Author: Musicality

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/finding-tonic-major-keys/
Do you know how to find the tonic?

From passionate amateurs to professional musicians, finding the tonic is the key to playing or singing in tune. Whenever you cannot understand what’s going on in a song (a secondary voice you can’t hear, a harmonic progression you don’t understand) going back to the tonic helps you find the right pitch and understand the context of whatever element you are trying to grasp.

The first step is to educate your ears. The ears are part of your musical instrument and you can help them with your voice.

Musical-U tells you exactly how to find the tonic and the many benefits of this skill.

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/4-ways-spice-scales/
Scales can be a real sore spot for musicians but they don’t have to be.

There are a variety of ways you can make scales more interesting to practice. This can let you get the benefit of scales practice – without the boredom!

Musical-U shares 4 Ways to Spice Up Your Scales.

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/musicality-means-having-good-rhythm/
Keeping good rhythm is simply part of developing good musicianship.

We’ve all seen them – wild and crazy drummers that are playing contrasting polyrhythms with each limb in a seamless explosion of rhythmic energy. Maybe it’s the jazz pianist whose magical hands can turn a beat inside and out with fluid perfection or the orchestra conductor who somehow manages to keep eighty musicians playing together in time no matter how maddening the tempo.

It may seem that the musicality that these musicians have comes straight out of the stratosphere and is unreachable, but the reality they have all developed good rhythm.

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/musicality-means-tuning-your-instrument-by-ear/
If you play an instrument which needs to be tuned up before you play: Are you able to do it yourself by ear – or do you rely on an electronic tuner?

If you rely on a tuner then when you see someone tune up entirely by ear, it probably seems like they’re impressively musical.

Being able to tune your instrument is an important skill and one which is associated with musicality. In fact it is a learnable skill and one which will actually benefit you in a number of ways.

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/music-mentor/
There’s no denying that it takes a lot of personal motivation and dedication to succeed in meeting one’s musical goals.

However, there’s also something to be said for those external influencers who are there to inspire, encourage, and push their fellow musicians to become better at their craft.

These influencers may go by many names, but are often referred to as “mentors” in the music industry.

Musical U discusses some tips for finding an amazing music mentor.

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/how-can-i-improve-my-bass-guitar-tone/
So, you play bass and you want that powerful distinctive tone that will set you apart as a serious player and give you the control and expression you need to have a powerful musical impact.

There are three main areas to think about in bass tone ear training, which falls under the general category of timbre ear training.

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/audiation-to-be-a-better-musician-use-your-imagination/
Audiation is to sound what visualisation is to images. It helps you peel away the layers in music.

As musicians, we have to process a lot of information in a very short amount of time. When we hear music, sounds are translated into concise items which then fit contextually into a space of time. Furthermore, if we are performing music, we are also producing even more sounds at the same time!

Zoltán Kodály created his revolutionary teaching approach based on using “inner hearing”, allowing his students to develop their listening, aural and performance skills in singing and ensembles. It trains people to be able to internalise and hear music inside their heads, without listening to or playing anything in the real world.

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/10-things-piano-players-do-differently/
Piano players are a special breed of musician, and they know it.

What other musician starts their day at 6 A.M. playing their Hanon exercises (the left hand playing reverse scales in triplet to eighths in the right hand), practices a half a dozen hours a day, and considers themselves a pure failure if they bat only 98% of the notes in performance?

What other performer can hear a song a few times and then given a commanding and perfectly executed performance of it five minutes later? What other music-maker can dream up eccentric and incredible new ways to play their instrument?

Here is a wonderful tribute to the most astute and multitalented musicians of us all (or at least, we’ve tricked ourselves into thinking so!): the piano players. These are the 10 things that set them apart from the rest.

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/the-beginners-guide-to-creating-music-on-your-computer/
Learning to create music on a computer can be a creatively fulfilling experience. It’s not as difficult as you may think. In fact, many of you will be able to get started making music today.

If you have a computer, you only need a few other pieces to get started.

Audio Mastered joins Musical U to tell you exactly what you need (as well as what you don’t need)

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/how-should-you-approach-guitar-ear-training/
Ear training is a hot topic for guitar players, because so many want to play guitar by ear and ear training is the key to learning to play by ear.

What ear training should a guitarist do? There are two ways to answer that question.