Archive for category Learning Music

How to Fix Practicing Frustration

May 18

Posted by Marty Buttwinick in Learning Music | No Comments

 

Do One Thing at a Time!

Students at any level can get frustrated when a passage, riff or chord-change doesn’t lock in quickly.

Did that ever happen to you?

Playing music involves doing many things at once. Whether you are reading, improvising, playing by ear, or just foolin’ around, many coordinated actions are happening simultaneously. Much of the time, you need to break things down into smaller pieces in order to get all of the elements working together. The more practiced one is, the quicker the process will be. Learning a new chord-change might take a pro 20 minutes to nail, while an intermediate player might take four hours on that same chord change.

If you are not already used to the process, here it is:

1. Isolate one part of what you are learning and work on it. Take a short section of a guitar riff, piano fingering, scale, vocal passage, whatever it is, and work it out. Get it smooth and correct: coordinate the motions and master it. Break it down to just the right-hand picking directions on guitar, the left-hand piano shifts, where to breath, etc. Start with whichever element interests you the most, or is the easiest thing to tackle.

2. Isolate another element and work that out.

3. As you gain control over each part-of-the-whole, start combining them until the passage or section is complete.

It could take ten minutes or ten days to master one small thing, so have patience! Go for the new skill and don’t worry about time.

 

Common isolations:

1. The rhythm of the melody, or passage, without the pitches: Tap or clap the rhythm, and count it out if you can. I suggest doing this to a pulse: metronome, drum machine or internal pulse, if your “time” is good.

2. The pitches of the melody in any rhythm: Concentrate on the fingerings, attack and the ear training. Sometimes a passage is difficult simply because you don’t really hear it.

3. The accompaniment rhythm: If you can count and clap it, do so. If it’s not something that can be clapped easily, tap it with your fingers, “drum” it with your hands and feet, or clap the main feel or accents.

4. Fingerings and hand/body positions: Left hand, right hand, together.

5. Feet and leg motions: Pedals and levers.

6. If it’s in an odd-meter, like 5/8 or 7/4, drill the meter first by counting it out, then work on the rhythm.

7. Stabilize your technique and articulation (attack): Picking, plucking, bowing, blowing or percussively attacking like piano or percussion. At this point a singer could focus on timbre and vocal technique.

These same principles apply to all instruments—everything really :-) , whether you play flute, trombone or bagpipe!

If you isolate troublesome passages and practice them correctly, you should have them under your control in less time than you might have thought!

 

Marty B.

Email: marty@buttwinickmusic.com
http://buttwinickmusic.com
http://Personalized Music Lessons Facebook Page

 

 

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How to Play and Sing at the Same Time

May 7

Posted by Marty Buttwinick in Learning Music | No Comments

 

Playing and singing at the same time is usually a challenge for the beginner, and sometimes the professional as well! The secret is Rhythmic Independence. When you know how to develop this, singing and playing at the same time becomes doable; and the better your rhythm is, the easier it will be.

Each instrument has its own type of learning curve, but the procedure I lay out below is the method to follow. Once you get used to this procedure you can learn to sing and play almost anything! Really. However, as I stated above: the better your rhythm is the easier it will be, and the poorer your rhythm is the more difficult it will be. If your rhythm isn’t good you’ll just have to work a little longer on the procedure.>

Make sure that each step is easy before going on to the next. If Step #1 and Step #2 aren’t easy, Step #3 could be impossible. If a step becomes too difficult just go back to the early steps and work on those. That’s the secret to this: if something is too difficult go back to an earlier step. You should also use a metronome. You can do it without one, but it’s best to use one. There are many online metronomes if you don’t have one.

 

Fundamental Independence Drill

1. Play the instrument part evenly while counting aloud, i.e., 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &, or whatever the count of the song is. Get used to deliberately placing your rhythms in time. (The steady flow of beats.) Don’t add the vocal yet. If the instrument part is tricky or difficult, play a simpler one. Align what you are playing to the count. If you can’t count while playing, at least get a feel for the exact placement of your instrument part to the flow of beats.

2. Speak the lyrics of the song in time. Deliberately place the rhythm of each syllable in time. Be as exact as possible, and exaggerating the rhythmic placement is very helpful. Make each syllable short and precise. You might feel a little silly doing this, but you need to develop rhythmic precision and this is the way to do it. (If this is difficult you could use some private instruction with rhythm.) Quite often, the rhythm of the melody “floats” a bit and is not strictly in tempo. If this is the case, I suggest varying the rhythm a bit so it’s easier to understand and duplicate.

3. Begin to combine the speaking-vocal and the accompaniment—VERY SLOWLY. Unless the song you are working on comes quickly, you MUST GO SLOWLY. I’ll repeat that: YOU MUST GO SLOWLY. I’ll repeat that again: YOU MUST GO SLOWLY. The only way to really nail something is to go slow enough to coordinate the rhythmic placement of all the elements. GO SLOW!

