YouTube for musicians: technique

This is the third in a series of articles about using YouTube to accomplish your goals as a musician. Many of these goals overlap, but today, we’ll try to keep our focus to using YouTube to learn technique.

There are numerous ways to learn new technique on your chosen instrument. Some things require a great deal of effort working with a good instructor to really learn and master. Others can be absorbed easily after just a short demonstration. In either case – and in all cases that fall between them – a good demonstration can really facilitate learning to do something new with your instrument…or just learning to do something better.

Our youngest performed Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen with two area orchestras when she was 13 years old. Anyone who knows violin repertoire understands the difficulty associated with this piece, and our daughter worked very hard to learn it. Along the way, she spent a great deal of time observing the “masters” playing this piece…and one way she did that was via YouTube.

While this video could also fall under the “inspiration” category, Itzhak Perlman demonstrates a great deal of technique in it. Between Mr. Perlman, Jascha Heifetz, and others, we had sources-a-plenty to which to turn for visual and audible guidance, in addition to the excellent tutelage of our violin instructor, a professional violinist herself. But back to YouTube.

This video is instructive throughout, but if you want to preview why video/audio demonstrations can contribute so greatly to learning new technique, skip to 7:50 and watch to the end. Once you do that, you’ll probably want to watch it from the beginning to see what you missed in the build-up. 

Getting a sound or technique into your “mind’s eye” can help you get there, provided you put in the work to learn and master it. YouTube is a great way to do that, offering opportunities to see and hear experts demonstrate what you’re trying to learn whenever it is convenient for you…and as many times as is necessary. Can it be done without YouTube? Of course. Can you build a highway using only hand tools? How much time do you have? 

Make use of this great tool to expand your horizons! It will only make you better.

Keep playing,
Mark

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YouTube for musicians: equipment setup

This is the second in a series of articles about using YouTube to accomplish your goals as a musician. Many of these goals overlap, but today, we’ll try to keep our focus to using YouTube as a reference for working with (e.g. setting up, maintaining) your equipment.

Even with the numerous demands on our time, I firmly believe that becoming a “good musician” (whatever your definition) is more attainable now than it ever has been. Many factors contribute to this, including the widespread availability of good, reasonably-priced instruments…and the wealth of knowledge available to those who want/need it. While finding it can be a problem – as can distinguishing the good from the bad, just as with the instruments themselves at times – help is available on almost any topic imaginable. One of the best sources is YouTube.

Adjusting Intonation

This article addresses the guitar family, but rest assured it applies to all instruments. For today, though, our fretted friends offer the perfect example.

New or used, cheap or expensive, rare is the electric guitar (or bass) that makes its way into your hands with perfect intonation. While relief and pickup adjustments can be very helpful, I would suggest that adjusting your guitar’s intonation may be the single best (free) thing you can do for your overall sound quality.

Several years ago, I bought an inexpensive guitar pack to play around with. The bundled guitar was a cheap Strat knock-off, and while my expectations weren’t high, the guitar just was never “right”. The tuner would show that every string was in tune, but when you played a chord, it didn’t quite sound that way. Since I played only acoustic/classical guitar to that point and had always taken any problems to the shop for resolution, that’s what I did this time as well.

The tech was helpful, and he took a quick stab at adjusting the intonation. Although he didn’t make any noticeable improvement, he did encourage me to give it a try myself. So back home I went…and the first thing I did was pull up YouTube. Eventually, I found the video below, and (adopting dramatic voice) it changed my life. 

I sat down one evening and tinkered with the poor, cheap Stratocopy until it sounded like a real guitar. I was amazed at the difference! No, this simple procedure won’t transform a dime-store instrument into a mega-axe, but it just might make your beater a useful music-maker. The Strat that had collected dust for months (years?) now sees regular use and is a real joy to play.

After the success with the little Stratocopy, I turned my attention to my favorite bass. It had always sounded good, but with a little intonation TLC, it sounded even better. Again, rare is the gear that couldn’t benefit from a little attention! A word of warning: the more intonation adjustments you do, the better you get at doing them…and the more you crave the results.

