Stages Of Mastering A Technique and its Efficient Usage

In my previous article, I've written about the trend of technically focused music. (If you haven't read that, do give it a read here). This trend is usually seen in 'hard' genres, like rock and metal. It can also be seen in softer ones like Blues and Jazz, but it isn't very common as the former. Like I said there, the feel is disrupted when too much emphasis is placed on technique.

However, not to know a technique at all would be thinking on the other side of the extreme. I am reading a book 'Discover Your Destiny' by Robin Sharma, where I got a pretty good insight on the balance that we need to create in life, between the head and the heart, with the heart guiding your way. Just apply it in music as well, where the technique and skills become the 'head' part, and the feel and the emotion arising becomes the 'heart' part. Both must be in balance.

The book had one very powerful insight that I found useful if applied in music. Of course, it can be applied on anything (especially your life), but I am focusing on music here. It is about the four stages of mastery. Here, it will be about mastery of a technique.

We will take 'tapping' as our base technique, and go on with the show.

1. Unconscious Incompetence: At this stage, you do not know how to tap, and you do not know that you don't know how to tap. In other words, you are unconscious as well as incompetent when it comes to tapping. If you hear a tap, you'll simply ignore it, or will marvel at its sound, but won't know what's going on.

2. Conscious Incompetence: At this stage, you still don't know how to tap, but you're now aware that the thing you heard is a 'tap', and is done in a certain way. To quote the main character Julian Mantle in that book, "Awareness precedes choice and choice precedes change". You can now make new choices relating to this technique, and this will lead you to become a better player.

3. Conscious Competence: At this stage, you have learnt tapping, but you have to be very conscious while you're doing it. You cannot really enjoy it, because your focus lies on getting the notes, and the piece, right. You keep on practicing, but still it gets difficult. This stage takes a lot of time.

4. Unconscious Competence: This is the stage where you've mastered the technique, and you don't even have to think about it while you're doing it. You can now totally engross yourself inside the music, while your hands are moving to play that wonderful piece which involves tapping. Tapping becomes second nature to you.

I personally believe that a technique should be added in your composition only after you've reached the fourth stage. It is because, at this stage you'll know exactly where the song needs the technique, and won't have as much desire to show off your technique, as you would if you were in the third stage. As my brother says, "Music should be expressive, not impressive." You will know when the song requires an expression to be done through tapping, rather than to impress someone even when it sounds filthy (with the song).

Since the major idea of this article is taken from the book, I'd suggest you read that book too, if you want to learn about life. You can find it here.

The Trend Of Technique Focused Music

A technique is a way to do a certain thing. It utilises skill and knowledge of a particular field to get that work done.

Music has an abundance of techniques. Everything in it, if you delve deeper, has some kind of technique; be it simple or complex. It is a mind centred thing, therefore it is logical that it should be present everywhere.

The 'technique' I'm talking about here is, however, about the general use of the term. It means a complex way of doing something quite difficult, which makes people go, "Whoa! That guy is awesome." Or, "He is a really good player/singer. He did that (shredding at 240 bpm, or singing at the fifth octave of a note, or slapping the bass hard) so easily. I'm a fan of him."

Nowadays, priority is given much on technique in music. The composers often add all or at least almost all of the techniques they know in one song. With good reason, of course. They want recognition, and these days 'how good he/she can play' is one measure of it. And, of course, everyone loves that bit of attention; what better way to get them than by showing off techniques?

However, these short term benefits have huge long term costs. Let's look at it philosophically. The wise have always said, "Mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master." Techniques are mind centered. So, like the mind, they should also be mastered. And how? By using it the way you really 'feel' like using it.

However, what we usually see is that the techniques control the composers. They focus more on 'how can I make this song more difficult' than 'how can I make this song more meaningful or touching'. Often, the fast paced drumming or shredding, or a four finger tap, is put in places where it is not needed. It makes it sound difficult, of course, but doesn't gives any boost to the overall 'feel' of the song

The technically oriented music is a fully mind focused one, where little to no importance is given to the 'touch' and 'feel' of music. The purpose of music is, however, not to make it sound difficult but to make it reflect yourself, or a part of you, or an event, or anything else which you deeply feel and have a connection to. Focusing solely on technique defeats that purpose, and makes it sound dry.

So does that mean that these techniques aren't important at all? Absolutely not. Like I said before, they should be mastered. It is important for a musician to know the techniques used in his/her instrument. But it should be used in places where the song actually needs it, and it gives a boost to the feel of the song. For example, a song about fast paced inspiring thoughts coming and going, could be reflected by a good shred of a major scale. Or a good drum roll could give a good build up and intensify what the song is trying to convey. It all depends on your reflection in the song, and what the song is asking.

