https://www.musical-u.com/learn/5-best-practices-for-online-song-collaboration/
Collaboration among musicians is nothing new to the business. The Beatles, for one, were formed as a result of several individuals deciding to work together as a group, all the way back in the late 1950s. With the changes in technology, can you make it work for you for song collaboration? With Tunedly
https://www.musical-u.com/learn/5-best-practices-for-online-song-collaboration/
New musicality video:
Today we’re talking with Brad Davis, a guitar icon in the world of country and bluegrass music. As you’ll hear on this episode, Brad has had an amazing career. As a go-to stage and session player in Nashville he’s played on Grammy-winning albums and worked with artists like Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Earl Scruggs, Emmy Lou Harris and Johnny Cash. He’s also an artist in his own right, recording critically-acclaimed albums under his own name and writing songs that have been recorded by well-known artists like Tim McGraw and Billy Bob Thornton. http://musicalitypodcast.com/48
With that resumé you might be expecting a lot of swagger and pride – but Brad is one of the most down-to-earth and humble musicians we’ve had the pleasure of meeting. We found that really inspiring.
This episode is a bit longer than most because there was just so much to learn from Brad. We talk about how he got started and what it took to rise rapidly through the ranks and perform with some of the biggest names in the world. How he was forging his own path from the beginning and how to do that without getting lost and stalling out like so many who try to go their own way do.
He also shared a lot of killer insights for the guitarists in our audience, like
• How and why his “double down up” guitar technique can be like adding a second language alongside the traditional “down up” technique. Don’t miss the videos we’ll have in the shownotes to see this in action!
• How he’s able to hone in on exactly the right region of the strings for his right hand to bring out the best sound on any guitar.
• Which of your two hands is the most important to train on technique – and even as a busy recording artist and record producer he’s still doing this 15 minutes every day himself.
The conversation is quite a blend of guitar specifics and deep insights on career and collaboration in music – so if you’re not a guitarist yourself please don’t be put off – and in fact if you pay attention, a lot of Brad’s comments about guitar can be highly instructive for any musician.
Oh, and don’t miss Brad revealing the embarrassing nickname he earned around Nashville – and why!
Listen to the episode: http://musicalitypodcast.com/48
Links and Resources
Brad Davis’s website: http://www.braddavismusic.com/
The Rhythm Pick Pattern: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN_zZ52WZCI/
The Double-Down Up Technique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO19lTq58Fs/
The Brad Bender device: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TQlqRLtaKs/
Brad’s bluegrass tribute to George Jones: https://www.amazon.com/Bluegrass-Tribute-George-Jones/dp/B00I9LJASU/
Brad’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BradDavisMusic/
Let us know what you think! Email: hello@musicalitypodcast.com
===============================================
Learn more about Musical U!
Website:
https://www.musical-u.com/
Podcast:
http://musicalitypodcast.com
Tone Deaf Test:
http://tonedeaftest.com/
Musicality Checklist:
https://www.musical-u.com/mcl-musicality-checklist
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https://www.musical-u.com/learn/listen-changes-notes-confidence-professional-musician/
We had the honor of sitting down for a chat with Mike Moynihan. Mike is a professional jazz saxophonist who hails from Tucson, Arizona. From effective self-criticism, to putting in “the work,” to always keeping a performance mentality, Mike really had us thinking we should be thinking and practicing more like him! https://www.musical-u.com/learn/listen-changes-notes-confidence-professional-musician/
https://www.musical-u.com/learn/the-ultimate-guide-to-minor-keys/
While major scales have their place in the joyful, the bright, and the hopeful, minor keys are the mastermind behind the music that tears at your heartstrings. Learn more about minor keys, and how you can incorporate them into your musical practice! https://www.musical-u.com/learn/the-ultimate-guide-to-minor-keys/
https://www.musical-u.com/learn/songwriters-secrets-lyrics/
More than Words? Writing lyrics to a tune may seem simple at first glance. How difficult can it be to toss together some rhymes? But the reality is that you want to avoid some key pitfalls when writing lyrics. In this article you will learn some insights into the world of songwriting, especially in regard to writing lyrics. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/songwriters-secrets-lyrics/
https://www.musical-u.com/learn/turning-the-piano-inside-out-with-sarah-nicolls/
The inner workings of the typical piano hide behind yards of carefully lacquered furniture. As innovative concert pianist Sarah Nicolls collaborated with contemporary composers, she found herself exploring the sonic possibilities found inside the piano using various tools and body parts to produce otherworldly yet acoustic sounds. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/turning-the-piano-inside-out-with-sarah-nicolls/
New musicality video:
Rhythm is rarely random – instead, it follows an underlying structure to give the song a certain flow, a structure called meter. In meter, depending on which beats are emphasized in a bar, completely different rhythms and “flows” can be created. Let’s look at how this works! https://www.musical-u.com/learn/about-meter-in-music/
Listen to the episode:
https://www.musical-u.com/learn/about-meter-in-music/
Links and Resources
Interview with Jeremy Dittus: http://musicalitypodcast.com/46
About Grid Notation: http://musicalitypodcast.com/39
What is “the beat”?: https://www.musical-u.com/learn/speaking-rhythm-beat-really-mean/
Playlist to get you started on recognizing meter: http://musl.ink/measuresplaylist
Let us know what you think! Email: hello@musicalitypodcast.com
===============================================
Learn more about Musical U!
