Hello,
Im seeking advice on building musical abilites like mozart or those famous guys. I was thinking of starting to play the piano(i know they say you gotta start young but that doesnt bother me) and i do have the Genius code with me, annd i was wondering if the Genius code could help me become like one of them. Or if it cant, could anyone give me a book on which i could improve my musical abilites? Thanks alot.

Take a class in music theory.

How is music theory class supposed to help me? But i just want to know about the books or products here that could help me or any where(besides classes).

Dr Wenger says that to develop skills in music or any other physical skill then use the Borrowed Genius. He recommends doing the BG exersise followed by actually trying the skill you want to produce, then do more BG, then 5-10 minutes of more physical activity on the instrument. After about 90 minutes of doing this something inside you just flips over towards mastery. I've tried this with martial arts training with great success.

OK then, Photoread books on music theory, composition, and piano. You can use Borrowed Genius and Direct Learning for your piano playing, but you also have to have the theoretical foundation in order to rise above the rest.

You'll probably want perfect pitch, too, if you wanna be "like mozart or those famous guys." Oh, and practice will help, too. Lots of it.

-Nick

Hey thanks alot guys, about the perfect pitch thing, how do i start practising on that?

everything they told you is readily available. Either in Einstein Factor or Genius Code.

Music theory will help you build chords, harmonies, melodies and stuff that will help you understand the music instead of mindlessly following what is written on the page.

[This message has been edited by Mastermind (edited July 13, 2002).]

thanks man

I have the David Lucas Burge Perfect Pitch Ear Training Supercourse. It's quite good, and it's the only course I've seen that actually teaches it instead of just having you practice note naming. I believe it's at perfectpitch.com

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Originally posted by astrowill:
I have the David Lucas Burge Perfect Pitch Ear Training Supercourse. It's quite good, and it's the only course I've seen that actually teaches it instead of just having you practice note naming. I believe it's at perfectpitch.com

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Yeah, as far as I know, he's about the only person that has any useful publications about acquiring perfect pitch. I've used his home study course in the past, and it takes some work, but it helps.

-Nick

The perfect pitch course sounds fantastic! Do you know if there's anything that good that can help with sight reading?

Whats sight reading?

Music theory will!

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Originally posted by Texas Bob:
The perfect pitch course sounds fantastic! Do you know if there's anything that good that can help with sight reading?

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You just have to do it! Get ahold of all the music you can, and sit down and go through some of it every day. Try to get the rhythm right; NEVER stop and go over lines/phrases again; feel free to go slower than it's written, just as long as the beat is steady and, again, the rhythm is correct.

Oh, and as I think astrowill may have mentioned ( ), theory pretty much helps you with anything related to music. Learn the sounds and feels of all the chords you can. All of the majors, minors, dimisheds (I don't think that's a real term... oh well), augmenteds, and sevenths (all kinds) are musts. You really can't emphasize theory enough, as long as you realize that emotion is still "king" in the world of music (despite what many "good" musicians might have you think....)

-Nick

I was hoping for something more along the lines of the Perfect Pitch course but would instead help with sight reading. Something with sight reading drills perhaps.

For instance when I play a chord, it takes forever to figure out what the notes are in that chord before I play them. If I just play without looking, I'm sure if I played the right note at all. I do things like play a fourth instead of a fifth, a third instead of a second, and I particularly have problems with notes above or below the staff. I may eventually get it right if I play it enough, but it takes forever.

I know if I could improve my sight reading skills it would make a dramatic difference.

That reminds me, i was reading a couple of articles on the brain, about the left and right function things. So, there was this story about musicisans who played using her ears only, she was a pianist, so, once she started trying out to play with chords or notations her right-function skill with was her music ear skill faded. So thats why i wouldnt really want to go with chords too much, but on the other hand use my natural processes for music to work it out. Like savants, its all in the brain

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Originally posted by Texas Bob:
I was hoping for something more along the lines of the Perfect Pitch course but would instead help with sight reading. Something with sight reading drills perhaps.

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In my experience, the best way to improve sight-reading is to sight-read. I don't see why a course would really be necessary, as long as you have enough sheet music to practice with....

This is all coming from a piano background, so maybe if you're on another instrument, it'd be a little different. But, if you're having trouble recognizing notes above and below the staff, you don't need to try to sight-read anything that has anything five lines about the treble cleff.

Try this:

1) Find something that has relatively few chords and that doesn't go more than about 1 or 2 lines above/below either staff. It should be something that, if you practiced, you would have no trouble playing; that is, if you wanted to perform it a week from today, you'd have no trouble doing so.

