Basic Music Theory

Hey fellow musicians… Ron Greene here,

There are a lot of decent basic music theory books, tapes etc. on the market these days, and many of them provide good technical content. However, most of the information in them seems to lack specific details that otherwise, really never get you to the point of playing your instrument.

For example, this free music theory publication does a good job of explaining Key Signatures and the history of music, yet, this subject might not interest you as much as getting your instrument out and actually getting down to the matter at hand… playing it! Continue reading Basic Music Theory

Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones Died

Wow, usually the drummer is the individual that out-lasts the rest of the band (generally) till death. Not that it matters and especially in this instance… Yet, every instance counts!

Here we go… Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones has passed this day Tuesday, August 24th 2021, ‘He was just fu*kn 80 fsg!.’

Damn!

Figuring that Charlie joined the Rolling Stones in 1963 we might as well consider him as the/our most original ‘rock drummer’ icon! (eh?)

Anyway, wow, a wacky day in the life of seeing an original rock ‘n Roll r’ absorbed into the ether.

Hopefully we hold on to rock for many, many, generations to come!

Jam On!

-Ron
Music Dials .com

Credit is given: rollingsonte.com and journalist, Joe Gross @ https://www.npr.org/people/2100615/jon-hamilton

As noted in this article…

“He passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier [Tuesday] surrounded by his family.” The statement referred to Watts as “one of the greatest drummers of his generation!”

It continues…

Watts’ death comes several weeks after it was announced that the drummer would not be able to perform on the Rolling Stones’ No Filter Tour of U.S. stadiums. “Charlie has had a procedure which was completely successful, but his doctors this week concluded that he now needs proper rest and recuperation,” a rep for the band said in a statement at the time. “With rehearsals starting in a couple of weeks, it’s very disappointing to say the least, but it’s also fair to say no one saw this coming.”

Read more for yourself here…
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/charlie-watts-rolling-stones-drummer-dead-obit-1161926/

What Are Chord Progressions in Music?…

According to Wikipedia… “In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice era of Classical music to the 21st century. Chord progressions are the foundation of Western popular music styles and traditional music. In these genres, chord progressions are the defining feature on which melody and rhythm are built.”

The sponsor of this Musician’s Blog is the Music Dials, which are effective at-a-glance visual reference guides for showing you the best sounding musical scale notes for playing solos and chords for accompaniment in every key.

Enjoy playing your instrument by watching and learning more here…

The Music Dials Charts Working Example

Your brain uses left side to make sense of lyrics and the right side for a song’s melody…

As a musician, you might be interested in knowing how you can separate melody from lyrics within your own brain.

We found this article of interest, as it also helps the song-writer as well as the musician playing tunes, to discover some insights on how it all comes together in the brain.

Since there’s evidence that a song is separated into two paths through the brain, it’s interesting to note (pun intended – hehe) how the musician combines the essence of both into one pleasurable listening experience.

Take a look-see yourself to understand how this might assist with your music experiences.

Jam On!

-Ron
Music Dials .com

left right brain on music

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Credit is given: npr.org and journalist, Jon Hamilton @ https://www.npr.org/people/2100615/jon-hamilton

As noted in this article…

“A song fuses words and music. Yet the human brain can instantly separate a song’s lyrics from its melody.

And now scientists think they know how this happens.

A team led by researchers at McGill University reported in Science Thursday that song sounds are processed simultaneously by two separate brain areas – one in the left hemisphere and one in the right.

“On the left side you can decode the speech content but not the melodic content, and on the right side you can decode the melodic content but not the speech content,” says Robert Zatorre, a professor at McGill University’s Montreal Neurological Institute.”

Learn and read more here…
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/02/27/810049050/how-the-brain-teases-apart-a-songs-words-and-music

Paul McCartney Playing Live…

“Some of that natural reverb gets initiated by the stage sound itself, as things get pretty loud up there. Only Wickens wears in-ear monitors, as the rest of the band opts for Clair R4 sidefills and old-school Showco SRM wedges.”

That’s a quote from the interesting article that talks about the equipment used on Paul McCartney’s late 2017, eight night (3 hour gigs) mini-tour of New York City.

Many of us musicians understand what a good 3 hour show will take out of you… but, to do it eight nights in a row… that’s a damn workout!

Anyway, take a peak at this in-depth review of the type of gear Paul used on this mini-tour and discover some hidden secrets you probably didn’t know about.

Jam On!
-Ron

(Courtesy of ProSoundNetwork.com and

This article goes on to state…

“Watching a Paul McCartney concert is a lesson in irony. At their height, the 20-something Beatles played 45-minute sets, but 50-plus years later, at an age when most stars of his era are taking it easy, a Macca show clocks in at three hours.

As if to prove the point, Sir Paul did it over and over in September as he tore through eight sold-out shows around New York City, playing two nights a piece at Madison Square Garden; Brooklyn’s Barclays Center; across the Hudson River at Newark, NJ’s Prudential Center; and on Long Island at the newly refurbished NYCB Live Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.”

Read More Here…

https://www.prosoundnetwork.com/live/paul-mccartney-tours-new-york-city-audio-sound-livesound-

Notes on a Piano (keyboard)…

Now, we all know that the basic 1, 4, 5 note structures (with maybe an additional transition note/chord) can create a complete song… However, when you toss in randomness of notes it might take a little more time to complete the composition.