Leonardo da Vinci has said, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Simple music, with use of few techniques here and there, which touches you to the core, is in the end, the most sophisticated one.

5 Signs That You Are A Musician

Everyone has a certain thing for something that goes beyond simple 'interest' in that subject. You dream about it, you have it in your mind almost all the time, and you constantly see that in everything happening around you. It can be painting, physics or business, or anything else for that matter. Or, of course, it can be music.

I define a 'musician' as a person who has this certain thing for music, which we call as 'passion'. A person may not be professionally trained, but he will be a musician if music just comes to him.

A person, without knowing how to play or sing, can still be a musician. Likewise, a person can be a professional vocalist/instrumentalist and still not be a musician.

You might be wondering if you are a musician. Well, here are five signs that shows that you are. Keep in mind though that these five are simply indicative and not exhaustive.

1. Your world revolves around music. You hear some kind of music in almost everything, like the rusting of leaves or the chirping of birds. A melody or a beat is almost always on your mind, and mostly they are your own. If you are the sun, music is the earth, and is usually the only planet in the solar system.

2. You get an in-depth understanding of a song. When people talk about a song, you usually find yourself in a position where you explain a certain 'thing' that you feel while listening to a certain part, and they will give an I-don't-understand-a-word-you're-saying expression. You simply 'get' what the composer is trying to convey, and oft times find your hairs standing on end. You are the one who usually writes about meanings of songs in a website provided for the same, or in your own blog. Not only that, you also research on the musical aspect and know the techniques and the time signatures used in it.

3. You feel very close to another person who talks about music in the way you do. If someone understand even a little of what you're saying, that person becomes your best friend. You feel a connection with him/her instantly. You'll constantly find yourselves in situations where you sing a line, the person sings the other; or you sing and the other person provides the background music.

4. Air drumming and bathroom singing are your constant companions. A beat gives rise to a rhythm, and you're the one who will express it in the air. Your roommates or parents will often be annoyed with your constant singing. But it doesn't really bother you. When you're in it, you feel the most alive.

5. You think and express in terms of music. You've got a thing to make your own music, and you constantly think about what to include and what not to include. Originality is a base; after all, the music has to reflect a part of you. Expressing your views, feelings and thoughts through music gives you a pleasure like nothing else.

5 Life Lessons that Music Teaches Us

"There is no truer truth obtainable by man than that which comes of music," says Robert Browning. The depth of this statement is enough to make us understand how important music is to our life. Life is incomplete without music. After all, everyone of us has a song to sing, the song of our own lives.

In a way, music itself is a form of life. It has its own soul and its own journey to make. Like every life, it has a purpose. Unlike many lives, it is fulfilling it.

We hear the sweetest harmony when our life blends with that of music. This brings not only joy, but also some lessons. Here are some of them:

1. Originality. I'm sure everyone has a moment when you hear an intro and instantly recognise whose song is it. Why does it happen? Because the composers have made their song in such a unique way, that we can instantly recognise their style and sound.
In life too, we are born with originality. Our years of growth has tainted it with a fake persona. But, just like the universal soul of music has blended with the artist's heart to create the original sound, the universe also blends with us, only if we are willing, to create an original person. We are all unique. Realisation of our uniqueness marks the inception of being original.

2. Learning never stops. Ask the masters of music whether they are done with learning and they'll say, "No way. I still have a lot to learn." Music is infinite, with no zenith. You master a technique, something else pops up. Or you realise that you haven't really mastered it. The more you learn, the more you realise you know nothing. It is the learning that actually gives meaning to music.
In life too, there's never a full stop to learning. As we gather wisdom, there will be more questions than answers. The quest for meaning comes to life when the new comes up every now and then. Like in music, there wouldn't be any meaning in life if you wouldn't learn.

3. Habit development. Every one who is into playing an instrument or singing will realise that a thing can be properly applied to what you do only when you make it second nature. Be it bringing out a false note, or playing alternate picking, or hitting paradiddles. A technique is said to be mastered when it becomes a habit and you have no difficulty in playing it. You don't even have to think about it.
This teaches us an important aspect of life: habit development. Just as we master techniques, we can master habits. At first it is difficult, but soon it becomes easy to the point of becoming second nature. Habits are like techniques: as you practice, you become better at it.

4. No man is an island. Music makes us feel united with the universe, and with people around us. A certain emotion is always attached with a song, and a person, once connected to it, feels a connection with all of those men and women feeling the same thing, and with the composer. No one can really be alone: music is there, and with it, fellow humans too. This is one important lesson to learn.

