understanding music theory | The Musicians blog

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 →

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

Guitar Legend John McLaughlin Retires

Jazz-rock legacy of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, John McLaughlin (age 75 at the time of this blog post) is retiring from touring.

Many of us musicians have known John as an esoteric monster on the strings. His departure from mainstream songs to introspective nuance has been instrumental (no pun intended) in providing for insightful creative considerations of arpeggiated themes in playing styles.

The article below mentions some fun highlights of McLaughlin’s final performance in Los Angeles at UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance at Royce Hall in December 2017.

Appreciations for John’s input in our wonderful world of music!

Jam On!
Ron

(credit given via: Richard S. Ginell released in sfcv.org)

Article December 12, 2017

“The 75-year-old English guitarist (now a resident of Monaco) has said that his The Meeting Of The Spirits tour would be his last in North America, and the concert at Royce — where he played way back in 1974 — was the last stop. Fellow guitar-slinger Jimmy Herring, one of the few McLaughlin acolytes capable of dueling mano-a-mano with the master, shared the bill…”

Read more about this John’s farewell tour here…

https://www.sfcv.org/reviews/none/guitar-legend-john-mclaughlin-retires-with-an-incendiary-farewell-concert

Gregg Allman Died May 27, 2017

According to Gregg Allman’s website… “Allman was born December 8th, 1947 in Nashville, TN, a little more than a year after his older brother Duane. Raised by single mom Geraldine, the family moved to Daytona Beach in 1959, though the brothers would spend considerable time back in Nashville.

Music City (Nashville) was an inspiration to Allman… He attended his first concert – starring Jackie Wilson, Otis Redding, B.B. King, and Patti LaBelle – and with the guidance of a neighbor named Jimmy Banes, fell in thrall to the power of a guitar. Nashville’s pull continued long after the family moved, with the brothers both hooked on local radio station WLAC’s legendary late night R&B broadcasts.”

Many of us have played numerous Allman Brother songs at band practice and on stage… Gregg’s talent with his vocals, the keys and guitar have provided tunes that have inspired many musicians and fans!… RIP Gregg!

Jam On!
-Ron

(via: Gregg Allman .com)

“Gregg struggled with many health issues over the past several years. During that time, Gregg considered being on the road playing music with his brothers and solo band for his beloved fans, essential medicine for his soul. Playing music lifted him up and kept him going during the toughest of times.”

… More Reading Here…
https://www.greggallman.com/with-deep-sadness-we-announce-the-passing-of-gregg-allman/

10 Commandments of Jam…

Jamming in a band takes on a whole new set of rules and dynamics. When we as musicians blend our abilities, it takes some additional attention to details to create the best jam possible. In this article you might find interest in Derek Trucks’ insightful take on the 10 Commandments of Jam.
Jam On!
-Ron

In 2004, Alan Paul interviewed Derek and wrote up his 10 Commandments of Jam for Guitar World… Pretty right on and deep thinking, as per usual for DT…

Read the complete ’10’ list here:
https://alanpaul.net/2015/04/derek-trucks-10-commandments-of-jam/

YouTube, the good and the bad for musicians…

YouTube has provided (and continues to do so) a great platform for listing views for your musical works, eg., bands, solos, (live and video mixes) et. al. However, hence its inception YT has lost some revenue generating power. Using Utube to display your works is still a powerful platform indeed, yet as a revenue producer… well, Jack Conte of the Pomplamoose YouTube fame has some great updates and tips to expand your musical income considerations…
Jam On!
– Ron

Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and filmmaker Jack Conte may be best known as one-half of Pomplamoose, the indie-pop duo that racked up over 80 million views for their “VideoSongs” on YouTube

Recorded in September 2013 at XOXO, an arts and technology festival in Portland, Oregon celebrating independent artists using the Internet to make a living doing what they love. For more, visit https://xoxofest.com.

Lynyrd Skynyrd Continues on…

Oh my, the reflection of this band brings goosebumps. It’s great to see these cats [Lynryd Skynyrd] in continuance! Some may had departed in their plane crash but a powerful family continues… and, it’s wonderful to see that their lives and music ‘expands’! …
-Ron

(by: the Sydney Morning Herald/Martin Boulton)

For some musicians, retirement is not an option. They simply want to play … and play and play. In 1977, just days after the release of their fifth album, Lynyrd Skynyrd had no choice about disbanding following the deaths of singer and founding member Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and his older sister and back-up singer, Cassie Gaines, in a South Carolina plane crash…

Titanic Violin Sells for 1.5 mil, was it authentic?…

In late October of 2013, what was considered to be the authentic Violin that was used to play through-out the disembarkation of the Titanic, went to auction and sold for a reported… (apprx.) 1.5 million!
Jam On!
-Ron

(by: reuters.com & image Credit:/Cathal McNaughton)
A violin that was being played as the Titanic went down was sold for 900,000 pounds ($1.46 million) at auction on Saturday, a record price for memorabilia from the doomed ocean liner.

Band leader Wallace Hartley played the instrument, trying to calm passengers as the ship slipped into the frozen waters of the North Atlantic in April 1912…

Musician, before starting your digital (social) PR campaign, consider the following…

5 Things All Musicians Need Before Starting A Digital PR Campaign…

After reading this article on how to proceed with your musical marketing campaign, I was further intrigued with its simple, yet powerful suggestions and consideration to advance your musical career.
Jam On!
-Ron

(by: https://camilleainsworth.wordpress.com)

While all of these are important goals for musicians to have, and there is no doubt that a PR campaign can help artists to achieve them, many musicians decide to jump into this too early. Without the proper assets, the likelihood that you will actually achieve these goals from a PR campaign are greatly decreased.

In order for a PR campaign to truly be successful, you must have the 5 following assets…

Your Band is a Virus Off-stage, Online…

As the author, James Moore mentions in his book, Your Band is a Virus… “Unfortunately, while the opportunity is large, so is the complexity.” Meaning, the complexities of managing your digital criterion for your band’s promotion is very expansive. Having an edge (a checklist) might assist. Here’s a good book review, for your review…
Ron-

(Posted by hyperbolium.com via NoDepression.com)

The rise of digital-age DIY music-making has seen a parallel rise in self-marketing. E-mail, web sites, blogs, streaming audio and video, social networks, mobile apps and other internet-based channels have provided independent musicians direct access to millions of ears and eyes. But… – See more at: https://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/book-review-your-band-is-a-virus