Music Theory Corner/Practice

[Brian]

So I figured while working on stuff I would post about it maybe someone some day will be interested in it.

So studying two things right now. Note as I study other things the post will just grow.

1. Music notation itself

2. Interval type

notes starting on bottom line of treble clift are basicaly

E G B D F on the lines

F A C E between the lines.

all together just starts in order and goes E, F, G, A, B, C, D and then starts over above or behind the main music lines

However, while I only do it to sometimes check work for someone not wanting to learn music you might use something like this web page:

https://www.dcode.fr/music-sheet

The other thing I am working interval type also has a web page you can check your work for simple intervals (don’t have one for compound but just remember its octave + simple and you will be fine).

https://www.omnicalculator.com/other/music-interval

I will add practice examples in next post for intervals and you can use the website to grade them.

Discussion

[Brian]

Some may already know this but was googling a way to memorize all the key signatures tonight as I am hoping to find something like I did for memorizing all the notes on the fretboard up to 12 fret which I now have memorized all the non flats and sharps at pretty quick pace almost instant.

anyway check this out as below you will see some tricks for memorizing the sharps and flats:

Fat Cats Go Down Alley Endings Boldly Fighting F – C – G – D – A – E – B – F Sharps in order they appear.

BEAD Games Come First B – E – A – D – G – C – F Flats in order of appearance.

not bad tricks but now look closer at this:

F C G D A E B

B E A D G C F

you notice anything there? you only need to learn one of them read sharps backwards its the same as flats lol… So if you know the sharps then you know the flats as you can just do the sharps backwards. To be honest I think the saying for the flats is easier than the one for sharps.

Anyway interesting relationship. if I find more I will post.

here is some other sayings as well if like these more.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by  Brian.

[Brian]

Not finding alot of great tricks for memorizing Key signatures. Just small stuff like mentioned above. My main focus on each key is to know the following:

1. Root , 4rth, 5th (Major chords) Example: C, F G

2. any sharps or flats Example: none in key of C major

3. Relative Minor Example A minor

Then by simple deduction we know everything else is Minor and can just count quickly to find if we know what keys are sharps and flats.

So that is my system. However, since no great trick I have found as of yet to memorize the key signatures I have taken technique I use for everything. Divide and conquer; basically learn in bite size chunks taking on smaller task.

So am learning this week Key of C Major, Key of G Major, and Key of F Major.

I kind of know these already but I need to eat live and breath them so strongly that by time I get into more advanced Keys I wont get tripped up. So I am basically going to learn 3 Key Signatures a week my first week (C major is kind of freebie) and the moving forward I will two each week going down taking one from sharp and one from Flat.

So next week will be Key of D major and the Key of B flat Major until I am done.

I do this because while I can read and understand key changes in a few minutes its not very useable knowledge unless you can access real time instantly where it then goes from not very useable to extremely potent information.

So learning is not enough you must practice and slow down on a topic this is required until you can access real time while playing almost without thinking.

In addition, it must be tailored to the person and fit their learning and the pace that works with them and their lifestyle. So don’t base how fast you learn off what someone else might have learned base it off yourself and try to be honest and push yourself and you will get improvements.

Well that what I tell myself anyway ;P

• This reply was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by  Brian.

[Brian]

Daily Key signature practice techniques. There is different forms of learning.

1. Audio (my weakest one because of ADHD)

2. Visual (I am considered more visual learner)

3. Kinetic – this is act of doing something like hammering a nail or writing down something (almost all people remember very well this way).

4. Smell – Also another very strong memory perhaps one of the strongest.

5. Taste – another form of strong memory

So knowing this I try to to use some of each.

Speak key out loud – Audio and some Kinetic

Write down the Keys – Visual and some Kinetic

While eating a meal in your mind run through Keys – taste and smell

————————–

If strong audio learner listen to someone explain or go over keys

If strong visual read them in book

So these are techniques I try to use though I dont always remember to do the meal one or I am spending time talking with family so that one may not always be as useful depending on setting.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by  Brian.

[Tomas]

I find this fascinating Brian. I especially like how you included elements of how people learn and then applied it to yourself, which helped me get to know you better. 😀

Hah… finally got the emojis working!

• This reply was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by  Tomas.