5. Synchronicity of varied elements. Being in sync is very important in forms of art like dance or music. A song is made when varied instruments and vocals are in sync. Individually, vocalists need to sync their mind and their throat/any other part of body from where they are singing. Guitarists and bassists need to sync their right hand and left hand. There can be no music without sync.
Coming to life, just imagine it without sync. You're doing something too extremely, or you aren't doing something which needs to be done. You'll feel ill at ease, and often say that "Life is fucked up." But when you are in sync, have created a balance between every aspect of your life, then you can sing the song of your life in the sweetest tone possible.

Is Music Theory REALLY Important?

'Music theory': the word brings an image of five straight lines, a nice design, hash tags, 'b' like signs, and most importantly, small structures having shape of an 'i' with a black ball, joined together. However, this is only a part of it. Music theory, like any other theory, is a field of study which seeks to describe how music works. It tends to explain what's happening by examining various patterns and structures found in musical pieces.

It always seems boring when pen and paper comes into something as artistic as music. Why explain it when you can simply go with the flow? After all, you can't make music by writing it; you have to be there, with your instrument or your throat. Why make something simple as that complicated?

Many have asked this question. The problem is, however, not the question, but the answer. Perhaps your perception will change if you can delve a bit into the theory of music, understanding what it is made of and what it actually does.

I'll start by saying this: music theory IS important. The explanations and the terms used provide us with a lot of insight why something sounds the way it sounds. As for the 'go with the flow'; it isn't simple as it sounds,, but a complex thing. Humans are, by nature, curious. The difference between past and present is, essentially, the knowledge of what's going on. Even if there was no such thing as 'music theory', you'd some day find patterns inside what you're playing and curse the world for being so dumb and not finding about it earlier.

Say, we're talking about a semitone. A person who is unknown to music theory will not know what a semitone is. You're jamming. Your friend tells you to go one semitone higher or lower. You just look at your friend, as if she said something totally alien. Then she will have to proceed to explain what a semitone is and finally you will be able to understand. But wouldn't it have been easier if you already knew about that in the first place?

This is a simple example providing one basic use of theory - to provide jargon. If someone says, "Play the triad of the A major instead of the tetrad, and diminish the fifth note", you'll be blank with a 'what-the-hell-did-you-just-say' expression unless you know what a triad, tetrad, and diminished note is. Which means if you know some theory. So I hope you get why theory is important in cases of reference.

Another use of music theory is recording music. Yes, yes, I know; why write it when you can record it on a recorder, or more efficiently, on a recording software. But, someone might want to cover it. Covering by listening is, of course, the best way to cover; but there are some songs which are, just by listening, quite difficult to cover. Also, people like to verify whether the piece they covered is right or not, in terms of notes and preciseness. In these situations, the written music comes in handy.

Theory also explains the science of music. How a harmony is produced, which chord of a major chord is a 'relative minor' and what does it do, or what is the key of a song; all these find an explanation. While composing, these come in handy; you're confused about what chord suits a piece or which notes to include in a composition, you turn to theory.

"But there are many musicians who do not know music theory at all. What about them?"


Even I asked this question. It is similar to saying, "Bill Gates never did MBA but still he was the CEO of Microsoft." What I mean is, theory simply explains what is there, and you can recognise it without learning it as well. Theory aids you in understanding, but does not give the essence of what is to be understood. It explains patterns and other insights, which can be found by repeated practice. It is, in some way, a short cut of sorts. The underlying statement is that theory is an aspect of music which is important but isn't necessary to make good music. That's why some musicians can do without theory as well.

Complications can also arise due to theory, especially in composition. Sometimes, the theoretical aspect gets you so engrossed that you fail to take into account your own playing style and what's best for music. It is to music what grammar is to writing. Some people become purists and always go for grammatically correct statements, even when the sentence sounds better with the incorrect statement. Something may be theoretically wrong, but if it feels good and sounds good, you should go for it rather than making it sound 'musically correct'. Theory can make you a bit of a 'purist', and it is always better to be wary of it.

However, most of the time theory aids in composition. Many times you get to explore an area of music because it's given in the theory, just to find out it sounds great. Your playing style can also increase its range when you know more of theory.

So, if someone asks if theory is important, I'll say 'yes'. But if someone asks if it is 'really important', I'll hesitate. Theory helps in providing jargon, and explains certain stuff, but it can also limit your originality and align you towards purism. The essence of music comes from the heart. So my advise would be to learn theory, even master it but don't let it control you.

How Harmony In Music Works

An epitome of the meaning of the word 'harmony' will be 'accord'. We hear it all the time; a harmonious existence, a harmonious life, or a harmonious meeting. However, the musical aspect of harmony has a somewhat different connotation, although the essence is perhaps the same.

In music, harmony is the 'mixture of various notes of varied musical pitch to create a wonderful arrangement of sounds'. Everyone has heard it, no doubt; and many have even pondered over how is it done. I first heard a harmony in a song by Alisha Chinai. It was a Hindi song; marvellously effecting the music as a whole. Later on, I heard it in many other songs, and soon learnt how to make it as well. It's easy, while some knowledge of music theory is required.

