If you’ve ever wanted or needed to record yourself, you’ve probably found the acoustics in your spare room, garage, basement, or outbuilding aren’t exactly optimal for a proper recording. We’ve published an article previously about building an entire studio, but if that just isn’t a possibility for you, read on; smaller-scale solutions do exist!
Brought to our attention by our friends at Instructables, this article describes how to make acoustic panels that dramatically improve a space’s acoustics while blending with their surroundings…and without breaking the bank. Following the steps described, it’s possible to build several panels for about $24 each – and maybe much less, depending upon what material options you have available.
The outbuilding I’d mentioned in the previous article about building a soundproof studio remains without soundproofing; frankly, it’s just too much project for me to tackle right now. But crafting a few acoustic panels could actually fit into a weekend…so again, the wheels turn.
If you’ve done this already – or are just further along in the process than I am (!) – please drop us a line or post a comment. The more we all know, the smarter we all are. :-)
Keep playing,
Mark
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Tags: acoustic, DIY, do it yourself, how, make, panels, recording, studio, to
Gear, General | Mark December 29, 2010 | 
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It’s probably inevitable that the older we get, the more we think about regrets we may someday have about things we have, or haven’t, done. So as a Part-Time Musician (PTM)…how do we avoid those regrets?
Some time back, friend Robert DeMaine of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra shared this satirical story, courtesy of The Onion. Like most good humor, it has enough basis in truth to really make a person think. To me, it always seems to come back to this: don’t keep your music within you.
If you haven’t yet found *your* instrument, I’d encourage you to look for it. If you have, I’d urge you to play it. Music, like most gifts, is of little worth unless it’s shared…and once shared, it’s a gift to all – including you, the giver.
It may sound trite, but simple truths are just that. Think about it. :-)
Keep playing,
Mark
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Tags: avoid, how, music, musician, part, PTM, regrets, time, within
Inspiration, Joke of the Day | Mark November 29, 2010 |
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Transposition is a tough concept for those who haven’t done much of it. Learning music as it’s written often poses enough of a challenge! But learning to transpose, either “statically” before you begin to play or “on the fly”, can really take your musicianship up a notch. Let’s take one step at a time.
This article from our friends at CathysChords shows how to make a transposition wheel. Transposition is a handy skill for guitarists, as you’ll often want to play music in a key that differs from what is written on the music you have (for orchestral players, please see Transposing for Trumpet: A Handy Reference). Whether the chords are particularly nasty as written or the singer just needs to take it down a step or two, transposition can be used to carry the day. It’s a simple skill once you get your head around it, and the wheel can help getting started even easier.
The basic idea is that when you see a chord or key (for guitar) that you want to change to a more suitable one, you can just “dial it in”. Line up the original chord on the wheel with the one you want to use instead, and then use the matching chords instead of those written on the music. To try it, grab a pencil and a piece of music that you’ve always avoided playing due to the ugly chords and give it a try. Dial in the first chord, lining it up with an easier-to-play one (maybe A or C). Write in the “new” chord by the original one on the music, and then repeat for each subsequent one…maybe for a line or two. Then try playing it. Magic!
Have a transposing story to tell? Drop us a line! We’d love to hear from you.
Keep playing,
Mark
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Tags: change, chords, Guitar, how, key, make, to, transpose, transposing, wheel
Guitar, Learning | Mark November 14, 2010 |
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Some Part-Time Musicians (PTMs) are gadget hounds, but for some, that just isn’t enough. For those really-eaten-up few (!), real instrument nirvana is found in building your own instrument. So…anyone up to building a conga drum? 
Our friends at Instructables have this set of instructions for building your own atabaque, or Afro-Brazilian conga drum. I’ll admit that spending so much time crafting an instrument that could be spent playing it just doesn’t work for me. That said, I know oboists and bassoonists who probably spend more time in a year creating and trimming reeds than this would require, and I don’t even want to think about the time I’ve spent over the years experimenting with various mouthpieces and trumpet accessories…so to each his own. Or as our French PTMs would say, vive la difference!
So what do you think? Ready to head to the shop and start building your next instrument? Drop us a line and let us know what’s on your mind! We’d love to hear from you.
Keep playing,
Mark
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Practice. It can be fun and therapeutic at times…and it can be pure drudgery at others. We all want to play well, but how much practice is enough? How much is too much? Can there even be too much?
Well, yes. According to a paper published in the Journal or Neuroscience, practicing is important to developing skills of a cognitive and/or physical nature…but “osmosis learning” – or as Professor Harold Hill referred to it in the classic musical The Music Man, the “think system” – contributes greatly to mastering a task. In fact, actual practice time can be reduced greatly if the reduction is accompanied by an equivalent increase in passive learning (listening to relevant material, etc.) – which is quite effective, even if the passive learner is doing something else at the same time!
The practical upshot is this: make your practice sessions focused and effective, and listen to musical selections that contribute to your musical growth as well. Rather than try to find an hour every day to practice, accept that some days you’ll be lucky to find 15 minutes of available instrument time…and fill in the rest with selections from your iPod. As a trumpeter, listen to Wynton for 45 minutes. Or Maurice Andre. Or Al Hirt. Violinist? Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, or Hillary Hahn? Or maybe David Garrett. You get the idea. :-)
While there are no shortcuts to playing better, there is a difference between “working hard” and “working smart”. We shouldn’t be afraid to put effort into becoming better at something we love, but we should do what we can to enjoy the journey as well. If it happens to be a more effective way to learn, all the better!
Keep playing (and listening)…
Mark
For more information, please see:
How Much Should We Practice?
The Journal of Neuroscience
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