Learning How To Sing: Physical Tension

Learning how to sing can be fun and exciting.  Unfortunately sometimes we run into problems that are difficult to solve.  These problems can seem like big issues, but the reality of it is that there are many other people who have the same issues and have worked through them.

Some of the more common issues are breath management, inner hearing miscalculations or rhythmic errors.  All of these are fairly easy to to solve with a little patience and practice.

Physical Tension

Physical tension is a common cause for musicians of all types to have problems with intonation, injury and a host of other issues.  Today we are talking about intonation of a vocalist, however most of this crosses over to instrumentalists as well. 

As a singer your instrument is your body and as an instrumentalist your body is an extension of your instrument.  Take a moment to examine yourself as you sing or play.  Do you look relaxed, the same way you look when you are reading a book or watching T.V.? 

If your neck is popping out or your face is twisted up into a bad Halloween mask while your shoulders are hunched? Than tension might be an issue to look at. 

Stand in front of the mirror and watch yourself sing or play.  Maybe you could video tape yourself and take a look at your performance.  Look for clues of unusual tension.  How is your posture?  Does what you are doing during your performance effect your breath management?

Sometimes we are so emotionally invested or working on singing with soul that we have trouble singing in tune or we misplay a note.  Without being aware of what we are doing we sacrifice our playing for performance flash.  We tighten up physically and mentally while we are trying to look cool and impress that someone in the audience. 

One way to help you avoid tension is to do stretches or warm op exercises at the beginning of your practice time.  Become aware of your body and what you are doing while you are singing or playing.  Take the time to eat properly and treat yourself right by exercising, it will also help your creativity and awareness.

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Learning to Sing: Breath Management

Learning how to sing or play your horn can be fun and easy if you take your time to learn how to practice properly.  Common vocal mistakes like inner hearing issues, breath management and physical tension can add to anyone’s frustration. Not to mention that persistent errors or off-key notes can be bothersome and hurt your confidence. 

Breath Management 
Breath management is a common mistake that vocalist’s and instrumentalists alike seem to overlook.

Pay close attention to your breathing as you sing or play your phrase.  Monitor you breath, if you are squeezing out the end of the phrase with the last bit of air you have than you are going to have a difficult time hitting the right note. 

There is no more difficult way to sing or play a note properly than with the last bit of breath you have.  Those notes are typically instable and what is worst is they force you to take that big breath putting you in a bad rhythmic position. 

Plan your breaths during your practice time so that when you are in the excitement of the performance you don’t find yourself gasping for breath, off key and out of phase rhythmically.  Knowing your breath points and hitting them will easy your tension and give you some confidence.  If you miss one, you only have to get to the next spot until you are perfect again.

Take your time in practice to get your breathing down.  When you first sit in with a band your perception will change and even the most familiar melody can sound foreign.   Make sure you are comfortable with your melody, lyrics, rhythm and message that you want. 

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Learning How To Sing: Your Inner Hearing

Common Vocal Mistake

Learning how to sing can be fun and easy if you take your time to learn how to practice properly.  Common vocal mistakes like inner hearing issues, breath management and physical tension can add to anyone’s frustration. 

As a vocalist or instrumentalist, intonation is a key element to good music.  If you are out of tune than no matter how great your technique is you will sound terrible to your audience. 

Persistent errors or off-key notes can be bothersome and hurt your confidence.  Often there is a particular reason that you are making the same or similar error.  In order to troubleshoot your intonation issue lets look at some common issues that occur.

Lets start with what you are hearing in your head.  Does it match the melody? 

Sit down at a piano or pick up a guitar and identify the problem notes or phrase.  Often we have a rough idea of the phrase in question but in our “minds ear” we don’t have a full grasp of the phrase.  We are continually glossing over the problem assuming that we know it. 

Play the note or phrase on your piano several times, listen to the note and allow the not to fade after you strike it.  Then sing the note unforced and without any expression or interpretation. 

After you can sing the proper note without any problems, sing the passage a few notes before.  Again, use no vocal expression or interpretation.  Once you can sing the note successfully in the passage continue to add notes until you have mastered the notes of the song.

After the song is complete in as simple a vocal style as possible then you can begin to add expression and interpretation as you see fit.

