Ear training is a key part of musicianship, but is frequently overlooked in traditional music education. To get good at singing, playing an instrument, or getting both of those — and jazz is booth — ‘under our fingers’ literally means our ways around pitches, rhythms and the relationships all notes have with one another. This enhances many…
Rhythm is the lifeblood of music, driving form and propulsion across all styles of music. Musicians with a strong sense of time have great control and can communicate well in an ensemble setting and lay down a groove that is easy to like. Learn to count beats is more than counting beats, the process includes internalizing patterns,…
Pitch recognition is one of the most fundamental skills a musician can possess, which serves as a basis for melody, harmony and fine-tuning our overall musical making sense of things. The ability to both tune and reproduce their pitches now enables players to play in-tune, improvise fearlessly, and connect meaningfully with musical forms. Players that train themselves…
Theoretical music knowledge and hands-on playing are considered to be in different spheres, but to develop musicianship it is necessary for these elements to coexist. Once musicians comprehend the fundamental building blocks of scales, harmony, and cord patterns they possess a map other than music. Throughout the improvisation/composition/interpretative process, learners are able to “make choices that are less…