Thanks for checking out this preview for the upcoming Musicality Podcast from Musical U. For updates on the podcast, please visit us at musicalitypodcast.com
Thanks for checking out this preview for the upcoming Musicality Podcast from Musical U. For updates on the podcast, please visit us at musicalitypodcast.com
Learning to recognise notes by ear can seem overwhelmingly difficult. There’s one way to make it much simpler though: because most notes come from the scale the music was written with, learning to recognise the notes of the scale by ear lets you quickly narrow things down to the most likely right notes. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/scale-degree-recognition-piano-bass-guitar-singing
Inside Musical U we have modules dedicated to the solfa (a.k.a. solfege) approach to scale degree recognition, as well as intervals and extending the skill to full melodies.
In this month’s Instrument Packs our Resident Pros tackled this subject and made it easy for MU members to apply this powerful skill directly on guitar, piano, bass and singing.
It’s always fascinating to see how each of our Resident Pros tackles the same topic from different angles and this month was no exception!
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. You can watch the video below or read on to learn more. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/whats-new-musical-u-august-2017/
We had three exciting new developments at Musical U this month. The first is a brand new module to help you connect with the beat in music. The second was our monthly masterclass this month with Jennifer Foxx talking about mindful practicing and how to kick those bad practice habits to the curve.
And, the third was new Resource Packs for guitar, bass, piano and singing on the topic of scale degree recognition and helping you to identify notes by ear and apply that directly on your instrument.
Let’s dive in!
WAIT! One more thing. We are launching a podcast in September. If you haven’t already heard about this, it’s going to be interviews and teaching, all on the topic of musicality.
I’m super excited about the new show, and we’ve been recording episodes in advance. We’ll be launching in just a couple of weeks now.
If you want the inside scoop and behind-the-scenes information, bonus content, all that good stuff – or if you just want to be notified as soon as it comes out, please head to musical-u.com/podcast-insiders and you can sign up for insider exclusives and all of the full information about this new show.
It’s going to be totally free, you can listen on your phone, tablet or on your computer, listen at your convenience and it’s going to be a fantastic way to dive deep into the world of musicality and how to develop your own skills to feel more like a natural musician.
Thanks for joining me for this look inside what’s new inside Musical U this month, and I hope to see you inside soon.
Scales, scales, scales! Just how many scales do we really need to know? Imagine if there was one scale to rule them all. This scale is the pentatonic, or five-note scale. Learn how to build the pentatonic scale in any key, and layer it over chords and other scales. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/five-notes-will-change-your-life-pentatonic-scales/
What is a Pentatonic Scale?
By definition, a pentatonic scale contains five pitches per octave. A pentatonic scale can be formed in any major or minor key, but for the purposes of this article, we will focus on major pentatonic scales, which contain the five most commonly used pitches in simple songs and folk melodies. To derive the major pentatonic scale from the major scale, simply remove the 4th and 7th degrees, which leaves you with five notes per octave.
The scale has a very distinct, pleasant sound that works great layered over many chords and other scales. As stated above, it contains the most commonly used pitches in many popular songs. Its lack of half-steps contribute to its distinct sound, as compared to a major or minor scale.
Who Uses Pentatonic Scales Now?
The musical concepts of this traditional and folk music formed the basis of genres such as jazz, gospel, and bluegrass, as well as modern folk music. As these styles evolved into modern blues and rock, the pentatonic scale remained as an integral part of those genres.
Today, it’s as ubiquitous as ever, and for good reason; the pentatonic scale offers a fantastic improvisational framework for blues, rock, and beyond! In modern jazz, you’ll often hear amazing pentatonic solos whipped out by pianists, flautists and saxophonists.
What Can You Do With the Pentatonic Scale?
A quick refresher: the major pentatonic scale contains five notes instead of the usual seven per octave, with the 4th and 7th degrees of the major scale removed.
So, you may ask, if it’s just a “condensed” major scale, why use the pentatonic scale at all?
