Current Events > I majored in music and am currently making a (small) living as a musician. AMA

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Romulox28 posted...

i have played bass for years and am trying to learn guitar now. i have always had a pretty "functional" level of proficiency in the instrument/theory but id like to take my knowledge & playing to the next level, what would you suggest focusing on ?

I play ukulele and have never really played guitar. if I were to learn though, my focus would probably be on the two "bass" strings (my ukulele is tuned in the same intervals as the 4 highest strings of a guitar).

practicing vertical scales (i.e. scales on one string) is good for acclimating yourself to the fretboard. one way that I practice scales:

I start on the lowest version of the root that I can play. so if I'm practicing A major, I start on my open A string; the lowest string. I practice the scale without changing strings. then I practice the scale while going up to the next string. then eventually I'm using the whole fretboard on the highest string. does that make sense? it's kinda difficult to describe in words.

I also recommend finding lots of different ways to play the same chord. figure them out yourself rather than checking UltimateGuitar

I also recommend learning chord progressions from recordings. that's how I learned that Beatles song I posted, and it's still how I prefer to learn songs.
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shockthemonkey posted...

averagejoel posted...

shockthemonkey posted...

averagejoel posted...

shockthemonkey posted...

How do you feel about ska?

I haven't heard much, but I like what I've heard. it gets a disproportionate amount of hate for seemingly no reason

Thats all Reel Big Fishs fault.

I've listened to Reel Big Fish and didn't dislike them. what issue do people take with them?

Theyre fucking annoying, all their songs sound the same, and now everyone associates ska with stupid idiots like them instead of the long history of ska as political music.

those... aren't actual characteristics of their music though
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good info, ty for the advice im going to try learning some progressions tonight

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shockthemonkey posted...

Youre the one with the music degree, not me

"annoying" is not a characteristic of their music

"sounds the same" is almost a description of their music but needs to be more specific. do they always use the same chord progression? is everything the same tempo?

"they're stupid idiots" is not a characteristic of the music and also doesn't tell me anything about them as people
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Are you self taught or did you learn when you were young? Did you learn it in school prior to university at all?

Do you have to "know" a genre to be able to talk about it with authority?
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MedeaLysistrata posted...

Are you self taught or did you learn when you were young?

I had teachers from when I was young. but ultimately everyone learns to play music by practicing, and in that context, the main job of a teacher is to make themselves obsolete.

Did you learn it in school prior to university at all?

my elementary school had a ukulele class (largely because there was a really good teacher living in the area; it was a rural school and we had very little else). my middle/high school was in a more urban area with a good band program, and my high school had a great music teacher.

Do you have to "know" a genre to be able to talk about it with authority?

can you clarify what you mean by "know" a genre? and what you mean by "talk about it with authority"?
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bump for today
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averagejoel posted...

Vicious_Dios posted...

averagejoel posted...

Vicious_Dios posted...

Do you have video or audio samples of your music?

I don't much, and I'd also rather not post links here because they contain identifying information.

I can record a ukulele cover on vocaroo or something if you'd like though

That's fair. I'll take it.

Also, I had you tagged as ukelele lol.

here you go. a Beatles cover. 1 take. no edits. nothing added. nothing taken away. recorded on my phone.
https://vocaroo.com/i/s14p9s84tLCG

This is the music a jazz graduate is making? No offense meant, the music is fine, but when I saw a "Beatles cover" I expected to hear a sick trumpet version of a Beatles song with some kind of unique groove, like how Brad Mehldau does Beatles covers.
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TwigsthePnoDude posted...

This is the music a jazz graduate is making? No offense meant, the music is fine, but when I saw a "Beatles cover" I expected to hear a sick trumpet version of a Beatles song with some kind of unique groove, like how Brad Mehldau does Beatles covers.

sorry for not having a full band in my bedroom available to record at a moment's notice
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just posting this here again for context
averagejoel posted...

Vicious_Dios posted...

Do you have video or audio samples of your music?

I don't much, and I'd also rather not post links here because they contain identifying information.

I can record a ukulele cover on vocaroo or something if you'd like though

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Are there any artists/bands/projects you're currently very excited about or who are doing very interesting things musically?
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InYourWalls1 posted...

