Tag: Musicianship

A Musicianship Series

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What if someone could walk you through the process of becoming a better musician, step-by-step? What if you could gain something more valuable than a tab or a tutorial, or even hundreds of tabs and tutorials? What if there were a video series that went beyond playing songs and could give you more? And what if it were more affordable than a private teacher, available to you 24/7?

I’m looking to launch a music theory and ear-training series. The more I think about it, the more it grows… like the series to end all series. I think about it every day, sometimes every hour. I talk and write and dream about it because I believe that there is a revolution waiting to happen in the lives of so many students of music. When someone who has been looking outward only to see fixes that are temporary in nature looks inward instead and begins developing their own ear and their own understanding of music, a radical shift occurs. It is a shift from passively listening to the music they love to being able to play that same music by ear, being able to identify what’s happening in it, and do new things with it. It is a shift from feeling stuck in familiar patterns, unable to break through a ceiling to feeling continually renewed by a stream of fresh musical insights and challenges in a cycle that never ends. I’ve seen this spark of inspiration occur again and again during my workshops and private lessons firsthand, and observed similar light bulbs come on for students through the online interaction surrounding the content I’ve been putting out on YouTube, etc. over these eight years, and I’m convinced that it is time to bring more people into this deeper conversation on music.

If you have been following what I’ve been up to awhile you’ll know that there have been hints and even false starts since late 2012. It’s both exciting and scary to think about what it might become, and what it might take to pull it off. It has even been overwhelming in its scope at times. This has made me realize that I really need your help to make it get off the ground! I need your support, your insight, and your constructive criticism. I am looking for an inner circle of WARRENMUSIC friends.

Does this describe you? If so, join me on this journey. Like this post, sign up for my mailing list above, find me on Skype/Instagram/Twitter @warrenlain. And consider: what would a series like this be worth to you? What would it look like? What topics would you want to see covered in it? I look forward to your input.

Playing a Song the Same Way Twice: How to Miss the Point. Thanks Filipe…

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Filipe recently purchased the Melody Module and I asked him for initial impressions of the videos and for feedback. Instead, what I received was a much more interesting story of personal discovery on how replicating a song really misses the point.

“The biggest leap was when I came upon your Radiohead tutorials. In one of those (I don’t remember which one) you casually point out that students shouldn’t worry about playing a song exactly how they sound on the record, Radiohead never played a song exactly the same way twice and neither should we. That’s when I subscribed to your youtube page and liked you on facebook, and really it’s what stands you apart from all the other teachers I found on the net. They all focus on showing how to play perfectly (and some are quite good at it), while you made me understand the songs.”

Click here to enlarge.

Purchase the Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm* Modules today
*Rhythm Module is available as a pre-order. Melody and Harmony are available today.

Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm Modules

  • Lifetime access to Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm Modules (Rhythm pre-order, TBA 2020)
  • Skills you can use to work out real world melodies, chords and chord progressions, and real world rhythmic patterns by ear
  • Working knowledge of the Major Scale, Diatonic Harmony, Meter, Syncopation, Swing/Shuffle, and much more via popular songs, fun demonstrations, and digestible music theory breakdowns
  • Introduction to Scale Degrees, Chord Numerals, the Time Unit Box System, and The Complete WARRENMUSIC Grid**
  • 30 in-depth episodes ranging from 10-40 minutes in length
  • Visual Aids
  • Audio Examples
  • Worksheets (Song Puzzles)
  • Interactive Tools
  • Access to Members-Only Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm Module Forums
  • Direct help from fellow learners and Warren

Julian’s Not Even Mad

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Since the Melody Module Preview went up, I have received some very cool responses. Here’s one of them, from Julian in Poland:

Below is his reaction to the preview:

So… I watched the preview videos and I’m not even mad that I can’t watch the rest of the module, because I’m not financially independent (that’s a fancy way of saying “I don’t have my own money”).

I sent you a picture on Twitter of what today’s afternoon looked like in my room. Lot of learning and revelations.

Speaking of which, here’s 3 main things I figured out myself based on the first episodes of Melody:

1. “Little Drummer Boy” is in Church Mode

2. First three notes of “Ingenue” are “3”, “2” and “1” of the G Minor scale (I should’ve recorded my face when I realized this. I thought: “It’s that simple? Holy f%%EDITORCONTENT%%amp;#!”)

3. I apparently have Absolute Pitch. My Mom always says that I have perfect hearing, but you indirectly confirming it for me was another thing altogether. Another “Wow” moment.

