240: Q&A: Sometimes I feel like I'm just guessing - is that wrong?

We had a great question from @Lutemann on YouTube this week:  "So I wanted to be able to play on sax what I hear in my head.  I wrote out 60 diatonic patterns (Example: 5, 4, 1, 7, 6, 8). Then I would pick a key and sing these patterns while fingering notes on the sax.  I did this for a couple of months and got no results.  Do you think I gave up too soon?" Here's my answer.   Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 249   Links and Resources • @Lutemann on YouTube, thanks for the question! • Musicality Now: Q&A: What can you do if you struggle to audiate (imagine music)? • Ear training: How long does it take? • Musicality Now: Is it time to “break up” with music? • Musicality Now: When to stick with it – and when to move on   Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Dive into rhythmic improvisation in this segment of Jeffrey Agrell's Musical U masterclass on "Exploring Rhythmic Improv"!  In this beginning section, Jeffrey introduces a rhythm vocabulary, using simple hand-drumming as a way to experiment and explore. Then he shows how you can start improvising creatively just by mixing up bits of that rhythm vocab with accents, rests, note length and meter. Note: If you're listening to the audio only, you won't be able to see the patterns he's showing on screen, but you'll still be able to follow along. You might want to hit 'pause' and give yourself some extra time, or run through the exercises again afterwards.  Remember to have fun with it!   Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 248   Links and Resources • Musicality Now - If It Makes You Laugh, GOOD! (with Jeffrey Agrell)     Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

We’re joined by Jeffrey Agrell, a returning guest on the show, and one of our absolute favourite music educators. Jeffrey has authored half a dozen books providing "games" which serve as a gateway into creativity and improvisation - even for the most buttoned-up, perfectionist classical players!   In this short conversation before his Musical U masterclass on Rhythm Improv Games, Jeffrey shares:   • Why one of his best character traits is... having a very high tolerance for looking foolish!   • An elegantly simple definition of Creativity: "it just means 'do something different'."   • And why something you play seeming silly or making you laugh is actually a GOOD thing.       Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 247   Links and Resources • Jeffrey Agrell online • Musicality Now - Making Improv a Game, with Jeffrey Agrell     Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Join Musical U Director Christopher Sutton for a live update on the reboot of our video series and podcast, Musicality Now, including a sneak peek of exciting things to come...   Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 246   Links and Resources Tune in Live on Facebook Tune in Live on Instagram Tune in Live on YouTube Next Level Coaching   Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Scales... Most music learners think scales are just an exercise you've got to do as part of learning your instrument. But did you know there's actually a whole area of ear training dedicated to scales?   In fact there are two! In this clip from the archive of live member Q&A calls at Musical U we talk about these two types of scale ear training and how each can help you.   If you want to get more out of scales and ear training, don’t miss this episode.     Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 245   Links and Resources • How to Make Scales Less Boring • Musicality Now - Music Theory You’ll Love to Learn, with Glory St. Germain • Musicality Now - About the Power of Solfa • Musicality Now - About Scales and their Flavors • Musicality Now - How to Improvise For Real, with David Reed   Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Do you sometimes get the notes wrong when you sing?   At Musical U we strongly encourage every music learner to sing because of the huge positive impact it has on your musicality - but what if you find you just can't get the notes right? Here's a clip from the archive of live member Q&A calls at Musical U where we talk about just that.   Enjoy!     Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 244   Links and Resources • How to Learn to Sing in Tune • Musicality Now - Finding the Notes Yourself, with Sara Campbell • Musicality Now - About Singing as a Tool • Musicality Now - How to Sing Smarter, with Meghan Nixon • Musicality Now - Singing that Sounds Good – and Beyond, with Davin Youngs • Musicality Now - All Things Vocal, with Judy Rodman • Musicality Now - The Instrument Inside You, with Ben Parry • Musicality Now - What Your Voice Can Do, with Jeremy Fisher • Musicality Now - Find and Make Peace with Your Voice, with Nikki Loney • Musicality Now - About the Power of Solfa   Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

If playing music is like speaking a language, how should we think about harmony, or playing two hands on piano?   We answer that question in this clip from the archive of live member Q&A calls at Musical U. Enjoy!     Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 243   Links and Resources • Musicality Now - About the I, IV, V and vi Chords • Musicality Now - Choose Your Words Carefully, with Glory St. Germain (Ultimate Music Theory) • Musicality Now - In Perfect Swinging Harmony, with The Quebe Sisters • Introduction to Chord Progressions • What can you already play by ear? Harmony & Rhythm? • How To Sing Harmony Like A Pro   Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Did you know that wearing good headphones is one of the easiest ways to improve your ear training? Why is that - and what exactly makes a pair of headphones "good"?   Learn how to choose the right headphones to level up your ears in this clip from the archive of live member Q&A calls at Musical U. Enjoy!     Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 242   Links and Resources • Musicality Now - About the Ear Training Trap • Musicality Now - About Active Listening • Musicality Now - About Listening as the Route to Musicality • Musicality Now - What Is Ear Training? (and why does it normally fail?) • Wired For Sound Part 4: Headphones • What are the best headphones for ear training?     Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Audiation is one of the most powerful ways to develop your musicality - but what if you find you really struggle with it? In this clip from the archive of live member Q&A calls at Musical U we share some practical tips to help you audiate. Enjoy!   Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 241   Links and Resources • Musicality Now - About Audiation • Musicality Now - Audiation and Thinking Music, with Cynthia Crump Taggart • Musicality Now - How to “Hear Like A Musician” • The Secret Music Practice Skill: Audiation   Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Have you ever felt like you were guessing the answers while working on ear training? Believe it or not, that may not be a bad thing! Find out why in this clip from the archive of live member Q&A calls at Musical U - stay tuned!     Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 240   Links and Resources • Musicality Now - What Is Ear Training? (and why does it normally fail?) • Musicality Now - Boosting Musical Brainpower, with Josh Turknett (Brainjo) • Musicality Now - Intervals Versus Solfa: Which Is Best? • The Ultimate Guide to Interval Ear Training • Musicality Now - About the Ear Training Trap     Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review