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How To Write Modal Music
To create modal music, a few ingredients need to be present: Clear Tonal Centre Tonic Chord Harmony Established Presence Of Characteristic Note. What Is a Tonal Centre? The single strongest note that the whole of the passage or song wants to resolve to. The opposite...
Why And How Should I Practice Scales?
The Following is a list of broad stroke concepts. There are many ways to practice scales and integrate them into your playing and writing. The way you practice them will drive what you want to get from them. What you want to get out of them corresponds to why you want...
Modes PT II: Names, Character Notes, & Chords
In my "Unsolved Music Mysteries" blog entry, I set out a basic framework for what modes are and how they are used in general terms. In this blog entry, I'll deal with this topic in higher resolution. Each mode/scale creates a series of intervals measured from the root...
Tales Of A Practicing Guitarist: PT1
When I was 8 years old, I was in the back seat of my parents’ car and we happened by a music shop with several guitars displayed in the window. Even from afar, hanging silently in that window, they had a visceral effect on me. They still do.
Unsolved Music Mysteries: Modes
Modes are a rich canvas of tone colour to use for writing music and soloing. Here is an overview in how to use them for your own music.
Your Musical Typewriter: How to learn the guitar neck
The guitar fretboard is a powerful conduit for artistic expression. Many players struggle with improvement in this area. Here are some tips.
For Beginners
So you’re finally doing it huh? Congratulations! I can tell you that learning to play the guitar or any musical instrument in general is one of the most exciting and rewarding things you could ever occupy your time with. Having been a private instructor myself for the...
The Power of Persistence
There have been many times where some of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned as a player have come from non musical sources. That is, sometimes life in general is the greatest teacher of all. I did briefly discuss this topic of persistence in the improvisation...
Music and Spirituality
Music is an art form among many others. As an artist, we seek to convey our thoughts to the listener or the viewer. Our creations are often portraits or reflections of experiences we have had, and sometimes expressions of some aspect of how we view life on an esoteric...
Artistic Direction
What they don't teach you at music school It’s funny how one can devote their whole life to the study of those little black dots we call notes. Did you know that in western music, there are only 12 of them? You’d think that after a year or two, one would be able to...