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Practicing Songs Efficiently

As a beginner learning music, learning songs is often the most fun way to get started.  You get to perform something for your family and friends and you feel a sense of accomplishment. 

Often we learn chords, melody or lyrics (what ever your instrument is) to a song and do are best to get through that song from beginning to end without a mistake.  When we make a mistake we stop, scold ourselves and start again from the beginning. 

Sometimes we get a little further in the song before we make a mistake, but more often than not we make the same mistake plus a few more.  Again we start from the beginning and give it another go, repeating the same mistakes doing our best to perfect our mistakes. 

I know from personal experience that it take a long time to finally get through that song.  The worst part is that I tend to remember the mistakes at the worst moments, when I am on stage or tired.

I was lucky to have a teacher show me the error in my practicing. It is far more productive and efficient to find that chord or bar of music that I am twisting and single it out.  Break down that song into pieces and analyze your mistake.

Ask yourself what is causing the problem.  Is it an unexpected rhythm?  Is it a difficult interval for you?  Do you have the proper fingering?

Find your issue and deal with it today and you will solve many possible problems in your future.  It is the same in music as it is in life.  A thoughtful analysis of your mistakes will avoid similar mistakes in the future.

Single out that bar of music and practice it over the correct way a few times.  When you feel comfortable with it try backing up a few bars and playing/singing through it again.  If you feel comfortable with it now you might have got it.  Now start the song over and see how you are dong. 

If you do this with every difficulty you are having with a song you will not only learn it correctly, but you will speed up your learning curve.

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Notes of the Music Staff

The first thing that you need to figure out is if you are using the Treble Clef, the Bass Clef or both (Grand Staff).  If you don’t know how to tell take a step back and go to the learn how to read music blog post and start there.

As a starting point on your instrument you should find “middle C”.  That is the note C that corresponds as the C note between the Treble and Bass Clef.

You can check out middle C in the picture below…

You will notice that the only notes that are used are A-B-C-D-E-F-G.  This is our musical alphabet.  There is no H, I or J and so on…

To learn the notes of the staff you are going to need a gnomonic devise (a sentence where each word starts with the corresponding note) to make it easier.  Each clef has its own device and they will be discussed in each section.

Treble Clef

Its job is to tell you where the note G above Middle C is.  Do you see the swirl around the second line of the staff?  That note is G above Middle C.  It is also known as the G- Clef.

In the Treble cleft the lines are: Every Good Boy Does Fine.

The E note is the first line on the bottom of the staff; G is the second from the bottom and so on up the staff.

The Treble Cleft spaces spell F-A-C-E.

The F note is the first space at the bottom of the staff.  It is between the E and the G. 

You will notice everything is in alphabetical order.

Memorize these devices.

Instruments that use the Treble Clef

Guitar, Flute, Piccolo, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet (in the French system, in the German system they read bass clef), Oboe, Bassoon (when it's really high), Trumpet, French horn, Violin, Piano (uses the grand staff), Saxophones (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone), various tuned percussion instruments like the glockenspiel, xylophone, marimba and vibraphone and Harp

Bass Clef

Also known as the F-Clef, its job is to tell the reader where the F below middle C is.  Can you start to see the importance of Middle C?

In the Bass Clef the lines are: Good Boys Do Fine Always.

The Bass Clef spaces are: All Cows Eat Grass

Memorize these devices and learn to recall them quickly.  First do this without your instrument and then with your instrument but without any rhythm.  This way you are breaking up your learning into smaller chunks.

Instruments that use the Bass Clef

Cello, double bass, bass guitar, bassoon, contrabassoon, trombone, euphonium and tuba, keyboard instruments like the piano, organ, and harpsichord (the upper part is usually written in treble clef), the lowest notes for horns and the baritone and bass voices.

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Circle of Fifths

The Circle of Fifths is one of the most important ideas to grasp onto as a musician.  After you memorize it you will be able to know what notes belong to what scale.  It also makes reading music a lot easier and writing music less messy.  

It is intimidating at first but there really is no reason to be scared.  It is like learning your times tables only smaller and simpler.  You also have a way of hearing the Circle of Fifths on your instrument and if you know your scales already the Circle of Fifths will make a lot of sense.

Each Key has what is called a Key signature.  This "signature" is what tells you what notes are always sharp or flat in the scale and on a piece of music.