2) Now, before you even touch the instrument, look through the music; notice any "trouble spots" that might be there (for instance, since you say you have trouble with chords, notice any chords). Get a mental idea of what these trouble spots would feel like to play. How will your hands be positioned? Where will your fingers be? What will this sound like? Don't feel like "sight-reading" means that you're playing a piece of music just as soon as it hits the music stand; you do have a couple minutes to look through it! You know the first two steps of the PR system? Use them on music, too!

3) Where's the hardest measure of this piece, now that you've looked through it? How slow would you have to be playing in order to be able to play this most difficult section, if you were just reading through, without practicing beforehand? Whatever that tempo is, is how fast you're going to play the entire piece, okay? This way, the beat is always steady -- I can't emphasize how important it is for the rhythm and tempo to be right because if they are right, no one will notice a few missed notes (if the notes are perfect, but the rhythm is wrong, however, the performance will not sound right).

4) Okay, now that you've previewed, and you have a comfortable tempo, play the piece! If you miss a note, a chord, a measure... who cares?? Sight-reading performances don't have to be perfect.

5) Now, repeat this process over and over, and each time you'll get a little better. When you're finding that you can easily sight-read 2 lines above the staff, then go for something that goes 3 lines above it. Then 4, then 5, etc., etc., etc.

In my experience (I've got some of it, I promise! ), there really aren't many good books on music techniques. The best things are advice, and above all, PRACTICE! Just do it!

I hope that helped.

-Nick

Thanks, Nick. I just ordered the Perfect Pitch course as recommended by Astrowill. I wish there were a similar program that could help with the sight reading side of it.

I'm only in my second semester of piano, so I'm pretty much a beginner. At this point it's all a pain staking process of looking at the page, trying to figure out what notes are written, then finding them on the piano. I look at the grand staff and say, ok that's a quarter note on the space just above the top line. So let's see. Every-Good-Boy-Does-Fine. What comes after F? That's it, I need a G. So then I find the G on the keyboard. Now I have to go through the same process for each note of each chord in the left hand. As I'm sure you can surmise, by the time I go through all this, there really is NO rhythm until I've gone through it several times. Going through the piece ahead of time as you suggest does help somewhat.

At this point I'm putting in HOURS of practice for what may seem to be a relatively simple piece. From what you're saying it should hopefully improve with time.

Thanks again,
Bob

If this is only your second semester, then I'd say you're doing just fine. Everybody has to go through the steps of figuring out notes and then deciding where they're at on the keyboard at first. Just stick with it, and you'll be amazed at what you can do someday!

If you're really interested in piano, learn as much theory as possible; listen to, and try to develop and appreciation for all kinds of music; read about music history, and especially that of the great pianists and composers; and, of course, practice as much as possible!

I don't think any musician would tell you that getting good is easy; there are times when you have to practice a single line of a piece for hours to get it right, for instance. But trust me when I say that the difficulty you go through is worth it in the end, if you love music. When you get to the point where you can't imagine music not being a part of your life, and when you find yourself able to appreciate a performance so much that it makes you want to cry, then you won't mind the time that you put into it.

Good luck with everything!

-Nick

It's frustrating sometimes, but I really want to learn the piano. I Love music.

I came across two Theory software packages. Can you let me know if you've heard anything about them?

1) Mibac Music Lessons

AND

2) Practica Musica

Thanks,
Bob

In my theory class we used Practica Musica. It's about the most complete thing there is. At home I practiced with Auralia, which is cheaper and not quite as sophisticated. PM is very difficult and I hardly ever used it, whereas Auralia is more fun and you can make it as hard as you want. Also, Auralia actually teaches you about the stuff; I'm not sure if PM does.

I've used Practica Musica in the past, I believe, but I've never heard of Mibac or Auralia.... As I recall, I thought PM was okay, but I never used it much; my piano teacher let me borrow two of his college music theory textbooks, and I primarily just went through them.

-Nick

You guys play which instruments? I was thinking of starting the piano and i know people start off when they are young, and supposedly its easier to teach a child to play than an adult or teenager. But whatever the case maybe, are there any tips on a newbie like me starting out on a piano?

Well, my first tip would be to find a good teacher and do what he or she says.

If you're a "newbie," it may be too early for many real tips, but I guess that I would also suggest paying very close attention to your technique. Ask your teacher if you're ready to learn scales, and if not, then ask for some other technical exercises. I would spend probably between a quarter and a third of your practice time doing technical exercises -- use them as warm-ups. Don't just rush through them; take your time, start slowly, and make sure you're using correct form! (These exercises are pretty much pointless if you're not doing them correctly -- after all "Practice doesn't make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect.")

