If you play any music at all, you can teach your children. More: You can make it fun for them, and fun for you. And you can have fun together.
How to Learn a Song
The principles of playing by ear apply to learning a song, and they can help you make the song “your own”, so you play it with feeling and with style.
“TuneTutor” program
The TuneTutor program was something I was working on at one time, in an attempt to use the computer to help people learn to play music by ear. It’s a project I haven’t worked on in a very long time. This page gives a synopsis, and tells
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Musical Acknowledgements
Many people spent a lifetime on their own musical journey — people who were kind enough to share their passion with me. This page lists the people to whom I am most indebted.
Learning to Play By Ear
Playing music by ear is a technique that is accessible to beginners of all ages. It makes music fun, and takes the boredom out of practicing. It gives you the kind of challenge you get solving crossword puzzles, but builds a skill that provides innumerable benefits, including the ability to interpret, improvise, and embellish a tune.
Using Sheet Music Effectively
Sheet music has highly appropriate uses. It also has highly inappropriate uses. The amateur musician needs to know how to make good use of it, and how to steer clear of its pitfalls. This article is intended to provide that guidance.
“Slow Sessions”
Slow sessions are valuable, and a heck of a lot of fun. Sheet music should be avoided while actually at the session though. For a really slow session, “trading tunes” may be a more useful concept than “playing together”. But with a really qualified session leader, both goals can be attained.
Recording to Learn
The right equipment and the right technique can make it a lot easier to learn to play a tune.