The Business and Musicians Forum

How to Jam Session With Friends and Have Fun

2012-01-27T06:41:00.000-08:00

It's been an intense week here at The Musician's Forum because I have received a lot of emails from many different musicians. This week I got an email from a musician who is going to be jamming with his friends soon and wanted to know how to jam better and have fun while doing it.

First off, I must say that when you are jamming with friends there is a science behind it. You must be willing to have fun and experiment with the people around you. I have put together some tips for how to have an effective jam session so that you are able to have fun.

Tips to Have an Effective Jam Session

1. Be Willing to Make Mistakes

Being a musician is not an easy task but you sometimes have to take the good and the bad. A jam session is an opportunity for you and the musicians you play with to learn and grow. You maybe playing with a musician and you are going in to do a solo and you mess up it's a good thing. Don't beat yourself up over that solo. Try again and see if you can do it better next time.

2. Jam sessions give you an opportunity to learn more about your instrument and you

Believe it or not, you will learn more about you instrument and you when it comes to jam session. You will suprized when you are playing in front of a group of friends that you know. You will see things that you could have never done before. In terms of your instrument, you will be more connected with it and understand it's limitations and uses and test different sounds and samples.

3. Be open to communication and team building

The goal if a jam session is to help musicians work together in a relaxed environment. This can be at home in a basement or a garage someones house. You could be crating a masterpiece from organized chaos. In order for that to happen you have to be open to talking with your teammates in a calm and collective manner.

Here are just a few tips on how to have an effective jam session.

-Jamie M
The Musicians Forum

New Insights for A New Year

2012-01-21T14:25:00.000-08:00

One of the many things that musicians look to do is continueoulsy learn. They need a new insight into their music. This maybe through learning a new style or a new chord that can add some flavour into their music. One of the key issues is that a musician will take a certain about of time to master a piece of music or a chord progression and add it to their vocabulary.

The main point that I am trying get across is that it comes down to "MEMORY". If it's your first time doing something it becomes a new experience. However, when you do something hundreds of times; the most important thing is that can you remember it?. Also, is this a new experience for you?

There are moments when you don't even need to think about doing it. Just like Nike their slogan is "Just Do It!"

When you sit down to practice anything that you have learned this year just remember to have an open mind and use your memory because it will unlock doors and levels for your music this year.

If your ever unsure, lost or just out of place just remember that this year will lead you to new insights.

How To Play The Piano Without Feeling Pain?

2012-01-07T04:57:00.000-08:00

Before I get started I just want to thank everyone for sending in their emails to me about some giveaway ideas for the blog. I just want to find a way to thank all of our readers and subscribers. Continue to send in those emails.

This is a very interesting question that was asked by one of our readers. The question is:

How can I play the piano or any other instrument without feeling any pain?

Well, first off pain is natural and you will start to feel tension in your hands whether you are hitting a drum or strumming a guitar or hitting a piano key. Your only human.

One of the things to recognize is that this maybe caused by stress and if you haven't played in years or at least the bare minimum of a couple of months this can happen.

Here are just some of the causes of stress that can cause pain in the long term:

-Playing for extended periods of time especially without a break
-Bad technique in terms of fingering**
-Taking an long holiday then just returning to practice
-Practicing last minute for a concert or recital or when your on a tight deadline
-Bad attitude towards practicing (not having fun)
-Critisim from your friends and family
-Bad posture

These are just some of the msot common problems that can cause stress that musicians typically face. However, it's different for every musician.

In order to prevent injury from happening here are some ideas:

-Warm up and cool down before and after practice
-Take frequent breaks if necessary
-Shake your fingers, fidget and stretch your arms to regain circulation in your body
-Practice good posture
-Time your practice sessions (my rule of thumb is 20-30 minutes with 5-7 minute breaks)

** If you are feeling pain in your fingers and it's consistantly hurting go an see a doctor

***As well, if you are having trouble with your fingering I would highly recommend that you look at Hanon Fingering lessons. Also, try practicing with finger weights.

Well, I hope this helps you out.

Welcome to A New Year

2012-01-01T04:53:00.000-08:00

As 2011 has passed we are moving into 2012 and to start 2012 with a bang. I am going to giveaway some free stuff.

Here is just some of the items that I am personally thinking about giving away:

-Amazon Gift Card
-Our Top Secret E-Book with over 200 chords for Piano
-Music Merchandise such as Headphones, and other Audio Equipment

Again these are just some of the ideas that I am personally thinking about. I want to know what do you want me to giveaway to start off the New Year.

If you have any suggestions of what you want me to giveaway please send me an email:

businessandmusicianforum (at) yahoo.com

All credit for the image goes to the author.

Day 11:The Man Who Put The App In Apple

2011-12-23T17:46:00.000-08:00

Welcome, to the 2nd last day before our 12 Days of Music is over. Today's gift is an amazing book by Walter Issacson which chronicles life of the one and only Steve Jobs.
This book is comprised over a span of 2 years of 40 interviews. What's amazing about this book is that it gives an good insight into him building the Apple empire. There are so many questions such as:

What was Steve Job's like when he's working?
How did Apple get started?
Were there plans for the future?

This book provides some great life lessons for business people and entrepreneur. It's a good book to give to any music person who wants to unleash the creative side and learn more about Apple.

Important Note: The last day of the 12 Days of Music Gifts will be posted on Christmas Day. It's important that you read the blog for the special surprise!

Day 10: Give The Gift of Cash This Season

2011-12-22T17:25:00.000-08:00

Everyone loves cash this holiday season but what is something better than that:
An ITunes Gift Card to use on The ITunes Store on Apple.

What we found out about the gift card is that there are no expiration dates. You can use these gift card whenever you please. If your struggling to find a gift for your friends, techies, mom or dad this is a quick solution that can solve any problem. What's even better about the gift cards are that they can be prepared based on a holiday, someones birthday or special occasion.

For those who are tight on time and are still trying to find that last minute gift you can even have the option of sending the gift card by shipping, facebook and even email.

Make the holidays right by giving an ITunes Gift Card in any amount.

Day 9: Pump Up The Volume This Holiday

2011-12-21T17:01:00.000-08:00

It's time to pump up the volume this holiday season with this awesome gift. Presenting the X-Mini II Speakers by XMI. These compact speakers have quite a wallup in terms of sound and quality. What we found with the speakers is that portability maybe an issue because you have little cord that you can plug into the iPhone,iPad or another MP3 device. This is also a good use for a laptop or tablet as well.

We have to give this gift credit where credit is due because with a sleek design it sure does look amazing. This product comes in a variety of different colours such as black, pink, red, silver and the list goes on. One benefit to using this speaker is that the playtime is awesome because it lasts for around 8 hours which is longer than most laptops on the market.

Overall, one of the issues that we saw this is that the cord can get broken vary easily if it's not taken care of. It's small and can bend quickly. We just think that this is to watch for. The price for this product is under $30 dollars which is a reasonable price.

Day 8: Do You Remember The Beatles

2011-12-20T17:41:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Day 8 of the 12 Days of Music Gifts we are starting to wind down to the last day. So today we have the gift of music.

Today's gift is from one of the best bands of all time. We have chosen the Beatles Box Set because it's a well recognized name and that they produce the best music ever. This box set has been remastered by Guy Massey, Steve Rooke, Sam Okell with Paul Hicks and Sean Magee.

The voices are clear and the emotions are there in this excellent remastered set. We definitely recommend this box set for any hardcore Beatles fan or the perfect gift for a Dad.

See what we have in store for Day 9!

Day 7: The Secrets To Playing Piano

2011-12-19T17:21:00.000-08:00

This was definitely one of the gifts that was on the music list for sure. Many of our readers have been asking us for piano books. We looked across the web to find what we considered as the best book for learning how to play piano.

This is by one of our favourite authors Jermaine Griggs who owns Hear and Play. We chose this book because of the diverse material in the book. It really goes into deep detail with many different examples of chords and scales. What we found to capture our interest was the concepts were easily transferable immediately.

This is great for a beginner who is just learning how to play piano or for a musician who wants hum a tune and immediately play that tune on the piano. Our team thought that there is not much help out there for learning how to play piano but this book definitely exceeds our expectations of quality and teach-ability.

We are glad to share this with you!

Become A Karaoke Star For Christmas

2011-12-18T15:56:00.000-08:00

Rockout this Christmas and the New Year with the gift that is jammed pack with goodness. For today's gift we are presenting the Memorex Singstand which is created by Memorex.

We found this to become a game changer in the way you interact with music.
Essentially what the singstand is a karaoke on the goal all you need is an MP3 player or an Ipod. There is so much that you can do this gift such as adding effects and even having a duet. This does include one dynamic microphone which is around a 10ft cable. What can we say other than this holiday season you can become a holiday superstar and impress and surprise your friends and family. This is a great karaoke machine with impressive quality and sound. This definitely deserves five stars no questions asked.

Check out what we have in store for you on Day 7

Industry Secrets to Playing Drums

2011-12-17T15:25:00.000-08:00

An industry secret has finally been exposed in the world of music. Learning how to play drums was so closely guarded that the mystery behind it has been exposed. Presenting, Hear and Play Drums by Hear and Play. This DVD shows you how to play even if you have no training or knowledge about drums. Also, this DVD allows you to take your drumming to the next level. We understand that you can learn how to play drums several different ways such as trial and error, playing with other musicians. However, these ways are costly and take too much time. This DVD will shave so much time and effort in to learning and will be a great benefit to your music education. This DVD comes in a three part series.

Hear and Play 101- Basics and Fundamentals
Hear and Play 102- Intermediate Techniques & Rhythms
Hear and Play 103- Advance Licks, Tricks & Grooves

If your struggling to learn how to play drums this Christmas then this is the gift for you. At a cost of $70 this is a bargain.

Come back tomorrow to see what music gift we chose for Day 6.

Get A Kick Out Of Tangle Free Earbuds

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Important Note: We have started the 12 Days of Music Gifts. We want you to vote for the best music gift.

Created by Zipbuds in California priced at $39.99

This is why I love music because it allows you to be creative and I must say that we face this problem everyday. Who isn't frustrated with headphones and the constant battle to get them unwrapped and tangle-free. It's a hassle and we must say that when we were going through the selections that this one takes the cake.

Created by two lifelong friends in 2007 in California, Zipbuds has taken a tangle free listening to another level. What is unqiue about Zipbuds is that has vertical zipper that lets the user zip up those cords - bye bye knotted wires. This earbuds are great for the go, the gym and on the road.

These earbuds are super flexible and they can come in the choice of several colors such as pink, black, blue and many other amazing colors.

See what we have in store for you on Day 5

All I Want For Christmas Is Rocksmith

2011-12-15T13:56:00.000-08:00

Important Note: We have started the 12 Days of Music Gifts. We want you to vote for the best music gift.

Welcome to Day No. 3 after focusing on DVD's and Christmas Music it's time to look after the gamer. So drumroll please, Rocksmith: Authentic Guitar Games which is created by UBI Soft for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. We know that there are people want to know if this game is a complete waste of cash or a game that will acutally help you in terms of learning about guitar.

First off, this game is not a substitute for an actual guitar teacher. People tend to leave guitar teachers because they can't play their song immediately but this tool definitely provides hours of fun.

Secondly, Rocksmith helps you in learning how to hold the guitar and how to use your hand in creating chords on the guitar. It helps you to play the guitar without going into theory and the reasons behind the chords. If you want to learn more about the chords having a music teacher would definitely be the best option. What is also unique is that you are able to use an actual guitar in the game and plug it in.

Finally, this game is good for beginners who want to learn and even better it great for experienced players as well. You need to have commitment and devotion if you want to succeed in this game.

Come back tomorrow to see what music gift we chose for Day 4.

It's A Buble Christmas

2011-12-14T11:42:00.000-08:00

Important Note: We have started the 12 Days of Music Gifts. We want you to vote for the best music gift.

Today's gift is for that cool music junkie. We had a tough time pin pointing this one because there was so much to choose from. We truly liked this product because there was so much to offer. Michael Buble Christmas CD's was very popular.

There was a lot of passion that we found on his CD. The renditions of the classics really brought back the Christmas spirit. Michael Buble doesn't disappoint on this CD. Buble offers the best of the best and is really something to think about. With the laid-back style and traditional feel this is a CD that should be on everyone's shelf and stocking for Christmas. The vocal arrangements complement the music very nicely.

Come back tomorrow to see what music gift we chose for Day 3.

12 Days Of Music Gifts: Day 1

2011-12-13T06:59:00.000-08:00

Do you need a gift for that special someone in your life? Well look no further!

We have been receiving emails from many concerned musicians who have been asking for some suggestions for a gift for that music lover in their life. We present you with the 12 days of Music Gifts. Each day we will roll out with a different music gift and we invite you to follow the 12 Days of Music Gifts on the Facebook as well.

So drumroll please, our first gift is for the piano player at heart. For the person who just loves Christmas and wants to impress their family and friends by playing Christmas music on the piano this is for you.

Hear and Play has created Christmas Keys. It's a jam packed DVD that teaches you a three step method to playing your favourite Christmas songs. You are abke to do this without the use of sheet music.

This DVD is packed with over 180 minutes (3 hours) that will allow you to play all your favorite Christmas classics by ear (and the knowledge you need to play tons of other songs by ear with this same method)!

This is one gift that really stood out for me and it's made by Hear and Play in Irvine, California (above photo). You can purchase this by digital download or have it shipped to you. However, they do have a special going on at the moment before Christmas.

Come back tomorrow to see what music gift we chose for Day 2.

This Week's Music School: Major 7th Madness Part 2

2011-12-10T15:50:00.000-08:00

Welcome Back,

Last time, we covered major 7ths in our previous post for guitar players.

DISCLAIMER: This post is for Piano Players

With the high volume of emails that I have been receiving from concerned musicians asking for more chords and more instructional based learning. This is a special weekend post.

Here is Major 7th Madness

We are going to be in the key of C for this one. These chords are going to be stacked.

Here is the chord on your LEFT HAND:

What we have going on in your left hand is a C Major 7 chord in its third inversion.

In order to give this some edge we are going to pair this with a major chord in the right hand.

You have two options with this chord:

Option #1- You can pair this with a G major chord which is G-B-D

For this option you would play this G major chord as a substitution for the 6th chord which is A in the key of C.

Option #2- You can replace the with a regular C major chord.

Major 7th chords are very interesting. I hope that this gives you some insight into Major 7th madness.

Happy Holidays

Also, keep watching the blog for our 12 Days of Christmas postings.

This Week's Music School: Major 7th Madness Part 1

2011-11-29T14:28:00.000-08:00

Due to the fact that I am in a giving mood after some exciting news. I have been reading a lot of the emails that you have sent and let me say that I am impressed. Everyone has been sending in some excellent feedback about the Ditone and Tritone book as well as the steroid chords.

I am going to share some more secrets with you all. By the way I am working on getting the video up and running so that I can provide you with live examples.

DISCLAMER:This post is for Guitar Players.

Major 7th Madness

Major 7ths are the key to making your chords sound SWEET! When you place a major 7th where there is space it sounds really pretty. They sound great any time you are using a 1 chord, 4 chord, 5 chord or even 6 chord which is a minor.

Guitar Players

Here are two techniques for creating major 7th chords

Technique #1 - Stack the Thirds

Major chords are made up of a root, 3rd, and 5th
A C major chord would be spelled C, E, G. The interval between the first two notes of a major chord is a major third. Now that you know that the formula is:
The formula for a major 7th chord is major third, minor third, and another major third. So the major 7th for C would be C, E, G, B

Technique # 2- Add another note

In the example above, we established what a major 7th chord is and the formula. However, there is an alternative. Major 7th chords are also made up of the 1,3,5,7. You are able to just simply count the notes in the scale. Keep in mind that you need to know the scale for this to work.

Try experimenting in your music and see how they sound. Here is how the C major 7th would look on the guitar.

What Is So Important About The Number System

2011-11-23T11:46:00.000-08:00

Being a musician I have realized that the number system is incredibly important. I am shocked and suprised at the number of musicians who haven't mastered this amazing concept yet. Keep in mind that this only applies to people who play scale instruments such as bass, guitar, piano/keyboard.

To put this universally it's an important element to playing by ear. Secondly, this allows a musician to communicate without speaking in letters.

For example,

In the key of C going from a D minor chord to G major chord then a C major chord. Do you see how difficult that is to say. It's just a lot better to just say 2-5-1 in the key of C.

The best part of this is that it can be "translated" in any key. The only thing is that you just need to remember the different tones in every key.

In Bb major, it’s:

C minor 7
F dominant 7
Bb major 7

That's it. It's really a fun and simple concept.

When you number the notes in the scale. It's an easy way to put it.

For example, the C major scale is: C D E F G A B C.

I just number this scale starting at 1.

C is 1
D is 2
E is 3
F is 4
G is 5
A is 6
B is 7.

The number system is just a fun and unique concept. If you are new to this don't be afraid and give it a try.

What Type of Musician Are You?

2011-11-08T06:48:00.000-08:00

In music there are different types of musicians. Every musician has a different style of playing, practicing and applying what they learned to their music. Over the years that I have playing I have learned that their are different types of musicians.

1. The Lazy Musician- This type of musician doesn't like to apply themselves when it comes to practicing. There is a challenge when it comes to using the concepts that they have learned.

2. The Determined Musician- This type of musician is focused and goal orientated when it comes to learning and practicing. They may not be the greatest musician however they want to continue to learn. They use the runs and chords as needed and don't go overboard.

3. The Dominant (Showboating) Musician- This musician is an expert at their chosen instrument and will do runs and riffs to prove that they have the skills and talents. Their need is impress people and look good. They want to be the lead and take control.

4. The Nervous Musician- This type of musician is nervous. (Hence the title) This musician is just starting out and is shy about their playing because there maybe people watching or someone who maybe critiquing you.

5. The Sharing Musician- This musician doesn't like to hide their chords or secrets. They are open with the people that want to learn and will provide advise to help them reach their goal. This musician may play conservative and will play what is needed in the song.

From my experience, I have gone through all of these levels however I realized that as a musician you need to have balance. For someone who is just reading this I would suggest that you need to be have a piece of every little trait. In order to become a great musician you need to have balance between all of these areas and be open with yourself.

Keep in mind that some may not agree with the perceptive that I have taken but this is just from my experience.

I hope that I have shed some light on the different types of musicians. Leave a comment down below and let me know what type of musician you are? Do you share traits from the different types of musicians?

