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Master Bus Processing

Written by Mike Levine on . Posted in Recording.

The master bus, the mix bus, the 2-bus, the stereo bus and the stereo out are all different terms for the same thing: the left-right channel that’s the final destination in your DAW’s console when you’re mixing a multitrack project. All your tracks are routed to the master bus, summed to stereo and then bounced to disk from there.

Because the master bus is the only point where all the tracks are combined, it’s the place to insert plug-ins if you want to to add polish to the overall sound by applying global processing such as compression, EQ and saturation.

Master bus processing is applied to all the tracks in your mix.
Master bus processing is applied to all the tracks in your mix.

A word of caution, however: This is not a panacea, and it won’t fix a poorly mixed song. If there are noticeable problems with your mix, you’re better off addressing them at the track level. That said, let’s take a closer look at how master bus processing works.

Who’s First?

As with standard track-based processing, the order in which you insert effects during master bus processing will have an impact on the sound. Most engineers tend to start with EQ or compression. Which of those should come first is a matter of deciding whether you want to compress the audio after it’s been EQed, or EQ it after it’s been compressed.

There’s no reason you can’t experiment with both options if you’re not sure. Many times the decision is song-dependent, and in many cases, the difference will be quite subtle. However, there is one rule of thumb: If you’re applying saturation as well, you’ll probably want to put that last in the chain.

This master bus effects chain consists of EQ, compression and tape saturation, in that order.
A typical master bus effects chain: EQ, compression and saturation, in that order.

All Things Being Equalized

Most of the equalization in a mix takes place on individual tracks. EQ on the master bus should generally be subtle and intended for outcomes like adding a little extra low-end thump, creating some more energy, making the mix brighter, or reducing muddiness.

Here are some suggestions for EQ adjustments you might try applying to the master bus:

– Add a little boost somewhere between 60 – 150Hz to accentuate the kick and bass.

– Reduce muddiness with a small cut in the 250 to 500Hz range.

– Add presence with a small boost between about 4kHz and 7kHz.

– Create a little air on top with a boost between 10kHz and 15kHz using a high-shelf filter.

– Get rid of unneeded subharmonic information with a high-pass (aka “low-cut”) filter to roll off frequencies below about 30Hz. Unless you’re mixing dance music, these ultra-low frequencies are probably unnecessary and not audible anyway, except on systems with large subwoofers.

That said, the rule of thumb here is: when in doubt, leave it out — or at least print a version of your mix without any master bus EQ. That will leave your mastering engineer the leeway they need to make those kinds of decisions.

Cubase allows you to tweak your mix’s EQ in many frequency ranges.
The Cubase Frequency plug-in allows you to tweak many frequency ranges.

Add Some Glue to Your Mix

Compression is probably the most common type of processing that’s applied to the master bus. Why would you need master compression when you’ve likely inserted it on most of your individual tracks? Probably the most crucial reason is to create what’s referred to as the “glue” effect. Compressing the whole mix through a single processor imparts a cohesiveness to the overall sound that can really make it sound polished and professional.

For glue-type compression, set the ratio pretty low — around 2:1 or 3:1. Use the threshold to control how much compression you’re getting. You probably want no more than about 2 to 5dB of gain reduction. Keep the attack parameter relatively slow, or you run the risk of squashing the parts of the mix that tend to come from the most important components, such as lead vocals and kick and snare drum. Fast attacks on master bus compressors can also have the unwanted effect of reducing the mix’s overall energy.

The nature of a compressor is that it’s constantly going on and off based on when the audio is exceeding and going below the threshold. The goal is to have its cycle of attenuation and release feel like it’s working in time with the music and not against it. You can control this with the release time, which governs how quickly the compressor lets go after attenuating a transient (signal peak). Either experiment with different release times to see what feels best or activate your compressor’s auto-release function if it has one. Auto-release will usually give you a usable setting.

All types of compressor plug-ins are used for master bus compression, but probably the most common are those based on VCA compressors — for example, Steinberg’s Vintage Compressor mkIII. These kinds of plug-ins can be used to not only compress but to add some analog-style “color” to your mix.

Steinberg Vintage Compressor mkIII.
Steinberg Vintage Compressor mkIII.

Steinberg Cubase includes an excellent built-in Compressor plug-in, which gives you plenty of control, including an auto-release function.

The Steinberg Compressor plug-in.
Steinberg Compressor.

In terms of when it should be applied, many engineers feel that if you’re going to use master bus compression, you should add it early on in the mix process so that all of your subsequent mixing decisions will be made in context of the compression. In other words, you’ll take its effect into account as you’re setting levels and compressing individual tracks. If you wait to add the compressor until the end of the mix, it likely won’t be as integrated as it would have been if it was there from early on.

A Little Dirt

Another master bus effect that’s sometimes applied is saturation. A little bit of tape- or tube-like saturation coming from a plug-in like Steinberg Magneto can add analog-sounding warmth to a mix by softening the transients. It also adds a bit of its own natural compression. Subtlety is the key when it comes to master saturation. You’re just flavoring the mix, not crushing it — unless, of course, that’s what you want.

A tape saturation effect can warm up a mix.
A tape saturation effect such as Steinberg Magneto can warm up a mix.

If your saturation plug-in has a wet/dry (“mix”) control, try adding a little too much saturation — that is, to the point where it can be clearly heard — and then back off the mix knob to taste. This creates parallel saturation, which can sometimes sound better than just adding it at 100%.

Pushing the Levels

Home recordists often put limiters on the master bus to make a mix louder. This is a practice I don’t recommend because it may not leave any room for your mastering engineer to apply their own limiting — something they can arguably do with much greater expertise than most of us mere mortals. What’s more, too much limiting will reduce your music’s dynamic range and can make it sound fatiguing.

Until you’ve gained a lot of mixing experience, you’re better off focusing on creating the best mix you can rather than worrying about its ultimate loudness. If you’re planning on mastering the project yourself, you can always process it with a limiter after you’ve finished your mix and are happy with it.

When it comes to master bus processing, less is usually more. Careful application is the name of the game if you want the best results.

 

Check out these related blog articles:

Why Compress?

Practical EQ Techniques

Distortion and Saturation

 

Check out our other Recording Basics postings.

Click here for more information about Steinberg Cubase and Cubase plug-ins.

ding in front of graffiti wall.

Larry Mullen Jr. Reflects on the Beginnings of U2

Written by Yamaha Corporation of America on . Posted in Artists, Drum Artists.

“After practicing on my own for months, my father said to me, ‘You really need to be in a band.’”

U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. pauses for a moment, reflecting on the momentous day when his dad’s casual remark would serve to bring together four uniquely talented individuals … and launch the career of one of the most-loved bands of all time.

“‘Well, how would I do that?’ I asked him,” Mullen remembers. “‘Put a notice on the [school] notice board,’ [he said]. So I did, the next day. It simply said something like, ‘Musicians wanted to form band. Contact Larry Mullen.’”

Soon after, other students started asking him how his band was going. “I said, ‘Well, I’ve only got one guy, called Edge,’” Mullen recalls with a laugh. “He said he was a guitar player. I knew Adam [Clayton] owned a bass guitar. Nobody said that he could play it, but he still owned a bass and he looked like a rock star. I had a kit of drums made by a toy manufacturer.

“We met [the following] Wednesday at my house,” he remembers. “I’d asked my parents if I could borrow the kitchen. So we moved the table and chairs out. Adam arrived, Edge arrived, and then Bono arrived with a friend on the back of a motorcycle. We piled into the kitchen and the guitars came out. Everything was out of tune, and we just started to play. And at the end of it, we said, ‘You know, we should do this again.’”

U2 in the early days with Larry Mullen Jr., Adam Clayton, Bono, and the Edge.
U2 in the early days. (L to R: Larry Mullen Jr., Adam Clayton, Bono, the Edge).

And so a legendary band was born. Yet, according to Mullen, “It was really ordinary and not extraordinary in any way. On that first day in my kitchen, it was clear that we didn’t have much going for us, and that we were all kind of equally talentless. My sister [later] said, ‘I have never heard such a racket in my life!’ But what was extraordinary was the timing, because punk had just exploded. We knew that we weren’t going to be able to go out and be a covers band because we just weren’t good at it. So we worked on being our own band and learning from each other’s mistakes and ended up being influenced by each other’s [shortcomings]. For a lot of [musicians] it’s about figuring out how to stand on their own and be proficient. In our case it was, maybe skill will kill us. So let’s not get too skilled.”

An unconventional formula, to be sure, but one that unquestionably worked. And it all started as the result of a casual remark by a loving father to a determined son.

RMP BW 29 Crop
A young Larry Mullen Jr.

LMJ Wall 02 Crop 2
Larry Mullen Jr. today.

Check out these related blog posts:

Scott Mayo on building a strong foundation for a lifetime of good habits

Butch Walker talks about practicing through the roadblocks

Tina Guo discusses dedication to the craft

Jackie Miclau looks at the ways music brings people together

Pop/Rock Chord Voicings, Part 3

Written by Jerry Kovarsky on . Posted in Keyboard How-to. 1 Comment on Pop/Rock Chord Voicings, Part 3

In Parts 1 and 2 of this three-part series, we covered numerous voicings and passing chord concepts for playing in pop and rock styles of music. In this installment, we’ll put those ideas together.

Getting in the Groove

You need more than good voicings to sound hip — you also need to impart a good feel to your music. Regardless of whether you’re playing solo or in a band, you want to come up with rhythmic patterns that match the feel of the music. Here are two audio clips of me playing on top of a C major chord (once slowly, and once at a moderate tempo with drums added), using some of the concepts we’ve discussed:

Rhythmic chords in C Major.

The first thing I want to draw your attention to is how I keep my right hand in basically the same position the whole time, until the octave melodic fill leading into the last bar. Based on the playing of keyboardists like Elton John, this style works well behind vocals, and gives the music energy without getting too busy, or getting in the way of the melody.

Notice the use of the Sus2 voicing on the second sixteenth of beat 2 in bar 1, and again on beat 4 of bar 2; I also use a Sus4 voicing in bar 2. Bar 3 has two different passing chords: first, a D minor at the end of the first beat, with a nice syncopation to resolve it on the second sixteenth of beat 2. The figure on beat 4 of that same bar ends on an F triad, which again resolves into a Cadd2 on the next beat, using the same syncopated rhythm.

I also employ some small arpeggiations of the chord voicings, playing the notes of some chords individually to break up the chords with a touch of melody. Finally, leading into bar 5 I play a short melody in octaves, which is a common way (in rock music, anyway) to fill spaces between the singer’s phrases. My advice is to keep those simple and don’t overdo them, unless it’s your time to shine with a solo.