Are there any artists/bands/projects you're currently very excited about or who are doing very interesting things musically?

there are lots of people making great music now.

some cool Canadian acts you probably haven't heard of:
Chelsea McBride's Socialist Night School - a contemporary big band run out of Toronto. they did a cross-Canada tour last summer. they have a new album coming out very soon.
The Brood - 1 part Steely Dan, 1 Part Frank Zappa, 1 part Grateful Dead. rock band from Halifax.
Rebecca Hennessy - Trumpet player based in Montreal. I haven't actually been keeping up with her stuff lately, but I saw her project FOG Brass Band a while back. really interesting brass band stuff. I'm into the idea of having Tuba instead of bass. it's a cool colour.
James Hill - Canadian ukulele virtuoso. he's from Langley, BC. his last few albums have been largely folk-ish singer-songwriter centric.
Malika Tirolien - Great singer. based in Montreal who you might recognize from her collaboration with Snarky Puppy on Family Dinner Volume 1. her album Sur La Voie Ensoleille is cool. been a while since I've listened to it, but if I remember correctly, all the lyrics are in French.

some US acts:
Tank and the Bangas - I found them initially because one of their songs was used as the closing theme to an episode of BoJack Horseman, but they've got some great stuff. kinda R&B-ish
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah - trumpet player from New Orleans. he's incorporating a lot of trap sounds into his otherwise jazz-based music. it's cool to hear those sounds on a real drumset.
Noname - contemporary rapper.
Carla Bley - she's been a force in Jazz Composition for a long time. one of my favourite living composers. anything she's involved with is worth checking out
Joanna Newsom - harp player with Bjork-style singing and really interesting original music.
Gabriel Kahane - classically trained composer/singer/songwriter. he has an album, Craigslistlieder, where he put melodies to Craigslist ads.

some acts from across the pond:
Jacob Collier - he became famous for doing youtube videos of crazy a capella arrangements of songs. his harmonic vocabulary is astounding
Hiromi Uehara - virtuoso pianist from Japan. I saw her a couple summers ago with the harpist Edmar Castaneda, and it was one of the best concerts I've ever seen.

a few bigger names that I like to keep on my radar:
David Byrne, Brian Wilson, Janelle Monae, D'Angelo

this is mostly off the top of my head
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bump
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nother bump for night CE
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I always had a sort of dream job (at least, one that seemed fairly ascertainable) as working as a music librarian, but it never panned out. It was nothing more than a daydream, I guess.

Still, glad TC was able to do something with his major of choice. Congrats, dude.
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EverDownward posted...

I always had a sort of dream job (at least, one that seemed fairly ascertainable) as working as a music librarian, but it never panned out. It was nothing more than a daydream, I guess.

Still, glad TC was able to do something with his major of choice. Congrats, dude.

what kind of music librarian? like, someone who keeps track of the scores for an orchestra or something?
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averagejoel posted...

MedeaLysistrata posted...

Are you self taught or did you learn when you were young?

I had teachers from when I was young. but ultimately everyone learns to play music by practicing, and in that context, the main job of a teacher is to make themselves obsolete.

Did you learn it in school prior to university at all?

my elementary school had a ukulele class (largely because there was a really good teacher living in the area; it was a rural school and we had very little else). my middle/high school was in a more urban area with a good band program, and my high school had a great music teacher.

Do you have to "know" a genre to be able to talk about it with authority?

can you clarify what you mean by "know" a genre? and what you mean by "talk about it with authority"?

Knowledge as in, "within the life of a subject, these propositions are correct"

Meta musical question does but does just adding cool beats to a song make it better?
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Thoughts on fusion?

averagejoel posted...

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah - trumpet player from New Orleans. he's incorporating a lot of trap sounds into his otherwise jazz-based music. it's cool to hear those sounds on a real drumset.

Yes. I listened to a little Emancipation Procrastination on my way to work today.

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averagejoel posted...

I would rather not disclose the specifics of my income.

why not? you could be saving some people ITT from getting ripped off or charging too low/too high.
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MedeaLysistrata posted...

Knowledge as in, "within the life of a subject, these propositions are correct"

this... does not help me

but I'm gonna say that yes, you do need to "know" a genre to be able to talk about it with authority

MedeaLysistrata posted...

Meta musical question does but does just adding cool beats to a song make it better?

it can certainly make it more interesting. I'm not gonna use any absolutes here and say that it definitely "does" though; nor will I say that being more interesting necessarily makes a song "better"
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghZ6ntXQp3E" data-time="&start=37

Romes187 posted...

Thoughts on fusion?

(assuming here that you more or less mean jazz rock)

I'm just... not really into some sounds that are kinda defining features of fusion. maybe it's just not what I need to be listening to right now. for the most part, I also don't like guitars as much melodically as I do horns, or harmonically as I do keyboards

there's obviously a ton of cool stuff and great musicians though. brecker brothers were my shit a few years ago.
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Favorite Rock In Opposition bands and albums?

averagejoel posted...