[Brian]

Thanks! 🙂

I enjoy sharing information and tend to approach it with child like honesty and passion and above all else with true sincerity of purpose so I am at the very least striving to achieve its most truthfully pure and unadulterated form. Its why I am so long winded as I work hard at trying not to be misunderstood.

Unfortunately my mental hyperness does not lend itself well to the patience of proof reading before I hit submit. So delivery can be…. hhmm… not as eloquent as I would wish; so very raw in its nature. 😛

woot nice on the emojis!!!

• This reply was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by  Brian.

[Brian]

So starting to get into some other chords and they are kind of hard for me. I have a feeling its going to take a long time to build up strength for these new chords the stretch can be pretty hard. My fingers can do it but just barely and that does not include playing them in a progression lol… So some hard work.

I remember someone today talking in the live chat about fingering a D chord and how I mentioned they would get it and more advanced stuff would come up. I am hoping that is true for the crazy stretch stuff as well egads!!!

[Brian]

Stretching and Strength exercises for advanced chord playing

Ok figured might save others some research:

1. This is great I think no matter what everyone should be doing this as anyone can do it and its like yoga for fingers and it feels good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSrfB7JIzxY

2. This one is really good and challenging as well so recommend it also but its more of stretching exercise to get stronger.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XctHeNixJDQ

3. This one is brutal I posted on the video site even as i cannot hardly do even the first step down not so much because of the stretch that for my large hands is nothing its moving the fingers while others are stationary. I think excercise above this one with time will help to make this one easier though. I do just the first position maybe second right now its just to much. It makes me feel like I really suck and mind you I have no problems with FMajor, Dmajor, Gmajor, most the Major and minor bar chords I can play them pretty high speed in progressions but this stuff here OMG I am baby and fumbling all over myself and all trembly. So dont beat up on yourself I already beat up on myself on this enough for the rest of the world its natural this one is crazy hard. Might not even want to do it and stick to the other two for a couple months and then try this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPfrF7wBuFE

Edited: I wanted to edit my response here on the last one. a bit later I decided to do this not worry about string clarity or perfection and just focus on separation of finger and on anchoring my fingers using my arm (very important) and not my hand with added pressure and did this all the way down the neck. I very much feel in fact I am 99.99999% sure this is effective because its the stretch that your focused on failure or not the attempt uses tendons and muscles when you attempt it. I did this all way down next was not as horrible as I thought but it was hard. I do have big hands so for me this is not so much stretch here but in building up control of fingers. its like doing pushups on your knees starting out right? anything you can do to modify so you can just get some work out. Hope this helps.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by  Brian.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by  Brian.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by  Brian.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by  Brian.

[Brian]

Medical Advice and Caution!

Also medial advice. One of my favorite Artist Steve Vai who is a Guitar God in my book (only one God in my book just over emphasizing here for a point) and is utmost professional was holding chords for like hours and hours and he hurt the tendons in his hand and could not play for awhile from that injury. Point is listen to your body!

Stretching and some discomfort and stretching type discomfort is one thing but do not hurt yourself and do not over practice this. Like in the second video from the female guitarist do it like maybe once a day take care of your body and listen to it.

I understand “my” body “the pain that is ok” and “the pain that is “NOT” ok” like joint and tendon pain that is “NOT Ok”. For example, for me playing through blisters was ok. HOWEVER I did not play till blood or open wounds… I only played through discomfort type pain and since not impacted tendons or joints it was different.

SO MODERATION for safety sake!

Just want everyone to be aware, wise and smart in their choices as stretching and workouts like these that effect tendons we need to be more cognizant of.

My personal exercises from above:

1. Do all of the exercises in morning around 6am CST when wake up

2. depending on how much played that day how tired my hands are repeat exercises before bed around 10pm CST weekdays. If tired or time constraints skip. I like to push boundaries as I am OCD and dedicated to extreme practicing that is not for everyone.

3. Also most of my practice during the day is mental practice with Theory and memorization of fretboard as that is my primary focus at this time in my training. So for my routine twice a day is not as bad as not a lot of stress on my hands most of the week.

4. Thomas has spoken on this before as well we all are different so we modify what we learn to fit us personally.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by  Brian.

[Author]

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