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Your Leap Day Guide to Effective Music Practice

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012

What would you do with an extra 24 hours? Think about all you could accomplish, everything you could catch up on and the progress you could make on the solo you’ve been working on. Well congratulations – here you go! Seeing as how today is Leap Day, you technically are given that extra 24 hours.

Like any other goal, improving in music requires a keen ability to look back. Most people do this at the end of the year (think New Year’s Resolutions), but why not take advantage of Leap Day as well? Even if, in reality, you can’t spend the whole day goofing off or learning something new – you still have to go to school or work today, after all - we suggest at least taking a few moments to reflect on your goals. We’re two months into the year now – how have you done with your own resolutions so far?

As you work toward your goals, one important thing to take note of is how effective your practice habits are. Are you making the best use of your time? Are you slowing down and using a metronome to help with more difficult passages? Or, conversely, is a fear of making mistakes stopping you from progressing?

To help you determine – and correct – your practicing habits, here’s a great music practice evaluation tool from the Musician’s Way Blog that we love (as you go through the list, note whether the statement is “True” or “False”):

Assessing Your Practice Habits
by Gerald Klickstein

1. My practice is deeply meaningful to me; I seldom feel bored.
2. I keep to a regular practice schedule.
3. My practice space is fully equipped with the tools I need.
4. I set detailed goals before beginning to practice.
5. I typically feel a sense of accomplishment after practicing.
6. I’m able to maintain mental focus as I practice.
7. I commonly record portions of my practice, and then I appraise my recordings.
8. I assess my practice objectively and rarely become upset by difficulties.
9. I use a metronome in practice.
10. I consistently warm up before practicing.
11. I intersperse practice sessions with regular breaks.
12. I can learn accessible music securely and efficiently.
13. I have plenty of accessible pieces in my repertoire.
14. At the outset of learning a piece, I develop a basic interpretation before making technical decisions.
15. I’m able to shape dramatic musical interpretations that move listeners.
16. When learning a new piece, I expressively vocalize rhythm.
17. I use specific strategies to solve musical and technical problems.
18. I manage repetition so that I neither repeat errors nor drill passages to the point of fatigue.
19. I use mental imaging to aid my learning and memorization of music.
20. I consciously look ahead as I play or sing.
21. I’m satisfied with the tactics that I use to increase the tempos of pieces.
22. I’m confident in my ability to memorize music and to perform from memory.
23. I have a broad-based plan to polish my technique, and I practice technique daily.
24. I routinely practice sight reading.
25. I can improvise melodies over straightforward chord progressions.
26. I review my favorite pieces in detail so that the expressive and technical components stay vibrant.
27. I listen to a range of recorded music, and I regularly attend live music performances.
28. I’m advancing my knowledge of music theory, ear training, and other general music topics.
29. I take deliberate steps to fuel my motivation to practice and counter procrastination.
30. When I make errors in practice, I view them as instructive and not as indicative of failure.
31. I understand how to practice such that I can perform confidently and artistically.
32. As I practice, I embody habits of excellence: easy, expressiveness, accuracy, rhythmic vitality, beautiful tone, focused attention and positive attitude.

What other ways do you evaluate your habits when practicing music? Share your goals – and how you’ve progressed since setting them – below! Like these posts? Sign up to receive daily updates right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe.

10 Tips to Amp Up Your Electric Guitar Tone

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

Blink-182 announced last week that in honor of – um, what’s their age again? – oh yes, their 20 years together, they’ll be kicking off a 37-date world tour starting in May. Will you be picking up tickets?

As one of the quintessential punk-pop bands of the 90s, Blink-182 has worked their way into the hearts of angsty teenagers for two decades, and now they’re promoting their first studio album in either years. And if you’re ready to jump in and amp up your own volume, there’s no better feeling than playing the electric guitar. To start you off right, here are 8 great tips for improving your electric guitar tone, as published on MusicRadar.com:

1. Use fatter strings:
If you’re after fatter tone, try using heavier strings. It can add juice and weight to your tone, especially if you play with a higher action.

2. Understand your speakers:
You might not give them much thought, but speakers are where your sound comes from! And boy, do they sound different. The key points to understand are:

- Power rating in watts: The higher rated your speakers are, the less they will distort under heavy volume. Too powerful and they can sound very squeaky clean; not powerful enough, and they can become a flabby mess, or fail entirely.
- Efficiency: This is measured in dB, at a distance of one meter. This has more to do with how loud a speaker sounds than its power rating.

3. Be clear:
Excess handling noise can spoil the clarity and tone of your playing. Here’s a general tip: if you’re getting unwanted string noise coming from a string lower in pitch than the one you’re playing, it’s the picking hand’s role to mute it with the palm.If it’s coming from a higher string, it’s the fretting hand’s role to mute it with the underside of one or more fingers. Using spare picking-hand fingers to mute strings can be particularly useful when sustaining a note with vibrato.

4. Go unplugged:
Buy a good acoustic and play it a lot. Not only do they sound fantastic, but it’ll promote sure, strong fingering when you switch back to electric, thus improving the clarity and sonority of your playing.