Roll On

Rather than always playing your chord voicings as a block, try rolling the notes, which means rapidly sweeping through a given voicing. This is different from an arpeggio, in that you keep holding each note, so you are quickly adding the next notes until you are sustaining the full voicing. Here are a few ways to do that:

Rolled chords.

The wavy line to the left of the chord voicing is how a rolled or quickly arpeggiated chord is notated, and the arrow indicates the direction of the roll. (The figure in bars 2, 4 and 6 is what you actually play when you see the notation in bars 1, 3 and 5.) The version in bars 3 and 4 has you holding the top note for a split second before continuing the roll downward — this is a more melodic way to do a roll. The version in bars 5 and 6 is a roll upwards, which you could do for any of these previous examples as well. To make it more colorful I added the 2nd (D) to the chord voicing, playing both the middle C and D at the same time with my thumb and then continue the roll upwards. I suggest you practice these exercises slowly at first, learning to hold each note after it’s played until you are sustaining the full chord voicing; also try rolling the chord at different speeds.

Less is More

For slower songs, or in situations where you want to leave more space, you can add a little fill by playing either a single octave note, an octave-based simple melody, or a small arpeggiation, as shown below:

Chimes and ripples.

The first idea (bar 1) is the simplest, but it can be very effective. I suggest you not choose the root of the chord or the current melody note for your octave, as it might either be boring or get in the way of the vocal. The second idea is a simple countermelody, which will hopefully work with the vocal. The third idea is a small downward arpeggiation — again, try choosing some colorful notes. The final example is a two-handed quick arpeggiation. For this, I chose two triads: a 2nd inversion C major played with the left hand, followed by a root position G major in the right hand, which creates the 5th, major 7th and 9th of the C major seventh chord.

To give you a little inspiration, here are the same right-hand figures played over different, and changing harmony in the left hand:

Chimes and ripples with changing harmony in the left hand.

Now we’re getting some real sophistication in our playing, while keeping our ideas clear and not overplaying. Bar 2 uses the sus2 voicing over the 3rd in the bass that we learned in Part 2 of this series. For bar 3, I kept the same right-hand voicing and moved the bass to a B-flat to get a very cool-sounding chord that has nice color tones (the major 7th [D] and the 6th [G], also called the 13th). I keep following the same kind of voice-leading downwards to create the last voicing for the A minor 9th.

Putting It All Together

Musical annotation.

OK, time to use everything we’ve discussed. The performance below is more advanced than the examples I’ve given you up to this point. I suggest you listen to it a number of times, following along with the music to get a sense of how it goes before trying to read and play it yourself:

The example has a gospel flavor to it, and is played in 6/8 time. This time signature has a feeling of two beats per bar, but each beat is made up of three subdivisions rather than two.

Beat in 6/8 time.

An analysis of the transcription reveals that bars 1 – 11 are using the lower chord voicing, followed by the simple octave fills and small arpeggio ideas discussed earlier. Bar 4 has a descending fill that implies using a G passing chord between two inversions of the A minor. I then repeated that downward concept again on the A minor in bar 12.

Bar 14 uses an F 6th arpeggio to set up an Fadd2 voicing (in fourths), and the next bar has a cool, jazzy chord which builds up some energy with a climbing octave melody phrase. This spills over into bar 17, where a series of descending passing chord figures are played between inversions of the C chord. A quick G with B in the bass passing chord sets up the A minor nicely, with the downward passing chord phrases mimicked again for continuity.

Bars 21 and 22 use a C triad over the F bass for color, with the idea repeated an octave higher the second time around for variety. For the Bb dominant chord, the energy is ramped up again with rhythmically repeated octaves between the two hands, moving into a melodic line back to the C major.

Bars 25 through 28 go back to working the passing chord concepts again, with a moving melody added across bar 29, using the C triad over F and then a 4th-based voicing that looks like a Csus4 triad (or is it Fsus2?) to lead into that colorful Bb dominant chord again. Two downward-rolled arpeggio figures calm the energy down as the wrap-up approaches; these also serve to set up the final V to I resolution, although the V chord is a suspended 4th.

Whew! That’s a lot of analysis, but it demonstrates how all the concepts we’ve presented in this three-part series can be used. Plenty for you to digest and work on!

All audio played on a Yamaha P-515.

 

Check out our other Well-Rounded Keyboardist postings.

Click here for more information about Yamaha keyboard instruments.

Import Notation Files into Dorico

Written by Dr. Dave Gerhart on . Posted in Teaching Tips.

I am continuing my quest to learn and use the Dorico notation program.

A few months ago, I wrote the Quick Start Guide to Dorico to help educators (and me) learn the program. Just like practicing scales, learning a new notation program requires regular, daily practice. I watched the videos for beginners and completed the “Getting Started with Note input in Dorico” project. I finally fell like I understand the basics of Dorico.

Violinist standing next to piano with Dorico notation software showing on a laptop screenBefore 2010, educators primarily used two notation programs to create scores, worksheets and parts for the musical classroom — Finale and Sibelius. As a college student, I started using Finale in 1992 when I purchased my first computer. I used this program to complete theory assignments, write arrangements and create worksheets. I spent hours reading the manual to learn the ins and outs of Finale, and I quickly became very proficient. I fondly remember working with my percussion professor to digitize his scores for the steel drum orchestra. We both learned a lot about arranging and notation programs.

Through my collegiate years and then as an educator, I have created numerous percussion ensemble, chamber, orchestral and steel drum scores.

The next step in my Dorico learning process is to move my old notation files to Dorico. There are two ways to export files:

  • MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)
  • MusicXML (Music Extensible Markup Language)

closeup of Dorico notation software line editorsEvaluating the Formats

Before I describe each of the formats, I want to recommend that when you complete a notation project, make sure to create a backup in BOTH MusicXML and MIDI formats. This is a difficult lesson I learned with my old files that I am now converting into MusicXML. The advantage of MusicXML and MIDI are that they are both open formats that can be opened by more than 250 programs. While all of the data may not translate in the conversion, it is much easier to fix minor discrepancies than to re-input the entire score. Plus, by adding these files to the completed file folder, you will be able to open that file in the future.

MIDI: MIDI is an open standard that connects electronic instruments and computers in order to facilitate playing, editing and recording. In the Discover Dorico YouTube video, host John Barron, Dorico’s product specialist, says MIDI information includes:

  • Note Lengths as MIDI “Ticks”
  • Note Velocities
  • Controller Data

All of this information is related to sound. MIDI information does not include tempo markings, articulations, dynamic markings and other notation or graphic information.

MusicXML: MusicXML is an open file format that represents the graphical information in a file saved by a notation program. According to Barron in the same Discover Dorico video, MusicXML includes information like:

  • Dynamic Markings
  • Note Lengths
  • Lines and Other Text Markings
  • Stem Direction
  • Beaming
  • Instrument Information
  • Keys and Clefs

Making a Decision

Before you make a decision about which format to use, I highly recommend that you watch the MusicXML import YouTube Video. Barron presents the advantages and disadvantages of each file format and shows how to edit the settings in Dorico to make sure you get the correct information into the imported file. He also shows examples of different types of scores and how to make edits to the file.

After watching the video, I decided to convert my old files into MusicXML before importing them into Dorico. I prefer MusicXML because it maintains all of the graphic information from my old files. Once you have imported the MusicXML files into Dorico, you will need to scan the file and do some editing.

If you have any questions or are looking for more information about Dorico, please email me at educators@yamaha.com.

Additional Resources

Amp and Guitar Modeling 101

Written by Mike Levine on . Posted in Amps.

Why use one guitar when you can have several? For that matter, why use just one amp and speaker cabinet, when you can have easy access to dozens of them?

The simple answer is: There’s no need to limit yourself to just one. Thanks to digital modeling technology, guitarists and bassists can access a wide range of virtual instruments, amps and speaker cabinets, both in the studio and onstage.

Digital modeling has come a long way since its introduction in the 1990s, thanks in large part to massive increases in computer power and processor speed. In this article, we’ll focus on two modern products — Yamaha THR-II Series desktop amplifiers and SILENT Guitars™. But before we do so, let’s talk about how modeling works.

Amp Modeling

Digital modeling in general works by replicating (i.e., emulating) an object with the use of computer algorithms — sets of software instructions created to perform a particular task. In a model of an electronic device like an amplifier, these algorithms are designed to recreate the behavior and interactions of each individual circuit and component within the amp. What’s more, guitar amp modeling plug-ins such as Line 6 Helix Native® usually offer a user interface that provides emulations of the original amp’s knobs and switches, making the simulation even more realistic.

Part of the challenge in creating amp models is replicating the sometimes irregular behavior of components like tubes and transformers, which create the warmth and distortion that makes these devices so popular. Some amp modeling products also incorporate algorithms that emulate the sonic responses of various speaker cabinets.

One of the big advantages of amp modeling versus using a real amp is that you can monitor over headphones without making any noise. If you have an apartment-based home studio, for example, it allows you to practice and/or record guitar parts 24/7 without bothering your neighbors.

Instrument Modeling

Musical instruments can also be modeled. Electronic instruments such as synthesizers are modeled by digitally replicating their circuitry through a process similar to modeling amplifiers. But the process of modeling an acoustic instrument, such as guitar, is significantly different.

One approach is to recreate the tonality and behavior of the instrument by sampling every note it’s capable of producing at a variety of different volume levels, and, if necessary, applying all the different possible articulations as well. A more complex method called physical modeling requires mapping out the physics of the way the instrument produces sound and then creating algorithms that replicate each process.

THR-II Series Desktop Amps

Yamaha THR-II Series desktop amps are small, highly portable practice amps that offer 15 guitar amp models, along with acoustic guitar and bass models, plus onboard digital effects. They can also act as a USB audio interface, so you can digitally record guitar parts into your DAW, with the amp, instrument and effects modeling applied. If you already have an audio interface, you can simply plug one or both of the THR-II quarter-inch line outputs into the interface’s line inputs.

Several small desktop amplifiers.
Yamaha THR-II Series desktop amps.

Here are a few audio clips, recorded with an electric guitar being played through a THR30II. The first example uses the amp’s Clean Boutique model on the rhythm part, with a little added onboard reverb:

This next clip features some lead guitar through the Lead Boutique model, again with a little added reverb:

And this one employs the Modern High Gain model for a heavily distorted sound:

SILENT Guitar

There are several different types of Yamaha SILENT Guitars, but what they all have in common is that they make virtually no noise acoustically, are easily portable and offer a wide range of tones. The SLG200S, which has steel strings, works well in tandem with THR-II amps.

The Yamaha SLG200S SILENT Guitar.
The Yamaha SLG200S SILENT Guitar.