Learning "Runs" Over Different Chords

2011-10-31T14:30:00.000-07:00

Everyone has a passion and an influence and one of my personal influences is "Jazz amd Funk". I have learned so much from the different jazz artists such as Jeff Lorber. (He is one of my favourites) George Duke (He's mostly known for fusion and funk). One thing I still think about till this day is how do they solo their runs over their chords. Well have after much searching and looking on Youtube.

By the way you can check us out on Youtube (search businessandmusic)

One of the best jazz piano players that I have seen which is James Wrubel breaks this concept down. I really want you all to take a look at this video as well there is another video that breaks down the 2-5-1 jazz progression as well.

You can take a look at some more of James Wrubel's material in Jazz 101
I personally have checked them out and let me tell you that this man is real as music is. He really takes the time to help you out. Even though Jazz 101 is just a beginner course for piano players who just want to learn the raw mechanics I can say that it does add value. What I like about this is that he really knows his stuff and gives you techniques to better your sound. In the end, you just want to be different and have you own unique style and this is what James helps you discover.

Take Care
-Jamie

Slience....Space...Solitude...[What A Musician Needs]

2011-10-28T13:36:00.000-07:00

I start to reflect upon the times when I was most useful and effective as a musician. Throughout my years of playing I have realize three important concepts:

Silence is Golden

Is it just me or there are times when you need the silence. It lets you see what may be your diamond in the rough. There are times when I get distracted as a musician. This maybe through technology (Unfortunately, I am in my 20's) such as Twitter, Youtube, LinkedIn and even just the cell phone in general. Sometimes being a musician you need to take a step back and listen to the people around you. When I can take in what people have to say I can add more value and input.

Space is Great

I need space..believe or not but we all need space because if I don't have it or make it I can't....

-do reflective thinking
-see what's the next plan
-see how I am doing

What I find is that if I don't have that space I can't practice efficiently. It doesn't allow me (as a musician) to really be focused in my playing. Not only that but as well talk to the reader which is you.

Solitude (Alone Time)

Utimately, I need solitude sometimes in my life. If I can get away from it all it allows me to think better. It's not being mean to block everyone out it's just so that I can be in a better frame to help everyone. As a musician, being separated from everything else is a good thing because just as I mentioned in the first part it allows great things to happen. I got to have the alone time because going back to point number 1 it allows me to grow.

The World's First Calculator For Musicians

2011-10-18T19:40:00.000-07:00

Everyone talks about how important it is to learn
all 12 keys as a musician.

Not only does it give you the flexibility and fluidity
to play any song you hear on the radio (as you'll
find songs spread across all 12 keys), but it ensures
you're never caught in a situation where you're
dumbfounded because you can't follow along in the
unfamiliar key.

Click here For More Details

This tool does for music what the calculator does
for math --- plain and simple.

It makes playing in all 12 keys a breeze. Before
this tool, playing song s in all 12 keys was reserved
for the most serious... the most dedicated musicians.
But now, NO ONE has any excuses anymore because
playing in all 12 keys is easier than ever before.

Click here to Watch The Presentation

Trust me I have tried this tool and let me tell you that this is great. I have been able to work a lot faster when it comes to learning my chords in all twelve keys. It saved me so much time in terms of learning every chord on the piano. You are able to save as a PDF and even share it as well. I personally would give this a 4 out of 5 stars only because it would be nice if this program could play back the chords that you input. Other than that it's a great tool for music teachers and for piano players as well.

Click Here to Learn To How Play In All 12 Keys

What Is The Mystery To Learning Songs?

2011-10-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

Every musician has a goal whether you play an instrument or just sing there is one primary goal that every musician has:

"TO LEARN AND MASTER A SONG""

Whether it is your first song or your hundredth song the concept remains the same. Here are my tips with some extra tidbits of information on how to learn a long

1) Purpose

You got to have a goal in mind. What is the purpose of learning the song? Is it for a wedding, party, concert? What are you looking to accomplish?

2)Strategy

Again, if it's your first time what strategy do you have in mind? Are you going to play this by ear or by sheet music?

3)Finding the key

This is the first step to mastering is finding the key? If you are learning to play by ear this is first thing. Keep in mind there is no sheep music to help you. This comes down to skills. If you are trying to learn to play by ear this is a skill that you can learn.

Check out this free 30 minute video lesson on finding the key. Like it really nails down the concept.

4) Know the notes and scales

Finding the key is the easy part and you are the right track. However if you don't know the right notes and chords that go with it you could be on your way off the track and down a mountain.

The scales are highly important because they go with the chord that you are going to be playing with it.

For example: C major: C D E F G A B C.

C is 1, D is 2, E is 3, F is 4, G is 5, A is 6, B is 7.

Consider scales as numbers this becomes extremely helpful in the long run.

5) Know the chords that go with the scale

1st tone = Major Chord
2nd tone = Minor Chord
3rd tone = Minor Chord
4th tone = Major Chord
5th tone = Major Chord
6th tone = Minor Chord
7th tone = Diminished Chord

This applies ONLY FOR piano, keyboard, bass, guitar. This doesn't apply for vocals and drums.

6) The bass note

When I am saying bass notes I am refering to the root of the chord. For example: A C major chord has C as the bass note. Don't be putting all the attention on the melody of the song and the riffs and runs you should focus on the bass player. Focus on what they are doing.

When you are listening to a song I would suggest turning up the bass boost on your headphones and taking a listen. When you key in on one paticular instrument you will be more keen to what is happening.

7) Put it together

This is the fun part once you are comfortable with the song and all the necessary parts to it you just need to put it together. This is a step that will take time to master and you will improve. If you hone in on this skill you will do excellent.

Make A Living While Doing What You Love

2011-10-04T10:27:00.001-07:00

Greetings,

Everyone has a passion and with that passion you have something that you are interested in. This maybe music, food, stickers, finding antiques for example. Whatever your passion is you can make a living off of it. I love music and this is the reason why I love to share about this. I want to help others that are out there find their passion may it be through music or not. Here are just 2 simple ideas that can help you make a living through music.

1)Become a studio musician

Believe it or not, there are people out there who have made a decent living off of being a studio musician. It takes a lot of hard work and the right networking however it can be done. You need to make sure that the skills you have meet the expectations of the people you are trying to impress.

2)Music Production

This is a very unique avenue to take because a lot of musicians are trying to cash in on this unique market. You can be great at playing the drums but do you know how to produce, mix and master your music so that you can meet the needs of your client. These are skills that you can definately learn through time but it takes time, and effort to make that dream turn into a reality. With the internet you can make this become possible.

3) Become a Freelance Musician

Keep in mind that if you are just getting started it will take a while. You need to be able to perfect your craft whether it is singing, or playing music. Today's society has high expectations and you want to be able to meet those expectation and not just be all talk. It's important that you take your time. Be committed and you can succeed!

Here are just some ideas on how to make a living while doing what you love. You need to find out what you like doing. No matter what, there is a job for everyone whether it's music, business, painting, drawing (anything). Take advantage of every opportunity that comes you way. Most importantly, have fun because this is what will make your job be more interesting.

Music News: Chris Rene X Factor's Latest Sensation

2011-10-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

I love when you readers continue to send me interesting and off topic stories. This one was a must because if you haven't heard the news these you should definitely keep reading this.

The X-Factor is the newest and hottest show this fall. As we have seen so far this fall there have been many interesting characters this season from the one that made Paula throw up to one's that surprized the whole entire nation.

Meet Chris Rene for example. This gentleman is 28 years of age and has a nice job as a garbage man. He's had some problem with substance abuse but he is making strides to recovery which is a great thing. He has made a significant impact on the X Factor with this amazing voice. Now the deal with this is that he has blown up to an internet sensation.

Side Note: I think he has all the qualities to win this season so America keep your eye out for this person. I think he might be the next Susan Boyle (at least the male equivalent).

What you do think? Do you think that he is the next Susan Boyle? Is there anything this season that has surprised you so far.

This video is owned by X Factor. I don't own this video. I am just sharing it because it's really cool and interesting.

Jessy Dixon Dies at 73

2011-09-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

A great gospel singer and songwriter has passed on Monday while at home. His name was Jessy Dixon he was 73. He was a great man who found a great audience while touring and recording with Paul Simon. He wrote over 200 songs . Now thats a lot of songs over the course of 50 years. His best song was "I am Redeemed" which was a hit in 93. (Those were the days) This remained on the chart especially in the Christian world for over 5 years. Like this man was great because he played keys for Earth, Wind and Fire which is a well known group and still is. He also work with a guitarist by the name of Phil Upchurch. What made him stand out was that he left a very important mark on the gospel scene when he released 18 albums between 1964 to 2006. What important is that 5 of those albums went gold and he toured across the world till 2001.

It's sad to see a good man go. He has had a lot of accomplishments and we wish the family the best in this time of pain. He has left a significant mark on the gospel scene and has done so much.

We will miss him!

Music News: Stefano Langone Gets Management

2011-09-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems that American Idol continues to have a lasting effect on the competitors. For those American Idol fans out there who liked Stefano Langone in season 10 you should be jumping for joy right now. Apparently he has signed a management deal with 19 management. Consider the fact that he is currently without a record deal at the moment. I think this a great turning point for this amazing singer. He was a favourite for the year. What is surprizing is that he is only 22 years old. Personally, this is a great starting point for him and better things are going to come along the horizon.

So I say congrats to you and best wishes in the future.

American Idol was created by Simon Fuller.

Source for Image: http://www.rickey.org

R.E.M. "Quits" and Calls It A Day....No Joke

2011-09-21T12:15:00.001-07:00

Greetings,

My inbox got flooded with music news from the readers apparently this was a big one and they were asking me to talk about this on the blog. So this popular band has called it a day and they have QUIT. Since we are in the 21st century and we have seen so many bands quit then reunite I am not sure what to think. I really hope that this is not a publicity stunt but I am shocked. This is one of those epic shocker moments.

On their website they say in a statement and I quote:

To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band," "We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening."

This is a great rockband an normally I don't usually talk about this but their music is really good. I wish them all the best. The team has been together for 31 years. That's a long time. So I want to know what are your thoughts on this? Are they going to reunite or is this the final curtains. Let me know what you all think about this.

Leave your comments down below!

Amazing Keytar Solo by Stevie Wonder

2011-09-19T16:04:00.000-07:00

So over the weekend while I was working on a special project for the Forum I came across this amazing video of Stevie Wonder. I was shocked when I saw this video because I have never seen so much passion in this man's playing. It was a border line between a little creepy but cool at the same time. Considering that Stevie Wonder is an amazing musician I just had to talk about this amazing Keytar solo. (Yes there is an instrument called the KEYTAR). It's a keyboard like guitar.

So he was playing at the Austin City Limits Festival this past weekend and when I saw this video I was impressed. He still has the fire burning. From this video even though he is going made crazy with the playing the crowd loves it.

**I don't own this video. I am just sharing this on the website.

A Life Lesson on Pacing Yourself

2011-09-09T08:09:00.000-07:00

I love to workout and recently I have been to the gym quite a lot throughout the summer. One of my goals was to improve my level of fitness and become stronger. Sometimes when you want to reach your goal you try to speed up the process faster however this can sometimes be your downfall. I realized that when I tried to do this it was actually hurting me. There were times when I tried to put more then my weight and it caused some tension in my arms. (Luckly, I am fine don't worry) I learned a lot through this experience. These can also translate to lessons learned in life and in music as well.

1) Don't underestimate in anything that you do

One of the things is that when I went to the gym I saw people pulling more then their weight. People will say that it's easy however it's not the best option to assume. It may be harder than you think. Sometimes you may need to do your research. See what other people are doing and don't be afraid to ask questions.

2) Take your time and don't show off

As a musician, there are times when your playing and you want to pull every trick out of the book the first time around. By the next time, they are out of gas because they have used the best tricks the first time. I learned this when I tried to pull more than my weight and it wasn't the smartest thing.

Sometimes, you need to take a step back and add bit and pieces here and there. This goes music as well. Don't pull all your tricks off the shelf at one. Be humble and use most of it when needed.

I have seen when musicians are beasts on their instruments and when it comes to playing it a second time they have used all their tricks.

3)Quantity Time vs Quality Time

When I was at the gym this summer I got the workout that I wanted in less than 1 hour. There are people who can get what they need in 3 hours. It depends on what your needs are and what you want to accomplish. When you focus and be attentive you can get so much done in so little time. You need to be committed to act. When I learn a song I can learn it in 30 minutes to 1 hour depending. There are times when I spend 2-3 hours just learning a hit for song because I want to keep the integrity of the song exactly how it is played.

What are you looking for quality or quantity?

4)A Time for No Excuses (A Life Changing Moment)

There is a moment where you just want to be serious in what you want to accomplish. You don't take NO for an answer. You forget the excuses and the other things that are less important and commit to what you want to accomplish. Look at the CEO's and famous people; they got to where they are because they were focused and had their eye on the prize. Everyone can accomplish great things no matter what problems they have or the situations they are going through. It's all about being focused and getting serious with what you want to get done.

I learned a lot from this unique experience and it taught me a lot on taking the time to pace and learn more about what I can do.

I hope that this inspires you to become motivated, start fresh and accomplish great things in life.

Next Time

Ask Jamie: Awesome Question From A Student

2011-08-31T07:42:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone,

As back to school season starts to come I must say that I am shocked. My emailbox has been swamped and everyone has sent in some very interesting questions and let me say that I was very impressed. This month's question comes from Benedict Tetteh-Kwabla who asks about the progressions and upper structure. (I received an email two days after about progressions using tritones and ditones)

If you haven't signed up for our e-book which provides chords and practicing skills, I highly recommend it.

From: ben********ta@gmail.com
Saturday, August 18, 2011 12:41 PM
Subject: Enquiries Follow Up
================================
I want to know some chord progressions and what 'upper structure is'. take
care

My response:

Upper structure are triads played in the right hand which have a different root from the left-hand chord. They are usually associated with a dominant 7th chord. The upper structure can be a major or minor chord. However, it's usually major.

**If you have a dominant 7 chord you can substitute that for a tritone and a dominant 7th chord in this case is: C-E-G-Bb (The tritone would be the 3rd and the 7th which is E and Bb)

Think of this for example:

In the left hand you are playing a dominant 7th chord. In this case, C and Bb
In the right hand, you would be playing a triad chord which is E,A,C# (a A major chord 3rd inversion)

In terms of your second question about progressions using the ditone here is one that is very handy which I call the 6-7-1 progression.

We are going to be in the key of C# (Db)

The 6 is A# (Bb)
The 7 is C
The 1 is C# (Db)

Here is your 6th chord

Left Hand: A#-D
Right Hand:G#-C#-F# (Ab-Db-Gb)

Here is the 7th chord

Left Hand: C-E
Right Hand: A-D-G

Here is the 1 chord

Left Hand: C#-F
Right Hand: A#-D#-G# (Bb-Eb-Ab)

I just want to say keep up the great work and continue to excel in your playing because knowledge is power. I really have to say that I applaud you for sending this email and the eagerness to learn to improve your skills. I just had to share this with everyone in the community.

All the best,

-JM

This Weeks Music School: Steroid Organ Chords

2011-08-24T04:59:00.000-07:00

For today's music school we are going to look at steroid organ chords. These chords are just too phat which means that there is just so much going on in the chord. Here are just three examples of some organ chords.

Believe or not. The organ is one of the hardest instruments to play because it requires the third element which is the use of the foot.

As an organ player, I find that with the use of the third elements which is your foot allows you to have a little more freedom to create those organ chords.

In today's post we are going to discussing Steroid Organ Chords. I have received many emails from many musicians who want to know some organ chords. We are going to look at a couple of them.

In the Key of Db

PLEASE READ:For the chords, the left hand will be color coded in a light green and the right hand will be in a violet purple.

Your first steroid chord revolves around the minor and we will be focusing on 1 which is Db

Left Hand: F-Ab-C-Eb
Right Hand: Ab-C-Eb-Ab
Bass Pedal: Db

Heres what the left hand chord should look like:

This is what the right hand chord should look like down below

The bass is Db

The next chord is going to focusing on the 4 which is Gb

Left Hand: F-Ab-C
Right Hand: Eb-Ab-C-Eb-Ab
Bass Pedal: Gb

Here is what the left hand chord will look like:

Here what the right hand chord will look like:

The next chord that we are going to look at is the 5 chord which is Ab

Left Hand: F-G-Bb-C
Right Hand: Eb-G-C
Bass Pedal: Ab

**Note that this chord is going to be a bit of a stretch.

Here is what the left hand chord will look like:

Here is what the right hand chord will look like:

The bass is Ab

Here you are just a few steroid organ chords in the key of Db.

Please use extreme caution when you are playing this chords because they may be too PHAT. I hope you enjoy. Also we want to say a big thanks to H&P for the chord software.

Take Care

-JM

Do Musicians Need To Know How To Make Beats?

2011-08-18T08:37:00.000-07:00

This was an interesting on that I got in the mailbox today because this is a hard topic to talk about because it comes down to what does a musician want to accomplish. This is if they want to know how to make and produce beats and enter the area of producing.

If you are an upcoming musicians I would definitely say that you should know how to make beats because:

a) Trains your creative side
b) Helps your ear training
c) You can make money (and everyone loves money)
d) Improve your skills
e) Learn to make backing tracks if you want to learn how to play beside a band

There are other reasons however, I personally feel that these are quite important.

I will say that if you are a beginner who is just starting out perfect your craft and skills before you start to go into this area. This takes a lot of hard work and very little technical knowledge to produce beats/tracks.

If your an aspiring producer who is a musician its a great avenue to take. You can perfect your craft and make some quality pieces instead of sampling.

What do you all think! Should musicians know how to make beats? Should musicians go into producing?

All the Best,

**Credit for the image goes to the author

Passing Notes On Bass

2011-08-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

**Credit for the image goes to the author

Just wanted to start off by saying thank you to everyone for sending in their emails, they are amazing. So continue to send in your emails and questions.

This week, just wanted to cover some more bass material since everyone has been asking about bass and how to use passing notes on the bass. We are going to focus on the key of F. This is only because it's a key that is not talked about as much. However, this mini lesson can apply to all 12 keys. You can use these as gospel passing notes on the bass, jazz passing notes on bass or for any other type of genre.