An example of this would be the key of C.  In the key of C there are no (0) sharps or flats. On the piano keyboard below us, all the white keys (and only the white keys) would be the key of C.

To take this one step further the Key of G has one sharp and that sharp is always F#.   So to play the key of G you would always play the note F as F#.   Take a look at the chart below… It is called the Circle of Fifths and also the Circle of Fourths. First lets travel around the circle to the right…

Notice all of the sharps as we go around to the right.  Here is the order, notice that if you count from C to G (C-D-E-F-G) the notes are 5 intervals apart.

C Major

You can see that the key of C has no sharps and no flats. 

G Major

The Key of G is a Perfect 5^th above C (this is where the circle of fifths gets its name).  The key of G has one sharp and that sharp is F#. Notice that F# is the leading tone in a G major scale.

D Major

As we continue around the circle the next stop is the key of D major, which is a perfect 5^th above G major.  D major has two sharps and they are always F# and C#.  Notice that C# is the leading tone in the D major scale.

Tip: The number of sharps in a key always builds on each other.

E Major

The next stop around the circle is the Key of A major.  A major has 3 sharps and they are F#, C# and __. Can you guess what the answer would be?

A hint is what is the leading tone in the key of A major….

The answer is G#.

A major has 3 sharps and they are F#, C# and G#.

Next stop is E major and E major has 4 sharps and they are F#, C#, G# and __#.

What the leading tone of E major? D#

B Major

A perfect 5^th above E major is B major and it has 5 sharps they are __#, __#, __#, __# and A#.  Fill in the blanks; it should be easy (you can look above to the previous major scale if you are not sure or the image above).

Now I am going to through you for a loop, so be ready…

The next perfect 5^th above B major is F, but F has already been made sharp and if you are counting we are getting up to 6 sharps, that’s a lot of sharps.  This could begin to get confusing if we don’t do something about it. 

Also, There is a natural half step between E and F and B and C.  This means that technically there is no such note as B# or E# because those notes sound like C and F.

What should we do? 

You could use the note Cb for B# and the note Fb would be the substitute for E# but it is against the rules to mix sharps and flats in a key signature.

What will we do?

We could call F# Gb and here is how…

Circle of Fourths

Take another look at the Circle of Fifths and you will notice that we have been going clockwise around the circle.  So lets think about traveling around the circle in a counter clockwise motion and call it the Circle of Fourths.

It is essentially the same principle but instead of using the interval of a Perfect 5^th we will use the interval of a perfect 4^th. Lets start from the top again.

Tip: Bb is the distance of a perfect 4^th above the note F.  Just like the Circle of Fifths had the rule that the leading tone would be the next sharp, the circle of fourths has a rule that the next flat will be a fourth above the key you are in.

C Major

You can see that the key of C has no sharps and no flats.

F Major

F major has one flat and that flat is Bb.

Bb Major

Bb major has two flats and they are always Bb and Eb.

Eb Major

Eb major has three flats and they are Bb, Eb and __b. What would be a perfect fourth above Eb? You guessed it Ab.

Ab Major

Ab major has 4 flats and they are __b, __b, __b, and Db.  Take a gander at the above examples if you cant remember…

Db Major

Db major is starting to get loaded down and has 5 flats, they are __b, __b, __b, Db, and __b.

Gb Major a.k.a. F# Major

Finally we are back to where we ended with on the Circle of Fifths.  Gb major corresponds with F# major.   Gb major has 6 flats and they are __b, __b, __b, __b, __b and Cb.

The reason that it is easier to deal with the 6 flats is because there is a natural half step between E and F and B and C.  This means that technically there is no such note as B# or E# because those notes sound like C and F.

We call these notes Cb (for B#) and Fb (would be the substitute for E#)

It is against the rules to mix sharps and flats in a key signature so choose one or the other.

When I was learning the Circle of Fifths/Fourths I had a difficult time figuring out the importance.  It was not until I began learning my scales that it came together.  So if you are having troubles than start to look at your scales, it might help. 

Memorize the number of Sharps and Flats as well as their order.

If you take the time to memorize the information it will all fall in place eventually.

I suggest that you go over this page many times many times.  Do what ever it takes to memorize this stuff and you will be rewarded greatly on your musical journey.

