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A
typical Lesson... |
It’s
all about listening: |
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You’ll
receive tuition particular to your instrument & get you
to make a noise…., however, whatever the instrument, lessons
typically follow a pattern: |
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Making a recognisable tune
is our first aim. Technical points & exercises, are tackled along the way as they
become relevant. If you're a complete beginner, some exercises will be unavoidable. A chromatic scale will be one of the first.
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Lessons often
start with the student playing a CD or other medium of the music they'd
like to play. It could be jazz, rock, folk, blues or something rather
more modern. Usually, the next step is to decide what within the music
is the part you wish to learn. It could be you'd like to play the
melody. Or perhaps you just want to play along with your favorite
music with harmonies. Here you will need to listen more carefully
as the chords change but in it's own way can be easier &
more rewarding than going for the melody. |
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| Advanced
players: |
| Beginners to playing
by ear.. (though not necessarily beginners to their instrument) |
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| We listen to a section
– about 20 seconds, of some music you particularly like.
You will be asked to find the root note of the first chord &
sing it. If you’re too embarrassed to sing, that’s
OK, but you’ll have to try singing it in your head before
trying try to find it on your instrument. You will be encouraged
to identify when you think you’ve hit the right note.
You’ll get help until you can do this easily. |
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The same goes
for the second on the change to the second chord. You
will be asked to try to spot when the chords are changing
& to spot when the same chords are coming round again.
Most verses or choruses have just 2 – 4
chords so it’s not that daunting. We’ll
usually be cycling a verse or a chorus. |
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| Dave will use the guitar &
piano to slow down chord sequences & pause on particular chords until
you have found the required notes & he’ll accompany you when you’re
ready. |
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You’ll also have to try counting beats to your music. It’s
important to identify the ‘one’ in a 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4
typical rhythm. This is where most chord
changes will happen.
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You’ll be
encouraged to listen in particular to the Bass.
We’ll get you to find & play these root
notes to all the chord changes along with your music before
we progress further. |
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Often a 5 minute break can be negotiated as it can be rather intense.
I usually break the brain ache a little with some exercises,
which are not as important to me as to most music teachers because
they can destroy a students enthusiasm, but I would say do them
just a little, especially when you need a break from listening.
But stop as soon as you feel the slightest bit bored! I won’t
dwell on exercises but will show you what to do.
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& so
back to your CD. It rather depends what you’ve brought in,
but we can now aim to get you to do one of a few thing:
1. Play the tune
2. Play a wee riff that fits the chord sequences
3. Play a harmony to the tune
4. Create an ad-lib solo or new tune
5 . If it's a guitar or piano you can follow the chords |
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I try to introduce
arpeggios at this stage to
give you a few more notes to play over your chord sequence than just
the root note. Any note in the chords arpeggio should sound fine if
you play notes from the correct arpeggio at the appropriate chord. |
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A lesson may also find you playing a tune we decide upon. If you
have an idea of one that’s always best. There are no barriers
– you can play any tune on any instrument.
You’ll be asked to try to find each and every note in your
tune. Help will be given when you need it. First I’ll tell
you when you’ve hit the right note. Eventually I’ll
be hoping that you can tell me.
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| More advanced
players: |
| Those who can
already easily ‘sing on their instrument’ – ie play
it to make a tune in their heads as if they were singing, we can develop
more subtle aspect to music making. Tone, control, harmony, rhythm, depth
& damn soulfulness.
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| Piano / Guitar |
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Understanding
chords & progressions is important for any mono-tone
instrument & any time spent on a chordal instrument will help
you. Even having 10 minutes out of your hour can be well worth it.
Just let me know. Or you can buy extra time to try any instrument
you like... |
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If you fancy
a go at piano or guitar but don’t have one, you can still have
a go at your flute or fiddle lesson to see if it feels like ‘you’
before you have to go out & buy one. |
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| HOME |
Burgher Chapel
3 Clinton Street
Newburgh
Fife
KY14 6DP |
email:
dave
mobile: 07970 744986
landline: 01337 841004 |
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