5. Play fewer notes:
In all seriousness, try it. The next time you go for a blues solo, instead of trying that fast run that you always fluff, try constructing a simple melody, one or two notes per bar. Be disciplined and concentrate on the feel and emphasis of each note as you play through chord changes. Watch how the audience responds better to that than a barrage of 32nd notes. Why? Because you sound better.

6. Play with dynamics:
You don’t have to play everything at full tilt. Try easing back the guitar volume during a solo and switching from pick to fingers to offer an extra tonal dimension to your performance. Variation is the key to keeping the audience interested and engaged.

7. Use two amps:
Ever wondered how somebody’s tone is distorted yet still clean and clear? It might be that they’re using two amps; one set to be very distorted, the other much cleaner, or emphasizing a specific set of frequencies. Mixed together, the sound becomes massive. Try it.

8. Tune your guitar:
The single biggest improvement you can make to your sound comes from playing in tune. Buy a quality tuner and use it. No excuses!

9. Take guitar lessons:
It doesn’t matter how good you are, you can always improve. A good teacher or mentor will help you see the things you can’t, in order to improve your articulation and fluency. They’ll help you work on tone – crucial techniques such as vibrato, string bending, phrasing and so on.

10. Be yourself:
Every single top guitarist in the world will tell you this. The slightly uncomfortable truth is that the very best tone comes from inside you, and it’s a complicated mash-up of physical and mental factors. Your gear can only get you so far The best advice is to spend your practice time practicing, but when it comes to the gig or the recording, put all that to the back of your mind and commit yourself only to the music and the moment.

Guitarists, what other tips would you add to this list? Leave a comment below! Like these posts? Sign up to receive daily updates right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe.

7 Tips for Working as a Freelance Musician

Monday, February 27th, 2012

Last night’s 84th Annual Oscars paid tribute to the best of the best of the past year’s big screen efforts – and, of course, the music involved. Out of the two music categories, The Artist won for Best Original Score, and Bret McKenzie’s “Man or Muppet” won for Best Original Song.

So what can the Oscars, more prominently known for recognizing great films, actors and directors, teach the modern day musician? Lucky for you, as a musician there are several different paths to take. Whether you see yourself on lead guitar, behind the scenes in the recording studio, as concertmaster in the Philharmonic Orchestra, or penning an Oscar-winning film score, a passion for music can take you to many different careers.

For most, freelance work is part of the journey at some point. It’s a great way to establish a network, get your name out there and earn some extra cash. If you’re just getting started, check out these great tips from Ultimate-Guitar.com about surviving as a freelance musician:

1. At least in the beginning, you will need a day job: This is the part that nobody likes, but you will most likely not be able to support yourself by playing music alone. The thing about the music business is that it really is all about who you know. It’s such a tight-knit, close community, and a lot of your credibility will come from people you know and recommendations from your peers and other clients. When you’re first starting out, you have none of that credit, and may not be called about very many gigs. You may have to solicit yourself to play for things, not the other way around.

2. Make yourself marketable: As odd as it sounds, you are a product that your clients have to buy. Just like an advertising campaign makes a certain product stick in the minds of consumers, you have to work to stick in the minds of your potential clients. And the best way to do that is not through crazy costumes and ridiculous stage antics. Make business cards (you can do this at home with Microsoft Office and other programs) and hand them out any time you have a gig. That way, your name will always be available when people ask for a guitarist. Make sure people know that you’re available and willing to play gigs. Be polite, be reliable and work hard.

3. Professionalism, professionalism, professionalism!: This may be the most important aspect that will help your career. Just like with any other job, you will not be hired again if you make the experience an unpleasant one for your employer, nor will you be recommended for any other job. But make it a happy, comfortable experience, and you have a shot at more gigs. Always be on time, always have everything you’ll need for that day of playing, and always have your parts learned. If for some reason there is a part you can’t play at the first rehearsal, make sure that it’s flawless by the next rehearsal. Take criticism, don’t ever lose your temper, and always be the kind of person that people want to work with.

4. Never, ever complain about the check: This isn’t the marketplace. You don’t get to haggle. What you get paid is what you get paid. If you don’t think it’s fair, then just don’t take gigs from that person anymore. Making a scene burns a bridge, and someday, you might need that bridge to get jobs. Of course, if somebody says they’re going to pay you a certain amount, and then the check comes and you get shorted or not paid at all, then you have every right to (politely) discuss the discrepancy – just be careful not to lose your temper.

5. Be versatile: You might love to play metal, but if you can play rock, country and jazz, too, you’ve got a much better shot at getting gigs. The more things you can do, the more jobs you’re going to get. And never turn down a gig just because it isn’t your kind of style. When you’re making the big bucks, then you can be as picky as you want.

6. Be proactive: If you hear about a gig, pursue it. It is perfectly acceptable to call somebody and say “Hey, I heard you might need a musician on such and such a date. Well, my name is such and such, I’m very capable, and if you need somebody, here’s my number.” It can’t hurt, as long as you’re polite and professional.

