Finding Your Voice In Music

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in Performance

The question of finding my style or my music voice comes up eventually in learning music. There are as many answers to this as there are questions framed around the concept. I’m going to share my observations and experiments with you.

Putting Rhythm and Notes Together

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in Learning Music

Beginning students want to quickly sight read for rhythm and note combination on music scores. However, it takes a little time to get the pieces together to achieve this skill. Two Approaches There are a couple of approaches to getting this skill mastered. One is to have a mentor show you how this is done […]

Playing Music is Not Important!

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in Performance

I’m not going to go into a long dissertation on this, but the bottom line is that music is an optional vocation. Music is an extra, a gift of leisure if you will. It’s totally a voluntary effort. That’s why it takes effort to engage and learn music. It’s easy to put off practicing and learning, because there are no real consequences.

Wanting to Sound Good

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in Performance

A most profound statement. A quote from Kenny Werner in Effortless Mastery – “When you approach your instrument, no matter what lofty goals you say you have, wanting to sound good will predominate and render you impotent.” This statement is obvious in it’s intent to convey how a mindset may be self destructive. I have personally experienced this so many times that when I reread this, it was like being smacked upside the head.

Do Your Goals Limit Your Playing?

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in Learning Music

Reading chapter 4 of Effortless Mastery is about limited goals and getting beyond them. Really I see two sets of goals. The first of which is the ultimate goal of why you play. The second is that of practice. Two different objectives..

I Wish I’d Never Quit My Music Lessons

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in Learning Music

How many times have you heard “I wish I’d never quit my (piano, guitar, trumpet, cello) lessons from folks that might have heard you play or hear someone else play? There are lots of reasons that many young students quit lessons, but one that Kenny Werner expounded on has me very intrigued this week.

Can education system be the problem with learning to play an instrument? The answer will only be given in what ever situation you are in now and what approach is taken with the study of music.

5 Minutes Practicing Music

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in Learning Music

One of the most difficult concepts to master in learning music is the practice time. Playing 1 to 8 hours can be the allusive goal. However, taking just 5 minutes of music practice may be the better approach. Try this approach I’ve learned to improve your chances of success…

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