Musical Cosmos

I’m setting up some music-related lenses on Squidoo. The first is about HIM - click here to visit! There’s not much on it yet, but I’ll add more soon.

I’ll also be setting up lenses on songwriting, music composition, various artists and musical instruments, and more. Squidoo is kind of addictive!

When playing the guitar it’s important to memorise the positions of all the notes on the fretboard. While you can ‘get by’ to some extent without doing this, it really helps if you want to play fluently, without having to stop to figure out where the notes you need are located.

Of course the sheer number of notes available on a guitar can make the process seem a bit daunting, but one tool that can help to speed the memorisation process up a bit is the free guitar trainer at Ricci Adams’ excellent site musictheory.net. This flash tool is one of many useful resources on the site, and it has a very simple to use interface.

It features a fretboard diagram, together with the names of each note of the scale. A marker is placed on the fretboard at random positions, and you select the note name that corresponds to that position. The program keeps score of how many notes you get correct, so you can track your progress. You can also select the range of frets (from 1 to 12) that you wish to be tested on, and to make it a bit easier when you’re starting out, you can opt to have some of the note names displayed on the fretboard diagram.

This is a great way to practice while you’re away from your guitar!

Well, I took a week off from my new flute practice plan - I won’t bore you with the details, but it wasn’t planned! Still, at this stage, it hasn’t set me back too much, and I’m now back into it. I’m currently playing through lessons 2 & 3 each day, usually just playing each exercise once, unless I make a mistake, in which case I’ll continue with that exercise until I can play it accurately.

The exercises are technically simple, but by the time I get to the end of the two chapters, I’m feeling light-headed, with achey hands, so the time it takes (about 10-15 minutes, usually, plus a warm up), is long enough for now. I’m still finding the flute rather awkward to hold in position - the other instruments I’ve played seem so comfortable in comparison! - but I’m getting used to it. My intonation is also improving a little, although I still sound rather ropey!

I’ll continue to play lessons 2 & 3 next week, and will maybe move on to lesson 4 towards the end of the week.

“Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.” - Laurie Anderson

This is sooo true. Which is ironic, since this whole site consists of writing about music, but it’s still true nonetheless. I write about it because it’s fun to do so for me, but I have no illusions that anything I write really matters. Imagine if all the music criticism, commentary etc in the world just disappeared, and only the music itself remained. Would we really be worse off? Not much, IMO.

Sure, some music-related writing is very valuable. Like technical ‘how’ to’ type stuff - how to play the violin, how to write four part harmony, how to build a music website - that kind of thing. That all helps musicians to develop their skills. But I don’t think any other category of music writing really matters much. Bio/autobiographies and artist interviews can be very interesting (sometimes in a useful sense, sometimes just as entertaining gossip fodder), so I’d miss them if they weren’t around. But the majority of criticism and opinion? The world and most musicians would be better off without it, I think. This quote highlights its irrelevance perfectly.

I got into Siouxsie & the Banshees when I was 11 - they were the first band I really liked, and have had a huge influence on my own music. So it’s good to see that Siouxsie is now back, with her new solo single Into a Swan.

You can see the video here.

Siouxsie on MySpace.

I have been playing through lesson 1 and the first half of lesson 2. It is all just simple exercises and melodies, using Bb4 - G5. I can play them all quite fluently, although my intonation isn’t too good yet. I have been playing for less than 10 minutes each day, as by then I get light-headed, and my hands and arms get tired (out of shape I know!). I’m not too concerned about the amount of time I spend on it each day at this point; consistency is the main priority for now. I’ll just extend the length of my practice sessions naturally, as it feels comfortable.

This week I’ll complete lesson 2 and move on to lesson 3.

Welcome to the first ‘Basics’ series. This initial series covers the piano. Over the coming weeks a variety of piano-related topics will covered, and this information is primarily aimed at those who are new to the piano, or who are thinking of learning to play, but don’t know much about it. The aim is not to teach you to play (which I’m not qualifed to do), or to provide a comprehensive account of everything piano-related (which would take many volumes!). Instead it is to give a very broad overview of what I see as the major topics associated with piano playing, so you can get a general idea of what is involved if you decide to learn to play. Rather than trying to go into great detail here, each article will cover some of the key points associated with that topic, then point those who are interested in finding out more in the direction of more in-depth resources.

