Thursday 27 July 2017

Loss of Our Favorite Musicians

Be it the recent loss of Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane, Chuck Berry, Glen Frey, Prince and so many other legends we grew up listening to - The death of our favorite musicians makes feel a great sense of loss.

What we’re experiencing is the passing of an entire generation of true artists – men and women who worked within the medium of music the way a sculptor works in marble. Can you imagine a world not influenced by the Beatles and Bowie? One without shimmering brass sections, psychedelic guitars and dense keyboard solos? Would anything remain but computer-generated beats and Auto-Tune?  Is there even anyone active in popular music right now who could begin to write the score for a string section? What about a Top 40 band that can approach the sublime harmonies that the unjustly maligned Eagles deliver on “Seven Bridges Road“? Will any rocker ever again reach the rarified air of critical acclaim and universal mainstream appeal that Bowie and the Beatles reached?


This alone provides ample reason to grieve when social media lights up with the tragic news that another pioneer has left us. But I suspect that the death of musical craftsmanship constitutes a small fraction of why we mourn these losses.

Musicians and Fans are connected in an intangible way that a casual listener simply cannot understand. These people we don't know somehow spoke to us directly. The lyrics of our favorite songs take us on a emotional journey that no one can fathom. As David Grohl (Foo Fighters, Ex-Nirvana) once said "That's one of the great things about music. You can sing a song to 85,000 people and they will sing it back for 85,000 different reasons."

While we mourn the loss of a life, we’re also mourning the loss of something inside us. We’ve got to pull the shade down on many happy memories that now sting just a little. And we have to watch the vibrant color these artists brought into our lives drift out of sight like a balloon that slipped from our grasp just a moment before we were ready.




BlueTimbre is a Music Company with Music Education spaces, Jam Room and Recording studio located in Whitefield, Bangalore, India. BlueTimbre provides complete end-to-end Music Education solutions for schools. The BlueTimbre team comes with decades of cumulative experience in running structured businesses, music curriculum development, music education and performance.




Source
www.diffuser.fm
personal emotion

Picture Credits: 
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/touring-exhibition-david-bowie-is/
http://www.billboard.com

Tuesday 18 July 2017

Heel Up and Heel Down Techniques

This is an article that gives clarity on the most common foot techniques used while playing the drums - these are the Heel Up & the Heel Down techniques.


Different tools for different jobs

An important concept to grasp from the outset is that these foot positions are used to achieve different things.

  • Heel-down technique is used to play at low to medium volumes.
  • Heel-up technique is used for medium to loud volumes and for accessing multiple stroke techniques.





Heel-down foot technique is ideal for playing at low to medium volumes. The stroke is a result of the calve muscle engaging a flexion at the ankle joint. Make sure you keep your foot in contact with the foot board throughout the motion. Remember that this technique is not for playing loud.





Heel-up technique engages the weight of the entire leg to facilitate the stroke. It uses ankle and hip flexion in the movement and works best with the heels only a few inches off the floor. 

This technique also allows you to access multiple stroke technique such as the step-slide technique and the heel-toe technique. Good foot technique often facilitates improve balance and centering and can dramatically improve your groove playing. 




Work on exercises to improve foot technique in both heel-down and heel-up positions. Remember the limitations of each position and don’t waste your practice time trying to make one position do things it will be able to do.



BlueTimbre is a Music Company with Music Education spaces, Jam Room and Recording studio located in India. BlueTimbre provides complete end-to-end Music Education solutions for schools. The BlueTimbre team comes with decades of cumulative experience in running structured businesses, music curriculum development, music education and performance.





Source
http://theparadiddler.com/2010/01/26/dvd-review-unburying-the-beater/
http://www.drum-mastery.eu/dms/drum-mastery/documents/shure-drum-mastery-paper-foot-techniques/shure-drum-mastery-paper-foot-techniques.pdf

Wednesday 12 July 2017

How to Sing Efficiently

All of us have a singing voice, but not everyone has developed proper vocal techniques in order to be sure where to find or how to use that voice. Not convinced? Head out to a Karaoke Bar one evening. Chances are you’ll witness a variety of passionate singers out there. All of them showing their confidence and courage to express themselves publicly.

But let’s be honest, some are less pleasing to the ear than others, and we love them anyways! The point is, that there are also many naturally good singers as well. Even these with proper training could very easily, not only raise their level, but also reduce the amount of effort involved in sounding great. So here are 3 points that we know will help you sing more efficiently.


#1 Posture

Perhaps there’s another secret as to why your mother constantly reminded you to stand up straight. The truth is..it makes you a better singer. How? It’s vitally important to align your body parts and prepare them to support your sound, while eliminating tension. Tension not only makes you feel uncomfortable and affects your mood, but can greatly restrict air flow, making singing a chore rather than pure enjoyment.