SILENT Guitars offer two different types of sound production, and you can opt to either switch between them or blend them together. One is with the use of a piezo-electric pickup, which is a standard way to electrify an acoustic stringed instrument. The other is called Yamaha SRT (Studio Response Technology) — a unique system that digitally models the sound of an acoustic guitar being captured through high-quality studio microphones. This extremely realistic emulation not only replicates the characteristics of the microphone, but the physical resonance of a guitar as well.

The SLG200S has particularly versatile sonics. If you plug the pickup signal into a clean amp, mixer or interface directly, it sounds like an acoustic guitar, particularly if you blend the SRT signal with it. But it can also sound like an electric guitar if you turn the blend all the way to the P.U. (pickup) setting and plug it into an amp, such as a THR-II model, that’s designed to create a variety of distorted and overdriven sounds.

The next three audio clips allow you to hear the sound of the SLG200S played through a THR30II amp. In this first example, the THR30II is on its Clean setting, so the SLG200S sounds like an electric-acoustic guitar:

In this next clip, the amp is set to Clean Classic, which makes the SLG200S sound like a clean electric guitar:

Finally, here’s a duet with the SLG200S playing both parts; the lead part uses the THR30II Lead Boutique setting, while the rhythm part uses the Lead Classic setting:

As you can see, whether it’s used to create virtual amps, speaker cabinets or even guitars, digital modeling can open up a huge range of tonal options that you couldn’t achieve without a warehouse full of gear. Well worth checking out!

 

Related blog articles:

Spotlight on THR-II

The SILENT Guitar Speaks

Four Reasons I Travel With My Yamaha SILENT Guitar™

Utilizing Modeling Technology

Layering Guitar with Studio Response Technology

 

Click here for more information about Line 6 Helix Native.

Click here for more information about Yamaha THR-II Series desktop amps.

Click here for more information about Yamaha SILENT Guitars.

man talking on the phone while sitting in front of laptop

Stay Connected During Online Instruction

Written by Kathryn Drury Wagner on . Posted in Self-Care.

To paraphrase English poet John Donne, no man or woman is an island. He wrote that we are all “a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”

But teaching in a virtual class setting can sometimes feel like being marooned on a desert island. Sure, there’s interaction via videoconferencing, yet some days, it can get lonely — as if there’s an ocean between you, your students and your colleagues. Hello? Is anyone out there?

The good news is that you don’t need to send a message in a bottle to forge strong relationships. Let’s look at some ways to feel connected as a music educator, even if you are teaching via your own private “island.”

Feel More Connected with Your Colleagues

Virtual Coffee Chats: We’ve all heard of the buddy system. Research suggests that friendships, especially during times of anxiety, actually allow us to reframe negative events as challenges instead of disasters. So it’s important to keep building relationships with your fellow faculty. Schedule time to bond over a virtual coffee or virtual lunch, and make sure the discussion isn’t only about work topics — invest your time and effort to keep in touch with people on a deeper level. It’s good for your career development and your stress levels.

Convene to Enjoy a Virtual Program: Perhaps in the past, you savored local performances with your music department colleagues. If attending a performance as a group isn’t feasible right now, you can still “gather” to enjoy a virtual show. For example, try a Tanglewood night. It does Wednesday evening video streams with artists like the Danish String Quartet, Silkroad Ensemble, Lucas and Arthur Jussen, and Paul Lewis, recorded at beautiful concert venues all over the world. Last spring, Yamaha kicked off YamahaLiveFromHome, presenting concerts and music tutorials.

older maile talking on phone with laptop in front of him Host a Game Night: If you used to hang out with coworkers for happy hour, pivot to a virtual game night and test out online group activities like Drawasaurus. Bonus points: Prior to the event, email links for cocktail, mocktail and appetizer recipes, so everyone can be sipping and nibbling similar libations and snacks, adding to the sense of camaraderie.

Go Old School: Yes, you can still pick up the phone! Don’t forget the power of a kind call or a thoughtful voicemail. And if someone has done you a solid, drop a handwritten thank-you note instead of automatically turning to email. A study in the Journal of Happiness found that writing notes of gratitude increased participants’ feelings of life satisfaction and reduced depression. So not only are you spreading good vibes with your thank you, you’ll feel happier yourself simply by busting out that stationery you have been meaning to use.

Feel More Connected with Your Students

one-on-one digital meeting -- laptop screen showing a male's faceMix it Up: Scientists tell us that music boosts creativity, and stretching your students’ creative thinking skills improves their cognition and enhances their learning. So in addition to your music lesson plans, throw in a few unexpected twists. Try a game of charades or turn off your microphone and have them guess what you’re saying by reading your lips. Play a quick scavenger hunt by giving students a list of three items and have them race around their houses to find them, before returning for the online learning.

Creativity can also allow for effective ways of conveying assignments or instructor communications as well. For example, John Thomas, a first/second grade teacher, turned his reading assignment into a roller coaster ride.

Plan One-on-One Communications: It can be frustrating for some students to feel “seen” in virtual learning environments like Zoom, so if you are teaching a group, be sure to schedule time for one-on-one communications.

Establish set virtual office hours, where you can touch base with students. Do they need help tuning their instruments? Feedback on a solo? Do they want to stop by just to say hi? This is also a good time to gauge emotional and social needs. Do they require any additional resources or support?

Depending on district policies, music educators may also be able to use texts or cell phone messages as a way to ping students to stay in touch. Or drop students a postcard in the mail, telling them they are doing a good job learning a new instrument, mastering a challenging piece of music or just that they are a pleasure to have in class. Young kids love getting mail, but even older students will be surprised and pleased by this personal greeting.

Feel More Connected the Natural World

desktop with computer, papers and plant

Ideally, you’ll be able to take a short break or two between videoconference classes and staff meetings at some point during your day. (See more about The Power of a Stress-Relieving Routine.) But for times when you can’t get out for a stress-relieving walk, reconnect with nature by having a plant near your work station. Viewing greenery in micro-breaks as little as 40 seconds can restore the brain’s ability for sustained attention, reports a study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.

If fauna is more up your alley than flora, take a few minutes and pop into the webcams at explore.org, which has live video feeds of animal habitats from all over the world. It’s refreshing to suddenly be eye-level with an eagle’s nest or underwater in a tropical reef. Deep breaths … you’re ready to return to the school’s online learning platform, refreshed.

Feel More Connected with Your Purpose

Male writing in journal

Music and music education are more important than ever because they promote invention, problem-solving and imagination. Music weaves us together at a time when we’re all getting a blunt reminder on how interdependent humans are, and how being distant from each other is really challenging. So, make time to reconnect with why you pursued a teaching career in the first place. This might be by writing in a journal, listing three things each day that went well with your students. Or perhaps turn to an inspirational read, such as Mark Nepo’s “The One Life We’re Given.”

But have faith that what you’d doing is meaningful. As cellist Yo-Yo Ma recently told the Washington Post, music is like touch, and during the pandemic, so much of our ability to touch other humans has been taken away from us. “You can’t touch, you can’t hug, you can’t shake hands,” he said.

“But what music does, its sound moves air molecules,” he continued. “So when air floats across your skin and touches the hairs of your skin, that’s touch. That’s the closest thing to someone actually touching you. … That’s what music can do.”

The SR-C20A sound bar mounted on living room wall.

How (and Where) To Mount a TV and Sound Bar

Written by Eric Thies on . Posted in Audio How-to.

The television is the centerpiece of any home theater system. As a custom installer, it always amazes me how often a television or sound bar is mounted in the wrong place … sometimes even with the wrong bracket! But proper TV and sound bar placement will greatly enhance your home theater experience, so it behooves you to do it safely and correctly.

Here are some best practices that will allow you to get it right the first time.

TV Positioning

Obviously you want the TV to be placed directly across from your primary seating position, and not off to the left or the right … so get it right in the middle! If you mount the TV off to one side, it will be uncomfortable to view and can even result in neck strain if you do a lot of binge-watching.

Even when properly centered, TVs are often mounted too high. For aesthetic reasons, you may want that TV over your fireplace, but trust me, it is the absolute wrong place to mount it. For a comfortable viewing experience, you want your eyes (at a seated position) to be at the center of the TV.

This can be easily calculated, as follows:

  • When seated, an average person’s eyes are 42.5″ off the floor
  • The formula is: 42.5 – (TV height / 2) = Ideal height of the bottom of the TV

A typical 65″ flat panel TV is 33″ tall, so the bottom of this TV should ideally be 26″ (42.5 – 16.5) off the ground. However, in many installations this may be impractical due to the fact that there may be a piece of furniture underneath the TV. So what is your fudge factor? The sweet spot is the center, but you can go as low as the bottom 1/3rd line of the TV. In the case of a 65″ flat panel, this would mean that the bottom of the TV could start at 31.5″ off the floor. Since most furniture is 30″ high, you will have just enough room to squeeze that credenza under the TV.

Sound Bar Positioning

As TV bezels keep shrinking and shrinking, this leaves virtually no room for speakers. This means that any built-in speakers need to be small and/or project off the side or back of the TV, making for a tinny, poor-quality listening experience. So unless you are planning on using a separate discrete surround sound system, make sure you plan on adding a sound bar.

This too has to be factored in when doing your math. Not only does a sound bar need to be centered under your TV for optimum audio, but you need to consider its dimensions as well. As an example, the Yamaha YAS-109 is a nice sleek sound bar (complete with dual built-in subwoofers) that does not require a lot of space. If you are planning on placing a YAS-109 on a piece of furniture under the TV, you only need 2 1/8″ of height clearance. If you’ll be mounting it on the wall with spacers, you will need 5 1/8″ of clearance below your TV.

Long thin sound bar.
Yamaha YAS-109.

Wall-Mount or Tabletop?

These are the two most common options when it comes to placing a TV and sound bar. Which is better?

This is largely an aesthetic decision, but I have a couple of arguments for wall mounting. For one thing, it tends to be a safer installation. Large flat-screen TVs can be top-heavy and therefore fairly easy to knock off a stand. Wall mounting also gives you more flexibility in terms of mounting the TV exactly where it needs to be versus being stuck with the height of the furniture you sit it on.

This same debate can be extended to the sound bar. Here, though, it’s typically best to follow whatever you are doing with the TV, but consider the TV mounting method as well. (See “Wall Mount Options” below.) If you are using a flat or tilt bracket, you’ll be fine with mounting the sound bar on the wall directly below the TV. However, if you are using an articulating arm, you’ll instead want to attach the sound bar to the arm itself, so that the sound follows the angle in which you position the TV.

This also brings up the question of whether a sound bar works better above or below the TV. I suggest mounting it at the location that is closest to 42.5″ off the ground (again, where your ear falls at a seated position). This is typically below the TV in 95% of real-world installations.

