Learn to read music, and get it for less! A new video course based on the best-selling book, Basic Music Theory: How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music, is 50% off. Check out the preview below, or see more details and other free lessons from the course HERE.
Want a Free Book? Subscribe to the Six-Bullet Saturday Newsletter
Want the free color eBook edition of Practice Like This? Sign up for 6 Bullet Saturday. 6-Bullet Saturday is a newsletter that gives you six things I thought worth sharing every week. Mostly it’s about practice, and I always include specific tips or exercises or drills that I use to help me and my students get…
More Than Keeping Time: A Melodic Drumming Demo : NPR
Allison Miller was one of many master musicians who shared their experience of practice for my book, The Practice of Practice. (full list here). Allison mentioned that, in addition to hitting her fundmentals and all the “usual” practice stuff, she also made time to go into a room with her drums and just play. That…
Make Scale Practice More Fun with the Afro Latin Drum Machine
That boring click-click-click is one way to keep the beat, but there’s a better way. Check out the AfroLatin Drum Machine. The free version loops for 16 bars or so and has limited styles, but is still quite good, and super useful as an interesting metronome for practice. The full version costs more but is…
Devil’s interval: What makes music sound scary?
Metal bands and horror films stoke sonic dread the same way 19th century composers did—with a forbidden sequence of notes known as the “devil’s interval.” Source: Devil’s interval: What makes music sound scary? — Quartzy
How To Play a Piano Montuno over any chord
I’m not a piano player, but I do play the piano. You should, too. It’s one of the best tools for understanding theory. So, I’m always looking for something to play on piano that’s easy and fun (and useful, I hope). A band mate suggested I learn montunos, so that’s what I’m doing. Here are…
Learning a Tune or Solo? Anytune app: Perfect Your Practice
Anytune Pro+ is the best “slow-it-down” app I’ve come across, and I’ve tried a LOT of them. You can get the free version to toy around with it, but I’d recommend the Pro+. I
Keep Track of Your Practice
Keep track of your goals, exercises, or whatever with this handy Exercise Tracking Form. One of many freebies you’ll find in Basic Music Theory: How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music. Click to get the link to this PDF.
Deep Practice Few Do
This post is a partial glimpse of Chapter 31: Going Mental. The image below of the Facets Model is from page 173 inThe Practice of Practice If you’re passionate, curious, and driven, you might do this kind of practice without much thinking. Learning just the notes, or the sounds, isn’t enough. Dig deeper. Use the…
MEZERG – Genius Use of a Theramin
More on the Theramin.
Listening Sideways: The Art of Playing Together
Listening sideways is an essential step in developing a more musical ensemble as it allows students to direct awareness outward and listen to what is happening around them. Here is a simple but essential exercise to help develop the ability of your young musicians to “listen sideways.” Source: Listening Sideways: The Art of Playing Together