As far as Relative Pitch goes, I guess I use it when following the distance between frets on my guitar in order to play a riff or a melody, but I don’t do it without first naming the main note I hear in my head. A Relative/Absolute hybrid, if you will.

I didn’t expect to have that many “eureka” moments today. I felt this different energy building up inside me (maybe it’s the “musicianship unlocking within” 😉 )

Thank you for bringing this new experience to me. It’s exhilarating, I tell you that!

Order the Melody Module today. Or buy the Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm* together for and even greater savings!

Join Julian and many others in the journey towards building a musicianship of your very own… one that lasts a lifetime.

 

*Rhythm Module is available as a pre-order. Melody and Harmony are available now.

Melody Module

  • Skills you can use to work out real world melodies by ear
  • Working knowledge of the Major Scale via popular songs, fun demonstrations, and digestible music theory breakdowns
  • Introduction to Scale Degrees and The WARRENMUSIC Grid**
  • 10 in-depth episodes ranging from 10-40 minutes in length
  • Lifetime access
  • Visual Aids
  • Audio Examples
  • Worksheets (Song Puzzles)
  • Interactive Tools
  • Access to Members-Only Melody Module Forum
  • Direct help from fellow learners and Warren

Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm Modules

  • Lifetime access to Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm Modules (Rhythm pre-order, TBA 2020)
  • Skills you can use to work out real world melodies, chords and chord progressions, and real world rhythmic patterns by ear
  • Working knowledge of the Major Scale, Diatonic Harmony, Meter, Syncopation, Swing/Shuffle, and much more via popular songs, fun demonstrations, and digestible music theory breakdowns
  • Introduction to Scale Degrees, Chord Numerals, the Time Unit Box System, and The Complete WARRENMUSIC Grid**
  • 30 in-depth episodes ranging from 10-40 minutes in length
  • Visual Aids
  • Audio Examples
  • Worksheets (Song Puzzles)
  • Interactive Tools
  • Access to Members-Only Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm Module Forums
  • Direct help from fellow learners and Warren

Interactive YouTube Piano

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I made a nifty YouTube piano you can play with your keyboard. A quick music theory tool that’s sure to be useful (must be viewed on desktop).

And here’s an easy URL to remember to access it:

http://j.mp/youtubepiano

Here are some ideas to get you started:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hBH2lLVOQ4GjfOE95DaBglLfs8YAfxTXWYjf9FI1SnE/edit?usp=sharing

You Might Be Doing It Wrong

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If you don’t look like this when you’re trying to learn a tricky song, you’re DOING IT WRONG.

It doesn’t matter how ugly or stupid I look here. What you don’t see is how I’m actually kicking musical ass.

In this seriously scary photo, I’m OWNING Atoms For Peace’s “Ingenue” bass synth. I’m making one of the squirmiest, twisty, jumpy, convoluted, yet infectious melodies in the entire album my own.

The way I see it, if you don’t harness 100% of your musical energy into truly listening (and I don’t mean passive listening, I mean engaging your whole body and mind), then you are not building up your ear. Like… when I do this, the room goes dark around me.

If you lift weights, then you know that you have to squeeze out that last rep to get them GAINS. You have to use every muscle fiber, until you FAIL.

Well, ear-training is no different.

The best thing you can do for your musicianship is, for five minutes a day, listen with FULL INTENSITY to a melody or a portion of a melody you love and try to work out what’s happening in it, musically.

Ask yourself:

  • Is it moving up?
  • Down?
  • Staying the same?
  • Is it moving by a little, or a lot?
  • Does it use the Major Scale?
  • Can you match it?
  • Can you tell the distance between any two given notes?
  • Do you know whether it’s a “1,” or a “5,” or a “♭7?”

Transcribe what you hear until you FAIL. This way you’ll see the greatest musical gains. Because it’s when you actually find the limits of your ear that you discern what’s been holding you back. Only then can you actually do something about it. How can you possibly know how to improve if you don’t know where you are weak?

Don’t know how to transcribe? Well, I have a series that will show you how to do that. I show you how real-world melodies can be translated into Scale Degrees in this free preview:

Or don’t do any of the above, and keep reaching for that next tab, or tutorial. And you’ll just stay the same.

I shared my intense music learning face. How about yours? Do you have one? Put one up on Instagram with the hashtag #musicface. I think it’s time the world sees how intense music students can be!

Melody Module: What Will You Come Away With?

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By the end of the Melody Module, what will you come away with?