Wall Mount Options

  • Flat mount. This is the right choice if you are able to mount the TV at the correct height and you don’t need to angle the TV to watch it from different positions, or a different room. There are ultra-thin models available, but bear in mind that if you need to mount anything behind the TV (such as a Firestick, Apple TV® or HDMI® balun), you’ll have zero room for these devices.
  • Tilt Mount. If you are forced to position the TV too high (i.e., above the center of your eyes when seated), this is probably your only mount option, since it allows you to tilt the TV downward.
  • Articulating Mount. This is a mount that allows you to pull the TV out from the wall and swivel it towards a secondary viewing area. Keep in mind that these mounts add significant depth and make the TV project off the wall quite a bit (sometimes up to 6″). The upside to an articulating mount is that it makes it very easy to service the TV and plug/unplug devices.
  • Recessed Mount. Some companies make a recessed articulating arm that allows you to completely recess the bracket into a flush mount enclosure in the wall. Installation of this kind of mount is not for novices since you need to perfectly place the recessed box within the wall and center to the room. This may require framing and drywall repair to get it just right, but the look is fabulous and it allows you to push the TV right into the wall with no gap.

Step-by-Step

Once you’ve worked out positioning and mount options, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Here are step-by-step directions for mounting a TV and sound bar to a wall.

1. Mount the Plate. A TV bracket typically has two components: a plate that mounts to the back of the TV and a bracket that mounts to the wall. Begin by mounting the plate to your TV, then measure the distance between the connection points where the plate will hook onto or connect to the wall bracket.

2. Measure. Next, measure the height of the lower connection points to the bottom of the TV. This will tell you exactly where the wall bracket needs to be mounted in order to get the bottom of the TV in the correct place. (See “TV Positioning,” above.)

3. Find the Studs. Get out your handy-dandy stud finder and find the studs that line up with your wall bracket mounting holes. Make marks on the wall where you are going to connect the bracket with the supplied lag bolts. Never mount a TV to drywall only; for a safe installation, always find the studs (and use them!).

4. Check the Cables. Before drilling any holes, make sure that your electrical and audio/video cabling is in the right place in relation to the bracket. If you are mounting a sound bar on the wall under the TV, make sure that you have appropriate connecting cables in the wall from behind the TV to behind the sound bar so that you don’t see a cable between the two. Bear in mind that you will also need a power outlet behind that sound bar, or a power extender that allows you to plug the sound bar into the outlet behind the TV

5. Drill. Once you are certain that your cabling and power wires are aligned with your bracket, go ahead and drill some pilot holes into the wall to make the supplied lag bolts easier to install. Before actually installing the wall bracket, however, make sure it is level, as most wall brackets do not have those kinds of adjustments.

6. Lift. Get a couple of helpers to assist in lifting the TV so as to mount it on the wall bracket. Three is the ideal number, since two people can hold the TV up while the third can get behind it and make all of the video, audio and power connections before the TV is placed on the bracket.

7. Level. Make sure your sound bar wall mount is level to the TV, then mount it below the TV on the wall where your optical or HDMI cable is poking out. Most sound bars do not weigh very much, so using drywall anchors is usually safe. If you are using an articulating mount (see “Wall Mount Options” above), you’ll need to connect the sound bar to the articulating arm, below the TV. There are many products out there designed specifically for this purpose.

 

Learn more about Yamaha sound bars.

Learn more about the Yamaha YAS-109.

Here’s What You Need to Know About Celestes

Written by Troy C. Wollwage on . Posted in Percussion.

Celestes are instruments with a bell-like tone and a trace of mystery about them. However, both a celeste (sometimes called a celesta) and keyboard glockenspiel use the same mechanism as any grand piano. This means that anyone who plays piano will be able to play either of these instruments too.

Whether you’re planning on purchasing a celeste for your school, performance hall, church or other institutional location, here are some key aspects to guide you through the decision-making process.

Know Your Needs

Every institution is different in terms of size and makeup, and each will have instrument needs that differ. These factors include model, size and how many instruments are required. For example, a piano teaching studio might be a small space that’s carpeted, cluttered with bookshelves, desks and chairs, while a university performance hall might seat hundreds or even thousands of concertgoers, and a church venue may be an irregularly-shaped room filled with pews and glass windows. Whatever the configuration, the celeste you choose will ultimately need to meet a wide variety of demands, so before making your purchase, ask yourself the following questions:

– Who will use the instrument? Beginners, advanced players, concert artists, international guests on tour?

– How often will the instrument be played? In the occasional concert, or for 18 hours per day of student practice?

– How will the instrument be used? Lessons for graduate students? Live performance? Church services? Recordings?

– Will the instrument stay in a fixed location or will it be moved often?

– In what size room will the instrument primarily be used? A concert performance hall with a seating capacity of 3,000 may need two celestes: one for rehearsal and one for performance.

Know the Instrument

Yes, it’s a percussion instrument with a keyboard and a unique reverberant sound quality. But here are seven things about the celeste you may not know:

1. Celeste Soundbar Basics

Celeste soundbars are lined up in rows, same as they are in a metallophone. However, a celeste produces a gentler sound than a metallophone, with more reverberation, for a clear and beautiful sound.

The shorter a soundbar, the higher its pitch. This means, as you go up in pitch, the soundbars become shorter. Depending on the particular model, Yamaha celestes have a range of 53 keys (40C to 92E) or 56 keys (40C to 95G).

Soundbar thickness also varies. The soundbars on a celeste are approximately 2 – 2.5 mm thick, compared to metallophone soundbars that are around 7.8 – 9 mm thick.

2. The Holes in the Soundbars Are There for a Reason

The holes in celeste soundbars are used to keep them in place. A hole is drilled at a particular position in each soundbar called the nodal point, where the minimum amount of fundamental and the maximum amount of harmonics is heard. (There are two nodes on every soundbar, one on each end.) The soundbar is then placed on top of a felt pad and screwed in place. However, if a bar is fixed too tightly, the sound will not reverberate.

3. Celestes Employ Some Unusual Materials

Celeste soundbars are made of high-carbon steel. The wooden parts of celeste hammers are made from birch, and the tips are made from felt. The surface of the felt hardens after some time due to striking the hard soundbars, which tends to deaden the sound. Just as with tuning a piano, the pins must be replaced, and the hammers sanded to bring the instrument back to its proper, springy feel.

Piano hammer shank (left) and celeste hammer shank (right).
Piano (left) and celeste (right) hammer shank.

4. Celeste Hammer Shanks Differ from Those in Grand Pianos

While the shanks of hammers in a grand piano are vertically thick and very hard, the shanks of celeste hammers are vertically thin, but horizontally thick — similar in shape to the soft mallets used for mallet keyboard instruments like vibraphone or marimba.

5. Celeste Pedaling Is Important Too

To maximize reverberation and bring out the metallic and gentle timbre of the celeste, a player needs to make skillful use of its damper and/or soft pedals, which are similar in functionality to those in pianos.

6. Celeste Maintenance Is Similar to That of a Piano

Just like a piano, any celeste will require periodic maintenance, though a new celeste out of the box should not need any preparation before it is used. A celeste should be tuned regularly and regulated as needed by a piano tuner. This is especially true if the instrument is moved a lot.

7. A Celeste Can Be Heard More Clearly from the Rear of the Room

A celeste is unique in its ability to be heard from far away. Interestingly, this phenomenon, coupled with the natural reverberation in a room, means that those sitting at the rear of a concert hall can hear the celeste better than those sitting in the front row.

Yamaha Celeste Structure and Key Features

Merely striking a soundbar does very little — the sound will be very quiet and won’t reverberate much if at all. That’s why celestes require wooden resonator boxes sitting above the soundbars. In most celestes, these boxes are graduated on four levels, with the bass range resonator boxes on the top level, the midrange resonator boxes on the lower right, and the treble resonator boxes in the center and lower left (looking from the rear). However, in Yamaha celestes, the resonance boxes are arranged in a single level, which allows for a more compact and lightweight body. Despite their compact size, the same resonant capacity is maintained, allowing the instrument to produce a rich sound.

Yamaha celeste resonator boxes.
Yamaha celeste resonator boxes.

In addition, the soundbars in Yamaha celestes are struck from below, not above, allowing for the use of a piano action mechanism. This enables the player to put feeling into their performance. Other celeste designs make it difficult to vary the intensity of one’s playing since those instruments don’t make any noise unless the keys are pressed strongly.

Yamaha celeste action.
Yamaha celeste action.

All Yamaha celeste models offer a uniform feel for free control of dynamics, along with a compact, lightweight design that is easy to transport. Here are some other key features of Yamaha celestes — all of which will be important to institutional buyers:

– Piano action with full-length keys

– Metal plates and resonator

– Piano-standard keyboard height and a narrow key slip

– Key surfaces of Ivorite and unstained ebony

– A music rest positioned to allow clear, line-of-sight visibility

– Double-wheel locking casters

– A protective cover

Because celestes last a very long time (well over 10 years), investing in the wrong model or brand can have lasting consequences. Therefore, it is important to carefully consider the current and future needs of your institution before making a purchase. Ensure that you budget sufficient funds for both the initial purchase and future maintenance. It is always wise to consult with all stakeholders at your institution. This includes anyone who has a fiduciary role, as well as those who have a say in how the instrument is used. If you take the time to do your homework, your students, faculty and audiences will appreciate the positive effects of your decision!

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha celestes.

Antique fiddle.

When Your Violin Needs a Luthier Visit

Written by Ken Dattmore on . Posted in Acoustic Strings.

If you play and own an orchestral string instrument such as a violin, viola, cello or upright bass, you may find that the feel and sound can change on an almost day-to-day basis. Why should this be the case? The answer is that the spruce and maple woods in your instrument are hygroscopic materials, meaning that they absorb moisture from the atmosphere around them. We should never forget that the natural materials that make up a string instrument came from the living organisms that we humans call trees.

Those trees take nutrients from the soil, sunlight and water, and they breathe in carbon dioxide and expel oxygen — the opposite of what we do. One day a tree is felled and becomes the instrument you play … but rest assured that its life didn’t end when it was cut down, because a string instrument continues to live and react to its surroundings. And these changes mean you’ll need to have your instrument serviced regularly by a trained technician known as a luthier.

What Is a Luthier?

A luthier is a highly trained professional who specializes in the craftsmanship and maintenance of a string instrument. These folks spend years studying wood and instrument construction, and while your instrument may live up to your expectations, the luthier is constantly searching for ways to make it sound better and more comfortable for the player who uses it.

A luthier works on restoring an antique violin in a workshop.

How Often Do You Need to Visit a Luthier?