Homework Assignments

1. Draw each Key Signature 10 times.  
2. Draw the Circle of Fifths only.  
3. Draw the Circle of Fourths only.  
4. Draw the Circle of Fourths and Fifths together.

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Key Signatures

The key signature is found at the beginning of the staff directly after the clef.  Its job is to tell you what the root note or safest tone is in the piece of music.  Each “Key” has its own unique key signature. 

The key signatures only job is to tell you what note will be played sharp, flat or natural. 

A key signature looks like a series of sharp symbols (#) or flat symbols (b) placed on the music Staff.  These symbols designate the notes that are to be consistently played one half step higher (sharp) or lower (flat) than the equivalent natural notes.

The clef and key signature are the only symbols that normally appear on every line of the staff. They are important symbols because they tell you what note is on each line and space of the staff.

The clef tells you the letter name of the note (A, B, C, etc.), and the key tells you whether the note is sharp, flat or natural.

When a sharp (or flat) appears on a line or space in the key signature, all the notes on that line or space are sharp (or flat), and all other notes with the same letter names in other octaves are also sharp (or flat).

 

Every key belongs to a Key signature.

An example of this would be the key of C.  In the key of C there are no (0) sharps or flats.

 On the piano keyboard all the white keys (and only the white keys) would be the key of C.

The sharps and flats always appear in the same order. 

The key of G major has one sharp and that sharp is always F#.   So to play the key of G you would always play the note F as F#.  Look at the image below to see what the key of G major looks like.

The order of sharps is: F sharp, C sharp, G sharp, D sharp, A sharp, E sharp, B sharp.

The key of F major has one flat and that flat is always the note Bb.  The key of F major looks like this.

The order of flats is the reverse of the order of sharps: B flat, E flat, A flat, D flat, G flat, C flat, F flat.

So the keys with only one flat (F major and D minor) have a B flat; the keys with two flats (B flat major and G minor) have B flat and E flat; and so on. Bb major would look like this.

If you want to figure out what key a piece of music is remember these two things.  If it is sharp, look at the last sharp symbol and move up one half step. Example would be if the last sharp is the note F# then you are in the key of E major.  If you were working with flats you would go to the second to last flat and that is your key.

Here is a great image that I found on goggle that explains it.

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Learn How To Read Music

If you want to learn how to read music or understand those buttons on your beat machine first you need to understand the terms of music.  Once you know terms like staff, grand staff, treble clef, bass clef, key signature and time signature you will be on your way. 

Of course you also need to know note values and a few other ideas.  Beyond that reading is a matter of consistent practice.  Really there is not much to it, most of us make it harder than it really is.

Like reading a book in English, music is a language with its rules.  When you know the rules it is just a matter of time before you are a good reader.

So here is your first lesson to learn how to read music.

The Staff

The staff is the five lines on the music paper.  It looks like this:

Each line or space is a music note.  Just like a letter in the alphabet.  Simple right…

A sheet of music paper is called staff paper.  There are basically two types of staff paper.  Staff paper where each staff is separate and staff paper where two staff’s are connected into a “Grand Staff”.

If you play the piano you would use a Grand Staff because you can play several octaves at any time.  A Grand Staff looks like this:

You can see that it is two staffs ties together.  The top is the treble clef and the bottom is the bass clef.

The Clef's

The first thing you see on any staff is clef. There are several clefs but I will only be talking about two types.

The Treble Clef

Its job is to tell you where the note G above Middle C is.  Do you see the swirl around the second line of the staff?  That note is G above Middle C.  It is also known as the G- Clef.

The symbol on the left is what the Treble Clef or G-Clef looks like.

The Bass Clef

Also known as the F-Clef, its job is to tell the reader where the F below middle C is.  Can you start to see the importance of Middle C?

The symbol on the left is what the Bass Clef or F-Clef looks like.

Below is a picture that illustrates the notes of the staff as well as how they relate to a piano keyboard.

Next you need to know the rest of the notes of the music staff and how to remember them.

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Learning Rhythm: Time Signatures

For many of us learning rhythm starts with tapping fingers or your foot while you are learning to play your instrument or making beats.  Understanding time signatures is a good place to start understanding meter (or the rhythm you hear in your head and feel in your body).

Some of us naturally understand the feel of meter; others struggle a little bit with it.  Knowing your note values, time signatures other staff markings is important.