  • You will see Melody in a fresh way…
  • We’ll begin to de-mystify Melody via the concept of Scale Degrees
  • You’ll be introduced to the ultimate codebreaker for Melody, The Major Scale
  • You will make your way towards a more finely tuned sense of relative pitch
  • You will learn how musicians approach playing by ear
  • You’ll be given a clear way to process real-world melodies
  • You’ll discern what’s been holding you back.
  • You will have a clear picture of the ultimate goal of Ear-Training
  • And lastly, you will learn to make songs your teachers.

Perhaps best of all, I’ll be taking your suggestions on where the series should go next. With your input and my love of being thorough and my obsession to share every musical insight in my brain, I think we can go pretty far.

Are. you. ready?

Pre-order the Melody Module today for $99.

You’ll receive:

  • Life access to all ten Melody Module Episodes
  • Topics include everything listed above
  • Innovative Music Theory Aids
  • Challenging Ear-Training Exercises
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you aren’t fully satisfied, you can get a full refund.

You can also purchase all three modules in a bundle (Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm) now. These three subjects form the foundation of musicianship, and the rest of The WARRENMUSIC Series.

Order Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm Modules together, and receive the above PLUS the following:

  • Unrestricted access to TEN Harmony and TEN Rhythm* Episodes.
  • Topics will include how to identify different types of chords, and entire chord progressions, rhythmic structures, syncopation, and much more… all by ear.

Looking to the future, topics will include improvisation, modes and scales, modulation, alternate tunings, fretboard exercises, phrasing techniques, chromatic harmony, chord substitution, altered chords, poly-rhythm, hidden syncopation, and the list goes on and on!

Pre-order now.

*Rhythm Module is available as a pre-order. Melody and Harmony are available for access today.

Melody Module

  • Skills you can use to work out real world melodies by ear
  • Working knowledge of the Major Scale via popular songs, fun demonstrations, and digestible music theory breakdowns
  • Introduction to Scale Degrees and The WARRENMUSIC Grid**
  • 10 in-depth episodes ranging from 10-40 minutes in length
  • Lifetime access
  • Visual Aids
  • Audio Examples
  • Worksheets (Song Puzzles)
  • Interactive Tools
  • Access to Members-Only Melody Module Forum
  • Direct help from fellow learners and Warren

Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm Modules

  • Lifetime access to Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm Modules (Rhythm pre-order, TBA 2020)
  • Skills you can use to work out real world melodies, chords and chord progressions, and real world rhythmic patterns by ear
  • Working knowledge of the Major Scale, Diatonic Harmony, Meter, Syncopation, Swing/Shuffle, and much more via popular songs, fun demonstrations, and digestible music theory breakdowns
  • Introduction to Scale Degrees, Chord Numerals, the Time Unit Box System, and The Complete WARRENMUSIC Grid**
  • 30 in-depth episodes ranging from 10-40 minutes in length
  • Visual Aids
  • Audio Examples
  • Worksheets (Song Puzzles)
  • Interactive Tools
  • Access to Members-Only Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm Module Forums
  • Direct help from fellow learners and Warren

When the Tutorial Fades Away, Hear This

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Let’s talk about your musical goals.

Everyone desires something from their musical journey.

Many of you started your musical journey by learning your favorite songs. But as you continued to progress in your skills, you began to realize you wanted more: to write your own songs, to write better songs, to improvise, or to gain more insight into the music you love, or play by ear. Some of you want to become a better bandmate, and to be more musically fluent and aware of what’s going on during band practice. Some of you want to make music more freely, jumping from musical idea to musical idea, eliciting and expressing emotion sonically, with conviction and intensity.

All of these are GREAT GOALS!

But allow me to be very direct for a moment.

The hard truth is that none of the above will happen for you if where you turn to first is a tab, a tutorial, or song-by-song lessons from a private teacher. It won’t even happen for you if you understand some things about music, but don’t have an ear for Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm to pick up on the things you’re hearing in your favorite music. It definitely won’t happen if you have an ear for Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm, but lack the musical insight to process any of it or make something new.

If any of the above describes you, it simply WON’T happen for you, unless you make a change.

The main problem with learning music today isn’t that there aren’t enough tabs, tutorials, or teachers. In fact, there are tons. And tons of great ones. I know this firsthand. I make tutorials, after all!

The problem is hoping that tabs and tutorials can do anything more than teach you single songs. They can’t. Or the problem is finding a great teacher who is affordable. Good luck…

Ask a tab to do more than teach you that one song. It can’t. Ask a tutorial to show you how to improvise the way the artist does, to play the song differently every time while retaining its essence, or give you general insights into songwriting, or how the song relates to other songs like it, or how to make the ideas in the song your own. Odds are, it can’t.