This information will necessarily be incomplete, firstly because of time and space contraints - this is a blog after all, not an encylopedia, and the posts have had to be kept to a manageable length (I will be expanding each article into a much more detailed account for the Musical Cosmos website later this year however). It’s also aimed at beginners, so more advanced concepts and techniques won’t be covered. This information is also limited in scope because it represents my personal view. I’ve been playing the piano since I was 7, so I know something about it, but I don’t claim to be an expert. Everything I write here is based on my own experience and reading around, which will inevitably be lacking in some areas. I’ve also naturally just focused on the areas that interest me most, rather than trying to cover absolutely everything piano-related. So take this information as a starting point if you like, but not as more than that!

The ‘Piano Basics’ series will unfold as follows (unless I decide to make some changes along the way, which is possible!):

1. (that’s this part) Introduction
2. Why play the piano?
3. The piano in context - The keyboard family of instruments
4. Piano history
5. Types of piano, and how the piano works
6. Buying a piano
7. Playing the piano - Self-taught or lessons?
8. Playing the piano - Posture and hand position
9. Playing the piano - Reading piano music
10. Playing the piano - Practicing - What to cover
11. Playing the piano - Practicing - How to practice effectively
12. Playing the piano - Playing by ear
13. Playing the piano - Improvisation
14. Piano exams
15. Major styles of piano music
16. Looking after your piano
17. Taking it further - Careers for pianists
18. Recommended listening, reading and websites

Part of my interest in music is in exploring how it (and sound in all forms) can influence consciousness. This is of interest partly because it’s fun to explore altered states naturally, and partly because I know from my own experience that my consciousness creates my reality. I see everything - my thoughts, feelings, physical ’stuff’ - as energy, and know that the seemingly solid physical world is in fact directly created and influenced by my mind (I’ll probably lose some readers at this point. That’s no problem - if you’re not interested in this kind of thing, just ignore the posts in this category!)

So, given this, I’m always interested in investigating ways of better controlling my focus, in order to vibrationally align with the things and situations I desire to create (or maintain) in my life. This involves following my inner guidance, and following the path that feels best. And for me, that best-feeling path means making music, (plus listening to it, learning about it, writing about it, etc), as well as exploring how different combinations of sound can directly affect my consciousness.

I’ve never been at all religious, and although I used to be interested in various ‘new age’ and self-help type stuff, I outgrew most of that some ago. Basically, my philosophy of life is my own, and I don’t need anyone to point out the best path for me. Having said that however, I do really like the Abraham-Hicks material. Abraham, for those unfamiliar with them, is a group of non-physical consciousnesses that speak through Esther Hicks (most people think of this process as channelling, although they don’t use the term). Their basic message is simple: life is supposed to be fun, and you create your own reality. Their material provides tools that help people to basically get out of their own way, let their creative power flow freely, and live the most joyous life possible. There’s no dogma, or telling people what to think; instead the emphasis is on aligning with your unique inner guidance. There’s a summary of their stuff here. I’d also recommend their books The Law of Attraction and Ask and it is Given as good introductions to their work.

I mention Abraham because in some future posts I’ll be talking about energy, and vibration, and my use of music and sound in conjunction with my deliberate creative endeavours, and I want to be clear about where I’m coming from. Of course this ‘weird stuff’ won’t appeal to everyone, and that’s fine. I’ve no interest in trying to convince anyone of anything, and I’m not going to try to justify my worldview either. If you’re a die-hard sceptic, or just not interested, just feel free to skip those posts. But if you’re open-minded and interested in the massive creative potential that we all have, as humans, the Abraham-Hicks material might be of some interest

Many people who are new to music (I’m thinking here of non-classical guitarists, since the electric guitar is one of my instruments, so I’m familiar with the attitudes of many players), not only don’t bother to learn to read traditional notation, but even seem to take pride in that inability. Perhaps they associate it with what they perceive as the ‘boring’ or ‘uncool’ classical tradition, or they don’t want to appear to be ’studying’ music too much (preferring to cultivate the - inaccurate - image of the divinely inspired artist perhaps?). Or maybe it looks too difficult and they just don’t know where to start, or can’t be bothered. But is this really a good move?