Counting your rhythm is the first step to understanding rhythm, feeling it deeper than you might if you don’t count.  More importantly understanding how to count with your music allows you to communicate with other musicians.

The time signature is found at the beginning of a piece of sheet music after the cleft and key signature (if there is a key signature).  Unlike the cleft and key signature the time signature will not be seen again on a piece of music unless the time changes in the song.

Learning how to read rhythm is the same as using a beat machine or sequencer.  In the picture below you can see 16 beats or 4 sections of 4. 

Common Time Signatures

In western music the most common time signatures are  4/4, 2/4 and 3/4.  In fact the most common time signature is 4/4 time.  4/4 is so common that it is called common time.

 This is what 4/4 or common time looks like:

The top number tells you how many beats fill a measure and the bottom note tells you what note value receives one beat.

You would count 4/4  time like this:

…1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and…

The number is the strong or up beat while the “and” is the weak or down beat.

Try it buy clapping while you say the number and fill the silence with an “and”.

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Learn Rhythm: Note Value

There are two main ideas when it comes to learning rhythm.  They are true no matter if you are making hip hop rap beats or learning to read music for the guitar or saxophone.

The first is that you need to feel the pulse of the music. The second is that you need to be able to count the beats.  Learning note values, time signatures and other basic music theory ideas will help both sides to rhythm.

Some of us have a natural “feel” for music and some of us… Well, not so much. 

No matter what category you fit into you need to learn how to count beats in order to develop your level of musicianship.  To start you off we are going to talk about note values first.

Bars and Measures

A bar or measure of music is a way to divide up your music into smaller chunks that are easier to count and remember.  Each measure has a number of beats that it is divided into.  The number of notes is determined by the key signature.

Each measure is divided up into the following units of time.  You can see them in the image below. 

Whole Note

The whole note lasts for the duration of the measure.  That means that there can be only one whole note per measure.

Half Note

The half note is the length of half of the measure and there can be no more than two half notes per measure.

Quarter Note

A quarter note is 1/4^th of a measure and there can be no more than four “quarter” notes per measure.

Eighth Note

An eighth note is 1/8^th of a measure and there can be no more than eight “eighth” notes per measure.

Straight forward so far right!

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Learning Music: Recording Practice

For learning music one of the best learning tools that you can get yourself is a recording device.  Record everything you do in practice.  You don’t have to save it if you don’t want to but record it and listen back to what you are doing.

Create a record of how you have improved.  With the advent of the mp3 storage is easy.  You don’t have to let others listen to this stuff if you don’t want.  It is for your ears, so you can grow as a musician.

It will also help you develop a practice method.  Focused energy will fix issues faster than random recognition of mistakes. What I mean is, it is difficult to hear everything you are doing while you are trying to do it.

When you practice do you play a song and try to listen to it as you go?

Try recording your practice so you can concentrate better on what you are doing at the moment.  This way you don’t have to recall your mistakes, you can hear them and figure out what you did well and what needs work. 

You don’t have to run out and buy an expensive 4-track to record what you are doing. 

Get an old hand held tape deck and it will help you with your practicing just as much.  For a about $100 dollars you can get a hand held digital recorder that will go right to mp3!

Another way to go is to break out the video camera.  This way you get to see your stage presents as well.  You can also strip the audio from the video and make an mp3.

This is a fantastic way to measure your strengths and weaknesses so that you can set better goals. 

It is also a good idea to have a CD of your music around so that you can pass them out to friends, family or that potential music executive about to give you your big break.  The sound quality does not have to be perfect (although sound quality is important) to get the job done.

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Learning Music: Dynamics In Music

Learning music is learning communication.  It has a power to bring the listener into the mental state of the composer or band. Dynamics would be the amount of force you use while playing your instrument.  

Dynamics is the effort or “Attack” that you put into each note.  It is how soft or hard you strike a string or key.  It is the vibrato or staccato that you use.  It is the swing you put in each phrase. 

When you are practicing it is important for you to think of as many ways as you can to play each note or chord.  In fact this is a good creativity exercise that will show you how slight changes in how you play changes how a listener hears a song.

It is an exercise that helps you realize that quiet is as important as fast and silence can be as powerful as cannon fire.

Using Technology

We are all so lucky to have been born into this age, when there are so many great recordings.  Use this technology as a practice tool. 

