Last month, we talked about reading rhythms. Today, we’re going to talk about reading pitch.
Now that you know how to count notes and pitches, how do you figure out which string to pluck, which key to strike, or how high or low to sing? The location of the note on the staff tells you the PITCH of the note. Continue reading “Reading Music Part 2: Pitch”
So you want to be a lyricist! Congratulations, because the drive to create is the first thing you need to write a song. You know you want to do it, and you think you have the passion, but you’re not sure what comes next. Start by asking yourself this question: For whom are you writing? Song lyrics are meant to be heard, so you’re writing for an audience, not for yourself. This cannot be emphasized enough! Keep it in mind as we go through the steps of writing good lyrics.
Step 1: The premise. Continue reading “How to Write Song Lyrics”
So, you want to read music! Maybe you sing: You’re in the choir at your place of worship, or you landed a part in the local community theatre musical, and you’d like to practice at home. Perhaps you play an instrument by ear, or you read guitar, bass or drum tabs, and you’d like to learn more. But those symbols all over the page look like a foreign language to you, and the task seems daunting.
You’re right about one thing: Music is a language all its own, and you have to learn what the symbols mean before you can interpret the language. The good news? There are a finite amount of symbols to learn, and the list is much shorter than your German-English translation dictionary. You can learn it, and it’s easier than you think. Continue reading “Reading Music Part 1: Rhythm”
New Coke: it was possibly the biggest marketing blunder in history, except maybe the Chevy-Nova-in-Mexico fiasco (get it? “No va” is Spanish for, “It doesn’t go.” Yeah, Chevy didn’t get it, either, at least not in time to stop the launch.) Continue reading “Recovering From Marketing Blunders”
As a business owner, and a relatively new one at that, I’m just in the learning stages on managing entrepreneurial work/life balance. But I had a bit of a head start thanks to my plethora of part-time employment and music gigs, and I have a supportive network of family and friends, which helps. Here are some of the tricks I’ve employed to manage a schedule that includes business management, family time, friends, church, music practice and writing. Continue reading “Work / Life Balance”
