Calvin T asked:


i have only been taking private lessons for about 5 years now with my clarinet and sax. i just joined a summer concert band at a nearby community college. i find it difficult keeping up with the tempo, counting rhythms/rests etc. can someone help? i have no band experience i look like a fool out there.

Learn How to Sight Read Music

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

SidewalkerTexasRanger asked:


so far i am self taught in this and i started taking piano classes almost a year ago. i read somewhere that you are REALLY sight reading when you can just look at the paper and sing or hum it. so far i have to play it on an instrument and i have a lot of trouble on the rhythms especially. do you progress to the point where you can write/read what you hear?

How to Sight Read Music Video Lesson

La Bella Senorita asked:


I am taking Grade 8 Piano exam this year and I ‘m not in the mood to practice. Any advice ?
I m taking Piano Grade8 exam this year ( ABRSM) and I m not in the mood to practice. I get bored playing the same 3 pieces and scales and arpeggios over and over again that I lose focus and I really dont know what to be aiming for when I m practicing right now.
I played my scales and arpegios plus some other studies but I am now getting bored playing the same pieces over and over again I just dont know what to do to maintain my focus and not sound so mechanical when I m playing.
How do you overcome boredom ?
Anyone out there facing the same problem ? how do I break the monotony of practise sessions and fall in love with my music again ?
I really need to practise , to keep my fingers warm and flexible.
I m really scared of my piano exams.
Just how much practise is enough and how do you determine how much time you need to cover all scales, arpeggios, rhythms, sight reading, aural, studies, and exam pieces and technical difficulties ?
And how to pass music exams ?

How to Sight Read Music Video Lesson

La Bella Senorita asked:


I m taking Piano Grade8 exam this year ( ABRSM) and I m not in the mood to practice. I get bored playing the same 3 pieces and scales and arpeggios over and over again that I lose focus and I really dont know what to be aiming for when I m practicing right now.
I played my scales and arpegios plus some other studies but I am now getting bored playing the same pieces over and over again I just dont know what to do to maintain my focus and not sound so mechanical when I m playing.
How do you overcome boredom ?
Anyone out there facing the same problem ? how do I break the monotony of practise sessions and fall in love with my music again ?
I really need to practise , to keep my fingers warm and flexible.
I m really scared of my piano exams.
Just how much practise is enough and how do you determine how much time you need to cover all scales, arpeggios, rhythms, sight reading, aural, studies, and exam pieces and technical difficulties ?
And how to pass music exams ?

Learning to Sight Read Music