We have another break from lessons coming up in December during winter break as well.  So now might be a good time to look at the policies page of the website to refresh your memory of those dates and mark your calendars.

Don’t hesitate to incorporate music into your celebrations, and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Get in touch with him here:
http://www.learningmusician.com/Rog

A lot of times my students will show me a song they want to learn, and after a little bit of listening I’ll show them how it goes. Then comes the inevitable question: “How did you do that?”. As magical as it seems before you know how to do it, I’m just using my ear and applying the basics of music theory. Some people are naturally inclined to use their ear and pick out songs without any knowledge of theory or intervals. But hope is not lost on those who feel less adept to it, you just need a few reference points to think about.

There are basically twelve intervals you want to become familiar with (I know, it sounds daunting, but stick with me). There are twelve tones we work with in music. If we start on one of those, we want to be able to identify how far up or down it moves when it goes to the next note.  And if we work with twelve then we will be staying within an octave so it won’t break your brain as you’re learning, which is always good. Say I hear two notes played one after the other, and I can identify that the first one was lower than the second one, so its moving from a low note to a higher one (i.e. ascending). The next step I use is to associate that interval with a song I know like the back of my hand. For instance, if the song that those two tones remind me of is “Here Comes the Bride” or “Oh, Christmas Tree”, then I know that that interval was a perfect fourth. Sing the first two notes of those songs, you’ll notice that they are exactly the same. There’s the basic premise, now here’s the whole lowdown on recognizing ASCENDING intervals (I’ll cover descending later).

Remember, I’m measuring these with half steps:

1.MINOR SECOND: Lets start with the unmistakable Jaws theme. If you hear that, you call it a minor second, which is just 1 half step. Like a C to a C#.

2.MAJOR SECOND: The next interval is a major second, which is 2 half steps. Or the distance from a C to a D, (also called a whole step). You can hear this as the second and third notes in “Happy Birthday”, and the first two notes in “This Land is Your Land” or “Alouette”.

3.MINOR THIRD: The distance between these two notes is 3 half steps, like a C to an Eb. You can hear this as the first two notes in “Brahm’s Lullaby”.

4.MAJOR THIRD: The distance between these two notes is 4 half steps, like a C to an E. You can hear this as the first two notes in “When the Saints Go Marching In” or the first notes in the chorus of “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da”.

5.PERFECT FOURTH: Okay, I already mentioned this one earlier in the post, but it’s worth repeating. The distance between these two notes is 5 half steps, like a C to an F. You can hear this as the first two notes in “Here Comes The Bride” and Oh, Christmas Tree”.

6.TRITONE: Ooooh, the lovely and weird tritone. The distance between these notes is 6 half steps (or three whole steps, see how it got it’s name?), like a C to an F#. You can hear this as the first two notes in “The Simpson’s Theme” and the chorus of “Maria” from West Side Story.

7.PERFECT FIFTH: The distance between these two notes is 7 half steps, like a C to a G. You can hear this in “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” as the second note moves to the third note.

8.MINOR SIXTH: The distance between these two notes is 8 half steps, like a C to an Ab. If you know your Beatles music, it’s the first two notes in “Because”. You can also hear it in Lara’s Theme from “A Love Story”. I didn’t know this song before needing to identify a minor sixth, now I love it because it is so distinct. It starts out descending but then immediately ascends.

9.MAJOR SIXTH:The distance between these two notes is 9 half steps, like a C to an A. The absolute easiest way to hear this is as the first two notes in the “NBC” jingle. But there’s also “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” and “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear”.

10.MINOR SEVENTH: The distance between these two notes is 10 half steps, like a C to a Bb. You can hear it as the first two notes in “Somewhere” also from West Side Story (you know, the song that goes: “There’s a place for us”).

11.MAJOR SEVENTH: The distance between these two notes is 11 half steps, like a C to a B. You can hear it as the first two notes in the chorus of “Take On Me” by Aha, or “Don’t Know Why” by Norah Jones.

12.OCTAVE: The distance between these two notes is 12 half steps, like a C to the next highest C. You can hear this as the first two notes in “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.

Now go on and experiment!  Listen to these songs and play the intervals on either a piano or your guitar. Obviously there are millions of other songs you can use to associate with these intervals and the one’s I’ve listed above are simply the ones I use, so feel free to find your own.