Independence is a skill that needs to be developed. To gain control over physical motions, you need to go at a speed at which you can actually DO what you need to do. And until you gain control over each specific placement of each vocal sound and instrument motion you have to go slowly. I repeat over and over because THIS IS THE REASON WHY PEOPLE HAVE DIFFICULTY DEVELOPING INDEPENDENCE, AND PLAYING AND SINGING AT THE SAME TIME.

Imagine driving around a corner too fast… you can screech and crash. Why? You lose control. Imagine running down steep steps too fast… you can trip and fall. Why? You lose control.

Think of something you can do well with your body. Take a minute and look this over. Now, why can you do that well? It’s most likely because you have control over whatever it is. You can only develop increased rhythmic ability by practicing something at a speed at which you can actually DO what it is you want to do. There is no way around that.

I stress this point because this is the hardest thing for a beginner or a novice to accept. A pro has learned that this is the ONLY way to go.

Enough said.

 

Marty B.
Email
http://buttwinickmusic.com
http://Personalized Music Lessons Facebook Page

 

 

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About Music Lessons – Blog Book

May 3

Posted by Marty Buttwinick in Learning Music | No Comments

 

 

 

Hello! After discovering that another pro musician and teacher was applying some of my blog articles successfully with her students, I decided to share the info with whomever could use it (in addition to my regular students and readers). Anyone learning an instrument should check it out. :-)

 

 

 

About Music Lessons – Blog Book

“A Practical Guide to Learning an Instrument”

A collection of blogs and articles about learning music, music lessons, and private instruction.

 

 

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Should I Take Private Music Lessons?

Feb 29

Posted by Marty Buttwinick in Learning Music | No Comments

 

First off, ask yourself, “Am I happy with the way I play?”

If you are happy with the way you play, you probably don’t need private music lessons. If you are not happy with the way you play, you probably do! (Though an experienced musician very often just needs to practice more!)

(I could actually end this blog right here!)

In compiling my student’s goals over the years, (over 1,000 one-on-one students!), here are some common reasons why people take music lessons:

1. To learn an instrument for fun.
2. To learn an instrument as a profession.
3. To get unstuck from where they are and move ahead.
4. To improve their timing (rhythm).
5. To play the sounds they hear in their head.
6. To understand what they are already playing or singing.
7. To clear up confusions from past studies and playing/singing experience.
8. To have a fun and relaxing hobby.
9. To play with other people, for fun or professionally.
10. To improve their pitch.
11. To learn songs by ear.
12. To play by ear.
13. To improvise.
14. To read music.
15. To write songs and/or compose music.
16. To play a certain style of music.
17. To play better, in general, whether beginner or pro.

There are many ways to learn musical things: instructional videos, books, friends, websites, schools, self teaching, or all of the above. Some people do well with these methods, while some do not. And even when the above work, if someone doesn’t understand something, or wants to get better faster, a private instructor is usually sought out. (And, obvious or not, if someone wants to become a pro classical player lessons are the norm.)

So, If you’re stuck, want some guidance, or don’t know where to start, a good teacher can discover what you need to do and get you going.

Personal happiness is the bottom line.

So…, if you are happy with the way you play, you probably don’t need private music lessons. If you are not happy with the way you play, you probably do!

 

Marty B.
Email
(818) 242-7551
http://buttwinickmusic.com

 

 

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Why Learn Scales?

Feb 27

Posted by Marty Buttwinick in Learning Music | No Comments

 

Scales are the vehicle for understanding the language of music. They are the musicians’ alphabet. They define the elements of a song, give direction to the hands and provide understanding to the ears. They are used to make melodies, develop physical dexterity (chops), figure out chords, and learn to sing in tune: they have many uses.

Not every musician or music student needs to learn scales.

To strum guitar chords on your favorite song, you don’t need to know scales. To understand the chords you are playing—you most definitely do. Attempting to read music fluidly without knowing scales can be awkward and frustrating—it doesn’t work. To play a funk groove or rock riff, you don’t really need to know scales. However, to be a versatile and competent player in most styles, you do. It all depends on how far you want or need to take your musical endeavor.

There are lots of scales, and you could learn a few or many—whatever is needed. A scale is the basic vocabulary of music. You can learn to speak a little bit, or a lot.

A person only needs to learn what they need to know, in order to play or write the way they want to play or write. That’s all. It’s actually quite simple.

