Play What You Like

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This is a really simple concept that many of us like to complicate. I have played numerous instruments in a multitude of bands. I have also willingly (and unwillingly) performed music that I wouldn't purchase with my own money, for money. I always find the most satisfaction when I play the music that I like. Always. That is one reason that we here at Matt Burk Music Studio involve music that inspires the student to practice and perform! It is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when we first begin lessons because there are so many basics to cover before we can play through a full and recognizable song . We help students reach their destination by chopping up the song into small, digestible goals that are measure-based and not time-based. Remember, play what you like! Matt Burk Music Studios, Learn, Create, Perform!

Acoustic Versus Electric: Piano

In a continuation of our recent theme, we take a closer look at the differences, advantages, and disadvantages of the electric instruments versus acoustic: piano edition! Of course, many pianists seem to prefer having an acoustic piano either where they live or where they practice. The tone of a well made instrument is unmatched. Hence, when you see performances of famous pianists they are almost always performing on a grand piano in the concert hall. The weight of the keys, the response of the hammers, and the acute precision of the pedals makes the piano ideal for recording and performance. The big drawback: lack of portability. Have you ever moved a piano? I have once. Once. I was lucky to come away with all of my toes still intact. Secondly, a piano must be tuned from time to time by a professional piano tuner. This can prove to be an expensive upkeep.

Which brings us to the electric piano, or keyboard. There are a myriad of electric keyboards, pianos, and synthesizers. The latter of the three is extremely versatile. With presets that range in the thousands, certain synthesizers can emulate pianos through samples and sound (nearly) perfect! But the greatest quality to the electric piano or keyboard is the portability! You can set up and break down in minutes and, while an amplifier or sound system is needed for large performances, many electric pianos are equipped with speakers for intimate settings.

Of course, the thing to remember is to find the right instrument for YOU. Always do your research and if you can, go play the instrument at your local music store! Acoustic versus electric: you decide!

If you or someone you know is interested in learning to play piano or any other instrument, please check out the rest of our website. We also encourage you to stop in to either of our two convenient North Texas locations in Allen and Frisco. We offer private music lessons in piano, guitar, drums, bass, voice, and songwriting! Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!

Practice: It Adds Up!

Here at Matt Burk Music Studio we encourage daily practice for our students and here's why:  it adds up! Keeping rhythms and melodies fresh in the memory will ensure that you can play it correctly when you recall it. Unfortunately, much of the mechanics of music is learned through what is called Rote Learning. This type of memorization is very weak and needs to be repeated and reviewed often. Daily practice, even for just a very short time, helps solidify the actions in the muscle memory. Think about it like this. You once did not know how to tie your shoes and had to be shown. Now, when you tie your laces do you think about it or do you just let the action happen? I bet you will find that it is nearly involuntary once we decide on the action to perform it. Often music students find themselves saying, "I'll just practice twice as much tomorrow".  They may make good on our promise but often the next day comes and they make the same statement. A week later and they're back in lessons wondering where the time went and why forming the  E major chord or playing the groove fills at the same tempo as last lesson is much more difficult than it was a week earlier!

Luckily, this is totally avoidable with small, easily digestible goals. This is one of our core practices at Matt Burk Music Studio. We find music that inspires YOU! We use songs you like, break them down into chunks and help you move through each until you're playing the song! This is just one of our core philosophies: check out the rest on our website here or stop in to one of our locations in both Allen and Frisco, Texas. We offer customized private music lessons for piano, guitar, drums, bass, and vocals.  Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!

Show Etiquette

You're wondering, "What is show etiquette and why do I care about it?" Well, let me be the one to tell you that there are a few unspoken rules about behavior at musical events. These keep the atmosphere amicable and ensures that everyone has a good time. Not sure if you've been adhering? Let me help! At live shows where the music is loud, the "rules" are a bit more lenient: talking, singing along, and being loud (when the time is right) are encouraged, especially at rock, pop, and country shows. Performers appreciate a heart-felt applause when the whole room is connected through the music. However, loud talking at quieter shows can become distracting. Take note of the "feel" of the room. Is everybody sitting down, gazing quietly at the stage? Probably not the best time to discuss your favorite Real Housewives of Orange County episode at the top of your outside voice. I've seen more than one performer have to say something in between songs to over-the-top noisy patrons. Trust me, it is always embarrassing!

