Metronome: Metro-NOPE!? Keep it Between the Clicks!

CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK. Every musician knows that feeling. . .  We've completed our weekly assignment at our own pace, keeping in mind everything our instructor talked about, and it went swimmingly! And then it happens; we turn on the metronome and attempt the same result only to find frustration between the clicks. Many students find it to be such a daunting task that they simply do away with it. Worry Not! Developing a sense of rhythm takes time! If we allow ourselves to understand that perfection is not necessary (at least to begin with) and that the click is a must when practicing any exercises or songs, it becomes commonplace. Depending on whether you take private drum, guitar, bass, voice, or piano lessons, you can always find ways to involve the metronome. In my lessons, we use it for warm ups with drums, for counting measures when learning chords for guitar, and following the downbeat when playing bass. I have the metronome on so much that I barely hear it anymore! But when I need to, I can sync up instantly with it because I hear it on a consistent basis. The metronome helps us to "see" whether we are lagging (slowing down) or rushing (speeding up). At first the "feel" of playing with it can be off-putting, especially if the student is a beginner. One thing I can guarantee: if you use it daily, you WILL get better at keeping between the clicks! Keep at it and soon you'll see that it wasn't as big a challenge as you may have previously expected. We here at Matt Burk Music Studio can help you straighten out those rhythms, no matter what the instrument! Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!

Mixing the Old and New

I've stated before how many different genres of music that I hear throughout the week at Matt Burk Music Studio. I think the eclectic nature of the lessons keeps interested minds open to sounds and melodies that they might not initially enjoy. This can be seen particularly in the song choices for our student Jam Sessions. The instructors are involved with the decisions and take heavily into consideration the requests and interests of the students. We perform one modern pop song and one classic pop/rock song. This helps the student identify common progressions, repeating  patterns, and influences that perhaps are overlooked during the intense focus of the lesson. The atmosphere during the jam session is very relaxed:  The teachers are there to support our drum, keyboard, bass, guitar, and vocal students. Students are there to develop ensemble awareness, meet new players/peers, and have a good time! Learning from the experience is just a side effect of the overall goal; something I discussed in my last post, "Performance Panic".  The main thing to remember is that we always have something to learn from music from any era!

Performance Panic!

I've noticed lately that there are a few students out there who are feeling a bit intimidated about getting up and performing in front of an audience. I myself had horrible stage fright for a number of years and then, something changed. When I look back upon it, I realize that it was a culmination of a few things. It took repeated performances; I mean dozens and dozens of them to really start feeling natural on stage. Increasing practice time also helped immensely. When I no longer had to think hard about what I was doing, I was allowed to get more "into it". Still, nothing was more important that actually getting out and playing in front of an audience. Whether I had my best show ever or completely fell flat on my face, I was still alive after the performance and had learned something from it to use in the future. The teachers at Matt Burk encourage all of our students to participate in our plethora of performance opportunities like Jam Sessions, Showcases, and Recitals!  These allow for ensemble awareness development, opens windows of creativity, and boosts the confidence of the student! And remember, we offer private lessons for drums, guitar, bass, voice, and piano! No matter what your instrument of choice, we can help you achieve your musical goals.  Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, PERFORM!!