Find a recording of your favorite musicians that you think you can play with.  Get the sheet music or tablature if you have to, memorize the song and turn on that stereo and turn it up. 

Close your eyes and pretend you are on that stage with them.  Learn the chords to the song and play some rhythm, find that grove, take a solo…or two.  Do it again and again.  If you do this regularly you will find yourself emulating their dynamics and learning a few tricks along the way.

For more information about how to build your confidence, improve your creativity and make better music visit http://www.bebop2pop.com and get your copy of 9 secrets to better music.

Learning Music: Playing With Soul

Learning Music is more than plucking strings or pressing keys.  There is something that seems to flow through a good player.  It is their expression of themselves that seems to put their playing on another level.

A few years back I was traveling in Missouri with a friend.  We came across a bar on night that had music pouring out of it.  It was loud, soulful and awe inspiring before we even stepped into the door. 

From the outside it sounded as if B.B.King had found this small club in the middle of Columbia, Missouri.  Each note that was played was so on point, he was not just playing the blues, he was feeling every happy and sad moment in his life and sharing them with us that night. 

There were no fancy effects, no faster than the speed of sound finger moves; there was nothing but this man and his presents.  

That was the moment that I realized it didn’t matter if you played one note for an entire song as long as you played it at the right moment every time with every little bit of energy you have to share.  

It’s Not What You Play, It’s The Way You Play It

Rhythm

Everything you ever play comes down to the same thing every time.  Rhythm.  Music is about precision.  I don’t care what type(s) of music you listen to; the best players are meticulous with their rhythm.  

The best thing you can do for yourself is go out and spend $20 on a metronome or if money is less of an obstacle get a drum machine and play with it every time you practice. 

Using a Drum machine is a great way to understand rhythm from a drummer’s perspective when you don’t have the ability to get a drum kit of your own. 

I can’t stress enough how important it is to be able to take a basic rhythm and be so steady with it that the rest of the band can count on you to be there for them when they falter.

If you have good rhythm people want to play with you.  Your fretboard skills will improve with time.

Don’t rely on the drummer to drag you along and show you where you are supposed to be.  Keeping time is not the drummer’s job alone.

Attack your rhythm in the same manor you would learn chords and melodies.  Take time to learn the Bossa Nova, Waltz or Samba rhythms. Turn on that metronome and put it on 80 bpm (beats per minute).  Play your songs slowly with each click of the metronome. 

Break each song or rhythm into small parts and learn on part at a time.

When you have that first one down add the next, when you have those two parts learned add a third part until you have each section down.  Before you know it you will be playing song after song better than you ever imagined you could.  

If you take your rhythmic precision seriously people will begin to feel the pulse in your play and that is a key element to becoming a great soulful player.

For more information about how to build your confidence, improve your creativity and make better music visit http://www.bebop2pop.com and get your copy of 9 secrets to better music.

Chord Qualities

Thinking of a chord quality is a lot like thinking of feelings.  Major Chords are happy, minor chords are mysterious, Diminished chords are scary and Augmented chords have a confused sense of delight. 

So what is it that makes it important for us to categorize chords in this way?

For starters it makes it easier to write songs when you are thinking about sound and feelings.  Lyrics can drive your music one way or another. 

A good piece of music will have a balance of consonance and dissonance. Without a balance the music is flat and has no excitement.

Major Chords

Happy sound and are the most stable sounding chords.  Gives a secure feel to the listener’s ear.  Most pop music is written with a generous helping of Major chords so as not to challenge the listener.  This way the listener can hear your lyrics and concentrate on your dancing and stage show rather than spend their time dissecting what they are hearing.

Minor Chord

The minor chord is just a little more mysterious than the major chord.  It is a good accompaniment chord for the major quality because it gives the ear a tug away from that security without taking the listener to far away from the security of the major chord.

Diminished Chord

This is one of the most dissonant chords as well as one of the most versatile chords.  It is mostly used in Jazz because of its awkward yet interesting sound.  It is versatile because you can replace any dominant 7 chord with a diminished chord one half step above the root of the dominant 7 chord.  Also you can move that diminished chord a minor third in any direction and it is the same notes, same chord with a different root.