How often you need to bring your instrument to a luthier depends on many factors, including how often you play it and how drastic seasonal change is where you live. In general, it’s a good idea to have a luthier service your instrument at least once a year. Upon inspection, the luthier will look for the following:

– General condition and integrity of the instrument. Are there any open seams or wood cracks? These things are inevitable in the life of every string instrument and are not the fault of the player, but if they occur, an immediate service is necessary. Closing a seam is usually a simple matter where the luthier applies droplets of hide glue and clamps the seam overnight to ensure that it’s properly closed. Cracks, on the other hand, present more of an issue. Often the luthier will need to remove the full top of the instrument to install “cleats” inside to hold the sealed crack in place and complete the repair.

– Bridge inspection. Is the instrument’s bridge healthy and well-positioned without any warping? Are string clearances correct? If not, the bridge may require some adjustment or even replacing.

– Fingerboard inspection. Is the fingerboard smooth and well-shaped? Over long periods of time, the movement of hands and strings will lead to wearing that a luthier can remedy by reshaping and restoring the contour of the fingerboard. This will help with both intonation and position shifting, making the instrument more comfortable and responsive.

– Peg condition. Pegs are a moving component of the instrument, and over time and constant use, the peg holes can become oval-shaped from the tension of the strings. This can cause slipping or sticking, which will lead to intonation problems. The luthier will determine when they need to be redressed — a process where a reamer is used to restore the peg holes to a circular shape. A compound is then applied to the shafts of the pegs and they are reset into the peg box for a smooth and reliable tuning action.

– Strings. Strings are the source of the sounds you create and therefore the life of the instrument. They wear out far more often than most players notice. An average player should change strings about once a year. If you’re an advanced player, you’ll need to change them even more often to ensure they keep providing the proper sound that the instrument was built to create. A luthier will help you decide how often to change strings based on your style of playing.

Instrument maker repairing old violin in studio.

– Sound post inspection. Inside of your instrument is a spruce dowel called a sound post. The Spanish name for this piece is “alma,” which translates in English to “soul” … and it very much is just that. The sound post helps to transmit the vibration of the string across the top and back of the instrument. Its positioning in relation to the bridge is crucial and the luthier will check to make sure  that it is well shaped to the inside top and back and in the correct spot inside of the instrument.

A string instrument is a beautiful work of art crafted from natural wood materials, but it is also a complex machine that requires care and maintenance over its lifetime. A skilled luthier can keep these instruments healthy and sounding great, and in the right hands, they can last a lifetime … or even centuries!

Check out these related blog articles:

Winter Weather Care for Woodwind and String Instruments

Five Things You May Not Know About String Instruments

What’s That Weird Sound?

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha string instruments.

Introducing the SR-C20A Compact Sound Bar

Written by Ted Goslin on . Posted in Audio Gear Guides.

Have you ever turned on your television and wished that the exciting onscreen action was matched by equally explosive sound? With the thickness of TVs dwindling with every new generation, that leaves precious little room for built-in speakers — and the ones being used are getting smaller and smaller, with tinnier and tinnier sound. One possible solution is to add a separate audio system, but the problem is that some of those systems require more space than many people have in their homes, with a litany of speakers taking up space both in front of and behind you.

Add a sound bar, however, and you no longer need a lot of space for great audio. But with so many options on the market, paired with whatever limitations you might have in your home, finding the right one can be a daunting task.

Enter the SR-C20A. It’s the first compact sound bar from Yamaha, designed to fit any space without sacrificing sound or specs, with a focus on audio quality and connectivity. Let’s take a closer look at its features and capabilities.

The Yamaha SR-C20A compact sound bar.
The Yamaha SR-C20A compact sound bar.

Room-Filling Sound

Small remote control.
SR-C20A remote.

The SR-C20A comes with a built-in subwoofer and dual passive radiators. A passive radiator increases the low frequency response (that is, the bass) of a speaker system substantially. This is a rare combination in compact sound bars and enables the system to reproduce the rumble of your favorite action scenes, as well as the bass in music tracks. Looking for even more low end? Just press the BASS EXT (Bass Extension) button on the remote control.

The SR-C20A speakers.
The SR-C20A speakers.

There are also four sound modes that allow you to customize your audio experience even further: Stereo, Standard, Movie and Game. Each highlights different audio attributes, depending on what you’re listening to. With Game mode, for example, you can hear and feel the full range of sound, from the powerful blast of an explosion to the quiet footsteps of an enemy sneaking up from behind.

But that’s not all! When placed directly under a TV screen, the SR-C20A creates a virtual sound field using Dolby® Audio virtual surround sound technology to reproduce left, center, right and rear sound effects. This lets you hear the kind of subtle audio detail you’d normally only experience in a movie theater.

The SR-C20A speaker mounted on living room wall.

Another way the SR-C20A delivers detail is with its implementation of Yamaha Clear Voice technology, which provides enhanced dialogue clarity. This is especially useful during action-heavy scenes or critical moments that involve a wide range of sounds, so you never have to raise the volume to hear a pivotal plot twist.

Versatility Plus

Thanks to its compact size (just 23 inches long and 2.5 inches high), the SR-C20A can easily fit in tight spaces like gamer stations, bedrooms, offices, playrooms and dorms. It can also discreetly sit in front of any screen or a computer monitor without obstructing the action.

The SR-C20A speaker on a desk.

Mounting an SR-C20A on a wall is easy, too, thanks to the two keyholes on the rear of the sound bar. This can free up space on an entertainment cabinet and can simplify the number of cables behind the cabinet by allowing you to run an HDMI® cable in the wall.

The back of the SR-C20A speaker showing the keyholes for wall mounting.

Speaking of HDMI, the SR-C20A also includes an ARC (Audio Return Channel) function, which allows both audio and video to be sent over a single HDMI cable. In addition, the SR-C20A provides optical and aux options for connections to multiple sources, all accessible via the remote control, which can also be used to power your TV on or off, adjust volume, and more.

There’s Bluetooth® too, for streaming audio such as music and podcasts — just pair the SR-C20A with any Bluetooth-compatible device. (You can even connect and switch between two different devices!)

Looking for even more wireless functionality to further simplify the user experience? Check out the SR-C20A’s dedicated Sound Bar Remote app. Not only can it turn the sound bar on or off from your smartphone or tablet, it can switch content and change sound modes, as well as activate Clear Voice and Bass Extension functions.

Screen shot Sound Bar Remote app.
Sound Bar Remote app.

With so many features packed into this compact sound bar, your choice may be a simple one. But don’t take our word for it — check out the SR-C20A for yourself!

 

Related blog articles:

How to Shop for a Sound Bar

How to Hide the Wires in Your Home Theater

How to Get Great Sound When Watching Sports on TV

How to Use Alexa with a Yamaha Sound Bar

How to Connect Nintendo Switch to Your TV, Sound Bar or AV Receiver

 

Click here to learn more about the SR-C20A sound bar.

Click here for information about the SR-B20A sound bar — a larger alternative with two subwoofers and added features.

Scott Mayo smiling in the studio.

A Strong Foundation, A Lifetime of Good Habits

Written by Yamaha Corporation of America on . Posted in Artists, Winds Artists.

Music can be one of the most powerful ways of bringing people together. For many musicians, this realization often comes with their experiences in school band. Here’s how Grammy®-nominated producer, singer, composer and woodwind player extraordinaire Scott Mayo got his start, and how the lessons he learned in his early days not only helped shape his career, but led to an unshakeable belief in the power of music.

Early Days

“I started when I was eight years old,” recalls Mayo, who’s worked with legendary artists such as Earth Wind & Fire, Mick Jagger, Stevie Wonder, Sergio Mendes, Luther Vandross, Cee-Lo Green, Ice Cube, Michael Bolton and Jennifer Hudson, as well as playing with the American Idol™ house band.

“Every morning they would start school with announcements,” he continues, “and one day they said, ‘If you’re in fourth grade and up, you can try out for band — just come to the band room after class.’ Right away, I was like, ‘Oh, I want to do that,’ even though I don’t really know why there was an ‘Oh, I want to do that’ in me! There was this sort of call on my life to become a musician.”

Deciding on the Right Instrument

Scott returned home and excitedly told his mother the news. Her response was to ask him what instrument he wanted to play. “I said, ‘I want to play drums.’ She said, ‘Too loud. Pick something else.’” His second and third choices — trumpet and guitar — were met with the same reaction. With a laugh, he remembers his mother saying, “Why do you keep picking the loud instruments?”

The alternative she suggested — clarinet — was based on practicality: Both of Scott’s brothers had played the instrument, and there was already a clarinet in the house. “I would come home from school and I would put my clarinet together and play along as best I could with the commercials or the cartoons I was watching,” he says. “That was sort of the thing that just amused me.” A few years later, Mayo added saxophone and flute to his repertoire (“I just loved playing instruments”), and there was no looking back.

“It’s funny,” Mayo says today with a sense of irony, “because all of the instruments that my mother rejected are actually my favorite instruments. I love drums, I love guitar and I love trumpet.”

High School Influences

By the time he got to high school, Scott was playing in wind ensemble, concert band, jazz ensemble and marching band … along with being a varsity athlete. “It really was challenging and some things suffered at times,” he recalls. “I just found a way I could stay up late practicing my instrument. I needed to dedicate the time because I had a really demanding high school teacher who saw the seeds of me becoming a professional. There was a point where I had to make a decision as to what I was going to do. And I did make that decision [to devote myself to music instead of athletics], and happily.”

Scott-@-12-1
Scott Mayo, age 12.

Scott-in-Marching-Band-crop-2
Scott in marching band.

“I had really wonderful friends that were supportive and encouraging,” he says. “There was one flute player in my high school that was particularly good. She was a really advanced flute player and she would help me because she was better than I was. We would play duets together; quite often we had saxophone quartets and quintets. Somebody would bring in some music and we would sight read it and play it together and then we’d switch instruments and play somebody else’s part. It was a really life-changing experience to have a community of musicians where I felt safe to not be so good all the time.”

Support from Family Too

When Mayo made the decision to take up saxophone, he remembers his father going out and getting him a sax “like the next day.” A couple of years later, Scott wanted to learn to play flute too. Again, he recalls, his father’s reaction was “‘Okay, no problem.’ He just went out and bought me a flute.”

But there was a string attached — a very good one. “When I was 13 years old, [my father] said, ‘So, you’re serious about this music thing?’ I said, ‘Yes sir, I am.’ He said, ‘All right. It’s time to listen to some real music,’ and he played [me some] Miles Davis. I said, ‘What is this?’ and he said, ‘It’s jazz. It’s real music.’”

