suds Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 Hey guys, I vaguely remember there was a topic similar to this some time ago..but i cant seem to find it in the search. More specifically i sit in front of a PC ALL for my day job in IT and am looking for ideas that i could possibly do at work to improve my overall general musicianship skills. I am now using my 3 hours of commute to work on Sightreading, rhythm reading and note recognition . But all this time i spend sitting at a PC...surely i could do stuff during the slow periods. so far i do: 1) interval recognition - found a good online site which has all ascending and descending intervals. 2) i guess i could just listen to music at my desk and tap with my LEFT foot which was a skill someone suggested here ( and i dont do that well) any other ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 I always try and analyze the chords and melody in any tune I hear whether it's on the radio, TV, or background music in a store or restaurant. Solfege? I don't use the computer very much for music except for compiling my own fakebook so there's not much more I can suggest. No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marino Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 Interval recognition, music dictation, chord recognition starting with triads and progressing with sevenths and inversions, rhythm recognition and reproduction... I know there are a couple of sites (and quite a few programs) which do most of the above, but I have no links, sorry. I'm sure you can find them with a little searching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trill Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 I used to get out paper and write scales and triads and inversions like Marino suggested. When I travel with my wife on business I take some books and review things and sometimes a keyboard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dp2 Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 I like to listen to tunes, and harmonize with various parts of each tune. I also like to mentally remix the tunes, sometimes changing up the rhythm, changing the meter, changing the speed, and/or adding/removing parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piano4U Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 There is a FREE Notation ID software program for download plus some other inexpensive programs here: KBA Software My YouTube Videos My Lot2Learn Jazz Piano Web Site Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gliderproarc Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 I found this great site called: http://www.musictheory.net/ It has some drills that are very handy. I managed to get a lot of practice for a quiz yesterday thanks to the key signature drills. I had to memorize how many sharps and flats every key and minor ket had from C# to Cb. Luckily, I know from 4#s to 4bs like the back of my hand, so I only really had to concentrate on the 5s and up. Who ever plays a song in Ab minor?? GIGO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delirium Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 the best way is take personal or sick day, stay home and practice all day while they still pay you... The other way is practice fingering with other commute partner or coworker. ♫♫♫ motif XS6, RD700GX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billpianojazz Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 i transpose the changes to tunes while driving. i also sing tune melodies and try to ID the intervals of the melodies. i made a cd of intervals and put it in the cd player and forced myself to ID the intervals. it is amazing how a few minutes a day of this kind of work can payoff. http://www.jazzpianoonline.com webmaster@jazzpianoonline.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suds Posted September 10, 2007 Author Share Posted September 10, 2007 thanks for that guys and some of those links. loved your idea delirium, but if i dont turn up to work, i dont get paid !!! and if i dont get paid...the longer i have to wait to buy my new Motif!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alby Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 the best way is take personal or sick day, stay home and practice all day while they still pay you... The other way is practice fingering with other commute partner or coworker. +1 "Work from Home!" "Go to a meeting where there is a piano" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridog6996 Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 I am now using my 3 hours of commute to work on Sightreading, rhythm reading and note recognition . You don't drive to work, right? Sight reading and driving sounds likes a dangerous combo. I agree that some sort of interval training like solfege might be the may to go, and here's a way (possibly) that you can do it. Next time you're at work, take a second and listen to the background noise to see if you can pick up on a drone. If there's a piece of office machinery or a fan or something nearby, its motor will probably put off a drone. Then, hum along with it until you match it in pitch. That's your tonic note. Now you're ready to go. Try singing things like various scales, melodies, and chords based off that tonic note. I do this often in the shower. I found that my bathroom fan makes an F#/Gb tone. It's actually kind of fun. My YouTube Channel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridog6996 Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Although, I might add, your co-workers might start looking at you funny if you're sitting there singing to yourself like a maniac. My YouTube Channel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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