7. Don’t give up: Even if you can’t make a full-time job out of being a musician, continue to take gigs and put yourself out there. You never know which gig could be the break you’ve been looking for!

What have you learned from your own experiences freelancing? Leave a comment below and share your tips and expertise with the community! Like these posts? Sign up to receive daily updates right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe.

How to Use a Metronome for Efficient Practice

Friday, February 24th, 2012

This Sunday, February 26th, marks what would have been the 80th birthday of Johnny Cash. To commemorate, several projects and events are scheduled throughout the year to remember the country legend’s contribution to music. A project to preserve Cash’s childhood home in Arkansas, for example, will officially begin on Sunday, and later this year a new Cash museum will open in Nashville.

His legend still lives on, and his raw talent is beneficial for any musician to study. But what if you can’t exactly “Get Rhythm” like the American icon? To improve your rhythm, timing and tempo, using a a metronome is indispensable. Moreover, it can help you keep track of your progress. Tackling a tricky section? Turn on that metronome and you can really measure how much you progress each week. It may seem boring, but practicing – slowly – with the aid of a metronome will sharpen your muscle memory and help you see results.

Here are more great tips from Brass Musician magazine about how to use a metronome while you practice:

Practice at a Tempo Out of your Comfort Zone
Good listening skills are something musicians strive for their whole careers. Adapting to others’ tempo is an important part of ear training. Playing faster or slower than you normally do will teach you to listen and adapt to what others are doing. In this case, it’s a machine you are adapting to, but these skills translate well to ensemble playing, and especially following section leaders.

Set the Metronome to NOT Play on Every Beat
Get bored quickly with metronome practice? This is an easy way to mix things up, and test that you are maintaining your tempo without having to rely on a machine to keep the beat.

Jazz musicians, try to practice with the beat on 2 and 4, which is where the hi-hats would be in a swing beat. Do this for your scales and etudes, not just when practicing a tune. Classical musicians can try the metronome only on beat 1. Practice the same thing over and over with the metronome on random beat settings to keep you on your toes.

Use the Metronome to Help you Gain Speed
Musicians can especially benefit from metronome use when doing tonguing and lip slurring exercises. Try to go through your normal etude books, one exercise or page at a time, gradually increasing the tempo. It takes some serious practice time, but the result is well worth the effort. Tech savvy musicians can keep a spreadsheet of the exercise and tempo as they go along.

Try A Different Metronome
Lastly, find a metronome that works well for you. There are countless free apps for cell phones, computers and other devices that give you great features and a variety of sounds to choose from. There are also many sites online that have free metronomes or drum loops at any tempo.

How do YOU practice with a metronome? If you have helpful tips for the community, don’t be shy! Stop by our Facebook page and leave a comment! Like these posts? Sign up to receive daily updates right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe.

Photo by A is for Angie.

Tags: Music practice tips
Posted in Performing | 4 Comments »

Fine-Tune the Way You Learn Music

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

Earlier this week, in honor of Presidents Day, we mentioned a few of our nation’s past leaders who had musical chops – and now, President Obama caught the media’s attention after singing a verse from “Sweet Home Chicago” at a White House event to celebrate blues and Black History Month. PBS will air the event on Monday, February 27th, but you can also check out a video of the performance here. Not bad for a spur of the moment spotlight!

As most musicians know, truly learning a piece of music requires more than just recognizing the notes and lyrics on the page. As a singer, your job is to know the phrasing and structure of the song inside and out, and also communicate the emotions to the audience using your attitude, expressions and movements. This may be easy for a well-versed singer, but if you’re a beginner still learning proper breathing and posture, it can seem a bit overwhelming. Don’t worry – here’s a great list of the 6 steps to learning a song, as originally posted on Performance-High.net:

1) Learning lyrics, melody, phrasing and structure
This means just knowing “when to sing” and “what to sing” to get through the song start to finish successfully, even if you have to think about it.

2) Internalizing lyrics, melody, phrasing and structure
Know how it all goes without even thinking about it.

3) Fine-tuning: pitch, when to take a breath, enunciation, etc.
Most songs offer some kind of new challenge. Even when you know how it goes, depending on where you are as a singer you may still need to fine-tune pitch entrances, runs, fast passages, enunciation, or where to take a breath.

4) Interpretation
Dynamics. Attitude. Vocal texture. Emotional expression. What are you going to do to make this song interesting and expressive?

5) Performance
Does the song merit movement? Interaction with band members? Emphasis of hits or breaks? Is there a solo where you’ll step back as lead singer and let the focus be elsewhere?

6) Ownership
After you’ve performed a song live for a certain amount of time, it finally “gels.” You figure out how to sing all of it in your style, you get inside of it, you relax into it, it becomes “yours.” That takes time, and also requires the previous steps.

What other tips can you think of that have helped you master a song? Leave a comment below and share with the community! Like these posts? Sign up to receive daily updates right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe.

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Archive for February, 2012

Your Leap Day Guide to Effective Music Practice

10 Tips to Amp Up Your Electric Guitar Tone

7 Tips for Working as a Freelance Musician

How to Use a Metronome for Efficient Practice

Fine-Tune the Way You Learn Music

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