For example: In the Key of F

F Scale

F G A Bb C D E F
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

We are going to be referring back an forth with the number system just to make it a little easier. If you are not familiar with the number system here is just a quick summary. There are 8 notes in the scale and each one is assigned a number from 1-8. Eight represents 1 which is the same thing.

There are a variety of passing notes that you can use on the bass to get from one destination to another.

Here are just a few ideas:

To get to the 1 which is F

2(G) to 5(C) to #1(F#) then 1 (F)

6(D) to 7(E) to 1(F)

**Note: The letters in the brackets represent the notes in the scale. Be aware that some of the notes may not be in the scale and maybe a half step above or below the note. For example: #2 means a half step above the 2. In the key of F the 2 is G and the sharp 1 is F#.

To get to the 6 which is D

3(A) to 6(D)

#4(B) to 5(C) to 6(D)

7(E) to 3(A) to 6(D)

To get to the 5 which is C

#4(B) to 5(C)

**With this next passing note on bass you need to make sure that you are in sync with your keyboard player or else this won't work.

To substitute for the 5 which is C

Use the flatted 7 which is Eb

In summary, here are just a few passing notes on bass to get to your destination. Please remember that you need to be in sync with your keyboard player to make all of these passing notes work and to also be in time. Also, if you have any questions or concerns send us an email.

Leave your comments down below. Thanks

New Feature: Ask Jamie

2011-08-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

At The Business & Musician's Forum I love questions, comments and testamonials and I want to see what questions you want us to take on as the summer is winding down. Each month I am going to be doing a section called : "Ask Jamie". This is where I will answer an email or video response that is sent. No matter the question from you I will promise to answer them.

To send a question directly to me here is the email:
businessandmusicianforum (at) yahoo.com

To send a video response through Youtube: businessandmusic

Or comment on our Youtube page

If your question is selected you will be notified by email asking to use your question on the blog.

If you do a video response you will receive a mention in the video response with your Youtube name.

You can send as many questions as you want there are no limit!

This question can be music related, a testamonial, business related or anything! The sky's the limt!

I am challenging and inviting everyone to send me their questions! I would like to hear from everyone.

Don't forget to comment down below.

Take Care,

Music Technology: Use Your Mobile Phone To Tune Your Guitar

2011-08-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

*All credit for the image belongs to the author

APP's thats all everyone is talking about! What does this have to do with musicians?

With the continuing rise of smartphones and applications as a musician this is definately something that you should take interest in. With over thousands of apps on the market from Apple, Android, Blackberry and beyond there is so much out there can benefit a musician. Let me ask this question:

Has this situation ever happened to you?

You out at a gig or playing for an event and you "the guitar player" has forgotten your most important asset: Your tuner! Well, thinking that this is going to be a big problem two options roll through your mind:

1) Use your ear to tune your guitar

-Keep in mind that this is not a bad idea however sometimes you may not be as accurate with your ear and your guitar maybe off when you are playing.

2) Use your mobile phone to tune your guitar
-You think this is better solution and it proves to be more accurate however you have no idea which app to use or if any are actually worthwhile.

Today, in this post we are going to look at several apps that can help guitar players tune their guitars while on the road. We have scowered the web to find the best for you! This is a follow up to the post which you can check out: How to Tune Your Guitar For Beginners

App # 1: Guitar Tuner By Alvin Yu (Availble for Android, Iphone Free)

This is a free app and contains the basics to tune your guitar. This is an app for any Apple phone.
I would highly recommend that you use headphones.

App # 2: iStrobosoft (Cost: $9.99 at iTunes Store)

This one is unlike the free one above because even though this as a hefty price tag attached it's shows that it's the real deal. The thing I like about this is that it really takes the time to show you if you are going the right or wrong way in your tuning. It will show you if you are on the money or not. This even has the capabilities of letting you connect with an iPhone or iTouch adaptor and directly tune it. That sounds great right? It gets better...because it even auto transposes notes for you. Think of the endless possibilities with this.

App # 3: Cleartune (Cost: $3.99 at iTunes Store) (Also availible for Android)

This one is cheaper and after seeing the comparision with a regular guitar tuner you can't go wrong with this either. This particular one is a chromatic tuner just like the ones we see at our regular music store. This one is one that you can connect directly to the guitar with as well. It has receive many different reviews on this and I would say that it's highly ranked up there.

App # 4 gStrings (Free for Android)

Another great guitar tuner app this time for android. Comes with many great reviews and so much positive feedback. This one is universal for any instrument such as cello, bass, violin, piano and wind instruments. This one does feature ads though :(

Overall, based on what is there on the market for musicians; these are four different apps that have their pros and cons for Android or Iphone. I would highly recommend that any guitarist check out these apps.

**This is just for informational purposes.

Check them out and leave us a comment and let us know what you think of mobile apps are they great for musicians?

Take Care :)

Rhodes Patches For Motif

2011-08-03T11:43:00.002-07:00

**Credit for the image goes to the author

Many musicians have been sending emails asking for many different rhodes patches for the motif. There is very limited material on the market in regards to this so I have looked across the internet to find the very best in rhodes patches for the motif. Here is what I have found in no particular order.

1) Rhodes Patches for Motif XF/XS

This one was a very interesting piece because this one came from Jamal Hartwell. For this piece you need to make sure that you install RAM on your keyboard or this is not good for you. One thing that I found out is that it is hard to customize something that is already done. It's a great patch and I would recommend it as a top pick. It's based on two distinct sounds. The first sound is like something you would hear off of like a neo-soul track from a famous artist and the second one is like a hip hop style rhodes.

2) MKSensation: Roland MKS-20 Piano Module Sounds

On the top rank this would definitely be up there because Roland keyboards are excellent however they are not Yamaha. (This just maybe because I like Yamaha!, in my opinion) Roland has some very unique sounds in it's vault and they have definately come a long way. This one was very nice because this one was a downloadable and you could take it on the go. This emulated the sounds really nicely and when you get a chance have some fun and mess around with the velocity curves and vibrato. The only disadvantage is that you need Kontact 4 for it to work if you are using your computer. This doesn't work with the free version.

3) Neo-Soul Suitcase

After seeing this in action, this certainly emulates a classic rhodes very and I mean very close. Based on personal preference, you need to customize the sound to your liking and this one requires Kontact 4 paid version (not free) for this to work. More musicians want that vintage sound and this has surely come a long way from the beginning stages.

There you have it here are the best rhodes patches out there. Hope you all enjoy. If you have any questions just contact us via email, Twitter or website.

By the way, if you like this post, click the "like" button above and it will promote your Facebook profile.

Creating A Smooth Rhodes Sound

2011-07-29T13:58:00.000-07:00

For many musicians creating a smooth rhodes sound is not as easy as people think. Just recently a product was launched by a good friend Jamal Hartwell called the Neo Soul Suitcase and let me tell you that it sounds sweet. The plugin only works with the Kontact 4. I know it sucks because many of you have the free plugin or don't have the availible funds. Jamal is working on creating a free version for the plugin. However, this will help you to create a sweet rhodes sound.

For those who own a motif/mox/korg or any other high quality brand if you are looking to create that smooth rhodes sound for free. Take a look at these tips:

1) Look at the different rhodes patches

For the motif the different sounds that we have are: Neo Soul, Vintage 74, Early 70's (these are just a few examples) what I would usually do is combine the sounds and layer them over top of each other. Again, this is based upon personal preference.

2) Look at the velocity curve

Generally, the velocity curve is usually hard, soft, medium. You would want it to be hard because it gives it more of a touch and feel sound and you hear the lift when you touch the note.

3) Look at vibrato

I love the vibrato because it adjusts the sound and the quality of this. I would always have this on because it gives it more power and sensitivity in the notes that you are playing.

Note: One thing to remember is that your personality will come through your playing. You want to get the feel that you want in your playing. So creating the smooth rhodes sound is very easy. These are just three areas where you can really influence the sound. I also invite you to check out the Neo Soul Suitcase I would highly recommend it if you are looking to get a better rhodes sound.

What's The Job of A Second Keyboard Player?

2011-07-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

Greetings, everyone

One question or challenge that every musician goes through when working with someone is what is their role in enhancing the music. Today, I am here to provide some insight into what the job of a second keyboard player is.

In my experience, the job of the second keyboard is to backup and pad with the main keyboard player. This maybe through playing horns, synth, strings, flute etc.. The second keyboard player is to fill in the gaps left by the main keyboardist. Somethings to remember are that you and the rest of the band need to be locked together. (What I mean is that you need to communicate). If they are not locked together then what you play may be just noise. One other things that musicians have a challenge with is that thew main keyboardist may play chords that may clash with what you are are playing. If that does become an issue I would suggest that you speak to the keyboardist. Just remember that as a second keyboardist you are considered equal and that you are brought in to enhance the music, the dynamics and the flow and to ultimately work together with the band to succeed.

I just want to know what are your thoughts on the job of a second keyboardist and what experiences have you had? Tell us in the comments section below.

How To Modulate and Transpose To Other Keys

2011-07-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that you have had the experience in your playing when someone asks you to play a song in a different key than the original song on the CD. Or when a singer starts to sing in the key that you are playing in and all of a sudden they start singing in a next key. (I know that has happened to me alot) This lesson focuses on piano however transposition and modulation can apply to bass and organ as well.

As a piano/organ/keyboard/bass player it's your job to know how to modulate to a different key quickly and as smooth as possible. Just to break it down modulation is just a way of getting to a new key from an old key. A good example is let's say I'm playing in the key of Ab and I want to get to B. That is an example of modulation. This idea goes hand in hand with transposition.

When I say transposition I am not refering to pressing that magical button on your keyboard that allows you to change the key. (That's a big no...no!) As a musician, you need to be able to change the key smoothly. If you don't do that it can easily ruin the flow of the music.

There are 2 ways to transpose:

1a)by intervals such as P3, M3

1b)by scale degrees (we here in the west call it the number system)

1a. Intervals: In the previous example I mentioned that we are moving from Ab to B which is a minor third. To put it easily you are going to raise all the notes in that scale a minor 3rd. Intervals can be a little more complex such as a Perfect 4th but we will keep it simple for now.

Here's the breakdown

"Eb" in the key of Ab would become "Gb (F#)" in the key of B. "C" in the key of aB would become "Eb" in the new key of B. "F" would become "Ab" and so forth. All chords would move a minor 3rd.

1b. Scale degrees: I am not big person on scale degrees because it sounds complex however for me personally I just like to refer it as the number system. Instead of refer to letters as notes. I refer to notes as numbers. Here's a short example:

In the key of C the number system are: C=1, D=2, E=3, F=4, G=5, A=6, B=7, C=8

It's the same thing as a scale degree. So the chords that you call out such as a C major chord can be referred to as C-E-G or 1-3-5 in the key of C. This system is transferable across all 12 keys. The concept can be use for instruments such as bass, keyboard, organ, piano, guitar.

You can also use the scale degrees in progressions as well such as 7-3-6 or 2-5-1 as well for example.

To put it simply, modulation means to get to a different key and one of the methods that I use that is effective is using the 5 of the 4 method. That's for a follow up lesson.

It was not easy to explain this but I hope that it was explained well enough to you. This will give you a better idea of how to transpose and modulate to other keys If you want to learn more about transposition you can see all about it through this course by clicking down below:

*Credit for image goes to author

Music Technology: Back Pocket Band Software

2011-07-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

At The Business and Musicians Forum we like to be up to date on the new technology that is being released in the music industry to help musicians. One item that we came across was the Back Pocket Band Software by Hear and Play.

This software is a backing track player that plays tracks with bass,drums or both. It focuses on the area of Gospel and looks at the three main areas of Gospel which is Shouting, Praise and Worship. It also plays tracks in all 12 keys and in 3 different tempo styles: Slow, Medium, Fast. The software is easy to use to great for any musician who is looking for that realistic band feel.

My thoughts on this are that I am astonished that no one has done this until now. For me as a musician, I think that it will help improve timing, speed and rhythm. One thing is that it would be nice for this software to go into other areas such as Rock, Jazz, Funk, Blues. I am really looking forward to what Jermaine Griggs has in store for the software. It's a great tool for musicians if they want to explore into chords and progressions. I hope that they add some different components for the different instruments as well so that other musicians can learn such as bass runs, drum licks and hits and so on.

I would have to say that this coupled with the Song Robot Software that they currently have is amazing. I hope that they can go into other areas as well such as Jazz, Rock, Latin etc. I would highly recommend this to any musician who is looking to play along side a real band. Your improvement in playing would definitely increase. Check it out!

A Bassist's Worst Friend

2011-07-07T05:35:00.000-07:00

A bassist's worst friend is the bad habits. Everyone has bad habits and there is nothing wrong with it. This post is just to encourage someone who is just starting out on bass or who is already a pro on the bass. Here are just a couple of methods to break those bad habits.

1)Stick to the Unfamiliar

I would suggest taking a break from something you already know by heart. What happens is that if you play things you are familiar with, you will quickly jump back into your old bass playing techniques. Break out side your regular routine and try stuff that is new. This may be new bass techniques, exercises for example. If you try this you will be able to apply these new techniques to the stuff you already know and enhance your playing.

One of the things is that if you want to grow you don't want to fall into old. If you are working with a band see if you can try to do something new.

2)Slow Down via Turtle Speed

I have had the opportunity to work with many musicians and one of the things I noticed is that they use speed to their advantage. There is nothing wrong with using speed when you playing but there are just some times when you need to slow down. Sometimes you need to slow down and pay attention to what your hand's are doing. Sometimes the faster you go the more mistakes you can make. There is nothing wrong with going slow. This is what we call turtle speed.

3)Feedback is Essential

Have you ever recorded yourself while you are playing? You can see what your hands are doing from your chording to your fretting hand. See anything that you can improve on.

A bassist worst friend is their bad habits however that can quickly change with some adjustments in the style and feedback.

**Credit for the image goes to the author

The Best Keyboard in the World

2011-07-04T04:41:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

In the most recent post you saw me playing the Yamaha MOX8. (For those who havent seen it click here ).

It's been a hot topic around and people have wants us to talk about it what is the best keyboard in the world. My thoughts on this are that there is no best keyboard in the world because it all subjective and depends on what we ask the person. However, down below are the top brands in the keyboard world. We want you to decide which do you think is suitable? These are in no particular order.

1)Technics
2)Kurzweil
3)M-AUDIO
4)Roland
5)Korg
6)Suzuki
7)Kawai
8)Casio
9)Yamaha

These include all their sub brands and other products that they have developed as well. Again, this is just one of the few discussions that we will be having on the forum as well. Let us know what you think? If your not a keyboardist, we want to hear from the other people who play bass, drums as well.

P.S. I haven't forgotten about the drummers and bassists as well.

Where is the Music Industry Going

2011-07-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

The music industry has changed significantly with the evolution of Social Media it has become easier to connect with people. The music industry has become completely different. Here are some things that have been noticed:

-Evolution of Mobile
-Social Media
-No more albums (or at least somewhat)
-New revenue streams

Take a look at this video to see what other things have been going on:

Again these are just some of the different things that the music industry has changed to from my perspective. I want to know what you think. Where do you see the music industry heading in the next couple of years?

The Evolution of Practicing

2011-07-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

Practicing is a difficult task for most musicians because most musicians hate practicing. It's boring, mundane and not interesting. Let's be honest when you out grooving with your friends or at a gig thats awesome. It's because you love the thrill. One of the things is that musicians struggle with practice. The reason is because they may not be able to keep up with the rhythm. Another may be that their chords aren't sounding the way their suppose to because they don't have a bass player or drummer.Another reason is that the musician could groove or feel the vibe when there is a drummer in place. Whether you a keyboardist/bass player/or drummer it applies to everyone.

With these two statements musicians can say:
Perfect Practice Makes Perfect!
Repetition is a musicians best friend

However, it gets boring practicing the same stuff over and over again. No matter what style you play whether it is Jazz, Gospel, Funk, Latin and so on.

Stop Playing the Same Boring Stuff

With the recent advancements in technology we have the iPod, mp3 player, and so on. Practicing can now go anywhere, even in your back pocket!

It's unique and different and has changed the way we practice. Your practice habits could change in a matter of time.

To learn how to change you practicing and start playing with a Back Pocket Band click below:

Start Playing With A Real Band

Yamaha MOX8 Run w/ Breakdown

2011-06-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

Hello, I was just at my local music store and I decided that I was going to tryout the Yamaha MOX8. Here is just a brief little video explaining a run and a suspended chord movement.

The Yamaha MOX8 is great because the sounds are amazing it allowed me to customize the sounds and give more depth to the playing. It surpassed the Motif with all my expectations. I am a Yamaha guy and let me just say that I was very impressed with this. Well, I hope you enjoyed the video and let me know what you think.

Learn to Play El Shaddai by Michael Card and John Thompson

2011-06-25T15:34:00.000-07:00

In a most recent request from a user they asked us here at the Business and Musicians Forum about a song called El Shaddai. This song dates back to around the 1980's and was sung by Amy Grant. After listening to this song it had a very distinguishing feel to the song and was very unique. Here is the chord chart that we want to share with everyone.

El Shaddai
John W. Thompson, Michael Card

Key: Dm
Chorus:
Dm G/B
El Shaddai, El Shaddai,
C F
El Elyonna Adonai,
Bb E7/G#
age to age you're still the same,
Am G/B A/C#
by the power of the name.
Dm G7/B
El Shaddai, El Shaddai,
C F
erkamkana Adonai,
Bb Dm7/A G
we will praise and lift you high,
Gsus C
El Shaddai.

Verse 1:
Dm G
Through your love and through the ram,
C F(add9)
you saved the son of Abraham,
Bb E7
through the power of your hand
Am G/B A/C#
you turned the sea into dry land.
Dm G
To the outcast on her knees
G7/B C Cma7 F
you were the God who really sees,
Bb G C Csus C
and by your might you set your children free.

Verse 2:
Dm G
Through the years you made it clear
C F
that the time of Christ was near,
Bb E7
though the people couldn't see
Am G/B A/C#
what Messiah ought to be.
Dm G
Though your Word contained the plan,
C F
they just could not understand,
Bb G Bb/F G
your most awesome work was done in the frailty of your Son

I hope that this chart helps you in your playing.