For even more fun I very highly recommend playing with this site:  http://www.musictheory.net/trainers/html/id90_en.html

It plays two notes and then you have to name the interval. As you go it gives you a score of how many you’ve answered correctly, so each time you play you can see yourself getting more acquired to it. You can customize it to do just ascending or just descending or both. I use it, and you should too…… Have fun!

Thanks!

Thanks!

1) Monday 3:30 (30 minute lesson)
2) Tuesday 4:15 (60 minute lesson)
3) Thursday 5:30 (30 minute lesson)
4) Thursday 2:00 (30 minute lesson)

Update those phone books!

1) Think of your goals:

There is a reason you wanted to play your instrument. Whether it’s guitar or piano, you’ve heard other people whose playing you admired, handling the music with ease and fluidity. This is what you are reaching for during your practice time, so remember this as you begin. Motivate yourself.

2) Look Over Your Assignment:

Refresh your memory on what we covered in your last lesson. This one is super important. Really, who are we kidding here? Guidance is exactly why you have a teacher and the things I leave you to practice are just that: a practice guide from someone who has been there. Trusting and following in that guidance is the fast track to progress.

3) Warm Up:

Start off with some exercises to get your fingers prepared for the harder stuff. Just like any kind of muscle activity you want to get your body nimble and ready for what you are about to practice. If for some reason there isn’t a warm up assigned to you that week, then simply warm up with scales or even a pattern oriented song with a lot of forward motion will get you into the zone as well. You’re not only exercising muscles here, but also control of your hands so do it carefully.

4) Practice the Hard Parts First:

I tell my students this all the time. Don’t just drudge through a song from the beginning to the end right off the bat. First you need to identify the parts of the song that are hardest and practice those. If the beginning of the song is easy for you, and the next section is not, and you practice that song straight through your song will be out of balance. The first section will continue to sound good, maybe even sound better, but you won’t be giving yourself a chance to really make the song flow. Identifying the hard parts is VERY important.

5) Have Fun!:

Practicing doesn’t have to suck. As long as you keep your goal in mind and remain focused, you can leave your practice session with a gratified feeling that you’ve made progress. Another way to feel positive about what you’ve done is to look back at your old assignments and songs. Remembering what used to be a struggle will help you acknowledge the progress you’ve already made and be proud of yourself! Learning is a journey, and embracing the process will ensure that you keep at it.

HAPPY PRACTICING!

]]> http://islandlessons.com/practicing-tips/feed/ 0 http://islandlessons.com/november-2009-opening-filled/ http://islandlessons.com/november-2009-opening-filled/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:20:31 +0000 admin http://islandlessons.com/?p=113 The opening posted on October 25th 2009 has recently been filled.  Any further changes will be posted.  Thanks for your interest, and keep checking your email updates!

Thanks!

I hear a lot of parents asking me how to get their child to practice. And the simple truth is: They practice when I’m there. So, basically if they aren’t capable of staying focused on their own, then help them! While you sit with them, you can make it fun by asking them questions about what they’re doing so they can showcase their skills to you. You can even get them teach you a little something after their practice is done. Or if you play yourself, share some of the songs you know that they don’t. There are a lot of ways you can help your kids find that practice is fun.

Now, maybe the student in your house in actually into practicing. Nudging them along is not necessary, but you want some help making practice more regular. Schedules are about making time. So one way to do this is to attach your practice time to something that you already make time for everyday. For instance, maybe you decide that practice time is always while dinner is being made. Or, maybe in the morning right after brushing your teeth. Shoot, maybe you do two practices a day, one EACH time you brush your teeth. Whatever you do, you understand my point. You are already prioritizing certain basic tasks in your day, so attach practice to one of them if it helps you ensure that it happens.

Some people like to make a little “Concert Night” the evening before the lesson day. Instead of preparing for their lesson, the student is preparing for showing their songs off to their family. Of course, this can be as formal or informal as you want. Maybe it’s just a practice session in front of the family. You could make it really fun by having hot chocolate or ice cream during the performance. It’s all about finding a way to make it work for you and your family.

The bottom line is that every student is different, as is every family. Practice can be something more regimented for people who respond to structure, or something far less scheduled and more of an exercise in impulse. As long as it’s frequent and focused, it’s good. Find what works for you.

Remember, the best practice routine is the one you do!

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