Ear Training News Vol. 1
Here are a few recent developments in the world of music and sound which might help inspire or guide you in your ear training! Jump to: What the iPad 2 and GarageBand app mean for music The many...
View ArticleOpen Your Ears to Modern Electronic Opera
When they think about opera, many folks envision Bugs Bunny wearing a Viking hat singing loudly to Wagner or remember sitting bored in a concert hall as a robust soprano belts out some serious Italian....
View ArticleLife After Ear Training: A Drummer’s Tale
I would be lying if I said that ear training came easily to me. Like most percussionists I knew in college, rhythm exercises and sight singing were a breeze, but trying to transpose Mozart after three...
View ArticleThrough Her Eyes: The Composer’s Voice
March 8th marks International Women’s Day, a century-old global celebration of women’s political, social, and economic achievements, and an opportunity to combat domestic violence, poverty, and other...
View ArticleMusic Production Listening Skills: Timbre, Frequency, and Bass Drums
Your finger hits the keys a dozen times in a row: Boom. Boom. Boom. Finally you hit it – the bass drum sample perfect for your latest music production. Then you move on to the snare, cymbals, crashes…...
View ArticleIntroducing: Sabrina Peña Young
An intermedia composer, percussionist, author, and obsessive sci-fi buff, I create mind-bending electroacoustic works that have been heard throughout Australia, Asia, North America, and Europe in media...
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Transcontinental Swing, with Keenan McKenzie
In the 1930’s and 1940’s, popular music was swing music. With big horn-driven bands, a jubilant, vigorous and athletic dance, and a celebratory feel, swing music became a national craze in America,...
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Exploring Common Chord Progressions
Harmony in Western music would not exist without chord progressions – much of Western music, especially pop, rock, blues, jazz, and classical, is built on sequences of chords. Creating a chord...
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The Many Moods of Musical Modes
Scales are pretty incredible. A collection of notes played in ascending order has the ability to tell a story and convey a mood. Within that linear sequence of notes, there is tension and resolution....
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A Meeting of Musical Minds, with Carpool Tunnel
Your bandmates are your brothers and sisters-in-arms, your musical co-conspirators, your toughest musical critics, yet your biggest fans. You share a musical synergy that is evident in your jam...
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About Playing in Any Style
Musical U welcomes back Steve Nixon of FreeJazzLessons.com to discuss the art of playing in multiple genres, and the skills and knowledge that will help you shine in jazz, rock, pop, classical, and...
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About Klezmer Music
You may have heard the word Klezmer before – or maybe not! Learn more about this distinctive style of Jewish folk music with Musical U’s Content Editor and Product Manager Andrew Bishko, who has...
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Clave: The Secret Key to Pop Rhythm
When you hear the word “clave”, what do you think of? The two most likely answers are either “Nothing – I have never heard of it!”, or “Why would I want to learn clave? I’m not planning on playing...
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About the Clave
Get acquainted with the two meanings of the word “clave”, hear the instrument in action, and learn how to count out the ubiquitous rhythm that borrows its name from the instrument. Listen to the...
View ArticleThe Most Festive Holiday Playlist
Have you ever had your local holiday radio station on and wondered why every musical artist feels the need to put out a Christmas album? (Answer: it has to do with one of two Christmas colors, and...
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3 Ways to Interpret Your Favourite Piece of Music
One of the fascinating things about being a musician is that you can perform the same piece that has been played by thousands of musicians for centuries – while still communicating it in a way that...
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Classical vs. Rock/Pop vs. Jazz Harmony (with Tony Parlapiano)
What’s the difference between Classical music, Rock and Pop, and Jazz? Well, that’s probably a question with an endless answer! But one of the most significant differences is in the harmony: what...
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