Cheers

If you have song requests or would like to have a song chorded please feel free to send us an email

The Diary of A Musician

2011-06-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

A struggling musician once said that the road to becoming great in any element in life takes 3 things: patience, consistancy and passion. As a musician I undersatnd that it's not easy to become the best at what you do. When I first started it was a struggle because there is no one to help you. There is one thing that I definately take away from that musician is that persistance definately pays off. Way back when music was just starting off there were no support systems in place. Now in 2011, it's about taking your skills to another level. Here is my advice to any musician who is stuck in that rut:

1) Ask for belp when needed

One the things is that sometimes as a musician we don't like to ask for help because we thing we know all the fancy chords or the slickest runs. The truth is that if you want to grow as a musician you need to be open to the different areas of support that is out there. This may be shed sessions or in other terms (jam sessions here in North America), seminars or just taking lessons from a friend.

2) Ask yourself what can I do differently to become better?

Sometimes the answers may lie within yourself whether it may be you having problems with whats gping on around you. The best remedy may be to just take a break if you are stuck in a rut we musician's call it a "music roadblock". The key is find your focus and remember what brought you to where yo are today being a great musician. Finding your passion and fire will get you out of this rut.

3) How can I challenge myself?

Sometimes, it gets boring playing the same style over and over again. You need to challenge yourself by stepping outside of your comfort. Find things that you can do as a musician to challenge yourself. This can be in the form over playing new music, creating music styles such as techno, jazz, fusion. This is all left up to your creativity and your imagination.

Becoming a successful musician is not an easy task to do. However, if you ask yourself these questions and ideas. You will definately be on your way to becoming the next great musician.

Three Mistakes That Can Hurt A Musician

2011-06-08T09:47:00.001-07:00

While every unhappy musican may be unhappy in their own personal way as someone once said. Musicians commonly fail for one of three reasons. So what are these three reasons that spell doom and gloom for musicians? Here's The Business & Musicians Forum list:

1. Lack of focus.
As a musician you can often lose control easily. I've seen musicians lose their mind and quit very early in the game because they don't have a clear idea of what they are doing and where they want to go. Nothing is worse when you don't know where you want to take your music. Having a clear mind and a direction will be great in the long run.

2. Complacency.
This is one as musicoans that we usually come across a lot of times. When everything sounds great you get the feeling that everything is going well. The idea is to never coast as a musician. Be open to the notion of always improving your skills. Think of it this way, the great musicians like Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, George Duke neber coasted. They always wanted to improve their skills to become the best at what they do. You should follow the same way. Strive to become the best at what ever you do.

3. Don't follow the crowd
As a musician, you want to be your own person in your own music. It comes down to individuality and coming up.with your own pieces of inspiration. Music comes from what you hear, see and read. Let that be your inspiration. When you hear a piece of music from a famous musician don't try to be like them. You need to use your own techniques and develop your own style or flow.

I've seen this happen alot however if you can overcome these areas you are on your way to become a excellent musician and your musicianship.

Become a Music Mind-Reader?

2011-06-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

Just imagine for a moment that you can read minds and you were able to predict the stock of a music company and you could make all the money in the world. How valuable would this be to you?

If the world knew that you could predict what was going to happening next could you imagine who would be coming to your house to ask you what the future is?

....The President
...........Your Favorite Movie Star
............Shaquille O'Neal (retired now?)
...............The Smartest Man In The World

Think about it the possibilities are endless!

We'll today I am here to tell you that the same concept can apply to music?

You actually have the power to predict what goes on in a song? This concept works on chord progressions. Very effectively

There are times where you will be wrong but the one thing that doesn't change in music is the basic blueprint.

When you become a mindreader in music here's what can happen to you?

-Musician's will be asking you to share the knowledge
-You will gain more confidence in your playing..
-You'll have a wealth of knowledge about music

In short, I am here to encourage you to become a musical mind reader by learning the learning your chord progressions. Then you will be able to predict patterns.

A good example is where does the 2 chord lead into?

The answers are: It can lead in to the 6th chord or the 5 chord depending on the song.

Here's another one: If the melody is a “B”, than the chord is G.
Why? Because “B” is in the G chord, G-B-D

I hope that this inspires you to learn how to become musicial mind readers today!

Best Wishes,

If your not sure what I am talking about click here to receive our free e-book which lists all the progressions in all 12 keys which will help you to become a mind reader today

Click Here to Become A Music Mind Reader With The Free E-Book

**P.S. If those who are wondering what my sports hero is it's Shaq. He was good Basketball player for those 19 years. Still is though.

*All credit for the image goes to the author

Website Update

2011-05-28T05:53:00.001-07:00

Greetings, as you may have noticed we have just recently updated our website. With a new, sleek design we have made this more appealing to everyone.

**Mobile Phones**

We now have been optimized for mobile phones. For those who have no idea what I am saying that means you can now visit The Business and Musicians Forum on your mobile phone. No matter what operating system you have it is now viewable. Just visit:

www.helpingadvice.blogspot.com

**Commenting**

Secondly, we understand that it was extremely hard to comment on our postings so that why we redesigned and implemented a new commenting system in the postings. You can now comment on the posts and upload them to social media sites. We listened to your feedback that why the changes were implemented immediately.

We just want to thank everyone for there comments and concerns and for supporting us to become the # 1 music site on the Net!

**About Us**

We have also added a About Us section where you can learn more about us.

If there are any new updated to The Business & Musician's Forum we will keep you updated.

How Can A Musician Make Money?

2011-05-25T14:12:00.001-07:00

May 25,2011

In these economic times, it's hard for a musician/singer/dancer/artist to get a break. People are not booking as many events (or gigs as we call it in the west). With the current financial situation, any music lover or musician is looking for a break. Well, today I am glad to share this resource that was of great value to musicians.

Have you ever heard of YouLicense?

In a nutshell it's like a worldwide marketplace of music. Your able to network with people who want to want to find music content and potentially license. YouLicense will provide the contracts. They take the complexity out of music licensing and make it affordable.

Best of all to offer your music is free to join and safe.

Considering we are in this slump, companies and musicians are looking for an alternative option that is readily available Consider the possibilities.

If have a piece of quality music, then I would suggest that you give it a try. You have the world at your finger tips.

There is no limit!

*Credit for the image goes to the author

What's The Deal With Scales

2011-05-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

May 24,2011

Scales are important, in music they determine what chords you play, what solos you use and progression patterns, whether you a bass player, a keyboardist or a pianist. This lesson is for you!

If you remember, the major scale pattern is:

W-W-H-W-W-W-H

One of the newest scales that we are going to talk about is the pentatonic scale. The reason why is because this is one of the least talked about scales in the world of music. The best way to use this is the number system.

Here are the numbers for the pentatonic scale

R - 2 - 3 - 5 - 6

R= 1st note of scale
2= 2nd note of scale
3= 3rd note of scale
5= 5th note of scale
6= 6th note of scale

For example,
In the key of C, that would be:
C - D - E - G - A

This scale works excellent over chord progressions that are based on major chords. Try it over 1-4-5-1, 2-5-1, 5-4-1.

Another scale that has been used alot in music is the minor blues scale. You have heard it in many popular songs from Miles Davis to B.B King and even in Funk. This is very similar to the minor scale but there are a few modifications.

Here is the minor scale formula

W – H – W – W – H – W – W

In the key of C,

C – D – E flat – F – G – A flat – B flat – and C

To make this a minor blues scale you are going to take out the 2 and 6th note. Then raise the 5th note a half step.

Here is the scale before the change
C (1), D(2), E flat (3), F(4), G(5), A flat (6), B flat (7), and C (8)

Here is the scale after the change,

C – E flat – F – G flat – G – B flat – C

Note: You can solo the notes over any pattern as long as your chords are minor. Some examples are 1-4-5, 2-5-1, 6-2-5, 1-2-3-5

You will play the chords associated with the scale.

Try it!

The Art of Musicianship

2011-05-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

May 16,2011

Greetings,

Today an interesting topic was brought strictly on inspiration because I get a liot of questions about musicianship. Well the question that we are bringing you today fellow readers and listeners is what qualities are needed to become a musicians.

Here is just a brief list of some of the ideas and thoughts our team has come up with in terms of becoming a musician.

-Passion
-Drive
-Commitment
-Talent
-Focus
-Practice Habits
-Support Network
-Time Management
-Goals/Accomplishments

There are so much more things that we can talk about in terms of what it takes to become a musician, producer, or an artist. These are just some of the traits that our team felt to be valuable to musicianship.

However, one of the things that we want to talk about is passion and time mangement. In becoming a musician one of the important things to take note is that passion places a huge role in what you want to create. Whether it is a piece of music, learning a new guitar riff or creating a collaberation with a few local artists, passion is what is going to fuel your fire. No one is going to tell you how to become a great musician but one person can tell you that the passion, drive and commitment that you have to your art will definately show in your work.

Our final thought is on Time Mangement and the reason why we are focusing on this is because I am a musician personally and sometimes I spend about 20-25 hours a week practicing either a keyboard solo or learning a song for a concert that I am performing in. Being mindful of the time that you have will show where your priorities lay. Keep in mind that there are 86.400 seconds or 1,440 minutes in a day which results in 24 hours. If you are having difficulties with time management one of my personal suggestions is that you keep track of where your time is going. A good example is to budget your practice time. For example, practice about 1-2 hours if thats all you can fit in your schedule. The key is working with what you have and making use of the valuable resouerce we call "time".

In short, becoming a musician is hard work however once you realize that you can grow from your different learning experiences and use those experiences to make better music it becomes a great asset for your musicianship.

Let us know how you feel about musicianship and your experiences in become a better musician. Leave us a comment or send us an email

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T15:22:00.000-07:00

We just want to wish all the mothers a Happy Mother's Day. We hope that you will enjoy your day and make it your own. There is a time every year when mother's are honored and it's this day and every day.

-From The Business & Musician's Forum

How to Master All 12 Keys For The Summer

2011-05-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

May 8, 2011

Summer is just around the corner and a lot of musicians as well as aspiring musicians send emails asking how to I continually master all 12 keys. Here is just a few tips to master all 12 keys during your free time in the summer.

In Short: Take a few songs you know and learn them in all 12 keys.

The songs that you are mostly common with the sames chords will usually apply. The only difference is that you will be taking the song up a key.
One thing that I like to do is choose songs that have a different feel whether it is R&B, Gospel, Contemporary. The better the mix the more diverse chords you will have.

The simplest way is to simply start at the original key of the song and move every note up a half step.

So if a song is in Ab major, you’ll attack A major next by literally taking every note in every chord and moving it up a half step.

Note: Remember to take your time with it. Pacing yourself and taking is slow will definitely help you. It is say that it takes the average human brain 7 times to remember something so take each piece of the song in sections.
Transposing a song to a new key is no more than moving every note up the appropriate amount of notes.

If you are having difficulties the transpose key is a good practice tool but remember not to abuse this if you are playing live. Having confidence in yourself and your playing will definitely help you to improve your practicing efforts. My best recommendation is to not use the transpose key but to do your best in mastering all 12 keys.

Here is an example of a C 7 chord:

C 7: C + E + G + Bb

To move to a Db 7 chord just raise all the notes up a half step

Db 7: Db + F + Ab + Cb

Once you master this you will be up to big leagues soon enough.

Take care,

Music Technology: Musicians and the iPad

2011-04-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

April 27, 2011

With the recent release of the iPad 2, I was shocked because there are so many advancements in this new technology. I recently took one to live gig with some midi software attached to this as well as a midi keyboard. I was completely impressed because considering the fact that with software and the iPad compatibility. It was so easy to use a backing track with the iPad on Garageband. Here are just some of my experiences with the iPad's and some information that I would like to pass on to other musicians.

Let's look at the many things that the iPad can do:

-Thinner, Sleeker
-Portable
-Camera
-Touch screen capabilities
-Great for musicians and people who are on the go and
the list goes on and on.

My view on this is that whether you have an iPad or iPad 2 some of the apps that you should be aware of:

1) Guitar Lab

As we know music lessons are expensive and that hiring a teacher cost on average 40 + an hour may be more. Guitar Lab is an alternative to this and this excellent app is good for anyone wants to learn to play guitar. The app streams guitar lessons to your iPad (as long as you have WiFi connection or 3G) and this includes text, music notation and guitar tabs so you can practice guitar where ever and when ever. There is also additional materials that you can also purchase through the app itself.

Price: Free

2) Piano Man

Put it this way considering that this is FREE. This is like the musicians bible to Guitar Hero. This app is great for piano players to practice timing and tempo. Even if you can't read sheet music thats ok because this allows you to learn with or without it. What I really like about it is that it is another great training tool to help musicians with ear training. There's more because it also allows you to have a battle mode with people across the world and it is great for bragging rights as well.

Price: Free

3) GarageBand

Out of all the apps out there for musicians this is definitely a MUST have! You can basically use you backing tracks and you sounds if you are on a live gig. As well you can record, mute, edit your tracks even while on the go. One thing I suggest is that you make sure that if you decide to use GarageBand on a live gig you prep before hand.

Cost: $4.99

Summary: There are many apps out there for musicians and Yes some of them are expensive however, in the long run you will definitely be happier with the progress that you have made. These are my top three apps every musician should have.

Best Wishes,

**Let us know what you favorite app for the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch is?
Leave us a comment or send us an email
**All credit for the images goes to the author

Half-Diminished 7th Run Revealed

2011-04-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

April 17,2011

This post is related to the Diminished 7th Chord which was talked about in a previous posting down below.

Click here to visit: This Week's Music School: Diminished 7th Chord

Half-diminished and diminished 7th chords are very important.

Not only do they naturally occur on the 7th tone of any major scale, they are used as leading or passing chords for major chords on the 5th tone.

They can also occur a half step above the one. These diminished chords are a great tool to have and to use if you ever want to spice up your playing.

Today, we are going to teach you a half-diminished run based off of the following chord below:

In the example above we see a G diminished 7th chord in 3rd inversion. This run is great in C#.

To create the diminished run it is basically the notes above going chromatically.

Here is the run:

C#,A#,G,E,D#,C#,C,C#

The ending note is the C#. If you want to make it more challenging (which I have a feeling most of you would) Try adding additional notes by starting from the E instead of the C#. One thing that works for me is that once you get to the E try going down chromatically to the C#.

This run is to really turn peoples heads because the diminished chord is a very common chord to play in all types of genres such as Rock, Jazz, Gospel, R and B and more.

What are your thoughts on the half-diminished run? Leave us a comment and share your opinion.

Best Wishes,

How To Tune Your Guitar For Beginners

2011-04-07T17:34:00.000-07:00

April 7, 2011

We receive a lot of emails form many different musicians around the world and this is probably the most requested question we receive so today I thought let's cover the basics of tuning the guitar.

Having a guitar that is properly tuned is an absolute thing. This will prevent any distortion in the strings as well as the overall quality of the sound. In order to tune successfully you need to know the instrument which is the guitar. The basics for tuning an open string guitar is listed below:

1. E : this is the sixth string on the board.

2. A : this is the fifth string

3. D : this is the fourth string

4. G : this is the third string

5. B : this is the second string

6. E : this is the first string and it is
also the thinnest

** The first E is the lowest sounding string and the sixth string on the board.

See picture down below:

Tuning a guitar ensures that the strings provide the right note and pitch each and every time. Most musician friends like to use their ears to tune a guitar or an electronic tuner.

Well, the way that you tune the guitar is by the tuning pegs.

Here are the most effective ways of tuning a guitar:

a) Source Tuning (using an external source to tune by ear for example notes on a piano or keyboard)

b) Pitch Tuning (using the notes of one string to tune the rest by ear)

c) Electronic Tuning (using a pitch tuner, a mobile phone app)

Source tuning is the most common form of tuning in a musicians bag of tricks. This comes in handy when your at a show playing and you need to tune on the go. When ever you transport an instrument the sound becomes distorted due to the movement as enclosed space. You want something that has perfect pitch and the best tool is to have a piano or keyboard.

**Note: Make sure the keyboard is not in transpose and the piano is tuned before using

Pitch tuning is great for an experienced musician. Due to the fact that they have played the instrument for so long. It becomes apparent that they don't need technology but just a skilled ear to tune their instrument. This is done without any help. I wouldn't recommend this for a new guitar player.

Finally, the simple solution is to use an electronic tuner or a mobile app. We find that is one of the tools that musician's carry with them. It's the most popular.

With the many different tuning techniques out there we have no doubt that you will become successful in the guitar

All the Best

Musician's Update

2011-03-30T11:34:00.001-07:00

March 30,2011

Greetings,

Recently we have received an overwheling amount of emails in response to our free e-book and we want to mention that we have listened to your responses and we are currently working on another e-book which will be availible in the coming weeks. This one will currently expand the first e-book that has been released.

**Note: Recently, we have been having trouble sending out our e-book if you have not receive your e-book please send us an email and we will be sure to sent it to you as soon as possible.

Secondly, we also want to inform our readers that we will now be starting a 24 hour Twitter feed where our goal is to provide you live assistance and answer your questions and comments on the Twitter feed. Our goal here at The Business and Musician's Forum is to provide you with the best music instruction and tools availible on the Internet.

To follow us on Twitter: Click Here

To follow us on Facebook: Click Here

If you have any questions or any concerns please contact us and we will be glad to help you further your goals!

What Can Rockband Teach Us About Having A Tight Band??

2011-03-24T05:33:00.001-07:00

March 24,2011

If there is anything Rockband has taught us it takes teamwork to make a good band however it's more than that. From a musician’s perspective, I think Rockband can actually helps with your hand-eye coordination and ear-training. I have played Rockband and let me tell you that I wasn't the greatest when I first started it took me a while to adjust (I was hitting wrong notes like crazy). After I couple of games with my friends, I got a lot better and my friends where commenting that I was a natural and it was only because I was a musician.

**Keep in mind that this was with that little keyboard.

Now here are some observations that Rockband can teach us about making a good band with a tight sound?

1) Chemistry

Musicians face this problem contantly when there is no chemistry. If you all are going to play together you need to find out what your strengths and weaknesses are and learn to improve upon them. I am from East Coast and we like to use the word "GEL" and you need to gel together and match each other. The only way you can gel is if you practice together and as often as possible. This is so that you can create the foundation of a gel. I know musicians who don't even need to look at each other to find out what the other members are thinking. That's something to think about.

2) Listening Skills

The main thing is simply everyone needs to LISTEN. Here's an example...

The bass player and the drummer's kick drum can't be fighting over the control. They should be together and bouncing/grooving on the same beat almost all the time.

Example #2

If one keyboard player is soloing you can't be soloing at the same time because that will cause confusion and the playing won't be as solid.

