.com/

Tone Deaf Test:
http://tonedeaftest.com/

Musicality Checklist:
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An Introduction to Ska Music

New musicality video:

Though you may be tempted to panic or freeze up after playing a bad note during your performance, your mistake is not the end of the world – far from it! Learn four tips and tricks that will get you through those moments, with your audience being none the wiser. http://musicalitypodcast.com/19

In our recent episode with Dr. Melody Payne, she shared an early music experience of performing in church, making a tiny mistake in the piece she’d prepared and just freezing up. In reality the situation wasn’t really high-pressure, but to her in that moment she found herself utterly unprepared for the possibility of making a mistake – and so she just stopped playing.

That was a big painful moment for her in her musical journey and maybe you’ve had similar experiences yourself. Melody explained that now she tries to help her students avoid that pain in two ways: by understanding that a mistake is not the end of the world and it’s okay to make mistakes – and by equipping them with practical techniques they can use in the moment to help them recover when they do make a mistake.

That’s what we’re going to be talking about on today’s episode. I wanted to share four big strategies that can help you recover from a musical mistake, and some practical tips for each.

This topic of recovering from mistakes is such an important one for musicians because it ties deeply into how confident you feel and how comfortable you are to perform your music and share it with others.

We actually have a whole module inside Musical U called “Get Confident”, dedicated to helping you build up your confidence in music in a practical step-by-step way. As well as helping with anxiety and stage fright it tackles this side of things: knowing that you don’t need to be 100% perfect because you’re equipped with skills to let you handle mistakes gracefully if they arise. I’ll put a link to more information about that module in the shownotes and I’m going to be sharing some tips from it in this episode.

http://musicalitypodcast.com/19

Interview with Melody Payne: http://musicalitypodcast.com/18

Get Confident module preview: https://www.musical-u.com/modules/planning/get-confident/

Making Music with Ease, with Gerald Klickstein: http://musicalitypodcast.com/10

Let us know what you think! Email: hello@musicalitypodcast.com

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Learn more about Musical U!

Website:
https://www.musical-u.com/

Podcast:
https://www.musical-u.com/podcast-insiders/

Tone Deaf Test:
http://tonedeaftest.com/

Musicality Checklist:
https://www.musical-u.com/mcl-musicality-checklist

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/MusicalU

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Tweets by MusicalU

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Subscribe for more videos from Musical U!

Recovering From Mistakes: The Musicality Podcast

New musicality video:

Once you can pretty reliably play “the right notes”, what sets a good musician apart from a great one? Without a doubt, one crucial skill is rhythmic precision. A sloppy or unreliable sense of the beat will quickly distinguish an amateur from a pro. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/rhythmic-precision-resource-pack-preview/

In this month’s Instrument Packs our Resident Pros tackled this topic of rhythmic precision, and specifically from a musicality angle. So not so much “how do you get your fingers to do what you intend, at precisely the right time?” but more “how do you develop your inner sense of the beat and ability to bring your own expressiveness to your rhythmic playing?”

Let’s take a peek.

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/rhythmic-precision-resource-pack-preview/

→ Learn more about Instrument Packs with Resident Pros
https://www.musical-u.com/learn/introducing-musical-u-instrument-packs/

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Learn more about Musical U!

Website:
https://www.musical-u.com/

Podcast:
http://musicalitypodcast.com/

Tone Deaf Test:
http://tonedeaftest.com/

Musicality Checklist:
https://www.musical-u.com/mcl-musicality-checklist

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/MusicalU

Twitter:
Tweets by MusicalU

YouTube:
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Subscribe for more videos from Musical U!

Singing: Rhythmic Precision Resource Pack Preview

New musicality video:

On the show today we’re talking to Brent Vaartstra from LearnJazzStandards.com, one of the leading websites for people to learn to play jazz. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/an-ear-for-jazz-with-brent-vaartstra/

Now if you’re not into jazz you might already be thinking about skipping this episode – don’t!

This conversation tackles exactly that question of whether jazz has anything to offer musicians who aren’t necessarily dedicated to jazz. And also the core skills you can learn to help you find musical freedom in jazz – or any other genre.

Brent has been running Learn Jazz Standards since 2011, publishing new articles and podcast episodes every week. He also performs and teaches around New York and is the author of jazz books for Hal Leonard including “500 Jazz Licks” and “Visual Improvisation for Jazz Guitar”.

On today’s podcast, we pick Brent’s brains about what does (or doesn’t) make jazz unique as a genre, and ask him a few questions that frequently come up among Musical U followers and members on the topic of jazz.

We talk about:

– If jazz is an “advanced” genre or one you can start with right away.
– Whether being a good jazz musician requires mastery of complex music theory or having an incredible ear.
– How to start training your musical ear, for jazz or any other genre, and Brent shares his four-step system.

We also talk about the new ear training course from Learn Jazz Standards and the two things that really set it apart. Brent has kindly set up a terrific freebie for our listeners that can help you get started with musical ear training – stay tuned to the end of the conversation to learn more about the freebie, and how you can get your hands on it!