“He also started taking me to these jam sessions on Sunday nights [even though I was] way too young to be able to get in — he’d tell them, ‘This is my son. He’s a saxophone player.’ I would always take my horn [even though] I knew nothing about jazz, especially improvisation. I would keep my horn in its case and just listen to these incredible musicians, many of whom were famous [even though] I didn’t know it at the time. Eventually I would learn melodies. I learned this one Charlie Parker [tune] — just the melody; I couldn’t play the solo. I went there one week and asked the musicians if I could play it. They were like, ‘Yeah!’ I played the melody and they acted like it was the best thing that ever happened to them in their entire life.”

Lessons Learned

“I’m grateful for my high school experience because it literally prepared me for what I’m doing right now,” says Mayo. “A lot of the habits that I have as an adult started in high school band. [For example], I couldn’t show up late for rehearsal; that was unacceptable. So consequently I learned that you don’t show up late for a session, or a gig.”

Scott Mayo playing the flute.
Scott Mayo today.

Those experiences also helped shape a life-affirming philosophy about the power of music. “Playing in band taught me that you have to find a way to work with people that are different, whether you like them or don’t like them,” he reflects. “You have a piece of music in front of you and you have to find a way to make it sound good. At that point the differences disappear. [If we] can nurture more young musicians then perhaps we can see the world changed because then we can start to show people how well we work together in spite of our differences, that we can create beautiful melodies and harmony and make people cry together because we work together.”

“That is the bottom line,” he says. “No matter what the differences are, make beautiful music.”

For more information, visit scottmayomusic.com

 

Check out these related blog posts:

Larry Mullen Jr. reflects on the beginnings of U2

Butch Walker talks about practicing through the roadblocks

Tina Guo discusses dedication to the craft

Jackie Miclau looks at the ways music brings people together

Handwritten note by John Chowining on Yamaha MODX.

Discovering Digital FM: John Chowning Remembers

Written by Jerry Kovarsky on . Posted in Synthesizers. 5 Comments on Discovering Digital FM: John Chowning Remembers

There have been only a few major turning points in the history of synthesis. After the seminal work of Bob Moog and his analog modular designs in the 1960s, it can be argued that instrument development travelled a mostly incremental path for more than two decades. New features were continually being added, but for the most part the synthesizers of the era continued to utilize subtractive analog technology. All that changed with the release of the Yamaha DX7 in 1983 — truly a watershed moment.

Almost everything about the DX7 was new. It sported green, orange and pink membrane switches and provided a tiny LED screen for editing, along with what looked like a series of hieroglyphics along the top of its front panel — things labeled “algorithms.” Its 61-key keyboard was both velocity- and touch-sensitive (radical for the times) and offered 16-note polyphony (even more radical for the times). But most importantly, it sounded like no other synthesizer anyone had heard before.

That’s because it used a completely new type of synthesis technology, called digital FM (short for “Frequency Modulation”) — courtesy of an adventurous professor at Stanford University in California and a team of forward-thinking engineers at Yamaha Corporation in Hamamatsu, Japan.

The Yamaha DX7.
The Yamaha DX7.

The story behind the development of digital FM is fascinating, and it starts with a most unlikely source: an experimental music composer who was neither an engineer, mathematician or computer programmer. Instead, he was an artist who was chasing his muse when he stumbled across a sonic phenomenon that forever changed synthesis.

His name? Dr. John Chowning.

From Percussion to Synthesis

Chowning is a percussionist who graduated from Ohio’s Wittenberg University in 1959, and then went to Paris for two years to study with the famed composer Nadia Boulanger. It was during his time in Paris that he was first exposed to experimental music, including early works using electronics to create what was called “music for loudspeakers.” Inspired by those influences, he returned to the U.S. and received his Doctorate in 1966 from Stanford University.

Stanford University has long been a fertile place of research in all of the sciences, but it was Chowning who initiated their forays into the fledgling use of computers to make music, although his primary interest at the time was in sound spatialization: the ability to move a sound source in a three-dimensional field, and the way the human ear distinguishes those movements.

But after reading a seminal article written by computer synthesis pioneer Max Mathews, Chowning took a course in computer programming and then made a trip to visit Mathews at Bell Labs in New Jersey. “Max made a statement in his article that really grabbed my attention,” Chowning recalls. “He wrote: ‘There are no theoretical limitations to the performance of the computer as a source of musical sounds, in contrast to the performance of ordinary instruments. At present, the range of computer music is limited principally by cost and by our knowledge of psychoacoustics. These limits are rapidly receding.’”

Chowning returned to California with a box of punch cards Mathews had given him, containing instructions for a synthesis computer program called MUSIC IV. He found a place to play them at Stanford’s newly established Artificial Intelligence laboratory, where researchers gathered to see what they could get computers to do.

A Discovery of the Ear

The convergence of Chowning’s interest in spatialization and Mathew’s search for new sounds led to a focus on one particular sonic aspect: Vibrato.

“I was searching for sounds that had some internal dynamism,” Chowning explains, “because for localization one has to have sounds that are dynamic in order to perceive their distance. The direct signal and the reverberant signal have to have some phase differences in order for us to perceive that there are in fact two different signals. Vibrato is one of the ways that one can do that.”

One evening in the autumn of 1967, Chowning was using the mainframe computer in the Stanford AI laboratory to model the sound of two sine wave oscillators in a simple modulation configuration, one altering the pitch of the other to produce vibrato. Curious as to what would occur if he increased the rate and/or depth beyond what was possible with the human touch on an acoustic instrument, he issued instructions to the computer to try some basic multiples, doubling and tripling some of the numbers. And that’s when a curious thing happened: At the point when the rate of the vibrato increased to where it could no longer be perceived as a cyclical change, the sound changed from simple pitch fluctuation into a timbral change — a change in tonality. What’s more, as the rate and depth increased further, he heard more and more timbral complexity. This was indeed the birth of digital FM.

As Chowning is fond of pointing out these days, this was a discovery of the ear, not the work of testing math equations or applying scientific principles. It was only after hearing this phenomenon that he took his experiments to an undergraduate math student to try to better understand what was going on. They researched the existing FM science as it related to radio transmission, where the rates are in Megahertz (millions of cycles per second), and found that the equations verified what he had discovered even when using rates in the audible ranges of hundreds or thousands of cycles per second. This was pivotal, because it proved that Chowning’s “ear discovery” was not just subjective — it was supported by objective science.

Over the next few years, Chowning continued to explore this technique, codifying how various frequency relationships and depths of modulation between two oscillators would result in specific timbral characteristics. Using the FM technique, he modeled brass tones, woodwinds, percussive objects and much more, developing a massive library of information.

The Search for a Development Partner Begins

Stanford University, to whom Chowning had assigned his patents, began looking for companies to license this fledgling technology in the early 1970s. At the time, organ manufacturers seemed the most likely partner, but since none of the U.S.-based ones were skilled in digital technology — at least not yet— they all passed on it.

Widening their search, it was brought to their attention that while Yamaha was best-known in America for their pianos, the company had a long heritage as a builder of organs, and were, in fact, the largest manufacturer of musical instruments in the world. So Stanford reached out to Yamaha, who sent a young engineer named Kazukiyo Ishimura to meet with Chowning. “I gave [him] some examples and showed some code — with a brief explanation — and in ten or so minutes he understood exactly what I was doing,” recalls Chowning.

The decision by Yamaha to license Chowning’s invention was not an easy one, given that the company was going to have to invest huge amounts of money in order to develop the large-scale chips needed to move the technology from a mainframe computer to a portable keyboard. But then-president Genichi Kawakami was firmly behind the idea, saying, “If we can make the best musical instruments in the world, then no matter how difficult it is, no matter how much money it costs, we’ll do it.”

And so the future of synthesis was forever altered, from the subtractive analog systems then widely in use to the all-digital ones employed by today’s synths.

Commercial Development Begins

For more than ten years, a large team of Yamaha engineers further researched and developed the technology. Chowning would visit with them many times, sharing his accumulated knowledge and helping to debug systems and develop sounds. He was, however, limited to working with breadboard designs hooked up to a computer, and was not involved in the specific design or interface of any given model. He often tells the story of how the first time he saw a DX7 was at a restaurant when the keyboard player called him over to see a new instrument he had acquired, sitting on top of his piano. Chowning didn’t know the model, but he knew the sound he heard coming from it: his FM discovery.

Yamaha had actually developed a number of prototype instruments as they refined FM technology. The first one to be commercially released (in 1981, seven years after they obtained the license from Stanford) was an Electone organ called the F70. This was followed quickly by the GS1, a large performance keyboard using dual 4-operator FM.

John Chowning working with the GS-1 external programmer.
John Chowning working with the GS1 external programmer.

The sounds of the GS1 were preset, but the user could load new sounds in via magnetic foil strips (!). A slightly scaled-down model, the GS2, was also introduced in an effort to provide better portability. However, these early models were quite expensive, and so they were adopted mostly by top professional players and recording studios.

The introductory ad for the GS1 and GS2 (and FM synthesis!).
The introductory ad for the GS1 and GS2 (and FM synthesis!).

In 1982, Yamaha released the smaller and more affordable CE20, still a preset synth. Surprisingly for the times, all these keyboards were velocity-sensitive, and the CE20 added some simple controls for sound manipulation, although those edits could not be saved. But the stage was set for what would prove to be the most popular synthesizer of all time: the DX7.

A New Standard Arrives

Despite its cryptic name and oddly colored membrane switches, despite its tiny editing screen and the hieroglyphics that adorned its front panel — indeed, despite the fact that it used terminology and concepts completely unfamiliar to even the most sophisticated synth gurus — the DX7 was an instant success. More importantly, its distinctive complex transients and clangorous tonalities would directly influence the sound of the music of the 1980s and beyond — all the way to the present day, in fact.

But there were a lot of things that had to be perfected to get to that point. As Chowning is quick to point out, many of those developments were the work of the Yamaha engineers. “The DX7 used my underlying principles and research, and I certainly worked with their engineers over the years,” he says, “but they put in over seven years, and the work of nearly a hundred engineers to produce the instrument.”

One of the major innovations that Yamaha contributed was the concept of feedback, where the output of an oscillator (called an “operator” in the jargon of digital FM) is routed back into its input (or the input of another operator modulating it) to produce additional, and different, sideband frequencies. Feedback created more harmonic complexity, without having to add more operators. “It was a simple but very effective way to get what [the Yamaha engineers] felt was missing from FM, which was an ‘edge’ to cut through,” says Chowning. As with analog synthesizers, subtle oscillator detuning could be used to produce warmth and give the sound extra body.

The design of the original 32 algorithms, which are configurations of operators in various modulator / carrier relationships (“modulator” operators, as their name implies, alter the signal being generated by “carrier” operators), was also very much Yamaha’s work, extending the simpler structures Chowning had experimented with. Ditto for the addition of velocity control over the sound being produced — one of the most important expressive aspects of the DX7 that Chowning felt made the product successful.