3) Awareness

Depending on the situation and the type of music that your playing there are certain things that you need to be aware of as a musician. For example,

The drummer can't be showing off in one song. Sometimes simplicity is best. Everyone needs to know whats going on, that they aren't a bunch of individuals putting on a bunch of individual concerts at the same time, but rather a tight unit that should be working together. Each is responsible for providing their specific element whether is be licks, fills, communication, leadership and more, so that it will ultimately become one sound.

Discover Why Thousands of Musicians Can't Enough Of A Tight Band

Cheers

*Credit for the image goes to the author. No copyright intended.

Ask BizModerator

2011-03-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

March 15,2011

Greeting Fellow Readers and Musicians,

First off I just want to announce that I was away in New York for a convention and that I am sorry to those readers who missed my last post. Since I just got back this morning, I just want to talk about an email that I received over the weekend from a fellow musicians and I want to answer his question on this blog post. Welcome to our new segment called Ask Bizmoderator. This is where I will answer any questions that our fellow readers have.

It comes from a fellow reader named Samson in Nigeria and he writes:

"Please can you help me with phat chords formations, explaining some more on tritones, and how to use these chords in a real life situation"

I would just like to say thank you Samson for that wonderful email.

In our last post we talked a little bit about Tritones and some examples of how to use them in a 7-3-6 progression. Here's the link to that post.
12 Days of Music- Day 3 Tritones

Here is just a review:

Tritones are the 3rd and 7th of a chord. The most efficient and musical method of right hand fill for any 7th chord is to add the Tritones below the melody. The left hand only has to provide the root of the chord.

Here is just breakdown of all the tritones in the 12 keys

C tritone: Bb E
C# tritone: B F
D tritone: C F#
D# tritone: C# G
E tritone: D G#
F tritone: D# A
F# tritone: E Bb
G tritone: F B
G# tritone: F# C
A tritone: G C#
A# tritone: G# D
B tritone: A D#

The most common applications of the tritone are used as passing chords or as fillers in songs. For example, If you in the key of C you can use the C tritone and bounce between the C and C# tritone if you are playing some old school music.

Triads over Tritones

Lets stay in the Key of C try this movement:

A 1-4 movement going from C to F

L.H/ R.H
C/ B-D-E-G (C major 9)

L.H/R.H
F/E-G-A-C (F major 9)

Note: Replace the C chord with the C tritone in the left hand

L.H/R.H
E-Bb/D-G-Bb (G minor)

or E-Bb/ Eb-Ab-C (Ab Major)

then move to the F major 9
Tritones can be used in any type of music however they are mostly featured in Gospel Music. I love to use them in funk, hip hop and R&B music. It adds more depth to your playing.

Here are some fantastic practical applications of triads over tritones. Good Luck Samson and let me know how it goes.

If you would like a question to be featured on The Business and Musicians Forum visit the contact us button or
Click Here Now to Post Your Question

Until Next Time

5 Ways To Improve Your Soloing

2011-03-03T18:12:00.000-08:00

New Today!!
March 3, 2011

If you’re like most musicians, you probably struggle with your soloing.

Unless left-handed, chances are you have a disproportionately stronger, more coordinated right hand. And if you learned to play piano with single bass notes on the left hand and full chords on the right (as many of us do), you kinda get stuck in your ways.

So when it comes to soloing musicians tend to use the right hand but what can you do to improve it?

1) Solo Your Chords

The easiest way to come up with instant solos on the spot without the pressure added is to always solo the chord. My personal preference is to solo the 5 chord or the 6 chord. The key is to bring it back home. If you don't do that then your playing will sound out of sync.

2)Practice your scales

Now I know what you all are thinking (the basics) yes that is true however you can go way beyond the basics of the major and minor scales. For example, lets say you are in a major key and you need some different notes to play try using the pentatonic scale or the blues scale.

Example: Key of C uses C blues scale or C pentatonic scale
If you in a major key try using the diminished scale

**Tip: Just remember to take your time and slow down when needed!

3) Hanon Exercises

Have you ever listened to a professional musician run up and down the piano, hitting each note with accuracy and precision and daydreamed about doing it yourself one day?
Or perhaps how some musicians can play super-fast scales, runs, and solos without messing up?

They were created by a man named Charles-Louis Hanon over a century ago and are still just as useful today.

Just a tip: You’ll notice your right hand can do the exercises easier than your left. Don’t give up. Stick with them. If you have to break them up, start by doing each hand separately at a very slow, manageable speed. Then, increase the speed over time.

We have a course on Hanon exercises. Check out a FREE video of exercise #1 at this link.

4) Double Octave Soloing

Here is the sweetest way to do quick solos. If you want to phatten up your solos solo the sames notes with both hands. What happens is that your solos will sound more fuller and complete versus just completing them with one hand.

5) Rest

Once you’ve given the right hand a good workout, let it rest

The growth begins once you let the muscles relax and contract. My suggestion is to practice the right things and work hard then take the much needed rest. The work is not going to be easy but it's going to be a good payoff in the long run.

Until Next Time

This Week's Music School: Ditone & Suspended Chords

2011-02-21T13:37:00.001-08:00

Greetings Fellow Readers,

Today is February 21,2011 and for today's music school we are going to be talking a little bit about the suspended chord or in others words the Ditone. We discussed a little bit about the Ditone and the suspended chord in a previous post. Here is the link: This Week's Music School: Ditone

Here is just a quick recap:
First off the ditone a.k.a di which means two is formed with a two note chord on the left hand and a suspended chord on the right.

Here is just a quick video showcasing the ditone and suspended chord in action

Essentially, in this video it's in the Key of C and it is formed the following way:

Left Hand/Right Hand
C-E/A-D-G

This chord is used primary as a one chord and is alot better than playing the regular C chord which is in the 3rd inversion of G-C-E.

I hear you readers so what I am going to do is breakdown all of the ditone chords with the suspendeds attached so that you can be able to use these chords immediately in all twelve keys.

Check out this YouTube video courtesy of The Business and Musicians Forum

If you would like the list of all the ditones in all twelve keys send us an email at via the Contact button and we will be happy to send you the ditones list.

For more information to learn more about ditones and suspended chords and to purchase the video from above visit:

Gospel Musicians

Music Technology: The Song Robot (New Software)

2011-02-11T20:50:00.000-08:00

New Today!!!

February 11,2011

Can we really learn songs from a robot? That is one of the biggest questions that was hard to give an answer to until now. One of the partners and mentors for us here at The Business and Musicians Forum is Jermaine Griggs who is the founder of Hear and Play Music. He has just invented the latest breakthrough in Music Technology. I must admit when I first saw the product in action it was shocking. He calls it the “Song Robot!”

Basically,

You simply load song files into it and it shows you, on demand, how to play them on a big virtual keyboard.

There’s a full video demonstration at:
Song Robot Tutorial

Here’s what it does:
* It can slow down songs, “turtle speed.”
* It transposes songs to all 12 keys so you’re
not stuck in ONE key.
* You have the choice of learning with huge, red
colored notes that light up or a real-looking
3d version of a piano.
* You can stop, pause, rewind, fast forward.
* You can even load your favorite audio files
and have it remove vocals so you can practice
(they can even be slowed down and put in all
12 keys… real albums!)
* This uses midi,mp3 and even wav files as well

Visit:
Song Robot Tutorial

When I looked at the software I was stunned because this is something that can help a lot of musicians. This even comes preloaded for you. If you a piano player or organ player I have to say that this is for YOU!. I would suggest that you go and take a look at this immediately because I would highly recommend it.

I think I might go in on this. It is very interesting
Best Wishes

A 10-Second Method To Ending Chords

2011-02-06T11:49:00.001-08:00

New Today!!!
February 6,2011

Welcome everyone to The Business and Musicians Forum. Today is the Super Bowl and I am excited to watch the Green and Yellow battle it out for the championship. Before I go and watch the game soon I just want to make a quick post and let y'all enjoy your fabulous weekend. I have been working hard for you all!! We now have the ability to post chords on our blog courtesy of Hear and Play . Today we are talking about ending chords and in December we touched on some ending chords to use in 2011. (I highly recommend that you go and check out that post on ending chords)

We are going to be in the Key of Eb and it a 2-3-4-5-1 progression

Left Hand/Right Hand

2 Chord- F-C/Eb-G-Ab-Bb

3 Chord- G/F-A-Bb-C
You have the option of including the D in the bass on the left hand. You can also invert the chords as well to give it a different flavour.

4 Chord- Ab/Gb-B-Eb
This chord is simply a B major chord in 3rd inversion that is displayed

5 Chord- Bb/Ab-Db-F

The last chord is the one chord in the key of Eb
1 Chord-Eb/C-F-Bb

There are many different ways that you can end a song however I thought that this would be a different spin on it. Here is you going off for a touchdown on this one. Again, it's a good method for 10 second ending chords!

To learn more about some more awesome ending chords and PHAT chords like the one's above from a long lists of great musicians in Musician's Breakthrough go to:

Click to View Free Video of 7 Musicians Styles

Until next time

The K.B Method To Mastering Music

2011-01-30T18:17:00.000-08:00

Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in Basketball. The methods that he or any person uses in practicing a sport can be applied to music.

It's surprising because the fact of the matter is that most people have not really given the though or even the MINIMUM amount of time required for growth, let alone mastering music in your particular instrument.

One author said that it takes 10,000 hours to get really good at something.

And when I look at all the master musicians I’ve had the opportunity to work play with I can't imagine how they were able to put in all those hours and time to become great at what they do. There must have been times where they have wanted to give up.

If that is true then let's break it down!

a 10,000 hours divided by 1 hour/day = 27 1/3 years
b. 10,000 hours divided by 3 hours/day = 9 years
c. 10,000 hours divided by 6 hours/day = 4 1/2 years
d. 10,000 hours divided by 12 hours/day = 2 1/3 years

My goodness! Here's what boggles the mind the musicians that I met they told me that they would sit in their practice area and try to master a lick or a hit or chord or song even for an hour!.

If you want to be successful just like the pros follow these steps and I assure you can't go wrong!

1) Take your time! Slow it down so it works for you you are not in competition with yourself. You don't need to be the next superman or the next classical artist. You do what works best for you. I notice that many musicians will try to learn a lick or a run that is on the CD the same way at the same speed. (There is nothing wrong with it but you have to pace yourself it's not a race!)

2)Stick to what you do best! Then push yourself

Try not to give up it is going to be hard and a rough road but you can do it. Pick something that is manageable for you. You may have to start over many times but you should be able to get closer to your goal every time. Once you do that challenge yourself and raise the bar just a little bit higher.

3)Stay positive!

One of the hardest things as a musician is looking at your faults if you screw up in practice it's no big deal because you not playing in front of a live audience. Even if you did mess up don't be yourself up about it. You live and learn and in music it is a growing experience. Write down your feelings and think about how you can improve. There is nothing better then learning how to improve on something you already did once successfully. It takes self discipline and integrity to keep you going.

If hope you take these tips and really start to use them and embrace them you will start to become like the next Kobe Bryant in your playing. Let me know what you think

Until Next Time

(All credit for image goes to author)

Music Technology: Motif XF Tutorial For Sounds

2011-01-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

New Today! Jan 19,2011

Ahh...Sorry for the late post but it has been hectic over the past couple of days. As promised I would post something special for the New Year. A lot of people have been asking me in emails about the Motif XF and a quick tutorial. Today, I am going to do a quick excerpt about the Motif. Have you gotten tired of the Motif sounds? Don't get me wrong its a great tool and Yamaha has done an excellent job in integrating the new technological advancements in the Motif line. One thing that hasn't changed is the Motif sounds especially the rhodes sounds. Wouldn't it be nice to make your Motif sound just like an actual rhodes piano? The rhodes series have been used in many different settings from jazz, gospel, funk, rock.

Recently I discovered somebody who found a way to make different kinds of neo sounds on the keyboard. He is an excellent keyboard player and has created a pack of motif sounds for the Motif XS/XF/ES series. His name is Jamal Hartwell.The sounds of the motif are awesome you can really have some fun with these sounds for example the rhodes settings are smooth and the feel so unique. When you mess around with the velocity of the sound you can get that touch and go feeling. The sound doesn't resonate for a long period of time. One suggestion that I would make is that you try different settings from your velocity curve to you cutoffs this will help you give a bigger picture of the different settings that you can have. There is also one for the roland mk-20 sensation sounds. So if you want have some fun in different sounds I would highly suggest these. The one thing is that you need to have ram installed on your keyboard it makes the process much smoother. I would recommend 1 GB of ram so that you can have the storage space.

The picture up above is from the "MKsensation" pack.

To learn more on the Neo Soul and Motif Sounds:

Click Here to Access New Motif Sounds

This Weeks Music School: Circle of Fifths Remix (With Major 7ths)

2011-01-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

New Today!!

Today is January 4,2011 and since the recent launch of the Circle of Fifths post we have gotten an overwhelming response and people are intrested in learning more about the Circle of Fifths. Here is just a quick recap of the Circle of Fifths

So just to review in music we can refer to scales as letters or as numbers. For example, in the Key of C C Major = C D E F G A B C or 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

The number system is a great tool to learn when it comes to learning progressions. Essentially to break down what I stated above is that C represents the 1 tone you continue forward until you reach to 8 which is C. The most popular progression when it comes to the Circle of Fifths is the 7-3-6-2-5-1 progression.

It is through the interval of the perfect fifth that keys are related to each other. If we start with C, we count up a perfect fifth to find the note G for the scale with one sharp; we count up a perfect fifth from G to find the keynote D for the scale with two sharps, and so on until we reach C# with seven sharps.

This is demonstrated in the picture down below

Now onto today's mini lesson

A while back I gave a lesson on the Circle of Fifths but this time I am going to incorporate those Major 7ths on Steroids.

Key of Ab (6-#5-5-1-4)

6 chord (F)----->F-C-G/Ab-Eb-G-Bb
Sharp 5 chord-E-B-E/G-A-D-Gb-A
5 chord-Eb-Bb/Gb-Db-F-Ab
1 chord-Ab-Eb/Gb-B-E-Ab
4 chord-Db-Ab-Db/F-Bb-C-F or C-Eb-F-Ab

This is an excellent use of the Circle of Fifths chord progression. All of these chords use the Major 7th principle on Steroids.

If you are having difficulty in using or understanding the Circle of Fifths have a look back on our posting

12 Days of Music- Day 12 Circle of Fifths

If you don't understand or are having difficulties on the Major 7th's principles have visit the blogpost on that as well. We go into great detail on the Major 7th's principles

Essentially to create a major 7th it's just the 1-3-5-7 of the note.

If you have any questions or suggestions for future posts or you would like to submit a guest post we will gladly love to have other musicians perspectives on our blog. Visit the Contact page and we will gladly respond within the next 24-48 hours or click below to submit your question today to the Business and Musicians Forum today.

Click Here to Submit A Question to The Business and Musicians Forum

All the Best,

The Business and Musicians Forum

3 Bad Vocal Techniques: For A Beginner

2011-01-03T06:45:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first week in January. It's a new year and a new day and I just want to say that I love music and I love singing because it's all around us and we hear it everyday on the radio, tv and everywhere we go. One of the things that we need to realize is that everyone can learn how to sing whether your a beginner or and expert. It just takes practice and mental strength just like any sport. At The Business and Musicians Forum we are exploring different and one of the things that people ask is How Can I Learn How To Sing?

The answer to that question is a difficult one because different people learn by different ways. One of the things that I can tell you if you are starting out is that you should not do the the following if you are just starting out.

Bad Technique # 1---Don't sing from your chest

When you first start out you need to be patient and just like you are talking you need to sing take breathes as needed but you DON'T sing from your chest. Where will the air go if you are singing form your chest and also your voice will sound bland and distorted and you don't want that. Your voice needs to be smooth and straight. It's a common mistake that people have. They also try to sing like they are talking. This is a No-No as well. There will be no expression coming from your voice and that is a very important element in singing. Don't scream this will damage your voice.

Bad Technique # 2---Staggered Breathing

One of the worst vocal techniques for a beginner is to take small breathes after every word. This is what the professionals call staggered breathing. This is a horrible idea because you will be struggling for air and you will be passing out and getting light headed. The key here is to take a large enough breath after 2 phases or more and extending that breath for a long period of time. Try not to take shortcuts in your breathing. I can understand if you have to take a breath after 3 words but don't shortcut it because it will make your singing sound choppy and diluted.

Bad Vocal Technique # 3---Body Position

This is one of the most important things that a vocal coach will say because body position will dictate how you will sound. Don't slouch because it will misdirect the flow or air. Try not to move around too much because where ever you move your mouth will follow. Your body position will dictate where your sound will go. You need to stand up straight and sing will confidence because it shows that you have control.

I hope that these three bad vocal techniques will teach you the proper way to sing. Learn from these and try not to do these because it could be bad for your voice. These are things that singers struggle with and you need to be able to learn from their mistakes. Don't have these horrible vocal techniques. These are also some great factors to consider when you are doing vocal recording as well.

To learn how to sing the proper way from an expert visit

Click Here To Learn To Stop Bad Vocal Techniques

12 Days of Music: Day 12- Ending Chords

2011-01-03T06:04:00.001-08:00

Alright, it's been a bit hectic but we have finally reached the last day of the 12 Days of Music. Today, we are going to close off the year by talking about ending chords. In terms of ending chords, there are several options that you can choose from such as ending on certain progressions or just soloing the chord to end. Again, as a musician you have the sole liberty to choose the way that you would like to close out your selection but here are some ideas to think about:

Option # 1---End on the 4 chord

If you choose to end on the 4 chord make such that you band is in line with what you are playing as well as you singers. Nothing is worse when your singers are not in sync with your band. This is my ultimate favourite because of the fact that the 1 chord leads into the 4 chord.

Option # 2---End on a 4-3-2-5-1 progression

This is a great option for any organ player, keyboard player. This is due to the fact that you are just simply going down the scale and ending with the classic 2-5-1 progression.

Here is an example:

Key of Eb
Left Hand/Right Hand

4 chord---->Ab-Eb/G-C-Eb
3 chord--->G/G-Bb-C-Eb
2 chord--->F-C/Ab-Bb-C-Eb
5 chord--->Bb-F/Ab-Bb-C-Eb
1 chord--->Eb-Bb/G-Bb-Eb

Alright, we'll I wish you all the best this holiday season and best wishes in the New Year 2011.!!