It’s undeniable that you can be a good, or even great, performer and writer of music without reading notation. Many professional musicians outside of the classical sphere sustain highly successful careers without being able to read a note, so it’s certainly not essential. And every musician has different goals and reasons for becoming involved in music, and it’s not for me to say that anyone has to do anything. Nonetheless I do think that it’s nearly always worth learning to read notation, even at a basic level. There are many arguments in favour of learning it, but I’ll just focus on one here - the avenues it opens up.

Simply put, if you can read music, you can explore a whole world of musical territory that would not otherwise be accessible to you. You might have a great ear and be able to play anything after hearing it, but so much music isn’t available in recorded form, and there isn’t always someone around to play it to you. Now some people are probably so musically narrow-minded that they don’t ever listen to anything outside of what they’ve already decided they like, but most truly great musicians have an insatiable love for music itself - not necessarily in all its forms, but there’s a thirst for new musical discoveries and expanded horizons. If you can read music, you instantly have access to much more new material that if you don’t.

And if you want to convey your musical ideas to others, you’re also dependent on a recording device, or having direct contact with them. These methods may work most of the time, but by writing your idea down - even very roughly - on manuscript paper, you now have a permanent and accurate record that anyone who can read notation can refer to, regardless of the technology that’s available.

Simply put, reading notation helps you to to be a more ‘complete’ musician. Surely someone who genuinely loves music will want to learn as much about it as possible?

Of course there are many people who would like to learn, but are put off because of the apparent difficulty involved. I agree that it probably does look a bit daunting at first! Although I learned to read conventional notation fluently as a young child (and don’t really remember the process of learning), even now I can look at an avant-garde musical score and be totally confused by a large proportion of the more esoteric symbols on display, so I can sympathise with those who find notation a bit intimidating at first glance. But the good news is - it’s easy! It’s all very straightforward and logical, and as with any subject, you begin with the basics and build on that. It might take a few months before you’re reading fluently (maybe more or less depending on the effort you put into learning), but I firmly believe that anyone can learn to read notation, and that it needn’t be difficult.

I also believe that it’s easiest to learn to read music in conjunction with learning a new instrument - that way you proceed at a steady pace, and can master both reading and playing simultaneously. If you learn on an instrument that you already play well, it might be too tempting to jump ahead and then get frustrated when your reading comprehension doesn’t keep up with your fingers.

I’ll be writing a series of in-depth articles on music theory that will cover basic reading skills for the Musical Cosmos website, although it’ll be a few months until they’re published. But there are plenty of books, websites and even software available that can teach you to read music. I’m not going to recommend any here, as I haven’t used any of them personally, but a quick Google search will unearth plenty of options, including lots of free information. If you decide to go the recommended route of learning in conjunction with learning an instrument, most good tutor books cover music notation from the beginning.

The only books that I would mention for those interested in reading music and music theory in general are the AB Guide to Music Theory books 1 & 2 by Eric Taylor (published by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music). They’re a little dry, but really cover all the basics (and more advanced stuff in volume 2) in a very clear and accessible way, and make good references. There’s also a Dummies guide for those who prefer a more light-hearted approach! I’m a fan of the Dummies (and Idiots Guide) series, and have found many of their music and non-music titles to be very useful and well-written, so I can recommend them too.

“Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue.” - Plato

Lol - I wonder what Plato would make of today’s pop charts! Somehow I don’t think most modern songs are too concerned about creating virtous souls in their listeners. Still, I like the idea that music itself has a positive, enobling effect. I find that many songs have music that is very uplifting, but lyrics that are the opposite. I often think how nice it would be if they were sung in some other language that I couldn’t understand!

But generally, as a listener, I don’t pay much attention to song lyrics. And even though as a songwriter, I write both the music and the lyrics for my own songs, I still think of lyrics as a bit of a necessary evil (well maybe that’s a little extreme, as I enjoy writing lyrics too, and do think they’re important, but not as much as the music), and ultimately dispensible, as nearly all of my songs also work equally well as instrumentals. Although I’m not too concerned with ‘virtue’, I am concerned with enjoying my life, and when it comes to enjoying writing and listening to music, for me it’s always the music that’s the main focus, not the lyrics - and good music can usually compensate for banal or even downright off-putting lyrics, in many cases.