Perhaps most importantly, Yamaha decided to give the user the ability to program their own digital FM sounds (as opposed to simply providing presets), even though it was a huge undertaking, and a much-contested decision within the organization. Because of the advent of MIDI at around the same time as the release of the DX7, the instrument was also one of the first to provide support and documentation for MIDI System Exclusive messages, which allowed the development and use of computer-based sound editors. This was huge, because it allowed musicians and sound designers to more easily create and sell alternate sounds for the DX7 — something that had never been possible before with other synthesizers.

Digital FM Today

The success of the DX7 spawned many subsequent digital FM synthesizers. Some of them incorporated only incremental changes (such as rack-mounting or availability on a computer card), while others represented large leaps forward, such as the implementation of advanced 8-operator FM-X technology in today’s Yamaha MONTAGE M and MODX synthesizers.

An 88-key Yamaha synthesizer.
Yamaha MONTAGE M.

Nearly forty years after its first commercial introduction, digital FM is thriving, and Dr. Chowning looks on with pride and admiration at the work that Yamaha has done to bring his discovery to fruition and advance it. “What they have done with FM-X in the MONTAGE is just astonishing to me,” he says. “It’s moved so far beyond my original work for sure.” Every synthesist in the world — indeed, every musician who’s ever incorporated synthesizers into their music — owes John Chowning a debt of gratitude. His life’s work has quite literally changed the world.

John Chowning and the Yamaha synth team at NAMM 2019. From left to right: Blake Angelos, Phil Clendeninn, John Chowning, Maureen Chowning, Don Lewis, Nate Tschetter.
John Chowning and the Yamaha synth team at NAMM 2019. From left to right: Blake Angelos, Phil Clendeninn, John Chowning, Maureen Chowning, Don Lewis, Nate Tschetter.

 

Check out these related articles on yamahasynth.com:

Behind the Synth: John Chowning Conversation

Holly Herndon Interviews Yamaha Legend Dr. John Chowning

Winter NAMM 2019: Interview with Don Lewis and Dr. John Chowning

Intro to FM Synthesis

Exploring the DX7

Yamaha DX7 – The Synthesizer that Defined the 80s

Dave Bristow on the First DX7 Presets

MONTAGE Article Roundup

Manny’s FM-Xplorations (Programming FM-X on the MONTAGE)

 

Click here to view the NAMM oral interview with John Chowning.

Click here for more information about Yamaha MONTAGE M.

Click here for more information about Yamaha MODX.

Lab Controllers Offer Flexibility and Convenience

Written by Lori Frazer on . Posted in Teaching Tips.

Music students work well in groups — they encourage each other, learn from each other and play in ensembles.

However, teaching group piano/keyboard lessons can present several challenges. When an entire class plays together, it can be very loud, which is distracting for both teacher and students. Communicating effectively with students can also be challenging because students are unable to hear instructions. Even though students in a class typically start at the same level, they move at different paces, so teaching one lesson that works for the entire class can be difficult.

Using a lab controller can help deal with these issues.

Lab controller equipment -- Yamaha Music Lab What is a Lab Controller?

Lab controllers are a network of headsets and microphones that allow teachers and students to communicate musically, as well as in conversation. A lab controller can be used as though each student is isolated in his or her own practice room or, with the touch of a button, playing together as a group. The control unit and app are very flexible and provide instructors with many different and exciting ways to teach and keep students engaged while learning.

Lab controllers, such as the Yamaha MLC200, can connect digital pianos, as well as hybrid pianos, portable keyboards and digital drums. In theory, if an instrument has a headphone jack, it can be connected to a lab controller.

Using a lab controller can allow other classrooms to be situated nearby with no sound interference coming from the music room. Lab controllers can be used in small or large classrooms. The basic lab controller package has equipment for eight students and one teacher instrument to be connected. With the digital MLC200, additional students can be added one at a time, up to a maximum of 96 students — but students would be better served in smaller classes like two 48-person or three 32-person labs.

Additional components such as computers and devices can be integrated into the lab system that allow students to hear other types of lessons through their headsets. This can be helpful when an instructor wants to show students YouTube or other video clips, or have the class participate in listening activities.

Lab controllers allow teachers to work one-on-one with students, pair students to work together or create customized groups for learning and ensemble play. Students can practice with students at their same level, or more advanced students can mentor other students. Instructors can also use music from their audio library for educational listening and play-along activities.

Male teacher holding tablet, instructing female student on pianoOne-on-One Instruction

In many schools, students at different levels are in the same piano class. Trying to reach the needs of each student can be difficult without the use of the lab controller, which has a one-on-one feature that allows individual instruction within a class.

In one-on-one mode, the student and teacher can only hear each other’s voice and instrument. Instructors can demonstrate concepts, work out problem areas and play accompaniments with the student.

This one-on-one ability is also ideal for exams and quizzes. If instructors want to see the student’s hands, they can use the wireless headphones, which are included with the MLC200, and freely move around the classroom and not be tethered to their instrument. Each student station has a lab controller box with a “call” button, which allows students to get the instructor’s attention at any time during class.

Grouping Feature

With a lab controller, instructors can also communicate with more than one student at a time. Instructors find it convenient to speak to and work with students who are at the same level even if they are not seated together. This is a great way to have students learn a new piece of music together with one student playing the right hand while the other plays the left. After they accomplish their parts, have them switch. This is a excellent way for students to learn the music, as many students do not have instruments at home to practice on. This is also an excellent configuration for playing duets.

On the MLC200, instructors simply press “grouping” and select which students they want to group together. The different student groupings will be saved in the app for later use.

Male teacher holding tablet, instructing male student on pianoThe grouping feature is an ideal way for students to work together. Students can speak to each other and hear each other’s instruments. They can be seated in different places in the classroom and easily work together.

Playing ensemble-style is a wonderful way to help students work with timing and dynamics while listening to others. They can learn musicianship by selecting complementary sounds on their instruments and blending with each other. Encouraging students to try different sounds each time they play the song will motivate them to want to play the music again and again.

Other Features

There are commercially prepared multiple-part ensembles available for piano/keyboard that are great motivators as well. When students play together, they become better sight readers as they learn to move forward in the music even if they make mistakes. Many of the commercially prepared ensembles have background tracks for students to play along with. These background tracks can be played from the lab controller app so students hear them through their headphones. This is another way to get students to count and play dynamically.

Use digital drums with a lab controller to help beginning drummers create a steady beat. Playing along with background tracks will also help percussionists build coordination and confidence.

lab controller -- student equipmentClassroom Management

For daily classroom housekeeping, the lab controller app can be used to take attendance manually or by having students press the “call” button to check in when they arrive. These attendance sheets can be exported into other formats for later reference.

Classroom templates can be set up in the app, including student names and photos, for easy name recall at the beginning of the term. If students sit in different places, it’s easy to move the student icons to match the class layout in the app. Notes from each class can also be taken to help the instructor keep track of class activities.

Instructors can also mute all student instruments and communication to make important announcements.

With a lab controller, classroom management is much easier. From attendance and note-taking to sound management and student engagement, a lab controller offers convenience and flexibility so instructors can focus on their main objective — helping their students become better musicians.

Resources

For more information, visit these sites:

Here are some commercially prepared keyboard ensembles lesson plans:

6 Keys to Creating a Game Plan for Your Ensemble

Written by Paul Winterhalter on . Posted in Teaching Tips.

I approach teaching like a coach would their sports team. As music educators, we must always remind ourselves that music is an activity — it is an ACTIVE pastime for students.

It’s our job to make sure we inspire and equip our students with the right tools to learn and succeed. How do we do this? By having a game plan.

In this article, I will dive into some tactical approaches to creating a positive and healthy game plan, one that will make your ensemble competition ready. I will also highlight some key factors that may help you lead a successful percussion program for whatever your goals may be.

1. Student-Led Activity

What does this concept mean? I suggest that you set up a culture where your students feel in control of their destiny with direction from you. Simply put, your students must believe that they have control, but in reality, you are steering them toward success. You set the pace, and your students fall in line.

Students must see that their actions have a direct correlation to their learning, and that the time they put in contributes to the outcome of their season. When your students self-assess and inspire each other, your percussion ensemble will be a well-oiled machine. I will refer to this well-oiled machine interchangeably as your “system” or “program.”

On paper, it may sound simple to have a student-led ensemble. However, getting to this point is not easy. Creating and successfully implementing your own system will take patience, understanding and a whole lot of time.

marching band's drummers in uniform

The first and most important step in creating your system is communication. For students to thrive and buy-in to this concept, they must be empowered through responsibility, accountability and a culture in which they feel they can communicate openly.

Enable your students to control the ensemble by holding them accountable. The way you start to hold them accountable is to have open and clear expectations and guidelines for how you run your program. Below are some ideas to pave the way to a student-led program:

  • Set the etiquette for how you rehearse and be consistent. When you have consistency, you subconsciously train your students that “this is how we get things done.” You’ll be amazed by the results, especially when you show them their growth by working within the etiquette.
  • Set small, achievable goals. Setting bite-sized goals allow for small victories. Pinpointing these wins and using these moments as steppingstones to larger goals give students confidence, which leads to buy-in to what you are teaching.
  • Teach students that on time is late, 10 minutes early is on time. This lesson is important because so many things will fix themselves if you and your students show up on time. Stress this advice from Zen Buddhism: “How you do anything, is how you do everything.”
  • Be 90% positive and 10% critical. Students are far more critical of themselves than you think. Harping on the negative and breaking them down does more damage than you know. Find a positive way to encourage the change you wish to see.
  • Never show your frustration. Your students look to you as the example. Be a positive role model and remember that you are the adult. Your system is only as strong as its leader, and you need to think clearly about how you react in every situation.

 2. Use Technology to Your Advantage

Most students are tech savvy, so instead of dissuading the use of smart phones and tablets, encourage and implement technology in your teaching. There are some great online resources available for free, which could enable a whole new level of self-learning and self-inspiration for students.

For example, there are many online resources for percussion-specific content, such as:

Another aspect of utilizing technology are the self-assessment and self-learning tools that students can use. Playback apps or accessories like the Yamaha Electronic Acoustic Drums 10 (EAD10) and Yamaha Rec’n’Share are invaluable because they offer the ability to play along to tracks and slow or speed up the tempo.

Playing along to a metronome is certainly important for all percussion students, but this method can become tiresome. A fun and interactive approach to playing at specific tempos is with Jog FM, which lets you search songs by BPM and curate playlists for specific tempos.