For those Part-Time Musicians (PTMs) who don’t play guitar or bass, you (and your instrument/equipment) can still benefit from a little YouTubing. In future articles, I plan to address helpful videos for everything from woodwinds to pianos, brass to fine strings. Whatever you play, it’s very likely that something is in there for you. Finding it is the challenge. 

Keep playing,
Mark

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Videogaming helps your mad music-making skillz!

I had an experience today that changed my outlook a bit on video games. In a good way. Today I “discovered” Guitar Hero.

I had shunned all of the “guitar god” games that have been released over the past few years, dismissing them as fads for those who aren’t committed enough to apply themselves to learning to play a real instrument (sniff!). After all, pressing a few buttons and “strumming” a flipper on a cheap plastic guitar doesn’t exactly translate to music-making, now does it?

Today, I spent the afternoon with some good friends who insisted that I try a round of Guitar Hero III. Frankly, I had little desire to do so…but I do consider myself a good sport, so after an exhaustive 30-second training seminar, I was turned loose on a, well, cheap plastic guitar with buttons and a flipper. And now, dear reader, I’m hooked.

It brought to mind old memories of our family sitting in the family room floor playing Donkey Konga. I had first seen an aspiring musician playing Donkey Konga at a local Toys-R-Us, and once the youngster walked away, I gave it a try. By the time I was joined by the rest of my family, I knew we had found the GameCube’s “killer app”. Not only was it fun, it really did boost your listening and rhythm skills. Long before Wii Fit came along, Donkey Konga made you break a sweat playing a videogame…and have a great time doing it!

Guitar Hero is like that, too – and better. I noticed immediately that my play/playing improved dramatically when I listened, rather than watched, what was coming up in the song. Before many measures had passed, I was locked on…and appreciating the value of the “musician games” on the market. Two of our daughters, both violinists and one an occasional guitarist, noted the same thing.

Musician games (Guitar Hero, Rock Band, etc.) won’t make you a musician, but they will help you with your listening skills and timing, and may even give you some ideas for technical improvement; after all, there’s a pretty nice backing track with each song. Don’t put away the (real) guitar, bass, drums, or any other instrument if you want to continue to grow in your playing abilities. But for a fun diversion that really will help your playing, it’s okay to occasionally plug one of the many games in the Guitar Hero/Rock Band and similar franchises. You just might be surprised at the results. After all, learning is wherever you find it. 

Keep playing,
Mark

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YouTube for musicians: boosting the burn!

This is the first in a series of articles about using YouTube to accomplish your goals as a musician. Many of these goals overlap, but today, we’ll try to keep our focus to using YouTube as a source of inspiration.

There are times when we all go through periods of, well, “reduced motivation”. How do we get the burn back to continue our relentless drive to improve, enjoy, and share our music? How to we get back “into the zone”?

YouTube: Buglers Holiday!

As mentioned in previous articles, attending a live performance or watching a movie with a great score are two ways to keep the flame burning brightly. YouTube offers another…although it does have a few downsides.

First, nearly anyone can post a video. This may be YouTube’s greatest strength, but it is quite possibly its worst flaw. Little Bobby down the street can produce a video that does little but consume bandwidth/time and crowd out more helpful offerings. (Admit it: you’ve seen videos like that, too.) Worse still, someone who seems knowledgeable can provide how-to advice that can be detrimental or downright dangerous. The internet gives with one hand…and takes with the other. Caveat emptor. 

But back to the positives. On balance, it’s great for a Part-Time Musician (PTM) to have the breadth of videos available that exist on YouTube. Many clips provide helpful information, and many also provide inspiration to those watching. For today, let’s stick to the inspiration.

Like J.K. Rowling’s Mirror of Erised, YouTube can consume hours of your time and give little in return…but an occasional visit can be a nice boost. You want examples, you say? Glad you asked!

Below is a video that should inspire you to pull out your chosen instrument and really take it to task…even if you aren’t a trumpeter. Enjoy!

In future articles, we’ll take a look at how PTMs can use YouTube for equipment setup and maintenance, technique, and ancillary training ideas…all good things for your inner musical geek. 

Keep playing,
Mark

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