Let's talk about smart phones. They're wonderful and handy. They have all kinds of features, including a camera and a video recorder! Awesome! But does that necessitate you becoming the next Spike Jonze, recording your favorite band in hopes of making that next viral video? Unless you have been specifically asked to do so, most likely the screen is distracting others. This is especially true if you have your hand up in the line of sight to the band. Of course you should get some memories, but take a few moments to EXPERIENCE the show outside of a screen that is only a few inches wide. I've talked to friends after shows and asked them if they remembered certain key moments and they don't, some going so far as to review their footage, hoping to recapture that magic moment when the performer was really connecting with the crowd!

Thirdly, attendance. Yes, you are allowed to come and go as you please, but if you're paying for three bands, why just stay for one? This rang true to me when I was told by an old family friend that he had paid to see Steppenwolf ("Born to Be Wild" fame) in concert. Well, his friends decided to wait to go to the show just to see the headliner. He went early to see all the groups and happened to catch the opening act. They blew him away and he later found that he had seen one of the first big shows for a little known band called Three Dog Night. Ring any bells now?

The whole purpose of this particular post is to convey ideas that you may or may not entirely agree with. I think everyone is entitled to their own protocol. I've just been playing shows and going to concerts since a very early age and I find by sticking to these "rules" everyone has a good time!

Interested in more information on subjects such as these? Here at Matt Burk Music Studio, we understand not only how to turn students into great performers, but the ins and outs of being a professional musician and spectator. We specialize in custom lessons tailored to the student. We offer private music lessons in piano, guitar, drums, bass, voice, songwriting, and audio production. Check out the rest of our site or come by one of our locations in Allen or Frisco Texas areas! Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!

Time Management

When we are young it seems like we have all the time in the world. Wait, maybe not. I find that even my youngest students have a rich extra-curricular activity schedule and that means time management is essential! When have somewhere to be every night it can be difficult to find time to practice. Still, I have found that if you create a spot on your weekly calendar for practice and only practice, without outside distraction, you can achieve successful progress that can be marked. Let your family know that during your practice time that you're not to be disturbed (except for emergencies, of course) and make that plan stick! Need help getting to a comfortable level of practice to work on your own? Matt Burk Music Studio can show you how to practice in a manner that helps you move forward! We offer private music lessons in piano, guitar, drums, bass, voice, songwriting, and audio production. Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!

Under Watchful Eyes

I seem to always get nervous when I practice with someone else in the room. The feeling isn't the same as when I am alone and I find myself looking for distractions. For day-to-day practice it is best if I am alone in a quiet place where time is allotted to ensure proper rehearsal. However, it can be very beneficial to the player to be observed and critiqued in a positively reinforced atmosphere. Notes that benefit future performance strategies are well received, especially after seeing them implemented on stage or in the pit. As of late the new guitar instructor has been sitting in on my lessons.  Even though it makes me nervous, I find that it helps me focus on the most important part of teaching:  connecting with the students! I felt that I was less worried about missed notes  and rushed tempos than normal and, in turn, it allowed for my students to play more freely and have a better time all around.

I was happy to have such positive results from something that made me so very nerve-wracked. Sometimes it takes a little bit of nervousness that gives us the push to apply ourselves to our full potential. At Matt Burk Music Studio, we believe that with a plan and a path lined with positivity, we can help you reach your musical goals. We offer private music lessons for a myriad of instruments including piano, guitar, drums, bass, voice, songwriting, and audio production. We couple that with solid theory, popular music that holds the student's interest, and multiple performance opportunities throughout the year. Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!

Take it Slow!