Listen to the episode:

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/an-ear-for-jazz-with-brent-vaartstra/

Resources:

Learn Jazz Standards: https://www.learnjazzstandards.com/

Learn Jazz Standards Podcast: https://www.learnjazzstandards.com/ljs-podcast/

The Ultimate Ear Training Blueprint: https://www.learnjazzstandards.com/ear-training-blue-print-optin/

The Jazz Ear Startup Guide: Five Master Tools: https://www.musical-u.com/learn/jazz-ear-startup-guide-five-master-tools/

If you enjoy the show please rate and review it! http://musicalitypodcast.com/review

Let us know what you think! Email: hello@musicalitypodcast.com

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Learn more about Musical U!

Website:
https://www.musical-u.com/

Podcast:
https://www.musical-u.com/podcast-insiders/

Tone Deaf Test:
http://tonedeaftest.com/

Musicality Checklist:
https://www.musical-u.com/mcl-musicality-checklist

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/MusicalU

Twitter:
Tweets by MusicalU

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MusicalU

Subscribe for more videos from Musical U!

An Ear For Jazz, with Brent Vaarstra: The Musicality Podcast

New musicality video:

Frustrated in your ear training journey? Learn all about a trap that many musicians fall into when doing ear training. And how to overcome it. musicalitypodcast.com/17

The ear training journey is a long, yet immensely rewarding one. Along the way, there’s a trap that 90% of students will fall into, leading them to think they aren’t making progress and causing them to lose focus and motivation to develop their ear. Thankfully, one simple tip will prevent you from falling into this trap and will help you make the most out of your ear training practice.

Listen to the episode:

musicalitypodcast.com/17

Links and Resources:

An Ear for Jazz, with Brent Vaartstra: musicalitypodcast.com/16

Learn Jazz Standards: https://www.learnjazzstandards.com/

Instrument Packs at Musical U: https://www.musical-u.com/instrument-packs/

Contact the show – record a quick message!: https://www.musical-u.com/podcast-contact/

If you enjoy the show please rate and review it! http://musicalitypodcast.com/review

Let us know what you think! Email: hello@musicalitypodcast.com

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Learn more about Musical U!

Website:
https://www.musical-u.com/

Podcast:
https://www.musical-u.com/podcast-insiders/

Tone Deaf Test:
http://tonedeaftest.com/

Musicality Checklist:
https://www.musical-u.com/mcl-musicality-checklist

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/MusicalU

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Tweets by MusicalU

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Subscribe for more videos from Musical U!

The Ear Training Trap: The Musicality Podcast

New musicality video:

Are you ready to spice up your Halloween with some creepy horror music? Learn how to create your own masterpiece here! https://www.musical-u.com/learn/7-creepy-tricks-and-treats-for-writing-halloween-horror-music/

Halloween brings out the scary and creepy in music. Learning how to write music that is perfect for Halloween horror is easy and a lot of fun! Follow these seven simple tips about how you can use sound effects, instrumentation, harmony and more to create a convincing scary song this Halloween.

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/7-creepy-tricks-and-treats-for-writing-halloween-horror-music/

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Learn more about Musical U!

Website:
https://www.musical-u.com/

Podcast:
http://musicalitypodcast.com

Tone Deaf Test:
http://tonedeaftest.com/

Musicality Checklist:
https://www.musical-u.com/mcl-musicality-checklist

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/MusicalU

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Tweets by MusicalU

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Creepy Tricks and Treats for Writing Halloween Horror Music

New musicality video:

See the piano in a whole new way and learn the value of improvisation with our special guest Sara Campbell from Sara’s Music Studio! https://www.musical-u.com/learn/finding-the-notes-yourself-with-sara-campbell/

Today’s show features Sara Campbell, an accomplished piano and singing teacher based in Pennsylvania.

We met Sara when we were gearing up to launch our Instrument Packs at Musical U. We were searching for someone who excelled in bringing joy and creativity to the process of learning piano and really understood how to develop musicality, not just instrument technique.

She accepted the position and has been doing a terrific job inside Musical U for several months now. But as you’ll discover in this episode, that’s just one example of a variety of cool and interesting projects she’s involved with.

In this episode, we dive deep into how to get started with playing by ear and improvisation. Sara shares insights and specific tips that can be applied on any instrument, not just piano.

She recommends one particular activity you can try today to get started improvising – and the essential warning you’ll need to hear if you want it to go well!

And she reveals a powerful way to flip your understanding of the piano keyboard and see it in a whole new way – something that’ll be useful for anyone who occasionally dabbles on keyboard, not just the devoted piano players among you.

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/finding-the-notes-yourself-with-sara-campbell/

Links

SarasMusicStudio.com: http://sarasmusicstudio.com/

Upbeat Piano Teachers: http://upbeatpianoteachers.com/

Recommended: Tim Topham: https://www.timtopham.com/

Recommended: Andrea Dow: https://www.teachpianotoday.com/

Recommended: Supersonics Piano: https://supersonicspiano.com/

Free download: Celtic music improv: https://sarasmusicstudio.com/2017/10/10/free-celtic-improv-for-piano/

Free download: Pentascale piano charts: https://sarasmusicstudio.com/2016/03/11/circle-of-5ths-pentascale-chart/

Instrument Packs at Musical U: https://www.musical-u.com/instrument-packs/

Axis of Awesome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOlDewpCfZQ

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Learn more about Musical U!