Sincerely

The Business and Musicians Forum

12 Days of Music: Day 11 - Should Musicians Share?

2010-12-25T17:39:00.001-08:00

Alright, we have reached day 11 of the 12 Days of Music and I am surprised because of the fact that Christmas is tomorrow. I was Christmas Shed last night with a couple of friends. It was a group of guitarist, keyboardist and a few drummers. It was my first Christmas Shed with so many musicians. It was an interesting experience. To my surprise, I was grooving along with them and one of the keyboardist played a nice hot chord that peaked my interest. So I walked over to the keyboardist and asked him if he could show me the chord. Now to my expectation, I was hoping that he would share the chord with me because we are with a group of friends and we all know each other. He didn't show me the chord? I was a little bit lost at that moment but my question is: Have you ever had that experience where there are musicians who don't want to share their secrets with you? I mean I can understand why but shouldn't you be open to sharing. How many times do you get the opportunity to play together with musicians and pick their brain?....Not many if that!

The musician who didn't want to share chords then came around and ultimately shared the knowledge that he had. I learned a lot and that chord was a golden nugget. I would be glad to do it again because it was a great experience. It was a great way to shed through music.

One of things that should be noted is that shedding with other musicians is a great opportunity because of the following reasons:

1) Allows you to experience different music styles from Jazz,R&B etc..
2) Improve teamwork and communication between different musicians
3) Gain instant access to chords, runs and riffs
4) Learn about different music interpretations
5) See different musicians at their best enjoying what they love!

Most Importantly: HAVING FUN!!!

The musicians that I was with were "beasts" on their instrument. It was a little intimidating at first when you have musicians who have a better skill set but just remember to have fun and enjoy what you love. It's a great way to experience music and learn through the different teachings. I would recommend that if you are musician or are a musician who is just learning the basics try to find a mentor to shed with. No matter what instrument you play you can always take something away that is valuable. You can transform your self as a musician

The main thing that I want to pass on is that:

1) Musicians need to be open to new experiences
2) Sharing tricks and tips is a great way to grow as a musician
3) Good experience when you can learn from others

If you don't have the opportunity to learn from other musicians in your areas what I would suggest is to check out our store and take a look at the many different DVD's availiable that focus on the instrument of your choosing.

I hope this knowledge find you well.
Best Wishes

12 Days of Music: Day 9 & 10 - Circle of Fifths Lesson

2010-12-23T07:52:00.001-08:00

Over the years of playing with many skilled and humble musicians they have passed down a lot of knowledge to me that has influenced my playing and has take me to higher heights. One of the most valuable tools that I learned was the Circle of Fifths. Whether just a beginner who is learning the basics or just a seasoned professional who needs to add more depth to his or her playing. Overall, this is a great tool to know and I want to pass this onto for the holidays.

The Circle of Fifths Secrets Exposed

"Often times when one refers to the Circle of Fifths we think about Scales but today I would like to expose some secrets in the Circle of Fifths.

So just to review in music we can refer to scales as letters or as numbers. For example, in the Key of C C Major = C D E F G A B C or 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

The number system is a great tool to learn when it comes to learning progressions. Essentially to break down what I stated above is that C represents the 1 tone you continue forward until you reach to 8 which is C. The most popular progression when it comes to the Circle of Fifths is the 7-3-6-2-5-1 progression.

In the circle above it important to realize that if you count six spaces forward from any letter position you would find the 7 3 6 2 5 1 progression. Therefore the circle shows you the progression for all the Major scales.

**Note: In one of the post called This Weeks Music School: Phat Chords on Steroids I talked a little bit about the 7-3-6-2-5-1 progression in the Key of Ab

Link to Blog Post This Weeks Music School: Phat Chords on Steroids

I used different elements such as the Tritone and Ditone. This is perfect example of the Circle of Fifths at work.

You must first be able to measure the interval of a perfect fifth. A perfect fifth spans five staff degrees and is made up of three whole-steps, and one half-step, or seven half-steps. Rather than counting notes, a perfect fifth can be found out much faster by using the starting note. From a tonic note up to its dominant note is an ascending perfect fifth. This is a key element that is shown in the chart as well.

Down below is a list of all the perfect fifths.

Basically, what is the fifth tone?

In the Key of C...The answer is G
In the Key of C#(Db)...The answer is G#(Ab)
In the Key of D...The answer is A
In the Key of D#(Eb)...The answer is A#(Bb)
In the Key of E...The answer is B
In the Key of F...The answer is C
In the Key of F#(Gb)...The answer is C# (Db)
In the Key of G...The answer is D
In the Key of G#(Ab)...The answer is D# (Eb)
In the Key of A...The answer is E
In the Key of A#(Bb)...The answer is F
In the Key of B...The answer is F# (Gb)

**The ones in the brackets are the same note but just the flatted version.

Best Wishes on learning one of the most important tools for a musician which is the musicians pie or the Circle of Fifths.

I am truly thankful for all of our readers and I am starting to get hungry by looking at this pie. We will touch on this topic later. Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday.

To learn more about other music techniques including the Circle of Fifths check out our newsletters for more information

12 Days of Music: Day 8 - 12 Gospel Secret Passing Chords Revealed

2010-12-21T08:02:00.000-08:00

Alright, Christmas is almost here and we decided to provide for both bass and keyboard because so many musicians have been emailing us over the 12 Days of Music on different topics. Many of the musicians have asked me this following question:

Are there any restrictions to the chords that we play to get to our destination?

My answer to that is NO!! because you have many different options to get to your destination. In fact there are 12 different options that you can take.I understand the questions that are going through your mind what are those gospel passing chords that you can use and insert between two different chords. I another question that your asking is why 12 because there are 12 different tones. This is a good way to be unpredictable in your playing. If you master these then you will be on your way to success.

For example, lets say you are in the Key of Db

Your starting chord is:
Ab-Eb/Ab-Bb-C-Eb -------> The 5 chord

And your destination is the 1 chord which is
Db-Ab/Ab-Db-Eb-F

You have 12 different options to get from the 5 to the one chord. Here are the possible options.

1) Insert the F chord: F-C/Ab-Db-Eb-Ab
2) Insert the E chord :E/Ab-Db-Gb-Bb
3) Insert the D chord: D/Gb-A-B-D
4) Insert the C chord: C/Bb-Eb-Ab
5) Insert the Gb chord:Gb/Bb-Eb-F-Bb
6) Insert the A chord: A/G-C-F
7) Insert the B chord: B/Bb-Db-Eb-Gb
8) Insert the Bb chord: Bb/Ab-Db-Gb

You could even combine some of these chords together to have a smooth progression

For example,
Start with the Ab chord then move to the F chord then the D chord then finish with the Db chord.

For those bass players work together with your keyboardist and use the root of the chord that he is playing.
For example, if the keyboardist is playing a chord that is Ab-Eb/Ab-C-Eb
Your bass note would be Ab because it's the root of the note.

To learn all of the chords, tips and tricks and more we recommend that you look at GospelKeys Urban Pro 600. This is where one of the greats named Johnathan Powell reveals all of his top West Coast Chords.

Click Here To Learn More Urban Passing Chords

For the bass players, we recommend that you take a look at Urban Bass Techniques where Ivan Santiago shows the top techniques, tricks and more

Click Here to Learn Urban Bass Techniques Today

I hope that this post increase your playing and helps you down the road to further success.

BizModerator

For more tips and information subscribe to our monthly newsletter for updates. If you would like a question to be answered from our panel of experts in the areas of bass, brass,keyboard and organ send us an email and we will answer it directly on The Business and Musicians Forum via the Contact Us Page.

12 Days of Music: Day 7- Now Behold The Lamb

2010-12-20T06:45:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas and it wouldn't be Christmas without a Christmas Song. My students have been continually been asking over the past week to post a quick lesson on this song. So today on day 7 here is Now Behold the Lamb.

Kirk Franklin's second album, Kirk Franklin & the Family Christmas, sold over 500,000 copies after it was released. The Jamaican style music and a real Christmas greeting from Kirk made a great different in the type of music. Then Kirk and the backup singers begin singing an shortened version of "Silent Night" before going to sing about God's amazing love in "Now Behold the Lamb."

Here's a video to Kirk Franklin Now Behold The Lamb that I found online courtesy of Gospel Musicians. It's an excellent online community that is willing to share their expertise and knowledge on chords, basslines and the many different instruments that they play. This video of Now Behold The Lamb is done by Jamal Hartwell.

For more information click down below to go to:

Click Here to Start Playing The Basics

Learn more gospel jazz phat chords riffs tricks tricks runs and even how to play music by ear INSTANTLY

Here is the song! Enjoy!!!

Down below I have chorded out my own version of this in the orginal key and added the bassline for all the bass players. Then there is a key change to C and that has been added as well.

"Now Behold The Lamb" by: Kirk Franklin
Key Bb LH/RH

Here is the melody to the song:
Bb,F,Eb,F,Bb,Bb,F,F,Eb,F,
Bb,C,D,Eb,F,Eb,D,C,Bb,A,Bb,
Bb,Bb,Eb,C,Bb (ending)

The Bassline is as follows:

D,E,F (repeat x2)
D,E,F,F#,G,C,F,Bb

Chorus and Verses:

D / Bb-C-D-F Now be-
Eb / G-Bb-C-F hold the
F / G-A-C-F Lamb
/ F-F (octave higher)
/ Bb, A the
D / C-F-Bb Precious
Eb / G-C-F Lamb of
F / A-C-F God
D / C-D-F-Bb born into
Eb / G-Bb-C-F sin that I

F / A-C-F may
F# / A-C-D live a-
G / G-Bb-D gain, the

OR

A / G-C-Eb or A / E-G-B-D may
D / F#-Bb-C-F live a-
G / F-A-Bb-D gain, the

C / Bb-Eb-G Precious
F, C, F / Bb-Eb-F Lamb of
Bb / Bb-D-F God
(repeat many times)

Modulation chord to C:

G / F-G-A-C

Key Change to C

E-E / G-C-D-E Now be-
F-F / A-C-D-G hold the
G-G / C-D-G Lamb
/ B-D-G
G-G /
F-F / the
E-E / D-G-C Precious
F-F / A-D-G Lamb of
G-G / C-D-G God
/ B-D-G
G-G /
F-F /
E-E / D-E-G-C born into
F-F / A-C-D-G sin that I

G-G / B-D-G may
G#-G# / B-D-E live a-
A-A / G-C-E gain, the

D / C-F-A Precious
G / B-D-F-G Lamb of
C / C-E-G God

Essentially this is the whole song. The vamp can be your own creation.

Subscribe to our Newsletter as well if you would like to have a request on our website or just have a comment or concern go to

www.helpingadvice.blogspot.com/askbizmoderator

and fill out the online questionaire and we will answer your question on our next blogpost.

Happy Holidays

12 Days of Music: - Day 5 & 6 Talk Music

2010-12-19T14:22:00.000-08:00

Welcome Fellow Musicians,

I hope that you all are enjoying the 12 Days of Music. Today, this is going to be a quick post and we are going to tie in Day 5 and 6 and talk about "Talk Music". Talk Music is essentially fill-ins or chord changes when someone is talking. You would play this in the background. This adds a nice element to the mix.

Some of the movements that I find quite interesting are simple but can add alot of edge when necessary. Down below are some examples

1-3-4-5-1
2-6
4-5-6

Let's look at my favourite example

1-3-4-5-1 progression in the Key of Eb

One Chord (Eb)

Eb-Bb/C-F-Bb -------->Another option to play the one chord if you want to change it just raise it a half step

Three Chord (G)

G/F-Bb-Eb

Four Chord (Ab)

Ab-Eb/G-Bb-C-Eb

Five Chord (Bb) -------->This may be a stretch

Ab-C-Eb-G/Ab-C-Eb-Bb

INSTANT SOLOS

Start off on the 5 which is Bb and play around with the Eb Major and Blues Scale

This is also be a cool groove to play at offering or just with a bunch of friends as well.

Try it and tell us what you think.

12 Days of Music: Day 4 - Crazy Chord Replacements

2010-12-17T14:20:00.001-08:00

Welcome to Day 4 of the Twelve Days of Music. It's been a hectic week because I have been trying to finish up my Christmas shopping as all of us are. The fact still remains that I am not done. I hope you all are doing better than me. Anyways, today we are going to be talking about crazy chord changes and replacements and we will be revisiting this on Monday December 20.

We are going to be in the Key of Db (C#)

As we know in music you mission is to get to your destination the phattest way you know how. One of the popular movements in the 3-6-2 and in some cases you can flip the 3-6-2 in many different ways. This can give you different chord substitutions and inverstions

One of the ways we are going to flip the 3-6-2 progression is by changing the notes and chords itself.

3-6-2 is essentially F to Bb to Eb

We are going to change this to the 4-6-2

The F will now become Gb and this will be the chord in the right hand

Gb/ACEbGb ----------->This will become the 4 chord

The 6th chord which is usually a minor will now become a diminshed chord:

Bb-Eb/Ab-B-D-F ---------->This will become the 6 chord

Finally the 2 chord which is the Eb will remain a minor and here are the several options to go with it:

1) Db-F-Gb-Bb/Db-Eb-F-Ab ---------> You can invert the right hand to give it a fuller and richer sound

2)Eb-Bb/Gb-Bb-Db-F

This is just one example of some Crazy Chord Replacements instead of playing the regular chords. Remember to practice and strengthen your left and right hand!

BizModerator

12 Days of Music: Day 3 - Tritones

2010-12-16T18:36:00.000-08:00

As you can see we have done some updates to The Business and Musicians Forum. The first changes was that the Musician's Store has been updated with a few new products.We recently received messages from fellow musicians who were tired of the same sounds that they have on their keyboard and wanted to update them. We have added a Neo-Soul Rhodes download as well as a MKS-20 Roland download. These are now in the Musician's Store as well as some other goodies. We have reached Day 3 of the 12 Days of Music and today we are going to give you the gift of tritones. In our previous post entitled "What is a Tritone?" we touched a little upon tritones.

Just as a review:

Tritones are the 3rd and 7th of a chord. The most efficient and musical method of right hand fill for any 7th chord is to add the Tritones below the melody. The left hand only has to provide the root of the chord.

They can also be used as a passing chord or as a one chord in certain situations in gospel music, jazz, rock and many more genres

The most common movements can be:

7-3-6
2-5-1
2-6
3-6-2
and many more

Here is just a brief example of the power of tritones at work

For example the use of a tritone in the key of Db (C#)

F B/F-Ab-Db

This is a good example of a one chord in the key of Db

In a case of a movement for example 3-6-2 in the same key it would be

Eb A/ D-G-B (3 chord which is F)

D-Ab/Db-Gb-Bb (6th chord which is Bb)
***Basically this is a half step down because tritones goes in 4ths

Finally the two chord can simply be

Eb-Bb/Gb-Bb-Db-F (2 chord which is Eb)

We will be using this movement later on in the coming days

For more information on How to Play Tritones and How to apply them in your playing we highly recommend that you check out Tritone Xtravaganza

Click Here To Learn The Secret Weapon

Best Wishes and keep watching for Day 4 of the Twelve Days of Music for more tips, surprises and more!

12 Days of Music: Day 2 - Runs and Fill-ins

2010-12-15T19:15:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the second day of the twelve days of music. Today I am just going to get right to it. We are going to be focusing on Runs and Fills. This is a great technique for quick solos on the spot if you are running out of ideas. This is good for musicians who play guitar, piano, organ, bass.

Have you ever wondered how people can do quick runs on the spot without practicing?
Here is one of those highly guarded techniques

SOLO THE CHORD

No matter what the chord is you can always solo it. You can chop the notes, or make it flow just remember to bring it back home when you first start the run.

The second way to construct runs if you are on the go is to use the blues scale.

Here is the formula to create blue scales

1 - b3 - 4 - b5 - 5 - b7 - 1

This principle can be applied in all twelve keys

Let's go to the Key of A (I know many musicians love the black keys but you need to know A)

A - C - D - Eb - E - G - A

If you hit any one of those notes while playing a major chord you can't be wrong.
The fact is that every musician has a different style and you need to find your creativity in music.

**Tip: Try adding a chromatic in the mix and see how it sounds

If you don't like the blues scale try the major pentatonic scale (which is a major scale without the 4th and 7th note)

Here is it in the Key of A

A - B - C# - E - F# - A

Be creative and experiment and this is a good foundation to use to build your soloing techniques.

Also, you need to have good coordination with your fingers. I realize that a lot of people have the issue of coordinating with their fingers and I recommend to try Hanon exercises because they help the finger dexterity and the finger positioning. Great tool for musicians who want to solo like the pros.

For more information on Hanon Exercises visit

Click Here to Learn More Hanon Exercises

Best Wishes and Stay Tooned For Day 3

12 Days of Music: Day 1- Quartal Chords

2010-12-14T14:49:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first day of the 12 days of music. Within the next twelve days you will see some special music articles and tips to get you started for 2011. This post is about something many people have not heard of. Our first gift and music tip is about quartal chords. This is hot tip for any musician playing piano/organ.

This concept is highlighted extensively in the GospelKeys 202 and is a great tool to use.

Just to recap the basics:

A major chord is created when you have 1+3+5 or to break it down even further a major third and a minor third.

For instance, when you count up three whole steps in the key of C it takes you to E to E which is a major third. E to G is a minor third.

**Keep in mind that E to F is a half step then F to G is a whole step.

Here a question now:

When you hear the word quartal what comes to mind?

Quarter
Quart...Water
..........The answer is a 4th!!!

Here is a easy formula to create Quartal Chords

Just take the fourth of the orginal note:

For example in the Key of C

Start with C then it's the fourth of C which is F then the fourth of F which is Bb

Here is the chord: C+F+Bb

**Quick Tip: You don't have to have a quartal chord with just three notes..Have fun and try to go with 4 or 5 notes

Alright, now that we explained what quartal chords are I guess you all are wondering where can you use them and most importantly the breakdown

In the key of C here is the breakdown of all the chords with a C bass

C + F + Bb
D + G + C (Choice 2)
E + A + D (Choice 4)
F + Bb + Eb
G + C + F
A + D + G (Choice 1)
B + E + A (Choice 3)

**The main objective is to find a suitable one chord**

Here are some of the options that are availiable in the Key of C:
1) C bass /// B + E + A
2) C bass /// A + D + G
3) C bass /// E + A + D
4) C bass /// D + G + C

**These above are all on the C bass**

What I have done below is list a couple of my favourite quartal chords in other keys such as Db, D, Eb

Key of Db (all over the Db bass)

Db bass/// F + Bb + Eb
Db bass/// Bb + Eb + Ab

Key of D

D bass/// B + E+ A

Key of Eb

Eb bass /// C + F + Bb

Experiment and have fun. Try playing quartal chords that are not apart of the scale such as the black keys. Learn all 12 keys! If you experiment in the black keys you will notice that the same principle works too.

