Why Traditional Ear Training Apps Don’t Work (And What Actually Does)
If You’ve Done Ear Training… But Still Can’t Play What You Hear If you’ve spent time doing ear training (i.e.…
Why Isolation Can Hurt Your Playing (Unless You Do This)
Ever since coming back to the bass after a long hiatus, I’ve realized something I didn’t fully understand…
Why Scales Don’t Teach You How To Improvise (But Phrases Do)
For a long time, I approached improvisation the way many musicians are taught. I would hear a chord… then think…
Sentence Pyramids — But for Learning Music (Music Phrase Pyramids Walkthrough)
A lot musicians are taught music backwards… Myself included. I learned my scales, what chords to apply…
I Learned Music Backwards (Here’s the Practice Method I Wish I Started With)
When I taught my daughter to read at a young age, I used a technique called sentence pyramids. Instead of…
How I Learned the Chord Changes to Smashing Pumpkins “Tonight, Tonight” by Ear
Learning chord changes by ear didn’t always feel natural to me. Before a long hiatus from playing, I approached…
What Art Fundamentals Taught Me About Developing Musical Fluency
A few days ago, I did a drawing session with my daughter. We made it more fun by adding a simple restriction: we…
How Learning the Melody Makes Soloing 10× Easier
For the longest time, my solos were built almost entirely off the chord progression. That’s how I was taught.…
The Unexciting Truth About Transcribing Music
There’s a version of music practice that shows up a lot on social media. Someone is playing their bass to a…
Change the Key Before You Get Comfortable: An Ear-First Bass Practice Tip
For a long time, practicing in different keys was a separate part of my routine. I’d transcribe a line. Lock in…