EverDownward posted...

I always had a sort of dream job (at least, one that seemed fairly ascertainable) as working as a music librarian, but it never panned out. It was nothing more than a daydream, I guess.

Still, glad TC was able to do something with his major of choice. Congrats, dude.

what kind of music librarian? like, someone who keeps track of the scores for an orchestra or something?

Sort of. It seemed like a combination of hobbies that I thoroughly enjoyed (reading/writing and music). A music librarian is tasked with handling all sorts of music materials, needs to have an extensive knowledge of music and music theory, and is responsible for cataloguing various music. They're also usually tasked with putting on displays, lectures, plays, etc. for the local community.
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masterbarf posted...

Favorite Rock In Opposition bands and albums?

I don't think I've ever actually listened to any of them
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averagejoel posted...

masterbarf posted...

Favorite Rock In Opposition bands and albums?

I don't think I've ever actually listened to any of them

You should. They're great. Avant-prog bands, often with a jazz influence.

Henry Cow
Aksak Maboul
Art Bears
Art Zoyd
Univers Zero
Samla Mammas Mana
Etron Fou Leloublan
Stormy Six

https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2019/09/20/762514169/why-is-american-classical-music-so-white

What's your opinion on this article

averagejoel posted...

Romes187 posted...

Thoughts on fusion?

(assuming here that you more or less mean jazz rock)

I'm just... not really into some sounds that are kinda defining features of fusion. maybe it's just not what I need to be listening to right now. for the most part, I also don't like guitars as much melodically as I do horns, or harmonically as I do keyboards

there's obviously a ton of cool stuff and great musicians though. brecker brothers were my shit a few years ago.

I went through a pretty big return to forever phase but mainly because I love Stanley Clarke and Al Di.

I've played guitar my whole life so I had to go through it, but I find myself strictly listening to classical music now, or spanish guitar.

Or Andrew York

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-2ad6igISo" data-time="

do you have tips for someone who always wanted to play an instrument, but has "stupid fingers" like fry from futurama?

my fingers get all tangled up and i cant move different parts of my body independently of each other. i cant do 2 distinct rhythms/beats with 2 different limbs. what one hand does, the other is compelled to do
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Pukelid posted...

do you have tips for someone who always wanted to play an instrument, but has "stupid fingers" like fry from futurama?

my fingers get all tangled up and i cant move different parts of my body independently of each other. i cant do 2 distinct rhythms/beats with 2 different limbs. what one hand does, the other is compelled to do

That's just a matter of muscle memory and practice, at least with guitar.

what's your busking setup like
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I was thinking more like piano but I can't even do it with a recorder. I'm 26 so I feel like my brain just isn't malleable enough anymore
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Pukelid posted...

I was thinking more like piano but I can't even do it with a recorder. I'm 26 so I feel like my brain just isn't malleable enough anymore

One practice technique is to start super slow and build up speed

Even after 20 years of playing, if I try a real difficult run without slowing it down to a near crawl first, my fingers sometimes jump into different muscle memory modes and play the wrong thing.

You gotta concentrate at first, then after practice, go into a flow state type thing.

masterbarf posted...

averagejoel posted...

masterbarf posted...

Favorite Rock In Opposition bands and albums?

I don't think I've ever actually listened to any of them

You should. They're great. Avant-prog bands, often with a jazz influence.

Henry Cow
Aksak Maboul
Art Bears
Art Zoyd
Univers Zero
Samla Mammas Mana
Etron Fou Leloublan
Stormy Six

seems interesting. I don't think any of those names have come up for me before
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Romes187 posted...

https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2019/09/20/762514169/why-is-american-classical-music-so-white

What's your opinion on this article

I read it soon after you posted it and I just read it again, and I'm still not really sure what I think of it. I need to mull it over some more in my head. maybe talk about it with some people IRL

it's a great interview though
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Romes187 posted...

Pukelid posted...

I was thinking more like piano but I can't even do it with a recorder. I'm 26 so I feel like my brain just isn't malleable enough anymore

One practice technique is to start super slow and build up speed

Even after 20 years of playing, if I try a real difficult run without slowing it down to a near crawl first, my fingers sometimes jump into different muscle memory modes and play the wrong thing.