Website:
https://www.musical-u.com/
Podcast:
http://musicalitypodcast.com
Tone Deaf Test:
http://tonedeaftest.com/
Musicality Checklist:
https://www.musical-u.com/mcl-musicality-checklist
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/MusicalU
Twitter:
Tweets by MusicalU
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MusicalU
Subscribe for more videos from Musical U!
https://www.musical-u.com/learn/creating-background-music-masterpieces-with-mike-reed/
When people think of the work opportunities that the music world offers, the first job descriptions that come to mind are typically gigs like musician, record producer, and radio DJ. But, as we’ll learn from composer Mike Reed, the music industry has its fair share of “hidden” jobs… https://www.musical-u.com/learn/creating-background-music-masterpieces-with-mike-reed/
For your musical journey to continue progressing, you need to be constantly updating your musical toolbox – that is, your set of skills that allow you to express yourself through your playing.
This week, we’ve got four incredibly useful tools for your consideration: a unique guitar technique from one of the key musicians in the Nashville scene, the concept of swing rhythms and the interest they add to your music, the skill of seeking out and finding your own musical opportunities, and the art of arranging music.
Brad Davis has been on quite the ride throughout his musical career. Not only has he worked with the likes of Sheryl Crow, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson, but he is a successful recording artist in his own right who has developed some killer guitar techniques and tools.
In Doubling Down on Your Craft, with Brad Davis, he gives us an in-depth look at his journey in mastering guitar, how he ended up collaborating with some of the biggest names in music, and how he developed his unique guitar method, the double-down-up.
Brad has even patented his own guitar invention, a B-string bender known as “The Brad Bender” to get at some crazy country links.
The “double-down up” picking style is a must-try for guitarists – it’s amazing how big of a difference this slight variation on picking style can make in the sound of your playing! Perhaps we have been neglecting picking hand technique as we learn guitar! For another approach to accentuating the up strums, Matt from Country Song Teacher shows how he adds interest and variety to his chord progressions with a simple, yet powerful, method.
Now that we are talking about right-hand technique, let’s continue exploring other ways that you can improve your guitar picking. Our friend David Andrew Wiebe’s guest post on Music Industry How To describes some simple exercises that you can use to strengthen your picking hand
Brad mentioned a technique that is probably new to anyone that is not familiar with the style… flatpicking. In addition to his double-down-up, perfecting his flatpicking technique opened up a lot of doors in his musical career. Read more about how to flatpick and its history on Flatpick.com!
“It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing” isn’t just the name of a timeless jazz standard – it’s proven to be quite a prophetic line!
Uneven or “swung” rhythms are found everywhere from rock and pop to country and jazz. Though you may think that swing is rhythmically elusive, fear not: our resident pros are here to demystify the concept of these groovy rhythms.
Head to Swing Rhythm: Resource Pack Preview to learn how our guitar, bass, and piano experts break down this feel-based rhythmic concept into accessible parts!