My last (and most important) bit of advice is to have fun! Play some things that you like, even if your teacher assigns you some things you don't. You don't wanna get burned out!

I hope that helped some. Feel free to post any more questions you have; I like talking about music, if you couldn't tell.

-Nick

PS -- I just remembered one more thing: I found that it helps your practicing if you can have as much privacy as possible. If you are aware of the fact that anyone else can hear you, deep down, you'll try to "perform" for them and not "practice."

Hey thanks alot smoothie, ill take your advice. In the mean time while im still trying to find a piano teacher should i learn scales or music theory?

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Originally posted by abc123:
... should i learn scales or music theory?

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Yes.

No, really, I'd start with music theory, if you don't have a teacher. You don't want to teach yourself the wrong technique; it'd be better to have someone to correct you if your form is a little "off."

-Nick

You seem like quite an experienced player yourself. What kind of piano music you play or listen to? I got a cd by beethoven and it was fantastic and also the movie soundtrack of Shine by a guy called Rammafov, im not sure if i spelt that right. But any how, just wondering then.

Thanks! I heard Lizst, his Hungarian rhapsody is great. the one in Tom and Jerry?
What kind of music you listen to?

lol @ abc123

yeah!!! i heard hungarian rhapsody on tom and jerry first too

sad thing is.. when my friend who plays classical piano showed it to me, i felt so cultured when i recognised it and could say "oh yes, of course i know this!".

but that tom and jerry episode is that best! probably my favourite.

.

LOL, wow, same here. I always remembered that song when i was young and one day i began to recall watching it. So i set out to find out who made that song and finally i got it! I still have that song in my comp and i still play it much That tom and jerry episode was the best!

I play (get ready, your gonna be here reading for a while)

Trumpet
Baritone
Euphonium
Tuba
Drums (all kinds)
Bass Guitar
Piano (alittle, I use it for my other instruments)
uh, I forgot some, Im sure. I am fluent in all of these.

Music is easy, everything is relative. BEAD GCF ... the order of sharps and flats in scales. Music is one big mneumonic device. ONCE YOU LEARN THE BASICS, ALL MUSIC WILL BE AVAILABLE TO YOU...

I started out a percussionist, but switched to trumpet because we needed some in my school band. Then we needed a Baritone (a milder form of Euphonium) so I switched to that because it has the same fingerings but is sometimes can be played in a differnt Clef (Bass or Treble). So I am able to play almost any brass instrument thrown at me....

[This message has been edited by Mastermind (edited July 23, 2002).]

LOL, now thats what i call a jack of all trades. Too imagine that people consider an instrument hard, you really beat the record! Way to go man! Thats great, but what music you usually listen to?

I listen to classical sometimes, Hard rock all the time, mix alittle soft/oldie rock into there, I really like Sousa type marches, blues/Jazz, and the occasional instrumental other than classical (Listen to some Richard Danielpour music ... very good). I really have a great love for music, I hope to perform professionally (even if only for a year). I am in almost everysort of band my school has to offer.

BTW, Im only 15....

*Edit* I just PRed a book after I posted this, its on music theory. It is call Emotion and Meaning in Music, it is increadibly well written and comprehensive. I goes about pieces starting with an opener and ending with a closer, it adds as it goes. I would highly recomend you read this book along with anything else you may be doing to improve your skills.

Peace Out

[This message has been edited by Mastermind (edited July 24, 2002).]

Thats very cool man... keep it going! I dont think i've ever heard of anyone playing that many instruments or getting to involved in music. Probably i feel in love with an instrument when i started listening to some great rock leads. That really inspires me to play the guitar. Same with the piano, the work of great masters that really capture your emotions and weild it into their music, is really genius. Btw, could you tell me which is the best song from Richard Danielpour? Thanks I hope one day you keep working though towards whatever goal you have!

You cant download his songs on the net, which really stinks. I lost my show CD but you can find his CD for sale on his website.
http://www.sonyclassical.com/artists/danielpour/

Hi I brought the david lucus burge perfect pitch training course 2 months ago , and I'm really working hard to gain perfect pitch.

If anyone has brought this course, and would like to talk about it with me I'd really appreciate that.
my e-mail is unfortunatecookie2000@yahoo.com

I hope i hear from someone! =)

is it ear training or is it for PLAYING a perfect pitch on your instrument?

you can try the "beyond the borrowed genius technique "which is more powerful than borrowed genius you can find the technique details on the einstein factor book of win wenger but the most is to master the technique to get the results or otherwise you will get nothing