____________________

(A note on talent and education: I had the pleasure of having a pro songwriter as a student for a few months. He was a singer/guitarist, and had a list of #1 hits that anyone could retire on. So why did he end up in my teaching studio? Well, this was a conversation from our first lesson: “I write a song for Willie or Whitney. Then I hear it on the radio and the chords are different and there are strings and horns and all of this other stuff. What is that? How does that work? And what is a scale, and what do the black keys on a piano do?” The man was serious. He was genius songwriter who had crafted that skill. He had a natural ability to create. He was an excellent communicator, story teller and guitarist. He had no musical education at all, and didn’t need one. He only sought some education when he became curious. Interesting.)

 

 

Marty B.
Email
(818) 242-7551
http://buttwinickmusic.com

 

 

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About Learning Grooves and Guitar Strums

Oct 27

Posted by Marty Buttwinick in Learning Music, Practicing an Instrument | No Comments

 

Here’s a quick, yet important, note about practicing rhythms.

 

Rhythm patterns should be practiced to a steady pulse,
whether a drum machine or metronome.

 

A groove is a repetitive rhythm, most often for an accompaniment. Guitar strums can be random, but are usually repetitive: a groove. That’s what provides support for the melody or solo.

A stable groove is predictable. It feels good and gives the main melody, or solo, a stable point to play/sing on top of.

This blog isn’t about creating grooves; it’s about how to practice them! (And about how to not practice them!)

“Popular” music is based on a steady pulse, so practice grooves to a steady pulse. Because of this fact, practicing a groove without a steady pulse can be a waste of time. More often then not, the rhythm ends up being uneven and shaky, so not fun to play or to listen to.

First you work out the technique of the groove, e.g., picking pattern or fingering pattern on piano or bass, then learn to play it in tempo. Groove-rhythms won’t make musical sense unless you align them to a pulse. If your internal pulse is good, you don’t always need a mechanical device as an aid. However, most beginning and intermediate players should always practice to a steady pulse.

So…

 

Rhythm patterns should be practiced to a steady pulse,
whether a drum machine or metronome.

 

If you’re not already doing this, check it out and let me know how it goes!

 

Marty B.
Email

 

Related Articles
Guidelines for practicing a Musical Instrument

Practicing Music at the Right Speed

Glossary of Musical Terms

 

 

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Making Chords on a Guitar or Piano

Jan 14

Posted by Marty Buttwinick in Learning Music, Music Lessons | 1 Comment

 

Pressing a piano key down plays a note, while lifting a finger off of a key releases it. On a guitar, however, lifting a finger off of a note can create a new note by leaving an open string! This is always an enlightenment for a beginning guitarist, and a reason why it is easier to understand chords on a piano then on a guitar.

A chord is a specific group of three or more notes. If you go up every other note, alphabetically, from a specific note you have a chord. For example: C D E F G is an alphabet grouping. Start on the C, go every other note and you get C E G, which is a “C Chord”. What makes a chord a chord, are the specific notes within it, and there are many types of chords. It doesn’t matter what order the notes are in: it’s the notes that matter. A “C Chord” is CEG whether it’s play EGC or GCE or GCEGCE. Those are all C Chords.

On a piano, you add a note by pressing down an additional key. On a guitar, you either add a note by pressing an finger down OR lifting up a finger to let the open string or barred note ring out. (The glossary at my website will define any term you don’t already know.)

So when learning chords on a guitar, look for the notes a finger is playing, as well as an open string or barred note ringing out as a result of lifting a finger!

 

Marty B.
Email
(818) 242-7551
http://personalizedmusiclessons.com

 

 

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The Secret to Walking Bass Lines

Dec 30

Posted by Marty Buttwinick in Learning Music | 2 Comments

A “Walking Bass Line” is a type of bass part playing a specific series of notes on the pulse of the song.

The primary functions of a walking bass line are to outline the chords while supporting the rhythm by playing the pulse of the music. There are many books on the musical specifics, and here is the “bottom line”:

A walking bass line needs to be:

1. Theoretically perfect
2. Musically appropriate
3. Artistically played

Theoretical perfection can start with arpeggios, expanded by adding consecutive scale tones then elaborated with chromatic passing tones. (All of these terms are defined in the glossary at buttwinickmusic.com.)

Musical appropriateness is determined by the style of music, i.e., Broadway, swing, jazz, blues, etc. And the artistic execution is determined by how the musician puts it all together according to his sense of pitch, rhythm and group dynamic.

Trying to be artistic or musically appropriate before having theoretical perfection is a waste of time simply because it can’t be done. Certain styles of music can be “faked” while other styles cannot. (Though I did have a student once who was theoretically illiterate and musical brilliant.)

Walking bass lines are a skill that needs to be developed and nurtured. They are a joy to play and listen to. Ray Brown is probably the God of this, and listening to him play will give you good examples of all three levels mentioned above.

Marty B.
Email
(818) 242-7551

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