Augmented Chord

Again this is a dissonant chord and mostly used in Jazz.  It is not as versatile as the diminished chord but it is used commonly in the Harmonic Minor or Melodic Minor scale.  The Augmented Chord is a great way to modulate into another key by using the parallel minor of a scale.

Chord quality is like painting.  The more color you use the deeper your pallet is.  The more interesting your songs become.  My advice is to learn these chords and play around with them.  Se what you can do with them on your own. 

Learning Music Theory

Learning music theory is the mental process of music and is a great part of the journey of music. I feel bad for folks when I hear them say they don’t need to learn theory or that it destroys creativity. I feel bad for them because I know personally that it is not true.

Music theory is another tool. Music theory is a way to communicate with other musicians in a language that we can all take part in. Without music theory how are you going to tell a musician that does not play your instrument what you need them to play?

What if you are not in the same room as your colleague and you don’t know how to write music?


Music is as much of a language as English, Spanish or any other spoken word. It is important for any musician to know sound like they know words.

Take 30% of your practice time to study music theory. Learn the circle of fifths, how to build chords, major and minor chord scales, and modulation. If you can get that far there is nothing stopping you from a bright future.

Music theory also teaches you the relationships between sounds. Taking the time to understand this relationship will open up creative ideas and make you think about music, not just feel it.

Don’t get me wrong, it is important to feel music. I am not telling anyone to learn the rules of music and follow them strictly. Don’t you think that it’s more fun to break rules when you know you are breaking them? I do. Not only is it more fun but knowing how and why you are doing the rule breaking can prove to lead you into other creative ideas.

For more information about how to build your confidence, improve your creativity and make better music visit http://www.bebop2pop.com and get your copy of 9 secrets to better music.

Learning Music Theory      Ear Training

Ear Training

Ear Training is the most important tool you can develop as a musician. I say that because it is like eating vegetables and drinking milk. You need them for strong bones and a health body and mind. You need ear training to be able to hear your music.

It is a part of the physical act of music. Unfortunately it is one of the most frustrating parts of music to learn. It takes honesty with yourself to train your ear. It also helps to know how to read music. Another way of thinking about ear training is that it is a great way to learn how to read music.

You should spend 20% of your practice time on ear training. It would be good to spend more time, but much more than a half hour per day can be tough for beginners (and many of us for that matter).


A good way to start your ear training is to get an easy melody that you are familiar with and sight read it. That means sing the notes as you read them. Then play it on your instrument.
Using a metronome and being sure to stay true to the rhythm id so important. In fact if you cant sing the proper note and sing the rhythm at the same time than don’t. Replace the note with a syllable and learn the rhythm first.

Next learn the notes without the rhythm. Make sure to keep true to your root note when you are learning the intervals of sound. Once you get both parts down put them together!

Take your time and be consistent and the playing you do with your instrument will improve ten fold! This is also a way to learn music by ear.

For more information about how to build your confidence, improve your creativity and make better music visit http://www.bebop2pop.com and get your copy of 9 secrets to better music.


Learning A Music Insturment    Music Theory

Learning Music

Learning Music is a process. For most of us it does not happen over night. It takes discipline, patience and a will to learn how to practice properly. Learning music can be a journey full of people and places that will help you understand music and your roll as a musician.

Starting your journey can be the hard part. Learning a balance between playing what you want to lean and what you need to learn in order to be able to play with others at a drop of a hat.

Learning songs, music theory, learning to improvise, learning to read and write music are all important skills to know and use. How do you balance the time you have to practice with the amount of information that you need to master?
Dividing up your time wisely into these three areas will help any beginner accelerate their learning curve.

Physically Playing Your Instrument
Learning songs, scales, chords, and arpeggios is certainly time well spent. Without this stuff it doesn’t matter what you know about theory. It would probably be wise to spend 60% of your time practicing these tools.

Learning songs can be a great way to learn chords as well as a fun way of doing your “homework”. Scales and arpeggios can be less fun at first. However, after you get to know these items well, your muscle memory can get going they are the tools that make music exciting!

Scales and arpeggios make your music sound professional. They allow you to get creative and the more of them you learn the more confidence you will have in your music.

For more information about how to build your confidence, improve your creativity and make better music visit http://www.bebop2pop.com and get your copy of 9 secrets to better music.

 Learn Music Theory     Ear Training