Website:
https://www.musical-u.com/

Podcast:
http://musicalitypodcast.com

Tone Deaf Test:
http://tonedeaftest.com/

Musicality Checklist:
https://www.musical-u.com/mcl-musicality-checklist

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Tweets by MusicalU

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Finding the Notes Yourself, with Sara Campbell. The Musicality Podcast

New musicality video:

Don’t miss the upcoming episode of the The Musicality Podcast with special guest Melody Payne from https://melodypayne.com/
Subscribe here! musicalitypodcast.com

Let us know what you think! Email: hello@musicalitypodcast.com

If you enjoy the show please rate and review it! http://musicalitypodcast.com/review

===============================================

Learn more about Musical U!

Website:
https://www.musical-u.com/

Podcast:
http://musicalitypodcast.com

Tone Deaf Test:
http://tonedeaftest.com/

Musicality Checklist:
https://www.musical-u.com/mcl-musicality-checklist

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/MusicalU

Twitter:
Tweets by MusicalU

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MusicalU

Subscribe for more videos from Musical U!

Getting Off Book with Melody Payne Preview: The Musicality Podcast

New musicality video:

What is a pentascale and how can learning this scale improve your musicality? https://www.musical-u.com/learn/about-pentascales/

The pentascale (not to be confused with its cousin, the pentatonic scale) is an excellent starting point for piano improvisation. Learn why it’s an incredible tool for beginners, and how the constraint of using only five notes can inspire creativity in your playing.

First things first: What is a “pentascale”?

You’re probably familiar with the idea of a scale in music. It’s a set of notes arranged in pitch order, ascending or descending. The most well-known kinds are major scales and minor scales – but there are many more beyond those. Scales are closely related to the key of a piece of music, the set of notes used for its melody and harmony. And they can provide us with an insight into how music is constructed and how the melody and harmony relate to each other.

A pentascale is a type of 5-note scale. The name gives it away, with “penta” meaning “five”. It’s actually just the first five notes of the regular major scale. So if we take C Major as an example, the major scale runs C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C again.

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/about-pentascales/

Links and Resources:

Interview with Sara Campbell: http://musicalitypodcast.com/14

Improvisational Freedom Through Constraints: https://www.musical-u.com/learn/improvisational-freedom-through-constraints/

Pentatonic scales (different from pentascales!): https://www.musical-u.com/learn/five-notes-will-change-your-life-pentatonic-scales/

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Learn more about Musical U!

Website:
https://www.musical-u.com/

Podcast:
http://musicalitypodcast.com

Tone Deaf Test:
http://tonedeaftest.com/

Musicality Checklist:
https://www.musical-u.com/mcl-musicality-checklist

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About Pentascales: The Musicality Podcast

New musicality video:

Hi, this is Christopher Sutton, the Founder and Director of Musical U, and I’d love to share with you what’s new in Musical U this month. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/whats-new-musical-u-october-2017

There were three big additions at Musical U this month. The first was a preview of our upcoming Scale Degree Recognition module. The second was our latest Resource Packs for our Instrument Packs, this month on “rhythmic precision”. The third is the return of our Halloween module, because it’s October, and we made a big addition to that module this year. Oh, and details of our next free live masterclass, stay tuned to the end of the video for that.

First up, we shared a preview of one of our forthcoming modules. We already have a great module for scale degree recognition. If I go here to training and look at all our training modules, and go to melodies, you can see our existing scale degree recognition module here, which covers the major pentatonic scale so the notes Do, Re, Mi, So, and La in solfa.

The second big addition at Musical U was this month’s resource packs in our instrument packs. We have Instrument Packs for guitar, piano, bass, and singing that help you connect up the ear skills you’re working on at Musical U with the actual playing of your instrument. And each month we release a new tutorial video as well as accompanying MP3s to help you practice and a quick reference sheet to remind you of what you’ve learned.

The third exciting edition at Musical U this month was the release of our Halloween module. And I’m a massive Halloween fan and I’m afraid I inflict that on my team. But fortunately, there are some members at Musical U who love it as much as I do. And the reality is that digging into what makes songs sound scary can actually be a fantastic way to draw together all of the listening skills you might have been working on and put it into practice for a fun and different activity.

Before you go, just a shout out to our live masterclass coming up this Saturday 28th of October. This is again, with our resident pro, Sara Campbell. She was also a guest on the podcast this month. This is really Sarah month at Musical U.

She’s presenting a masterclass all about four-chord songs and this is such a powerful idea in music if you’ve wanted to understand chord progressions by ear, or write your own, or you just want a deeper sense of what’s going on in the music you hear on the radio or the music you’re playing, this masterclass is really going to help you get to know it all in a fun and practical way.

Sign up here (it’s going to be great!) https://www.musical-u.com/masterclass-registration/

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/whats-new-musical-u-october-2017

Whats New In Musical U: October 2017