This is going to give you playing a boost in 2011!!

If you have any questions about any music concepts go to:

www.helpingadvice.blogspot.com/askbizmoderator

Special Announcement: December Is Here!!!

2010-12-08T14:44:00.000-08:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year because it's now December. I have been getting many emails from concern people asking what are you going to be doing in the next couple of weeks. Unfortunately, it's a secret but I can tell you this within the next week you will see some special tips and secrets that have never been released. Stay Tuned for a special blog posts. We will be covering some hot topics that you can't miss. Also on the last day there will be a special tip that you need to watch for.

David Jackson Teaches Shouting Patterns In Musician Breakthrough

2010-11-27T08:35:00.000-08:00

For more information about Musician Breakthrough visit: GospelMusicSecrets.com

The second round for Musician Breakthrough has just appeared on Youtube. One of the first is David Jackson Teaching a Contemporary West Coast Shout Pattern which is really awesome. I really like what David is doing. The movements that he does in his playing are amazing. This is really going to be a great series. We are not sure when it will be release maybe before or after the New Year. The challenge is going to be conquering all this material. Whether you an intermediate or advanced player it's going to take time to go through all of this.

Round One is simply playing. Sit and relax and watch them show their unique styles. Round Two is on teaching some of the techniques and concepts that were demonstrated in the video. Round Three is a interview with each musician.

Musician Breakthrough

Other musicians in the Musician Breakthrough Series are Stan Lewis, Jason Freeman, Jeremy Jeffers,Marcus Hodge, Kevin Nickelson, and Javad Day.

This is just one of the top seven musicians each with their own expertise in their playing.Check out David Jackson playing below.

For more information on this go to: GospelMusicSecrets.com

This Week's Music School: The Science of Bass Chording

2010-11-24T06:51:00.000-08:00

For this week's music school we are going to focus on a different instrument bass. I have been receiving many emails over the past couple of weeks from different musicians with their different requests. Today we are going to talk about the science of chording and to give some instruction on chording.

As we all know there is a science behind music and that not just a skill.

Major bass guitar chords like all chords are made up of 3 or more notes. For it to be a chord you also have to play all the notes at the same time. If you play them one at a time it's called an Arpeggio.

Major Chord Formula (1,3,5)

For example, C Major Chord (C,E,G)

Advanced C major chord (A,D,G) 9,12,14

You can also invert the chord

Keep in mind that every bass is different from a 4 string to a 6 string.

So now you know the basics why not pick up your bass and take a shot at it. Try moving the chord to make different chords. With practice and patience you will soon master ever major chord on bass.

Bass Tip: Bass guitar chords tend to work better higher up the neck. If you play too low the sound will be distorted and not too good!!\

This is just the starting to learn bass chord progressions, and to learn bass lines as well.

To learn more on bass techniques, bass ear training and the art of chording on bass visit:
Urban Bass Techniques

All the Best

P.S. If you want to submit a question and have it answered on our website go to:

www.helpingadvice.blogspot.com/askbizmoderator

Credit for the image goes to the author

Exciting News: Musician's Breakthrough

2010-11-16T03:52:00.000-08:00

We here at the Business and Musicians Forum can't contain ourselves because this is an event that we feel we should pass on to our members.

I just got word about the biggest, most anticipated event of 2010 for gospel musicians...and after visiting the page, I'm pretty excited about what I've seen so far.

They are featuring 7 world-class, professional "West Coast" musicians in a pretty unique format.

Each musician is covering what they call the
"5 Dimensions of the Church Service."

-Praise
-Worship
-Shouting
-Transitional
-Traditional

If you do the math, that's 35 segments... and I'm
told over 16 hours in total.

If you rush over to the page, you'll find video clips
of each musician playing one of these styles. There
are examples from all 5 categories. You will be blown away at the different styles these musicians have.

Musician's Breakthrough

We here at the Business and Musicians Forum have already been put on the priority list because we want to be first to get our copy. By the way because of our relationship with the founder Jermaine Griggs I will keep you up to date. We recommend that you do the same. Musicians Breakthrough will be in the history books for the greatest feat.

Ultimate Tool For Musician's

P.S. You can win an Apple Ipad just by making a post on the page. I hope that y'all go and do the same. Just maybe one of you will be the lucky winner.

This Week's Music School: Discover The Power of The Flip

2010-11-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

Today, we are going to do a weekend music school post. We have been receiving a lot emails from musicians who are really interested in taking there playing to a new level. This Weeks Music School is on the Flip 7 or in other words the Flatted 7th chord. The best way to use this chord is very interesting.It can be substituted for the 5 chord.

Let's look at the Key of Ab

We are going to be focusing on the the 2-6 progression. This is from the Bb to the F

Chords L.H/R.H

Bb/Ab-C-Db-F
F/Eb-G-Ab-F

Try adding this passing chord before you go to the F. The passing chord is on the C

F-A-Bb-D/F-A-C

If you want to add some flare try going down chromatically from the A to the F by rolling the notes.

To flip this your are going to play Db on your left hand or an F on your left. Either one will take you to the same place. Just remember that you need to be in sync with your bass player to make this work. This is a great passing chord.

DbF/B-D-F-G-Bb

This chord will take you to the Flip 7 or The Flatted 7 which is Gb

Gb/Bb-Eb-F-Bb

This is a great progression to use when you want to substitute for the 5 chord or just as a regular groove to play with friends.

If your serious about your playing and would like to take this to the next level here are some of my recommendations:

1)GMTC-Music Training Center

Music Training Center

This is for the beginner to the advanced musician. This is where the online school comes in. Each week you wil be learning something different on piano from songs to new chord voicings. The practical application and the theory application will be taught as well.

2)300pg The Secrets To Playing Piano By Ear

Wouldn't it be nice to listen to a song on the radio and learn how to play it when you get home? Well,this is a instructional book which teaches you the basics of the piano. From the scales,notes, theory, chord progressions. This is a great tool for the beginner who wants to learn how to play piano. There is no sheet music required!!!

Learn to Play the Piano By Ear

3)Master Class Featuring Mike Bereal

By far one of the best musicians to date. This course goes beyond the raw basics and gets in to the complex chords. He reveals his trademark secrets to you and gives you the tools to conquer any chord with his step-by-step approach.

Secrets Revealed On Piano by Mike Bereal

P.S. If you want to submit a question and have it answered on our website go to:

www.helpingadvice.blogspot.com/askbizmoderator

Also, check out our Facebook and Twitter Page!!

Music Technology: Motif XF

2010-11-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome Fellow Musicians,

We here at The Business and Musicians Forum like to keep up to date on the new technology that is becoming popular in the music field. One of the things that recently came out was the Motif XF. After checking out that piece of technology at my local music store I must say that it is one of the finest pieces out there right now. One of the things that I like about it is that it comes in black.Compared to the other pianos on the market this is certainly the best product to date.

One of the best features that I like on the Motif is that it has a new four-part Arpeggiator includes 7,881 Arpeggio types. This allows for the creativity to flow inside the musician. Currently out on the market are:
61-key Motif XF6
76-key Motif XF7
88-key Motif XF8

With these many options this allows the musician to choose the style and taste that best suits them.

I must say that this new Motif line certainly has the musicians taste in mind and with it's set of recording software to compliment the package.

Overall, I must say that Yamaha outdone themselves with this product and they are definitely coming out with bigger and better products.

P.S. If you want to submit a question and have it answered on our website go to:

www.helpingadvice.blogspot.com/askbizmoderator

3 Ways to Enhance and Strengthen Your Chord Playing

2010-11-05T05:12:00.000-07:00

Every chord that you play has a different function and can be used for many different things. Today, we are going to look at some successful strategies to strengthen and alter your chords.

Here is the list:
1) Inversions
2) Chord Suspensions
3) Chord Arpeggios

Chord Inversions

Mastering inversions will take you a far way in your playing

In fact, many musicians don’t pay attention to inversions.

They learn their major, minor, diminished, and augmented chords and simply forget about an essential tool.

What makes you a super musician is that you focus on the small things. These 4 are excellent however need to learn that inversions can help simplify where you need to get to.

The melody will often times determine what inversion of a chord you play.

If you don’t know what an inversion is, here’s my simple definition.

“INVERSIONS are just different ways to play the same chord.”

For example, lets look at the C major 7 chord. The numbers are at the bottom.

C E G B
1 3 5 7

There are different ways that you can rearrange these notes to create different types of inversions. Here are the many different ways that you can rearrange them.

1 3 5 7
3 5 7 1
5 7 1 3
7 1 3 5

Generally, there are about 4 different types of inversions.

Now, imagine these numbers are notes in the key of C

C E G B
E G B C
G B C E
B C E G

These are just different ways to invert the C mjor 7th chord.

In summary, inversions are a great tool to use in your playing and you can use inverted chords to play the melody as well.

Chord Suspension

This is when you hold on to a particular tone and it resolves on the real tone.

This is a very popular way to end songs.

For example, your song ends on a typical C major chord:

C E G

If you wanted to change this to a suspended chord, you’d move the “3.” That’s E and you’d raise it a half step higher to the “4” which is F

So, instead of:

C E G

It’s now,

C F G ---Suspended 2

and resolves to CEG

Essentially, what happens is that there is some sort of dissonance between the CFG and is needs to be resolved to the C E G.

Chord Arpeggios

Chord Arpeggios are when you simply break up a chord and create individually sounding notes.

For example let's look at the C major 7

C/ C E G B

Basically, what you are going to do is play the C on your left hand and play the C E G B separately.

Many will add notes to the left hand to make the
arpeggio last longer.

You can add the following notes to make the bass stronger: C+G+C

This is heavily used in jazz and in creating solos, licks and runs

In summary, with these three tips on how to improve your playing will surely help the musician who is looking for a competitve edge. If you serious about the things that was talked about here are some of my recommendations:

1)300pg Home Study Course – “The Secrets To Playing
Piano By Ear”

This will teach you everything from scales, number
system, chords, and inversions to patterns, progressions,
altered chords, extensions, harmonization, and songs.

It’s like a crash course on everything you’ll need to
understand how music works.

300pg Home Study Course

2)Music Training Center and Musician Transformation Package

This will teach you the steps to improve your playing through live video, commentary and everything you need to know about chords, scales, runs, fills, progressions. This is a great to for the bassist,pianist,guitarist.

Music Training Center

3)Gospel Keys Jazz 101

This is a crash course for the person who wants to learn jazz techniques, scales, runs from an expert who has played for many famous people. This course will teach you step-by-step with live examples of how to play just like the professionals.

P.S. If you want to submit a question and have it answered on our website go to:

www.helpingadvice.blogspot.com/askbizmoderator

I hope that this helps you in your playing and we will talk to you soon

BizModerator
The Business and Musicians Forum

Learn To Play Trading My Sorrows

2010-10-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

Have you every experienced a bad day? Has something got you down? Sometimes just singing and playing your instrument can lift your spirit. Over the past couple of weeks we have been making slight modifications to the website. I have been asked by many readers to post up the song Trading My Sorrows in rhe Key of G.

Chord Chart Key of G

G C Em D
I'm trading my sorrow
G C Em D/F#
I'm trading my shame
G C Em D G C Em D/F#
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
G C Em D
I'm trading my sickness
G C Em D/F#
I'm trading my pain
G C Em D G C Em D/F#
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord

Chorus:
G C Em D
And we say yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
G C Em D/F#
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
G C Em D G C Em D/F#
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord Amen

G C Em D
I'm pressed but not crushed persecuted not abandoned
G C Em D/F#
Struck down but not destroyed
G C Em D
I'm blessed beyond the curse for his promise will endure
G C Em D/F#
And his joy's gonna be my strength

D
Though the sorrow may last for the night
G C
His joy comes with the morning...

Artist: Darrell Evans

Thanks for stopping by
P.S. More theory and a special surprise!

BizModerator

Musician Transformation Collection

2010-10-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

As you all know here at the Business and Musicians Forum. Our inboxes get flooded from time to time and we love to support are fellow gospel musicians. Today, while I was sitting at my desk a message popped up from Jermaine Griggs. He had some great stuff to offer and take advantage of. He just recently offered the music transformation package. We just want to recommend this product to all the other musicians that are out there.

The Musicians Transformation Package 44 pg Guide
Click Here To Download The 44 pg Guide

This guide will change your playing for the better it is filled with the most advanced techniques and strategies that will improve your confidence and your playing. This report covers note names, major and minor scales, the number system, major-minor scales and chords.

The 29 pg Guide and Free Videos
These are free addtional bonuses that will advance your playing and they are availiable to you.

Gospel Music Training Center
Learn weekly song pattern lessons to downloadable resources and live training events, this will be your "go-to" hub for anything. No more having to pay for ridiculously expensive lessons that never get you far. This is a great tool for any musician to have in their tool belt.

Click Here to Learn More About the GMTC

Right now Jermaine Griggs is having a sale with free shipping on the 300 pg. course book (that I have been talking about. You know, the theory book) and giving away for free Gospel Keys 101 (great Dvd for harmonizing the melody). You pay $52.00
Click here for more info about this limited time sale!

Urban Worship Patterns and Grooves

2010-10-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

Hello Fellow Musicians,

We here at the Business and Musicians Forum have some exciting news. We have now expanded into lessons and we are now providing lessons online. You may have noticed the lessons tab. Also, we are working on some different categories for different musicians. We are focusing on the following instruments:

-Drums
-Guitar
-Bass
-Brass
-Producing Music

We know that there are some hungry musicians who want expert advice on these categories so thats we have created the Ask The MusicGuru column. If you have a question on a particular instrument or a question in general we will answer it directly on our blog.

Now for today's music school post on Urban Worship Patterns. Have you every felt as if you wanted to create your own grooves and beats. Here is an excellent pattern that we have created and feel free to use this in your own music.

Key of Ab

Left Hand/Right Hand
Ab, Eb/G, Bb, C, Eb
Ab, Eb/G, C, F
Ab, Eb/F, Bb,Eb
Ab, Eb/E, Ab, Bb, Eb
Ab,Eb,Bb/Ab,C,Eb,Ab

Key of A

Left Hand/Right Hand
A,Eb,F/A, C, Eb, F#
Ab,Eb,F/ A, C#,Eb,Ab
Ab,C#/ G,C,F

Key of Bb

Left Hand/ Right Hand
Bb,F,C /C#,F,Ab,C
Bb,F/ C,C#,F,Ab
Bb,F/ Ab,C,C#,F

You can use this as groove music or as talk music. It makes a great combination.

P.S. If you really want to enhance your chords. I invite you to check out one of these courses.

Gospel Keys Urban Pro

GospelKeys Urban Pro 600 is more advanced. It takes a similar
approach as GospelKeys 202 but covers bigger, more extended chords that go beyond the basics. By the end, you're playing a lot of the latest-sounding chords exactly the way you hear them on many of your favourite albums.

Music Training Center

This is for the beginner to the advanced musician. This is where the online school comes in. Each week you wil be learning something different on piano from songs to new chord voicings. The practical application and the theory application will be taught as well.

P.S. If you want to submit a question and have it answered on our website go to:

www.helpingadvice.blogspot.com/askbizmoderator

This Weeks Music School: The Diminished 7th Chord Secret

2010-09-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

NOTE: To learn ALL the techniques and strategies to take your playing to the next level, go here:

Learn More Techniques and Strategies From The Training Center

Hello Fellow Musicians,

Today, we are going to be talking about the diminished seventh chord for our next online music school segment. This chord is a powerful tool to use when you are playing the piano. What I like about this chord is that you can use this chord or any diminished chord as a passing tone to get to the 6th which is a minor.

The DIMINISHED SEVENTH chord can be formed by lowering each note of the DOMINANT SEVENTH (V7) chord one half step, except the root, which remains the same.

For example: C dominant 7 chord is: C E G Bb

Every note will be lowered by a half step except for the root note!

IMPORTANT! The interval between each note of a diminished seventh chord is a minor 3rd

Now you'll want to spell each chord correctly!

For example: The Cdim7 chord should not be spelled C E G Bb. The correct way in terms of theory is C Eb Gb Bbb( or A).

Note: If you are lowering a note it becomes a FLAT. If you are raising a note it becomes a sharp.

When you form the Cdim7 chord, it is necessary to flat the note Bb. When a flatted note is flatted again, it becomes a DOUBLE FLAT, indicated by the sign (bb). In this case, the note must be called Bbb, not A. In realty, it is the same thing this is just for the theory aspect.

Note: The formula for this type of chord is 1 b3 b5 bb7 (bb7- repesents double flatted)

Here are the first five chords going chromatically

Cdim7 = C Eb Gb Bbb

C#dim7 = C# E G Bb

Ddim7 = D F Ab Cb

D#dim7 = D# F# A C

Edim7 = E G Bb Db

Fdim7 = F Ab Cb Ebb

Great Tip:The diminished 7th chord can be used as a passing chord to get to the 6th chord which is a minor. There are some great songs with diminished seventh chord in it and that is Worship The Lamb of Glory by Dennis Jernigan.

P.S. If you want to submit a question and have it answered on our website go to:

www.helpingadvice.blogspot.com/askbizmoderator

How To Play Love Story by Taylor Swift

2010-09-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

We have be receiving a number of responses from different musicians in regards to song requests. One of the many requests that we have been receiving is from Taylor Swift. She is an upcoming artist with a vast amount of talent. She has been to many awards ceremonies and was just recently at the VMA Awards. Here is one of the songs from her album and the song is entitled: Love Story. The song Love Story is a great song and it has a unique essence about the music.