Turns out, the subtraction of these degrees is exactly what gives the pentatonic its power. Here are just some of the reasons you will want to use it:
1) Versatility in improvisation
You can play the pentatonic scale over a major chord progression – but also a minor chord progression, or a classic 12-bar blues progression. Because its notes are all consonant, it sounds good over nearly everything; try playing the pentatonic scale over a backing track, and you’ll see what we mean!
2) Easy To Play
Memorize certain patterns on your fretboard and keyboard, and you can easily transpose them into any key; see our pentatonic scale tabs below.
3) Play over modes
The church modes are either major or minor. The major modes are Ionian, Lydian, and Mixolydian, and all contain scale degrees 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6. In other words, the major modes all contain a major pentatonic scale, making it a perfect scale choice for writing or improvising in these modes, or playing over a modal backing track.
With its myriad of uses and its special place in nearly every genre of mainstream modern music, the pentatonic scale’s usefulness cannot be overstated. Learn its patterns on your instrument, and most importantly, practice singing along with solfege syllables to cement the pitch pattern. Producing the scale with the corresponding solfege helps connect the sounds of each scale degree with a syllable, making it more likely that you will instantly recognize the notes of a scale because your brain will process them based on their solfege identity.
Learning to recognise notes by ear can seem overwhelmingly difficult. There’s one way to make it much simpler though: because most notes come from the scale the music was written with, learning to recognise the notes of the scale by ear lets you quickly narrow things down to the most likely right notes. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/scale-degree-recognition-piano-bass-guitar-singing
Inside Musical U we have modules dedicated to the solfa (a.k.a. solfege) approach to scale degree recognition, as well as intervals and extending the skill to full melodies.
In this month’s Instrument Packs our Resident Pros tackled this subject and made it easy for MU members to apply this powerful skill directly on guitar, piano, bass and singing.
It’s always fascinating to see how each of our Resident Pros tackles the same topic from different angles and this month was no exception!
From Musical U Guitar Resident Pro Dylan Welsh
https://www.dwelshmusic.com/
Learning to recognise notes by ear can seem overwhelmingly difficult. There’s one way to make it much simpler though: because most notes come from the scale the music was written with, learning to recognise the notes of the scale by ear lets you quickly narrow things down to the most likely right notes. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/scale-degree-recognition-piano-bass-guitar-singing
Inside Musical U we have modules dedicated to the solfa (a.k.a. solfege) approach to scale degree recognition, as well as intervals and extending the skill to full melodies.
In this month’s Instrument Packs our Resident Pros tackled this subject and made it easy for MU members to apply this powerful skill directly on guitar, piano, bass and singing.
It’s always fascinating to see how each of our Resident Pros tackles the same topic from different angles and this month was no exception!
From Musical U Singing Resident Pro Clare Wheeler
https://www.facebook.com/clarewheelermusic/
It’s true what they say: all things worth doing take time and effort. Learning to play a musical instrument is an endless process. There are no shortcuts – you just have to keep on practising. However, bad practice won’t get you to where you want to be. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/practice-session-tips/
The question isn’t about whether you’re practising enough. Rather, it should be about how to practise smart so your hard work will pay off. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of every practice session.
– Set Aside a Specific Time
– Always Warm Up First
– Learn to “Hear” the Music in Your Head
– Work on What You Can’t Do (Yet)
– Practise Smarter, Not Harder
– Relax and Reward Yourself
Life is short and isn’t meant to be wasted on bad practice. So make the most of your valuable time by practising smarter.
We hope you find these tips helpful. If you have any other suggestions to optimise your music practice, share with us in the comments below!
“I can’t live… If lividi-bada-dooo…” I bet you have done this once or twice! You got on stage and then suddenly in the middle of the verse you went zazuum shashimi with your lyrics because you forgot the words. It is funny and embarrassing at the same time but the show must go on. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/10-top-tips-for-memorising-songs/
This happens to almost everyone at some point. Even actors and professional singers like One Direction are not safe.
Of course, there’s the lyric stand, the prompter, and the song book. But what if you were not allowed to bring those onto the stage? Or if you need to prepare for a competition or a performance outside the karaoke hall?
Don’t fret. We are here to the rescue! We have compiled the top 10 tips for memorising songs. So you don’t have to sing “lividi-bada-dooo” ever again.