Exercise: Find a wall and stand with your back to it. Place your head to the wall so that your chin is parallel to the floor. Open your shoulders and roll them back to the wall. Without allowing your spine to touch, slowly move your back towards the wall to straighten. Arms to your sides. Feet shoulder width apart, find your balance. Try to relax. The only tension you create should be in your abdominal muscles that are supporting your singing. It is more effective if you do this in front of a mirror. This can especially help you to visualize your stance after you see and feel proper posture.



#2 Breathing

Try holding your breath and singing or even speaking. You get the point right? Clearly, air is a major component to singing. When singing a melody, the words are expressed quite differently than if you were to simply recite the sentences aloud. The volume, the pitch, the tone and the tempo can have you gasping for air before you know it.

Learning and mastering proper breathing is one of the keys to instantly improving your ability to sing. Unless we are exercising, normally our breathing is quite shallow. As we begin training our body to sing, we need to take deeper breaths in order to sustain our sound loud and clear for our listening audience. At first you may even feel a rush of dizziness as the deeper you breath, the more oxygen that gets to your brain. But don’t stress it! Your body just needs to get used to proper and more efficient breathing.


#3 Healthy Habits

Simple healthy habits can often be the most beneficial for your vocal health. It doesn’t matter if you meet a heavy metal singer, pop singer, or an opera singer. You can bet any one of these true professionals can appreciate the abundance of good ole H2O. It’ll always be within arms reach whether they are in the studio, rehearsal, or on stage. Some prefer drinking warm water, claiming that it better refreshes your throat. Others swear that ice cold water can aid in keeping swelling down, especially after a killer belting performance. Regardless of your preference. Just drink lots of it! 

Avoid dairy products, oily foods and extremely cold items for at least three days before a gig/show to keep your voice in the best shape. 

Keep these three points in mind for a healthy and efficient singing experience. 


BlueTimbre is a Music Company with Music Education spaces, Jam Room and Recording studio located in India. BlueTimbre provides complete end-to-end Music Education solutions for schools. The BlueTimbre team comes with decades of cumulative experience in running structured businesses, music curriculum development, music education and performance.





Source
https://prezi.com/tfviibc1tdqr/how-to-sing-efficiently/
https://www.vocaltips.net/vocal-techniques-for-beginners/
https://singersedge.com/singers-voice-training-crucial-for-success/

Tuesday 4 July 2017

6 Tips for Effective Drum Practice

As teachers, we often find that although students say that they are practicing regularly, it doesn't reflect in class. It is because sadly most people do not know how to practice. 

Some of reason lies in the fact that there is too much information online and that can confuse students. So in this article, we want to share with you our top 6 tips for practicing the drums:

1. Always Go Into A Practice Routine With A Plan
Before you sit down at your drums, plan out exactly what you are going to do. If you want to just play around for a bit, then at least plan that (not what you’re going to do, but the fact that you’re just going to experiment for awhile). The point of this isn’t to make your practice routine ultra rigid, and you can still be spontaneous if you’re feeling inspired, but you need to be more intentional with what you want to accomplish with your time spent behind the kit.

2. Pay attention to posture 
Good posture is critical when practicing drums. That’s because posture plays an essential role in building physical habits, which can make or break your ability to play by affecting your speed, control, power, and overall technique. Since the body posture you adopt when practicing will become  like second nature over time, you need to pay attention to your posture from the very beginning. In addition, specialists advise drummers to warm up their muscles before a drum practice session if they want to gain speed and endurance.

3. Use a metronome
Since a metronome emphasizes rhythm problems, using this tool may be discouraging, especially in the beginning. However, it’s the only way to improve your timing and help you stay in control of your playing. If you continue to practice with a metronome, you’ll be able to develop a solid groove and play the drums like a pro.



4. Have A Balance Of Technique And Musicality Practicing technique won’t make you a better musician. Playing music will make you a better musician. Technique is easy and fun to practice because it’s quantifiable, but it’s not the end all be all with drumming. No musical director cares how fast you can play, or how good your medium full stroke roll is. So try to balance your practice between technique and musicality.


5. Practice Drums Every Day
Whether you are active listening to music, tapping on your legs, or just playing on the practice pad – do something every day. Even if it’s just 10 minutes each time, it’s better than nothing. There are no excuses for not practicing. Don’t get into the mindset that the ‘stars have to be aligned’ for you to practice on the kit. Just do something.

6. Have Fun
Practicing with attention is very important, but don’t forget to have fun while you’re at it! Play what you love to play and practice exactly what you want to practice. This way, you’ll learn new techniques, develop excellent drumming skills, and become a pro without even realizing it.

Drums is a fantastic instrument and is a great way to express yourself. We hope these tips will help you play your music, your way and help you get the best out of your practice sessions.


BlueTimbre is a Music Company with Music Education spaces, Jam Room and Recording studio located in India. BlueTimbre provides complete end-to-end Music Education solutions for schools. The BlueTimbre team comes with decades of cumulative experience in running structured businesses, music curriculum development, music education and performance.


Source
http://www.drumeo.com/blog/5-tips-to-practice-drums/
http://takelessons.com/blog/8-tips-for-drum-practice