Most private music teachers would probably LOVE it if you ask them the about deeper stuff like music theory, ear-training, how to think about and how to approach music the way musicians do, how to communicate better with your bandmates, how to create new arrangements of existing songs, how to find inspiration to write music. But few of these teachers would be very affordable. I also know this firsthand.

But there’s another way: Invest in yourself.

Invest in building your own musicianship. Not in more tabs and tutorials. But in yourself.

And be smart about how you invest. If you can, sign up with a great teacher at the best value you can possibly find.

Musicians can play by ear, compose, improvise, write inspired songs, and find ways to continually grow because they did one thing above all: they prioritized the development of their own musicianship.

Start building the bridge between the music you LOVE and the music you want to MAKE.

warrenmusic.xyz

The WARRENMUSIC Series will give you the tools you need to grow your musicianship, to train your own ear, and build your own understanding of music. Invest in yourself today.

Pre-order the Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm Modules together at a discount*.

Get ready to UNLEASH the musicianship within!

*Rhythm Module is available as a pre-order. Melody and Harmony are available for access today.

The End Of the Beginning

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WARRENMUSIC Intro Module, Episode 07 — “The End Of the Beginning”

Watch Episode 7, “The End Of the Beginning”.

The seventh and FINAL installment of this introductory series is called “The End Of the Beginning,” for two reasons.

1) It’s the last video in this introductory series. Duh.
2) It’s the end for your “beginning” phase of musicianship.

That’s right.

Because beginners don’t stay beginners long when they seek out musicianship.

When you unlock the musicianship you have within, YOU CAN’T stay the same.

It’s just impossible.

When you develop your ear and your understanding of music, the GAP between the music you love and the music you make starts to disappear.

YOU CAN grow your musicianship.

YOU CAN bridge the GAP.

Now it’s time to take that step. It’s time to usher in a BETTER WAY to learn music.

IT’S TIME TO LISTEN AND THINK THE WAY MUSICIANS DO.

Pre-order Today.

Pre-order the WARRENMUSIC Series now!

The Sidewalk Test, Revisited

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WARRENMUSIC Intro Module, Episode 06 — “The Sidewalk Test”

If you recall Episode 6, which was first published back in July of 2015, it introduces what I call “The Sidewalk Test.”

In this video, I demonstrate how I play by ear, how I pull the melody, the harmony, and the rhythm out of a song… on the spot.

So what is “The Sidewalk Test,” exactly?

The Sidewalk Test is two simple things:

1) Identify the melody, harmony, and rhythm of a song without outside help
2) Reproduce it ON THE SPOT.

You pass the test if a stranger who knows the song walking down the street would recognize it as they pass by.

Would you pass the test?

If not, then today you can do something about it. You can invest in your own musicianship. Learn music theory. Develop your ear. Build up what is worth more than all the tabs, tutorials, and sheet music in the world.

You can pre-order the Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm modules now.

And until then, watch a new cut of Episode 6, now live.

What Are You Hearing? (The Core Of a Song)

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WARRENMUSIC Intro Module, Episode 05— “What Are You Hearing? (The Core Of a Song)”

Episode 5 of The WARRENMUSIC Series is now live! It’s titled, “What Are You Hearing? (The Core Of a Song).”

This video asks the question that snaps everything into focus. Watch as I explain the difference between how casual listeners hear music, and how musicians listen to music, and talk about what three things lie at the musical core of a song.

There is so much going on in the music we love that it is easy to get overwhelmed by all the details. No wonder so many of us turn to tabs, tutorials, and other forms of pre-packaged music information to sort it all out for us. But the problem of outsourcing listening and thinking about music for ourselves is clear: we become dependent on something outside of us, and we rarely connect with anything beyond the single song or musical passage the tab or tutorial is teaching us. But fear not: when we learn about and listen to the Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm of a song, we gain the essentials that translate directly to music making.

There will always be free educational content on warrenmusic.xyz. But for those who wish to challenge themselves in greater ways, premium content is now available in the form of in-depth modules, visual theory aids, and ear-training exercises using a wide range of musical examples. And with that said, you can pre-order now. Watch this blog for more updates and follow me on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram.

As always, I strive to add value to your musical journey. My sincere hope is that what I am putting out there sparks something in you. Drop me a note, comment, email, and share your stories with me… I’d love to hear how musicianship has changed your musical life!