Love Story Chord Chart

Love Story- Taylor Swift Chord Chart

Intro: C G Am F

C
We were both young when I first saw you
F
I close my eyes and the flashback starts
Am F
I'm standing there on a balcony of summer air
C
See the lights, See the party the ball gowns
F
I see you make your way through the crowd
Am
You say hello
G
Little did I know
F G
That you were romeo you were throwing pebbles
Am C
And my daddy said stay away from Juliet
F
And i was crying on the staircase
G Am C
Begging you please don't go, and I said
C
Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone
G
I'll be waiting all theres left to do is run
Am
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
F G C
Its a love story baby just say yes
C
So I sneak out to the garden to see you
F
We keep quite because we're dead if they know
Am
So close your eyes
G
Let's keep this down for a little while
F G
Cause you were Romeo I was a scarlet letter
Am C
and my daddy said stay away from Juliet
F
But you were everything to me
G Am C
and I was begging you please don't go and I said
C
Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone
G
I'll be waiting all there's left to do is run
Am
You be the prince I'll be the princess
F G C
Its a love story baby just say yes
C
Romeo save me, try to tell me how it is
G
This love is difficult, but its real,
Am
Save me from the breakdown, make it out of looseness
F G
Its a love story baby just say yes, oh
Solo: C G Am F
Am F C G
I got tired of waiting, wondering if you were ever coming around
Am F
My faith in you was fading
C G
Then I met you on the outskirts of town and I said
C
Romeo save me I've been feeling so alone
G
I keep waiting for you but you never come
Am
Is this in my head, I don't know what to think
F G
He nelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said
D
Marry me Juliet you'll never have to be alone
A
I love you and thats all I really know
Bm
I talked to your dad go pick out a white dress
G A D
It's a love story baby just say yes
D A Bm
Oh, oh, yes
G D
We were very young when I first saw you

If you would like to request a song or have questions on how to play music by ear send us an email by going to the Contact Us button. As well we now have lessons on our website so if you want to learn how to play piano feel free to contact us.

Brand New Artist: Canute Davis

2010-09-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

Good Afternoon Fellow Readers,

We here at The Business and Musicians Forum are great fans of new music. A recent user recommended that we put of a portion of his music up on our blog. After previewing this music, we have found out that this music is unique and different from the traditonal styles of gospel out there. The track is entitled "Canute Davis- Naw Bow".

We would like to recommend to our readers and listeners to check out this new music from "PROLIFICSTUDIOS1". This new style of gospel reggae and gospel music is sure to be a great hit.

For more information go to Youtube and type in "canute davis"

Also, we would like to hear some feedback from our readers on this.

If you would like recommend an artist or musician for us to check out feel free to send us an email at The Business and Musicians Forum

Lesson: How To Play Welcome Into This Place By Joe Pace

2010-09-18T05:09:00.000-07:00

Musicians,
Are you struggling to play worship music?
Do you have no idea where to start?

Here is a great song by Joe Pace and it can be used for Praise and Worship. Here are the chords to Welcome Into This Place by Joe Pace.

Welcome Into This Place

Chorus:

Gb Abm/Gb Gb/Bb Gb/Db Db/Cb
Welcome into this place, welcome into this broken vessel
Bbm Abm/Eb Eb Abm/Eb Eb
you desire to abide in the prais-es of your__ peo - ple,
Abm Gb/Bb Abm/Cb Bbm7 Bbm/Eb
so we lift our hands and we life our hearts
Abm Abm/Db Gb
as we of-fer up the praise unto your name

Verse:

Gb Cb/Gb
Creation declares your glo-ry
Bbm Dbm/Fb Dbsus
and the universe declares you ma-je-sty.
Db/Cb Bbm7 Ebsus Eb
Yet you choose to abide in the praises of your people
Abm7 Cb/Db C/D
so we of-fer up this praise unto your name

Key Change:

G Am/G G/B G/D D/C
Welcome into this place, welcome into this broken vessel
Bm Am/E E Am/E E
you desire to abide in the prais-es of your peo-ple,
Am G/B Am/C Bm7 Bm/E
so we lift our hands and we lift our hearts
Am Am/D G
as we of-fer up the praise unto your name

Key Change:

Ab Bbm/Ab Ab/C Ab/Eb Eb/Db
Welcome into this place, welcome into this broken vessel
Cm Bbm/F F Bbm/F F
you de-sire to abide in the prais-es of your peo - ple,
Bbm Ab/C Bbm/Db Cm7 F7
so we lift our hands and we life our hearts
Bbm Bbm/Eb Ab Cm7 F7
as we offer up the praise unto your name
Bbm Bbm/Eb Bbdim/Fb Fm Bb7
as we offer up the praise unto your name
http://www.tabslyricschords.com/
* * * * * * * *
Welcome Into this Place
Chorded by SisterT
Key Eb

Eb/GBbEb Wel-
Eb/ GBbEb come In
/BbEbG to
G/BbEbG this
Eb/AbBEbF place
Eb/BbEbFG Welcome
/EbEb in
/GG to
/BbBb tis
Ab/EbGBb bro-
/CEbFAb -ken
/BbEbFG ves
/AbBEbF sel. You de-
G/BbFDBb -sire to a-
F/BbDFBb -bide in the
CC/DbGBb praises of your
F/AbCFAb people. So we
F/CEbFAb lift our
G/GBbCEb hands
/F and
/G we
Ab/ CEbFAb lift
/BbEbG our
BB/BDGF hearts as we
FCEb/AbCFAb offer up this
BbFAb/CFAb praise unto your
Eb/GBbEb name.

Courtesy of http://www.earnestandroline.com/Music/Chords/welcomeintothis.html

* Welcome Into This Place Lyrics

Chorus
Welcome into this place,
welcome into this broken vessel.
You desire to abide
in the praises of Your people;
so we lift our hands,
and we lift our hearts,
as we offer up this praise unto Your name.

Verse
Creation declares Your glory
and the universe declares Your majesty;
yet You choose to abide
in the praises of Your people,
so we offer up this praise unto Your name.

* Chord Chart by Hammondman for the organist

Bass Pedal / LH / RH - WORDS

Ab / AbEb/Ab Welcome
F / FC/Fm Into This
Bb / BbF/Bbm7 Place
* * * * * *
Eb / EbBb/DbFAbBb
Db / DbFB/Eb
* * * * * *
C / CEBb/CEbAb Welcome
F / FC/Eb
A / EbAC/EbGbAC Into This
Bb / BbF/Bbm7 Broken
Eb / EbBb/DbFAbBb Vessel
* * * * * *
Eb / EbBb/GbBbDbF It's My Desire To
Ab / GbC/Bb Find The
Db / DbAb/Fm7 Praises Of My
C / CBb/BbEbGb Pe
F / FEb/ADGb ople
* * * * * *
Bb / BbF/Bbm7 As We Lift Our
C / CEBb/CEbAb Hands, And We
Db / DbAb/Fm7 Lift Our
C / CBb/BbEbGb Voice
F / FEb/ADGb And We
* * * * * *
Bb / BbF/Bbm7 Offer
D / GbD/Bb Up Our
Eb / EbBb/DbFAbBb Praise Unto His
Ab / AbEb/Ab Name

Hope this helps and for more on how to play great worship songs on organ go to:

Learn How to Play Worship Songs Like the One Above

Gospel Music Training For Organ and Piano

Introducing the best FREE video I have ever given (and MORE)...

2010-09-15T05:44:00.000-07:00

As we all know that the back to school season is upon us. Every student is getting ready with the tools and resources to help them get them through another year. What about musicians who want to learn how to play music by ear.

If you play or are learning any of these instruments this video is for you!!
-Guitar
-Horns
-Bass Guitar
-Piano
-Organ

Are you a struggling musician who is having trouble on learning how to play by ear?
Are having problems when a singer comes up to sing and you can't pick out the key?
Are you having issues with you learning your scales and the number system?
Are having trouble listening to a piece of music and trying to pick out the chord progressions?

If you answered yes to any of the statements above I would highly suggest that you take a look at this FREE video?

VIDEO LESSON #1 – “The KEY to getting to the next stage in your ear training”

This lesson reveals very important SECRETS that you MUST have as an ear-musician.

If you read sheet music, this isn't the most important principle that is discussed however when it comes to playing by ear, “NUMBERS” make a BIG difference!

If you know your numbers “inside” and “out” will reflect how far and quickly you can get there!

If you have no idea what I’m saying or talking about, check out the lesson below!

(The Gospel Music Training Center is very helpful)

Here are some recommended resources that will improve your skills as an ear musician

Training For Musicians

Finding the Key to Any Song

Learn How to Play Piano By Ear

This Weeks Music School: Ditones on Steroids

2010-09-06T05:34:00.000-07:00

Good Morning/Afternoon

Happy Long Weekend to All!!! We just want to thank everyone over the summer for visiting the blog. We are currently working on some new projects for the site and we look forward to seeing what's in store for the fall. It's been a while since I have posted a Music School Update. We have been getting a lot of response from hungry musicians wanting more tips and tricks.

Here's just a quick lesson on Ditones

The Ditone is the little brother to the Tri-tone. You can use the ditone in many different ways. Di meaning two whole tones. For example C to E is two whole tones and that would be your bass and the chord on the right hand is a suspended.

Here are the two most popular ways to use the Ditone

1. As a passing chord
2. As a one chord (i.e a starting chord)

Here is the formula for the ditones a one chord

L.H/R.H
1-3/6-2-5

For example in the Key of Db

As a passing chord you can use the ditone on these chords. These just happen to be the most popular because of the fact that you can use these in any scenario.

1. As a passing chord on the 7
2. As a passing chord to the 3
3. As a passing chord to the 6
4. As a one chord

Breakdown

1.As a passing chord going from the 1 to the 7

L.H/R.H (7 chord)

C-E/Bb-Eb-Ab

2.As a passing chord on the 3 leading to the 4 chord

L.H/R.H (3 chord)

F-A/Eb-Ab-Db

3.As a passing chord leading to the 6. You would play this chord leading to the 6.

L.H/R.H

A-C/G-C-F

4. Now you can also use the Ditone as a regular one chord.

L.H./R.H

Db-Ab/Bb-Eb-Ab

Note: To learn more about the Ditone and the Tritone go to:

The Secrets to The Ditone and Tritone

P.S. If you want to submit a question and have it answered on our website go to:

www.helpingadvice.blogspot.com/askbizmoderator

What's A Tritone?

2010-08-26T04:02:00.000-07:00

Tritones are the 3rd and 7th of a chord. The most efficient and musical method of right hand fill for any 7th chord is to add the Tritones below the melody. The left hand only has to provide the root of the chord.

In music, the interval of the diminished fifth, exactly half the octave, and considered in the Middle Ages to be the moral antithesis of the octave's perfect consonance, or ‘diabolus in musica’ (devil in music).

Sounds scary? Hear for yourself and find out why Tritones were banned from Christian music several hundred years ago.In today's modern age tritones have been embraced in all modern music and in some of your favorite songs.

Tritones are just another way to play a chord or to use as a passing tone.

For example in the key of Ab

Let's say you are playing a 1-7-6 progression and you want to play a tritone.

In other words you are going from the Ab to the G to the F

To use a tritone as a passing tone you would play

L.H/R.H
E Bb/ Eb Ab ( Represent's the 3 which is C)

This chord you would play it just before you reach to the F minor chord.

Let's recap

Tritone is the third and the major 7
Can be used for a passing note (see above)
Can be used as a replacement for an chord

Note: For more information on Tritones I would highly recommend that you check out GK Urban 600

Learn To Play Contemporary Tritones

Jesus Is Love-Lionel Ritchie

2010-08-20T14:16:00.000-07:00

Here is one of my favourite artists. Lionel Ritchie is an artist that has great talent in terms of his singing and playing. His unique style and diversity in songs makes him different from another artist.

Here is some information on Lionel Ritchie:

"Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an Academy Award and Grammy award-winning American singer, songwriter, record producer, and occasional actor, who has sold more than 100 million records."

"In 1980, the Commodores were voted "Favorite Soul Group" at the American Music Awards and won the Peoples Choice Award for "Best Song" with "Still". Surprisingly enough, the highly spiritual "Heroes", the Commodores' tenth LP, released the same year, was a poor seller in the U.K., at least compared to their previous albums, but went platinum in the United States. The singles "Old-Fashion Love" (R&B #8, Pop #20) and the title track "Heroes" (R&B #27, Pop #54) were obviously hits, but not big enough to end the malicious media speculations about the Commodores' heydays being over. The third single "Jesus Is Love" only made it to a disappointing R&B #34."

If you want more information on Lionel Ritchie go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Richie

This song was created by the Commodores and it is in the Key of Ab and was composed by Lionel Ritchie.

Verse 1

Ab/AbCEb - Father
G/EbGFBb - Help your
**FB/FBbDb
**EBb.EbAbC

These two chords are a filler to get to the 6th chord which is to be played on children

FEb/EbGAbC - children
Eb/EbAbC - and don't let them
Db/CEbFAb - fall
C/BbEbAb - by the side
BbAb/AbCDbF - of the road
Eb/DbEbFAb

Gb/GbBbDbF - Je-
FEb/FAbCEb - -sus
Ab/EbGbBbDb - is
Db/CEbFAb - Love

Basically that is the whole song. The rest song you are just walking down the Ab scale. You can your own fillers and passing chords to make it sound tighter in your playing.

Lyrics To Jesus Is Love

Father
Help Your children
And don't let them fall
By the side of the road, mmm...mmm...

And teach them
To love one another
That Heaven might find
A place in their hearts

'Cause Jesus is love
He won't let you down
And I know He's mine forever
Oh, in my heart

We've got to walk on
Walk on through temptation
'Cause His love and His wisdom
Will be our helpin' hand

And I know the Truth
And His words will be our salvation
Lift up our hearts
To be thankful and glad

That Jesus is love
He won't let you down
And I know He's mine
Deep down in my soul

Jesus is love
Oh, yes, He is
He won't let you down
And I know He's mine, He's mine, He's mine, He's mine, all mine
Forever, oh, in my heart
Help me, heart, heart
Ooh...ooh...

(Deep in my heart)
I know, I know, I know, I know
Ah, 'cause His love's the power (Power)
His love's the glory (Glory)
Forever (Ever and ever)

Ooh, yeah (Yeah, yeah)
Ooh, yeah (Yeah, yeah)
Ooh, yeah, yeah (Yeah, yeah)

I wanna follow your star
Wherever it leads me
And I don't mind, Lord
I hope you don't mind

I wanna walk with you
And talk with you
And do all the things you want me to do
'Cause I know that Jesus

(Jesus is Love, I know) 'Cause I know, Lord
(And if you ask, I'll show)
(Love is the word forever) And ever and ever

Who can bring you love (Jesus)
Who can bring you joy (Jesus)
Who can turn your life around (Jesus), oh

Ooh, yeah (Yeah, yeah)
Yeah (Yeah, yeah)
Hey

Who will pick you up (Jesus)
When you fall (Jesus)
Who'll stand beside you (Jesus)
Who will love us all

Hey, hey, Jesus (Yeah, yeah)
Jesus (Yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (Yeah, yeah)

One thing I wanna say
Who can heal your body (Jesus)
Who can make you strong (Jesus)
Who can help you to hold out (Jesus)
A little while longer

Ooh, yeah (Yeah, yeah)
Yeah (Yeah, yeah)
Jesus loves you (Yeah, yeah), Jesus wants you
If you call Him, He will answer

(Jesus) Call him in the mornin'
(Jesus) Call him in the evenin'
(Jesus) Call him in the midnight hour

Hey, hey (Yeah, yeah)
Yeah (Yeah, yeah)
Yeah, yeah (Yeah, yeah)
Yeah, y'all say it for me

(Jesus is love)

-BizModerator

This Weeks Music School: Phat Chords on Steroids III

2010-08-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

Hello Fellow Musicians and Music Lovers

Here is today's music school and we are going to be doing another post on Phat Chords. In the past week we have gotten many emails form musicians who want to know more ways to PHATTEN up the progression that we did in Db last week. We had to delay the Music School because of the responses that we have been getting from musicians. For those who missed it look for the Music School Posts on July 30. They want to know different alternatives to the 2-1-7-3-6 progression.

The first chord progression that you hear is from the previous posting on this chord progression then the ones after that are the new chord progressions

Key of Db

2-1-7-3-6 progression

Left Hand/Right Hand

Db-F-Gb-Bb/Db-F-Ab (Eb-2)

Db-Ab/Db-Eb-Ab (Db-1)

Bb-E/A-D-Gb-A (C-7)

A-Eb/Ab-Db-F or A-Eb/Db-Eb-Ab (F-3)

Ab-C-Db-F/Ab-Bb-C-Eb (Bb-6)

For the 6th chord you can make it a Bb Major 9. This will give it a major sound

Bb-F/A-C-D-F

Also I am going include a riff/run for the 6th chord

Bb,Ab,F,Eb,Db,C,Bb and continue down

Any combination will work so that you are able to mix up the notes

Try out these chords and let us know what you think!

P.S. If you want to submit a question and have it answered on our website go to:

www.helpingadvice.blogspot.com/askbizmoderator

Music Tutorial: Souled Out By Hezekiah Walker

2010-08-06T05:36:00.000-07:00

Good Morning/Afternoon,

It has been an intense week because I have been getting so many emails from hungry musicians who want song breakdowns. Well I have some great news for you musicians it starts today. We are going to be breaking down the song "Souled Out" by Hezekiah Walker. Also the Phat Chords for Musicians Is Coming Out Later Today!!!

Hezekiah Walker is an amazing artist who has a dynamic sound and the choir that sings behind him in this song is amazing. This song was recorded live at the Love Fellowship Tabernacle in Bensalem, PA.

Here is the song from the soundtrack. Credit for the song goes to the author.

Here is the breakdown of the song. Keep in mind that you can create your own sound to the music however just keep the integrity of the song.

Key of F

The Bass Line of the Song goes as follows

C,Bb,A,A,Bb,Bb,C, D,Eb,Eb,D

Essentially the song goes as follows. Your first chord movement is going to start on the A

Left Hand/Right Hand

A/A-C-F
Bb/Bb-D-F

Eb-Bb/G-Bb-Eb
D/ F-Bb-D

Here is the breakdown of the "My Mind is Made Up" section

Ab,G,F,D

G/D-G-Bb
F/C-F-A

Use the F-C-F as a bass to key time when you are doing this part

Here is the verse portion

Eb-Bb/G-Bb-Eb
D-A/F-Bb-D

A/A-C-F (x2)

Then
Eb-Bb/G-Bb-Eb
D-A/F-Bb-D

Repeat from the beginning

The second verse is the same as the first

Essentially thats the whole song broken down into parts. I wish you the best of luck in playing this song.