The first thing to know about is a 'scale'. A scale is a series of notes usually spamming an octave. There are different kind of scales; where importance is concerned, major scale, minor scale and the pentatonic scale take the lead. Of course, other scales are equally important, but these will give a basic idea about harmony.

                  A C Major Scale


To make a harmony, take the C major scale as an example. The notes on the scale are: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C.  Now suppose that one person is singing/playing the note C. (It is advisable to have a real/virtual musical instrument while learning this to incorporate harmony in singing). The person  harmonising will, generally, sing/play the note E. You can try it with your instrument. This is called the 'third harmony' (since E is the third note on the C Major Scale) which is the most common one. However, it's not restricted; you can try other notes as well.

Try with a F instead of an E. That will give you the fourth harmony. Likewise, G will give the fifth harmony, A the sixth harmony and B the seventh harmony. And on a minor scale (C minor scale has notes C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C), for the third harmony, you'll have to go to the note Eb instead of an E. That is why it is important to know, first, the theory of the scales; second, the applicability in the song.

Choirs use different notes synchronously to create a mixture of harmonies. They have their separate group for bass, soprano, alto and tenor. Each group sings a different note; say, if bass is singing C, soprano will sing E, alto G and tenor an octave C. Of course, it is not exact; they can go for any note they want. The combination depends, but the theory is the same. In songs, however, mostly two harmonies are used. I think that much is enough to give a sufficient depth to the song.

Now we see how to make harmonies in a song. Here, we first identify the note from which the song starts (or the starting note from where you want to create the harmony). Say, it is, once again, C. Then, let's say, the note moves to D. The distance between C and D, on a C major scale, is one. So, if suppose we are doing the third harmony, the starting note will be E  Since D is a second note and comes immediately after C, the note corresponding D should also be the note immediately succeeding E, i.e. F. So if the song is going in a combination of C,D,C,D; the harmony will go in E,F,E,F. Or if you want the fourth harmony, it will go in F,G,F,G.

Let's see how it will work in this combination on a C Major scale:
C,D,F,A,B,C.
We take the third harmony, the most common one. It starts with F, and goes to G, as we saw above. Now, the third note is F, which is at a distance (or a quantitative interval) of four. So, the harmonic note corresponding F will be the fourth note from E, that is, A. Similarly, the next note is A, at a distance of six notes from C. So the harmony will be the sixth quantitative interval of E on the C Major scale, that is, C (an octave C is generally used, but is not necessary). The whole combination would look something like this:
E,F,A,C,D,E.

If you get the concepts right, it isn't that difficult. And the effect that the harmony gives to the overall music is totally magical. So, just get your instrument (real or virtual) and get on with it!

Why Musicians Ponder

Pondering is an act of sitting in silence and thinking of something deeply. A beautiful quote with an air of depth often makes us think how much the author had pondered over it. Everyone ponders at something at some moment in their lives, but often we see musicians, writers and artists doing the act along with the companionship of silence and solitude.

Of course, it seems natural for musicians to ponder; after all, they have to write or make something that touches their hearts, hoping it would touch the hearts of others as well. But it's not always what it seems. The simple act of just thinking about something awakens certain things, like memories or dreams. The very act of hitting a note or scratching on a piece of paper can denote the maker's feeling, intention, or sometimes even rationale.

Pondering asks for silence, for it means 'hearing' yourself. It's, certainly not impossible, but not very plausible to think over something in a noisy environment. That is why we don't see the 'ponderers' often - they're too busy finding answers within themselves.

Musicians particularly Ponder over a sad song, I've seen. There is a certain melancholy associated with silence, a congenial sadness. Perhaps it's because it is the sadness that teaches us where to go, and the teaching comes when we think over it. Songs often reflect what the musician was taught by her sadness, and people feel the lesson as they listen to it.

That's why some songs, particularly sad songs, are so soothing that we completely delve into it, and then cannot express what we feel. We feel the pain, but there is a beauty in that feeling. I've personally been a very big fan of Steven Wilson, because he apparently shares this view and makes beautiful sad music. There is a pleasure in the pain, an ecstasy in the way the maker has presented his melancholy that can't really be expressed.

The answer to 'Why Musicians Ponder' can be subjectively concluded that, it is because they want to integrate themselves in the process of learning. Everyone has their own way of learning things, and making music is one of them. And music is made by thinking over things and attaching anything you come up with inside to the 'outsides' of it.

A sincere thanks to all those musicians who have pondered enough to make beautiful songs where the sadness in it lead a lot of us to bliss, making us realise that sadness isn't really an opposite of happiness. Perhaps apathy is.