The Musical U Resident Pros offer some great tips on how to get your instrument into the swing of things. While learning how to swing on your instrument is important, Band Directors Talk Shop offers an alternative on how to get started – and it all starts before the first note is even played!
To be successful at playing swing music, you need to make sure that you have a solid rhythmic foundation. As we’ve talked about previously on the podcast, you can begin to develop a feel for rhythms, which will take you a long way to swinging success. Our friends at Learn Jazz Standards have put together five exercises that will help you get there.
When we think of swing, we often reminisce of the 1930s and 1940s, at the height of the big band era. Or, we fondly remember the all-too-brief revival in the 1990s. But if your zoot suit is getting a bit dusty and you have a sudden urge to jitterbug, no need to fear! There are still plenty of fantastic musicians creating new swing music to be enjoyed. Check out this new album of original swing music from Keenan McKenzie.
For some, music is a hobby…for others, it’s an all-consuming passion that they are compelled to practice.
For Stan Stewart of Muz4Now, music has been a life-long compulsion leading to an career in songwriting for any occasion – with his own improvisation-based touch!
In our interview with Stan, he provides some fantastic insights about seeking musical opportunities, and gives valuable advice for anyone seeking to dabble in musical improvisation. Seeking Musical Opportunity, with Stan Stewart is an absolute must-read for any independent musician looking to find their sound and get their music out there!
It was incredible to hear how early in his life Stan began to compose music. While not everyone is fortunate to have such an early start composing, it is a fun skill that you can pick up at any age! To get started, here are some helpful tips from Flat.
What do you need besides a little bit of inspiration when starting to write a song? If something is missing from your composing toolkit, perhaps you just need to find a better tool. Learn about how to use Noteflight, and how it can enhance your compositional experience!
For many musicians, music has been a powerful force in their life that has healed many of their pains. Some musicians will even profess that playing music has saved their lives! Music can be that powerful. Philanthropy is a great way to give back to your community, and one record label has found a way to turn their love of music into a force for good – read more about how Sino Studios gives back!
If you think musical arrangement is an art reserved for classical composers and orchestras, this episode of the Musicality Podcast is for you.
This skill is not reserved for advanced musicians, and can be as simple as figuring out how to play your favourite blues rock anthem on your acoustic guitar.
In About Arranging Music, we look at the elements that arranging can encompass, and how you can dive into arranging yourself – no advanced theory or musical expertise required!
We hope this podcast has convinced you that arranging music is not something that only professionals do. The truth is that anyone can start arranging music with a little bit of training and motivation. David Wallimann shares his tips for any beginner wanting to get into the arranging game.
Christopher mentioned in the podcast that one way to arrange music is to simply play it on a different instrument. With a little creativity, there are almost no limits to what you can do when arranging music! One young musician is particularly fond of a musical style that’s near and dear to the hearts of all of us at Musical U – a cappella. Take a behind-the-scenes look at how Dan Purcell makes a cappella arrangements using Garageband.
To wrap up this roundup, we travel to the beautiful Hawaiian islands for a lesson on arranging music for the most lovely of instruments, the ukulele. Ukulele Tricks outlines four things that you need to master to arrange a chord melody song. Get strumming with this fascinating lesson and we’ll see you at the beach!
We hope this week’s content has inspired you to add a new skill or two to your arsenal, whether it’s Brad’s double-down-up technique or some basic arranging skills. With new skills come new musical opportunities. And that can come in the form of interpreting your favourite music your way, finding new places and people to play to, or even writing your own tunes.
Which new musical skill will bring you up to the next level in your expression? Pick one and start learning and practicing today!
The post Double-Down on Music, Swingin’ Rhythms, Centering Music, and the Art of Arranging appeared first on Musical U.
https://www.musical-u.com/learn/singing-in-english-tips-for-esl-singers-and-coaches/
From Mexico to Japan, the amount of international performing artists that are singing in English might surprise you. Although time and regular practice can allow ESL singers to become proficient in a non-native language, learning how to sing without an accent can be incredibly challenging and even costly. Here are some tips from the Musical U team to make this easier! https://www.musical-u.com/learn/singing-in-english-tips-for-esl-singers-and-coaches/