weee asked:


I played guiatr for about 2 years. i really got somewhere on it. I play scales and everything and learning theory on it. so i was liek whoa i love this im gonna go leanr more in school.
I sign up and boom its gay as hell. i have to take 18 credit hours a semester and have like 9 classes 2 are normal and the rest are music.To Take Music Theroy 1 u have to take keybord harmony with it. and sight singing. Ok wtf? i wanted to major in guitar now i have to leanr piano? and voice? WTF? Ok i leanr some piano and i go to tackle this. start taking lessons at school and stuff.sign up for guitar and boom theres no such thing as electric guitar in college its all classical.now im stuck trying to learn how to read msuic on guitar. [[ITS USESS}} theres no point to it the same not is in like 5 other places on the guitar.Same pitch everything. Ok now i get a call from the music head at school. I cant be a music major unless im in a the band and go to a meeting at the school also.WTF theres
1. No guitars in the band,2. the only piano thing they have is stuff for people who have been playing piano there whole life.3.wtf
now i have to learn all this stuff just to major in one instrument? and forced into stuff when well i havent played piano my whole life or read music on guitar. i just want to compose not go thru all this shit. i feel like killing myself..
i mean come on. what if i played violin for 50 years? that wouldnt magicaly make me learn paino.
and again. TO BE IN TEH BAND YOU NEED TO PLAY IDK VIOLIN and all that stuff liek you been playing it for oever 12 years…
and i have to take all this at the same time. i cant take one of the other i have to take them side by side with my toher classes. about 18-22 credit hours and work and pratcie..
im still in teh AA stage i havnt even gone to the 4 year yet. im into harmonic and melodic death metal.like stratavious and children of bodom and stuff liek that.
i was interrested in composing for video games.

How to Read Music for Beginners

Dr. Murphy asked:


Ok, let me start with a little background info:
I am a freshman in hich school and I’m looking to pursue a degree in music after I graduate. I play Guitar, Bass, Clarinet and some Piano. I really want to get a degree in Music Performance for Guitar, and I’d like it to be from Berklee cause it looks like the best suite for me (I researched several music programs around the U.S.). I play a lot of Blues and Metal on my guitar and I’m also profecient in Jazz. My soloing is my strong suite but I also know a great deal about rhythms and chords. I can read music decently (pretty bad at sight reading), but my strength is playing by ear which according to my band teacher I am extremely good at. I know quite a bit about music theory in general, and I am a very fast learner. Finally, my GPA is a 4.0, which I know isn’t overly important in applying for a music college, but I figured it couldn’t hurt.

Now my question:
What should I work on to improve my chances of getting into Berklee? I’d like to know what I should do to 1. Get accepted to Berklee? 2. Get a scholarship? 3. Get a presidential scholarship? (Only 7 musicians in the applying class get this so I am not putting a lot of hopes into getting one)

For specifics:
What Skills should I have?
What Scales should I know?
What Songs should I work on?

I thank you for your time and your help!

Sight Reading Music

Music Phantom asked:


The problem is, I screwed around a lot in high school and failed out of college (I went for computer science, that was a mistake) after a year. I managed to pull a 3.5 in high school but didn’t really do any extra curricular activities. After failing out, I spent a bit of time trying to figure out what to do and ended up joining the navy where I am now. I have the GI Bill, so my school will be paid for, and I plan to get some credits before I get out, but as I will be on a ship part of the time might not be able to get an associate’s degree by then. I really want to go to school for music, even being in the military I devote most of my free time to music, and have decided that I’m going to try to do it despite the fact that a lot of people tell me I’m stupid for it. I screwed up last time by doing computer science, which I thought was vaguely interesting, instead of going for something I love, which is pretty much just music. I play piano (here I have a keyboard) and I know that I can pass auditions, sight reading, and all that, but I don’t have high school recommendations and don’t really have the option to take music related classes or get involved in any sort of music performance while in the navy. My question is, after messing up as much as I did, will I have any chance of getting into a music program at a decent school?

how to sight read music

Sarah asked:


I’m auditioning for UNT’s music program this winter and I was wondering if anyone could tell me the chances of me getting in, or any advice they had. Here are some things that I would love comments and/or suggestions on:

I’m auditioning with Bach’s Prelude and Fugue # 2 in C minor. I play piano… forgot to mention that.

I haven’t chosen a Sonata yet, or a “Contrasting Piece”. I’m not really sure what that means. I’m guessing it’s an additional classical piece that’s not in the same era as the sonata or the prelude and fugue. Fill me in please! Any sonata suggestions are welcome.

I’m not very good at sight reading, and I get misleadingly nervous when I play in front of people… meaning I can have a piece down perfectly and when I want to show someone my hands just shut down on me. I don’t know how anyone could help me with that, but just putting that out there.

I started getting serious about piano my freshman year and I’m about to be a senior. I know I have potential, but I’m also aware of the many kids that will be trying out for the same thing as me that have played since childhood so it’s kind of freaking me out. I was accepted into my highschool’s Jazz I Ensemble and I’ll be taking Music Theory so I don’t know if that will help, but yeah.

I basically just need some realistic opinions on if you all think I will get in or not. Preferably from someone who went there or has experience in this kind of thing.

Thank you! Someone respond ASAP pleeease

Sarah

How to Read Music for Beginners

Tyler asked:


This fall, I am going to be a freshman at a medium sized university. I am going to be a music major (most likely concentrate on being a vocalist). I was wondering how the audtions are set up. Do I have to sight read a piece by ear? Have an accompianist? Or prepare my own material? Even though I was in choir for my high school years, voice lessons were never avaliable to me. So, I can’t sight read vocal music completely.

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