I find it to be funny when students come in and see one of the instructors play through a piece they've been working on as though it was an afterthought. Their eyes get big and often they'll make some type of facial expression that looks like a cross between fear and awe. What they often don't know is that the instructor didn't just pick up the guitar, bass, drum sticks, etc. and start playing the song. Usually we work a bit on pieces that we know our students want to play. Also, we were literally trained to do this and have years of experience over the student. It is important to keep this in mind when learning an instrument too, because we often feel frustrated about not getting it perfect the first read-through! Give yourself a bit more of a break; diligent practice will prove your ability to perform it as you wish, it just takes time. Most importantly, play through your first reads SLOWLY. I cannot stress this enough. It helps with rhythms, tonal precision, and instrument-specific technique (strumming patterns for guitar and the like). After a few times through correct, then you may begin increasing the tempo! There you will find how easy it can be to play complicated works if you take the time to first do them slowly! It may seem difficult to do, so why not let us help you! We offer private music lessons for piano, guitar, drums, bass, voice, songwriting, and audio production!

Stress Release!

Things have been very busy around the studio lately. Last weekend was our Showcase at the House of Blues on Saturday and Sunday was our Recital at the McKinney Performing Arts Center. Needless to say, anxiety levels were at an all time high. This is something that is totally normal and to be expected. What I think surprised many of my students is the complete sense of relief when their performances had ended. This too is totally normal! Here at Matt Burk Music Studio we harness that anxiety to help with curbing the stage-fright and in turn channel it towards a better performance. Those in the audience noticed a marked difference in players whom may have had trouble in the past. While some have the ability to teach themselves to alleviate that stress, we can coach and mold you into a performer that actually looks forward to that feeling, takes it, and uses it to create show-stopping results. Whether you play piano, guitar, drums, bass, or sing, Matt Burk Music Studio offers private music lessons that not only help you reach your creative goals, but gives real-world experience in the music realm. Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!

Major or Minor?

 

It is a very simple question but one that many people don't know the answer to: what is the difference between the major and minor scales? Well, it is an easy answer wrapped up in complicated language. First we have to understand that we're talking about  a group of tones to which we have assigned the name "scale".. In this example we'll use the C Major scale tones: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C (the next octave up).  There are no accidentals in the scale of C Major, it may be found easily on the piano, just the white keys, starting from any C note on the keyboard (see the picture!) and ascending to the next octave.  The major scale may be sung in solfeggio: do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do! Now sing it, like Julie Andrews!

Now here is the weird part. To create the C minor scale we have to make a few adjustments to the original Major scale. Those adjustments are as follows: We'll take the third scale degree, "mi" and drop the tone one half-step to "me" (this creates a minor third relationship between our 1 "do" and our 3rd "me"). Then we'll flat the 7th tone as well, from "ti" to "te". That's it, now we have do-re-me-fa-so-la-te-do! Our C natural minor scale! Now take a look at the picture above this paragraph. Can you see that if we were to play the C Major Scale, but started on the tone of A and played through to another A we would be playing the A Minor scale! Why is this? Well, they share the same key signature and tones!

Now wasn't all that easy to figure out? It wasn't? Well then, perhaps Matt Burk Music Studio can help shed some light on the theory behind musical ideas that many hold commonplace but aren't exactly sure how or why they work. We can incorporate this into fun, digestible, goal-oriented lessons on the instrument you choose! We offer private music lessons in piano, guitar, drums, bass, voice, songwriting, and audio production. Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!

The Magic of the Stage

I played lead guitar in an R & B band that featured a singer who doubled on keys. The show centered around his instrument and we were there to fill out the sound, though we had our solos and moments to shine. I remember the performance at a place in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago, a small, dimly lit venue that catered to what, for lack of a better term, would be the "hipster" crowd. Types who defined themselves by the things they read, studied, and most importantly, listened to. Now this keyboard player had a double-tiered set up; the base was a Fender Rhodes (the more portable model) with a Nord Lead set on top by means of a short stand. The thing that I remember most, the moment that stands out in my mind and the reason I am writing about this is what happened in the first few minutes of the very first tune. I tend to get really into the music, I close my eyes and play. I happened to have my eyes shut, grooving the lead line for a Meters tune when suddenly something seems amiss.