You gotta concentrate at first, then after practice, go into a flow state type thing.

this is the gist of it, yes. I go over this with students all the time.

playing a musical instrument is, at its most basic, a series of physical gestures. it's like playing a sport, but with smaller muscle groups. something has to feel good physically before it can sound good musically.

another way I think about it: all practice is slow practice; it's just that your "slow" gets faster as you improve. if you're not playing it slow enough to nail every note, you're practicing incorrectly. internalizing bad habits.

it doesn't even have to be in time initially. start with one note at a time. then play each note in the segment multiple times before moving on to the next note. once you know you can play all the notes, in order, comfortably, you can start trying to play it in time. once you can do that comfortably, play it slowly, in time, with a metronome. then you can start speeding it up.

also: get a teacher. nothing I say on here will be as good as an actual person in the room helping you to learn.
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Turtlebread posted...

what's your busking setup like

ukulele in my hands. ukulele case a meter or two away, open, facing away from me. a five dollar bill and a few coins in there to start off (no one wants to be the first to put money in a case for some reason). sometimes I have posters or business cards in the lid.

I often also have a list of 20-30 songs I know on a piece of paper in my back pocket
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morning bump
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TC, any police-harassment stories or any negative experiences in general whilst busking?

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Kastrada posted...

TC, any police-harassment stories or any negative experiences in general whilst busking?

busking is legal here, and you don't need a permit or any sort of paperwork to do it

my worst experience has been not making any money
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averagejoel posted...

Joanna Newsom - harp player with Bjork-style singing and really interesting original music.

Ys is a favourite album of mine!

Will definitely check out some of the others as well.

I've come across some Jacob Collier videos before and heard his cover of In The Bleak Midwinter, but I think a lot of his theory stuff is beyond my level at the moment

Do you have any favourite video game soundtracks?
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InYourWalls1 posted...

I've come across some Jacob Collier videos before and heard his cover of In The Bleak Midwinter, but I think a lot of his theory stuff is beyond my level at the moment

yeah his music is pretty insane. and now he's into that microtonal stuff too. it's super dense, but you don't necessarily need to understand the concepts to enjoy the music. he's definitely someone to keep track of though.

InYourWalls1 posted...

Do you have any favourite video game soundtracks?

video game music isn't something that I'm super into right now. I'm a fan of the youtube channel 8-bit music theory though. it talks about a lot of interesting concepts
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averagejoel posted...

video game music isn't something that I'm super into right now. I'm a fan of the youtube channel 8-bit music theory though. it talks about a lot of interesting concepts

I'll double the shout out to 8-bit music theory's youtube channel. Some pretty fun little analyses

My next question is

Have you ever tried to compose a fugue?

And this ties into a separate question - What's your opinion on form and structure?

Romes187 posted...

Have you ever tried to compose a fugue?

I haven't, no. I have done some pretty intricate counterpoint with 3, 4, and 5 voices though. it's definitely something I've thought about doing

And this ties into a separate question - What's your opinion on form and structure?

the last time I was asked this question, it was at an open mic, asked by someone who had essentially no concept of anything to do with music. this is an open mic that he and I would both attend pretty frequently. there's an old piano in the room. someone plays it at most of the open mics, often a completely improvised piece of music. I think, from watching them, he got some incorrect ideas about how much work it takes to be able to improvise like that, or even to play an instrument with any proficiency. several times this guy asked me what I thought about structure, and I told him something along the lines of "nearly all music has some sortof structure that it adheres to."

he didn't seem happy with my answer -- I think he conflates "my ears aren't developed enough to hear the structure in this music" with "this music must not have any structure."

anyway, though I'm primarily a jazz musician and my degree is in jazz, most of my focus since graduating has been on classical music. this has included a pretty significant amount of writing for orchestra and choir.

generally speaking, the larger the group you're writing for, the more information you have to give them about what to play. I tend to err on the side of too much information in my writing: leaving as little as possible up to the discretion of the player. I also usually like to play music that's written that way because it leaves me with no questions about what I should play.

that style of writing is less common in jazz -- off the top of my head, Gordon Goodwin's big band charts are the best example of it.

anyway, form and structure are necessary for the vast majority of music, and the music that doesn't have it tends to fall into the category that's designed to make people think about things like "is this music?"

does that answer that question?
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Yes I enjoyed the response

Ravel or Debussy?
Stravinsky or Tchaikovsky?
Mozart or Bach?

Would you say that most of the musicians that you know are fairly well rounded in terms of their interests and knowledge outside of music?
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Thoughts on modern EDM and hip hop (within the last decade or so)? Specifically EDM, curious to know what someone of your background thinks of it