Clef Notes

If you recently started wearing hearing aids and play piano, you may find this note useful. If you don’t and never have worn hearing aids, but you play a musical

Blue Notes Are “Wrong” Notes Some people would consider blue notes to be “wrong notes.” But they’re not just any wrong notes. They’re particular wrong notes. Some “wrong notes” are

Whether you are an adult starting from scratch or a parent helping your child, here are a few things that are helpful to know in those first few weeks. Get

For any type of relaxation or meditation, I recommend that you be comfortable, either lying down or sitting with your back supported or straight. Start with 2-5 minutes and if

What Is a Pickup? In music, a pickup is an unstressed lead-in note or group of notes that take place before the first accented note of a phrase. They can

Why are your feet important? Why is this post on a music site? Some musical instruments actually use the feet of course.  Many musicians stand on stage to perform. How

If you are a performer of any kind, I urge you to pay attention to your hands. Scratch that — I want everyone to pay attention to your hands. If

Musicians use all kinds of ways to communicate with each other about what notes to play from scribbles on a napkin to full-fledged orchestral scores, but one of the most

I asked John to write a chart for Eowyn O’Hara who wanted to sing this song in a higher key than Nina Simone’s, and here is the email message to

YouTube and the internet could be considered the golden age for guitar and music instruction –– so much content for no cost-but where do you start? Justin Guitar For all

Sitting: My Preference Many keyboard players choose to play from a seated position. I am one of those players and this post will help explain why this is and always

Monitor vs. Monitor Mix Monitors (stage wedges) are the speakers that the band uses to hear itself on stage. The size, shape, and format of these devices vary greatly, but

Start With a Major or Minor Third In my last post, we looked at “Brown Eyed Girl,” a song where intervals of major or minor thirds played from the key

Preparing for the Big Gig OK – We have learned to disinfect our microphones, how to get paid for gigs, how to perform on boats, and lastly a crash course

If you are a singer working with a band, you can be helpful during rehearsals if you know how to begin and are prepared to count in each section of

The tricky thing about tempo is that even though it can be measured in an objective way (60 beats per minute is 60 beats per minutes), it can seem subjective.

BUSKING: “The activity of playing music in the street or another public place for voluntary donations” Great Practice & Exposure to New Crowd Sometimes, musicians must accept that there are

Pre-COVID times, I used to run open mics. Lots of them. Every week in several different venues. Keeping everything running smoothly and keeping all the musicians in the room happy

Lots of students learn scales and can get them running up and down in short order. Arpeggios are key notes from scales that are used to play the harmony of

Let’s take a break from all that chord chemistry and talk about something practical (and musical) when playing with another guitarist or keyboard player. I’ve found that if guitarists each

Sooner or later, most musicians find themselves booked to perform on a boat. I remember playing on several local vessels including the Lady Catherine, Becky Thatcher, and the somewhat infamous

Expectation | LET IT GO Expectation is where everything starts to go wrong. Expectation is the death of acceptance. When we were tiny, our brains were ready to accept lots

Where are the thirds of the chords that you know? A way to learn more chords is to know fret/string location of the thirds of any particular chord. Start by

In my last post, “How Using Solfege Helps You Sing Better,” I discussed the idea that in order to get the best intonation possible, the body and mind need to

The Issue I probably don’t have to tell you that lately, life’s been tough for the live-performing musician. Because of Covid-19, performances big and small have been canceled or made

The First Type of Gig: Public Public gigs are where you and your band are hired to provide music and/or entertainment to the patrons of an establishment – usually in

Establish a Regular Routine of Working Out The first piece of advice I give anyone wanting to improve their singing voice is to establish a regular routine of working out.

Congratulations – you’ve gotten yourself a gig! Now is the time to access what you will need in the way of a PA system so that all your fans can

You’ve practiced, rehearsed and honed your craft and are ready to put your talent on display for the world. Now it’s time to learn a new lesson – selling the