At first I am fairly certain that I am having an aural hallucination or my ears and brain have decided to stop decoding input correctly. A rising din, no cacophony of noise is rapidly increasing in volume and filling the room with what I later labeled as the "sounds of the end of the world". What had happened was every keyboard players nightmare. Apparently the Rhodes had toppled over, spilling the Nord upside-down and therefore pressing ALL of the keys at once. The synthesizer had been preset to an organ lead, which was like a Bach-esque nightmare of noise. Luckily, we were all professionals. Making eye contact without stopping the song, the rest of the band vamped on the verse chords while the keyboardist picked up his instrument and set it up again, this time with a bit more stability. We waited until he was ready and in unison as a group dove into the chorus. The crowed cheered our recovery and by the end of the set, it had been completely forgotten.

What is the point of this story? Well, I believe that there is a certain magic that exists when one is standing on a stage that keeps mistakes in the background while simultaneously highlighting successes. This is something that not every player knows and sometimes they may be discouraged or let things like the situation above unsettle them into a poor performance. We here at Matt Burk Music Studio can help coach students and prepare them for the hurdles encountered in live performances, whether it is for piano, guitar, drums, bass, or voice we can steel your nerves for any sticky situation! Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!

Eliminate the "No"!

The first time I saw an electric guitar up close happened while I was waiting for my mom to finish the paperwork to rent my cornet for middle school band. It was a stratocaster type knock-off, red with white pickguard and it.was.beautiful! I ran my fingers across the open strings and the slight dissonance jarred me. The man behind the counter said out loud, "Would you like to learn that one instead?" and I thought to myself, "Could I ever play that instrument?" It seemed so complicated to me, 6 strings to deal with on both hands? The small things I had learned in the first few days of band class were still foreign to me! I told him "no" and left without much concern, though my mind kept wandering back to the red electric guitar.

It would be three more years before I sat down with my grandmother's acoustic to learn to play, urged on by both a quest to find my identity and the gift of free time that comes with being young. I had a few rudimentary chord charts and a pitch-pipe, yet things seemed to fall into place. . .

I realized that the instrument was, duh!, made for the hands! But the chords did not necessarily make sense to me alone. It took organizing them in a certain order that made it sound interesting to my ears. Of course this was a tortoise-paced, roundabout way of learning harmonic progression, but I wouldn't know that until it was made clear in studies at school.

If I had only said "yes" to the question years earlier would I now be light-years ahead in my skills? One can never say for sure. However when I see my students pick up something that took me years to learn in a few week's worth of lessons, I wonder. . .

I believe that telling yourself "no" before trying them can make easy tasks seem daunting. If we just give ourselves the benefit of the doubt we often find that the task is simple and not outside our abilities. At Matt Burk Music Studio, we can provide small insights into the instrument that YOU are interested in. We offer customized, private lessons in piano, guitar, drums, bass, voice, songwriting, and audio production. Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!

Why Doesn't Mine Sound Like That?

 

I'll never forget the first time I stepped into a recording studio. I was 15 and my fellow bandmates and I had saved up enough cash to record our first demo! The day arrived and we loaded into the sound-proof rooms, mic'd up everything and got started. Within a few hours we had ourselves a few songs recorded. However, when the sound engineer played back the recordings, they sounded thin and nothing like what I heard on the radio. Of course I was naive to think that it would sound radio-ready when listening to the raw tracks but that experience opened my eyes to the necessity of audio production. When we hear Beyonce's latest single or the new Mumford and Sons album, and they sound great, the reason isn't just that they're talented musicians. The people behind the board deserve just as much credit as those behind the glass! It takes know-how and extreme patience to be a good music producer. You have to have a great ear and be able to find the sound and style that the client is looking to create. Here at Matt Burk Music Studio, we have the resources to help your music sound like what you hear on the radio! Full private audio production lessons if you're looking to make your own music or songwriting lessons if you need help putting your hit together! Looking to brush up on your licks before heading in to track a hit? We also offer private piano, guitar, drums, bass, and voice lessons! Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!