This video shows a keyboard prodigy that just might blow your mind!

You’ll soon discover how this gifted musician takes four randomly selected notes and compiles a complete symphony beyond what you’d expect on the piano… Very impressive and inspiring.

Jam On!

(Video credit to CBS News 60 Minutes)

“It takes Alma Deutscher just four notes and forty seconds to improvise an impressive short piano sonata right before 60 Minutes cameras. That alone is remarkable — but she’s also just 12 years old…

“While interviewing Alma at her piano, Pelley draws from a hat four cards with musical notes on them: B, A, E flat, G. She announces the four notes’ solfège names and considers them silently. Pelley waits, and the cameras roll.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/watch-a-prodigy-create-from-four-notes-in-a-hat/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab5j&linkId=44340477

Fireworks in Your Brain on Music…

It probably goes with saying… playing music stimulates our brain. This article goes further into describing the difference between listening to music and actually playing it.

When we ‘jam’ our brains light-up with inter-related connections that enhance most every activity and function… including fine motor skills that invoke both hemispheres of the brain.

Jam On!
– Ron

Enjoy this video…

Our_Brain_and_Music

(via: Anita Collins: TED-Ed Original lessons)

When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What’s going on?…

See the Video and Read More Here…

https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-playing-an-instrument-benefits-your-brain-anita-collins

How to play great sounding guitar lead notes…

Using the Music Dial Chart Guitar Solo Scales Dial…

Good solo or lead playing is a form of personal expression. Feeling, tone, phrasing and technique are all used to create a personal style. The ultimate goal is to play solo melody or lead notes that sound great when played with the rhythm accompaniment chord progression and which enhance the overall feeling of the song.

Start your learning patterns with the 4 basic and popular scales, used to play lead guitar for all styles of music, including… rock, pop, country, blues, traditional, jazz etc.

Dual Guitar Solo Scales Charts ebay

These scales include… Major scale, Major Pentatonic scale, Relative Minor scale and, Relative Minor Pentatonic scale.

On the Guitar Solo Scales Dial, select one of the 4 scales, depending one the key and style of music you’re playing.

When using these patterns for Major or Major Pentatonic Key, emphasize the black notes on the Dial, which is the keynote or ‘tonic’ of the Major Scale.

For example, when playing songs in the Major Key of C, emphasize the black note, which is a ‘C’ note. When playing songs in the Relative Minor Key of Am, emphasize the black note, which is an ‘A’ note.

For ease of playing, first learn the pentatonic scale note patterns (black notes only on the Guitar Solo Music Dial). Then learn the major scales and relative minor scale note patterns (black & white notes).

With a little practice and experimentation, you’ll be able to hear and feel the different emphasis and sound when playing with the 4 different scale note patterns.

Playing Scales…

The first and last note of each scale is called the root note. The root note for major key scales is the black note on the Music Dial. The root note for minor key scales is also the black note.

To play each scale, locate the lowest root note on the lowest string. Play each scale note from the lowest to highest, ending with the octave higher root note.

Other Guitar Techniques…

Some of the techniques used in playing ‘hot’ solos include, string bending, hammering on, pulling off, sliding, vibrato, two hand tapping, harmonics, tone, distortion, sustain, etc.

Some of the approaches to improvising solos include, using scales notes to play the melody, using scales notes to play a solo different from the melody, using scales notes or chord notes to play repetitive riffs, using chord notes to play chord arpeggios for each chord in the chord progression… etc.

Enjoy exercising your individual artistic expression!

Jam On…
-Ron

Symphony Orchestras Find New Ways to Stay Afloat…

There was a time when the classic and staunch Orchestra crowd wouldn’t dare mess with the delivery of its musical history, as it was played many many decades ago. Keeping the original masterworks of classical music is important, however, making enough money to stay afloat has been the Achilles heel of many Symphony Orchestras. It appears that (at least) a couple have taken to step outside of the proverbial historic scene, to explore new territories to keep their organizations alive.
In this article you’ll learn what the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, which rose from the ashes of the Denver Symphony when it closed in 1989 did, to make a comeback from bankruptcy for others to emulate.
Jam On!
-Ron

Colorado_Symphony

 

 

 

 

 


(By Candace Horgan / Photos by Mike Pappas – via MixOnline.com)

In a challenging cultural landscape in which some symphonies have closed their doors and others have had to file for bankruptcy protection, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, which rose from the ashes of the Denver Symphony when it closed in 1989, might point a way forward for others to emulate.

Grammy Award Winner Stevie Wonder…

25-time Grammy award winner, Stevie Wonder is scheduled to air on Feb 16, 2015. Whether you’re a Stevie fan or not, you’d have to consider the millage that he has retained over the many years of making music. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) states that the show will feature some of the biggest names in the music industry. Might be worth the viewing when released…
Jam On!
-Ron

Remember back then?…

( by via-guardian living voice)

The organizers of the show to be held following the Grammy awards celebration, where Stevie Wonder is honored with an all-star tribute, continues in the same vein as last year’s show, which was held to honor the Beatles. The concerts may become an annual event, as the Beatles: The Night That Changed America , celebrated the 50th anniversary of the appearance of the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show…Read more at…
https://guardianlv.com/2014/12/stevie-wonder-honored-with-tribute-after-grammy-awards-show/#Cgi044GCkROzumxM.99