Graham English

Music Education

PBS NOVA: Musical Minds With Oliver Sacks

Oliver Sacks explores how the power of music can make the brain come alive. You need to watch this soon. It will only be available to watch for one week, from July 1-7, 2009, due to right restrictions.

Visualizing Relative Beat Strength

I was taught to organize rhythms into increments of two measures at a time. Some beats/pulses get a natural emphasis in relation to their placement in the measure. I put together this illustration of the most natural points of relative emphasis in a 2-measure unit of rhythm.

Ear Training With White Noise

Here’s an ear training game I’ve been playing using white noise.

My Favorite Audio Sites

A friend recently asked me for the list of feeds I read to keep up with the audio world because I’m always sending him the coolest stuff. Until now, I’ve kept it a closely guarded secret. But I figured we could collaborate and you could share some of your favorite audio sites in the comments.

Solo Transcriptions: Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum by Freddie Hubbard

Today we lost a jazz lion, Freddie Hubbard. I’ve spent countless hours digesting his music and transcribing his solos so his death deeply touches me. His art was a major influence on my jazz vocabulary. If you don’t own Speak No Evil, you’re missing out.

Handwritten Notes By Thelonious Monk

I’m not sure of the original source, but I just found these handwritten notes in the Delicious popular feed posted by thescotter. Awesome stuff!

Time Saving Logic Studio Template Tips

If you make music with Logic Studio, you’ll be interested in a tutorial I just published showing you a cool time-saving trick for your Logic Studio Templates.

How To Write And Analyze Lyrics Using TextMate

TextMate is my second favorite app right behind Logic Studio. I’ve written about my TextMate love affair a lot. In this tutorial, I wanted to share how I use TextMate to write and analyze lyrics, including tips for finding the perfect rhyme and spotlighting important ideas.

Labor Day Links

Just a couple of links for you to peruse over Labor Day.

Always Be Training Your Ears

If you hear some music and don’t know what it is, figure it out immediately. The next time you hear the same chord progression, melodic structure, or rhythm, you’ll probably know what it is. It’s usually as simple as that, and not unlike looking up a word you don’t know in the dictionary. Read on…

For Those Of You Interested In Making Money With Your Music

I’m running a little poll to help me better serve you. If you could take just a moment to answer the following question, I’d greatly appreciate it. Read on…

1,000-Hour/5,000-Hour Model For Songwriting Success

The concept is this: To be a good, competent songwriter, it will take 1,000 hours of practice. If you want to be a great songwriter, it will take 5,000 hours. Read on…

The Neuroscience Of Jazz Improvisation

Mind Hacks pointed me to an interesting study by science journal PLoS One on the cognitive neuroscience of Jazz.

Five Auditory Illusions

I’ve talked about the Shepard Tone before but NewScientist has just posted Five great auditory illusions.

It’s February Album Writing Month!

It’s the 5th annual February Album Writing Month. The challenge? Write an entire album in just 29 days. Read on…

Cool And Recent Podcasts From Around The Web

Here’s some recent podcasts from around the web that I’ve been inspired by musically. Read on…

Samurai Songwriting Special Bundle Offer

Make 2008 the year you master songwriting like a Samurai masters his sword! Download Samurai Songwriting issues 1 and 2 PLUS the John Lennon Hit Songwriting two-part telesminar for one super low price. Read on…

Average Words Per Song And The 80/20 Rule

In preparation for my 2008 song-a-week project, I wanted some numbers to give me an idea of how much writing I would need to do. Using the 80/20 rule, here is what I came up with.

Rewriting Song Titles For Practice And Inspiration

Here’s an exercise I love to do when I need inspiration for song titles. If nothing’s coming naturally, this trick can really get the creative juices flowing. Even if I end up using nothing that I come up with, I find that within a day or two, one of my ideas will trigger something completely different, usable, and inspiring.

Advice To Adult Learners Of Music

Music is like a language. And we all know that learning languages comes easier when you’re a child. And in some ways, it’s much easier for a child to learn music, especially to learn how to play by ear. Putting two and two together, you might ask yourself what is the difference between an adult [...]