Jonathan Harnum's Blog, page 17
November 8, 2019
October 25, 2019
Make Scale Practice More Fun with the Afro Latin Drum Machine
That boring click-click-click is one way to keep the beat, but there’s a better way. Check out the AfroLatin Drum Machine.
The free version loops for 16 bars or so and has limited styles, but is still quite good, and super useful as an interesting metronome for practice. The full version costs more but is WAY more powerful. Links below.
All the afro latin rhythms with the highest sound quality. From Cuba to Republica Dominicana, hot latin rhythms like son, guaguancó, columbia, bembé, chacha, mambo, merengue, bachata, and 100 more!!! So easy to use, you can edit or create your own rhythms.
Devil’s interval: What makes music sound scary?
Metal bands and horror films stoke sonic dread the same way 19th century composers did—with a forbidden sequence of notes known as the “devil’s interval.”
Source: Devil’s interval: What makes music sound scary? — Quartzy
[image error] Learn about “the devil’s interval” and MUCH more.
How To Play a Piano Montuno over any chord
I’m not a piano player, but I do play the piano. You should, too. It’s one of the best tools for understanding theory.
So, I’m always looking for something to play on piano that’s easy and fun (and useful, I hope). A band mate suggested I learn montunos, so that’s what I’m doing. Here are some of the better videos I’ve found. Take your time, go slowly.
First one has one of the simplest examples. Start here if you’re a newbie on the piano.
This one is for more advanced players. You’ll probably need a few run-throughs to pick up all the info in this dense, quick video.
This one hits on jazz changes with montunos
And if you prefer to read your piano music, check out these montuno guides:
October 5, 2019
Learning a Tune or Solo? Anytune app: Perfect Your Practice
Anytune Pro+ is the best “slow-it-down” app I’ve come across, and I’ve tried a LOT of them. You can get the free version to toy around with it, but I’d recommend the Pro+. In fact, I’m about to pull the trigger on the full desktop version (30 day free trial!). That way I can use the bigger screen to chop up and loop the tune, and send it to my phone for portability.
The only down side to this one is that it’s so feature-rich that it takes a while to learn how to use it to its full potential. Hence, the tutorials below.
One of my favorite features is the stepped loop feature. You get 10 repetitions that go from however slow you want, up to performance speed. SO handy!
And in researching tutorials I just learned a new trick: reframing. Holy smokes, I love this app even more. What a great tool!
Here’s a screen shot of one of the tunes I’ve been working on: Django Reinhardt’s version of I’ll See You In My Dreams. You can see the whole tune and all the sections I’ve repeated while learning the tune.
I set the loops so that when they repeat, the beat stays exactly the same, so you don’t have to adjust. The control is fine enough that with a few tries you can get it to repeat in time.
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September 28, 2019
Keep Track of Your Practice
Keep track of your goals, exercises, or whatever with this handy Exercise Tracking Form.
One of many freebies you’ll find in Basic Music Theory: How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music.
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Click to get the link to this PDF.
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Deep Practice Few Do
This post is a partial glimpse of Chapter 31: Going Mental.
The image below of the Facets Model is from page 173 in
The Practice of Practice
[image error]https://amzn.to/2EFmILC
If you’re passionate, curious, and driven, you might do this kind of practice without much thinking. Learning just the notes, or the sounds, isn’t enough. Dig deeper.
Use the Facets Model
Facets of an Artistic Work
(Barrett, McCoy, & Veblen, 1997, p. 254).
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See an application of the facets model here.
Barrett, J. R., McCoy, C. W., & Veblen, K. K. (1997). Sound ways of knowing:
Music in the interdisciplinary curriculum. New York: Schirmer.
September 14, 2019
September 13, 2019
August 24, 2019
Listening Sideways: The Art of Playing Together
Listening sideways is an essential step in developing a more musical ensemble as it allows students to direct awareness outward and listen to what is happening around them. Here is a simple but essential exercise to help develop the ability of your young musicians to “listen sideways.”
