The #1 Essential Activity For Every Musician
There’s one activity which should be prized above all else for a musician: listening to music! Here’s why music listening isn’t a waste of time but a necessity.
How can I make time for ear training?
If you have started training your ears but struggle to find time for it, don’t worry – you’re not alone! For many ear training students, music is not their full time occupation, and so musical ear training is something that must be somehow fit in...
What makes a song? It's not as simple as it sounds.
Over the years I have learnt a lot about the ownership of music. The official line when it comes to splitting royalties and ownership is still the same as it has been for decades: 50% for the melody and 50% for the lyrics. But do you think that this is a fair...
Avoiding the status quo – alternative song structures
Whether you are a songwriter, stuck in a rut, or just bored of the status quo, alternative song structures can help to find new ways of thinking about music.
How can I get help with ear training?
If you’re working to improve your musical ears it can be frustrating when you hit a problem or feel like you’ve stopped making progress. If you are: Feeling overwhelmed by the variety of ear training you can do Struggling to get a good mark on your ear...How can I play the music I hear in my head?
Learning to play what you hear in your head is a great benefit of musical ear training. Before doing ear training, many musicians feel like they can imagine amazing music – but then can not bring it out on their instrument. To play the music you imagine on your...How do song writers know which chords to use?
Choosing the right chords for a song can make all the difference between a great song and a terrible one. When you first start writing songs though, you may be overwhelmed by the options available to you. 12 major chords, 12 minor chords, plus all kinds of diminished,...How long does it take to play a song by ear?
How long it takes a musician to be able to play a song by ear will vary. Some musicians would answer “it depends how good a musician you are” or “it depends if you’re gifted”. These answers are unhelpful and inaccurate. Although many...How do you transcribe music?
Transcribing music means writing down what you hear when you listen to a song or piece. However, many music students assume this must mean perfectly writing down every note in traditional notation, which makes transcription an intimidating and overwhelming subject!...
How to hear more in the music you love
Do you truly listen to music – or just hear it? The skill of active listening is vital for a musician to develop their ears and learn to hear more in music.
Playing by Ear, with Brad Mavin: Adding the 6 Chord
Learn to play by ear with this series. Now we introduce the six chord which adds a minor feel to chord progressions and some ear training exercises which help.