3.  Educator as Coach

As music educators, we should really think of ourselves as coaches. Our job is to inspire student success through encouragement, and teaching accountability is a huge element to any system of success. Think about how a golf coach teaches a student about a proper swing. The coach would never begin with what the student did wrong. Instead, the coach asks things like: “What did you feel in that last shot?” or “Did you notice your head pull up on that drive?”

The instruction is driven more by students answering questions like these and exploring their own thoughts. It is less about the coach harping on how the ball was hit into the street. We all know that the ball was hit poorly, there’s no reason to make it worse by dwelling on it. A part of the accountability is setting up the expectation and letting students know what is acceptable and what is not.

Any great basketball coach will tell you that good shooters keep shooting. Even when they are in a slump, good shooters will always take the shot. In the same vein, good drummers keep drumming! As a music educator and coach, you need to create excitement with your students and ensembles. Inspire them by introducing them to new concepts and allowing them to play with better players.  Your students will never want to put their sticks down! This will create leaders within the ensemble, and your student leaders will hold their fellow “teammates” accountable.

Whether you are the sole instructor for a single school or in charge of an entire district, these elements still hold true.  Strive to inspire the students to want to learn, and they will take their own playing to the next level.

weekly panner with pens and pen pouch 4. Create Consistency

I went to high school with two men who were drafted into the NFL. I asked them, “What sets professionals apart from beginners?” Their answer might surprise you, but it boiled down to having a consistent schedule. Some of the best athletes I know — marathon runners, weightlifters, football players, world champion percussionists — have a consistent schedule and live by it. Consistency provides athletes and students something they can depend on. Without sticking to a schedule, my friends probably would not have made it to the NFL.

As the leader of your music program, you can create this consistency and set up your students for success. Have the band’s day-to-day schedule of rehearsals planned out at least a month in advance. Here is an over-simplified example of a weekly, after-school schedule:

  • Monday: music, 2-5 p.m.
  • Wednesday: learn drill, 2-5 p.m.
  • Friday: play and move / ensemble the last hour, 6-9 p.m.

Notice that the WHAT-you-work-on part of the schedule will change as your season progresses. This is another aspect of the schedule that you as the leader need to manage. Prioritization of rehearsal is a skill all on its own — here are some tactics you can use:

  • Allow sub-sections time to play together.
  • Break down music into chunks and create exercises that you play religiously.
  • Create a warmup package that is exciting and consistent. You will play it all season, so you should enjoy listening to it!
  • Prioritize rehearsal time with the entire ensemble. Without a cohesive ensemble, sub sectional time means nothing.

On a macro level, just rehearsing on the same days of the week puts consistency in your students’ schedules and lives. This, of course, is dependent on scheduling gym time in collaboration with other coaches and sometimes school administrators.

Here are a few articles about schedules and teamwork that are on the Yamaha Music Educator Suite:

student drummer 5. Future Proofing for Success

We’ve all been in situations where we have been asked to do something, only to be told to stop and do something totally different. It’s frustrating, right? If we ask our students to play a piece to the best of their ability, we serve them best by allowing them to play the piece in the same way, repeatedly, over a long period of time. A change throws a wrench in that process.

If students were allowed to perform the same piece of music from January to April, they would have a very good chance of perfecting the piece 10 times out of 10. What would happen if the music was changed in March and students only had two months to master it instead of four? The odds of having success in the piece go down. Now, imagine if the music was changed a week before the final show. The odds of perfecting the piece would be dramatically less.

Designers, directors and creatives are often inclined to take on a bit more than their ensemble can handle. This is OK. You want to push your students and move them outside of their comfort zones. But you must realize that this comes at a price. Not only are students taking on different musical pieces, but they will ultimately have to perform them in front of an audience. The pressures of playing to a live audience must be considered when selecting the difficulty of a piece. You must always think of the ensemble’s needs first before jumping into something that could be detrimental to the well-being of your students.

Some music educators write for and teach the group. Others just write the music. But there is a baseline that everyone should agree on — the musical intent must be clear immediately. The demand or “beef” of the music can be enhanced later.

Those who write and teach should think about other ways of creating demand. Difficulty and demand can be found in the simplest of forms.

For example, take these rhythms:

music notation1music notation2

Most percussion students could play these rhythms. But for argument’s sake, can you find the technical demand? Consider the sticking of the last two groupings — are your students producing a true rhythm? Or does it sound choppy? Are they stopping the stick after the accent to play the tap notes softer? If the drums will also be marching, you need to figure out where they are geographically on the performance floor. This additional factor will create yet another level of demand to consider.

As educators, you must find the teachable moments and show that demand comes in more ways than one. Musicality presents a litany of demands that students will begin to see. Don’t forget dynamics! Adding nuance to your writing will create a maturity to your ensemble’s performance without them even knowing it.

Female on yoga mat with eyes closed and wearing ear buds6. Invest in You

Time and energy can quickly become the two largest dividends music educators pay into their ensembles. This becomes especially apparent when you realize that music is often an after-school activity in many school districts. After a normal school day, teachers spend more time to further their students’ success — and this is no small thing. If you are leading one of these after-school programs, you must recognize this commitment and give yourself time to recover mentally and physically.

Check out these blog posts about self-care and healthy mental health strategies:

If you feel overwhelmed, assess your schedule and reprioritize your day-to-day tasks so you can focus on your most important to-do’s. In my experience, educators tend to focus on the objectives they didn’t get to, instead of all the tasks they accomplished. Be sure to acknowledge all the great lessons that you did get to, and give yourself credit.

There are numerous resources to help you effectively schedule and prioritize your time and manage your day-to-day tasks and goals. Doing so might also help arrange goals and boost your effectiveness when you get back to teaching your students.

Here are that I have used:

  • What’s All the Buzz About Mindfulness: Being mindful can create clarity and help you maintain focus on the big picture. The daily grind of teaching can take a toll, so it’s important to remove yourself from the grind from time to time and stay true to your goals.
  • Dropbox / Google Drive: These simple tools can help disseminate music to your students or even act as a digital warehouse to organize your music, clean up your desktop and help you with de-cluttering.
  • Passion Planner: This planner is a great way to get your thoughts and ideas on paper. The website also has a curated blog with great articles for everything from goal setting to creating better habits.
  • Mile IQ: This one is a bit out of scope for this list, but it’s helpful for educators who are contract workers, which many creatives and writers tend to be. This site helps you tracking mileage to gigs and offers help with certain tax situations.

Financial investments are another element music educators and instructors must consider. Investing in proper instruments will lead to future success of any program, but funding is finite or simply non-existent in many schools.

Here are some funding articles that you might find helpful:

I hope you enjoyed this article. If you have any additional ideas about teaching percussion, please email educators@yamaha.com.

I would like to thank everyone I interviewed for this article. I gathered so much information and insight from friends, colleagues and mentors across several platforms. There are so many talented people in this world, and I consider myself lucky to know so many of you!

Music Equals Hope

Written by Yamaha Corporation of America on . Posted in Brand, Winds Artists.

Portrait of Ryan Anthony with his trumpet.

In late June, 2020, long-time Yamaha Artist Ryan Anthony — one of America’s premier trumpet players — lost his eight-year battle with cancer. But his legacy lives on, through the beautiful music he created, the inspiration he gave countless others, and the millions of dollars he raised for cancer research.

Anthony had a way of bringing together beautiful souls, perhaps most notably through a program he founded called CancerBlows, which staged benefit concerts and facilitated CD recordings featuring over 30 of the world’s best trumpet artists, including the principal trumpets of several of America’s top orchestras, as well as many luminaries from the jazz, pop and rock worlds.

From his earliest age, Ryan Anthony was destined for a life of music. He was born into a musical family; his father, Roy, was a band director and his mother, Ruby, was a cellist and piano teacher in the San Diego area where they lived. At age 16, Ryan won his first major music competition and began developing a career as a soloist while simultaneously playing in several well-known chamber ensembles. As a much sought-after orchestral trumpeter, he performed as guest principal trumpet in many top orchestras, including the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, with whom he signed on full-time in 2004, assuming the principal chair in 2008.

Giving Back

At the same time, Ryan Anthony became an in-demand educator who conducted master classes all over the world, as well as teaching trumpet at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and the North Carolina School of the Arts. More recently, he served as a full-time professor of practice in trumpet and chair of Brass and Woodwinds at Southern Methodist University. Because his opinion was so highly valued, Yamaha often invited Ryan to try the latest trumpet prototypes. His input in the development of Chicago Artist Model trumpets was particularly significant, and he played a large role in the success of those instruments.

In 2012, Ryan was diagnosed as suffering from a blood cancer with no known cure. This would set into motion the next phase of his life — combining his world-class musicianship with a newfound skill as an extraordinary fundraiser for cancer research. Resolving to not only battle the disease but to use it as a means to give back to others, he created the Ryan Anthony Foundation in 2014, and, under its umbrella, produced a series of benefit concerts called CancerBlows, which raised over two million dollars for cancer research. Perhaps even more importantly, his very public fight — often posting from his hospital room during chemotherapy treatments and procedures — raised awareness and inspired countless others to live their lives to the fullest. His message, as exemplified by his life’s work, was a simple one: Music equals hope.

“We have a responsibility to use our gift and passion for the trumpet [and music] to make a difference,” Anthony once said. “To play a role in changing lives around us. To change the landscape of the immediate world around us. To give hope to others through music. To be a musical voice for those who don’t have the option. And to reach the souls of others in need.”

“Ryan Anthony was an extraordinary person and musician,” says Bob Malone, Director of Ateliers, Yamaha Artist Relations Group, Yamaha Corporation of America. “His performances were renowned and included a sound that was as beautiful as any coming from the world’s most famous singers. But it was how he delivered that sound, and how he connected with his audiences in a way that made each feel like he was playing for them alone, that made him so special. It was the same with his friendships and professional relationships. His commitment to both was absolute and that is why the last years of his life were so impactful.”

Watch this video of Ryan Anthony performing at a CancerBlows concert in 2015.

 

Click here for more information about CancerBlows and the Ryan Anthony Foundation.

woman doing yoga

The Power of a Stress-Relieving Routine

Written by Kathryn Drury Wagner on . Posted in Self-Care.

Flexibility. Focus. Creativity. And so many things to keep moving. Let’s face it: Music educators are consummate jugglers.

There’s so much to plan, from teaching and organizing try-outs, to running rehearsals and overseeing performances and competitions. There are administrators to support, students to mentor and, sometimes, parents to placate. COVID-19 and the challenges of teaching remotely have thrown additional layers of stress and chaos into the mix.

It’s only natural that you’d be feeling overwhelmed. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, one in three American adults is currently feeling either depressed or anxious, which is why it’s vital to create a schedule with pockets of time carved out for self-care. That’s where stress-relieving routines come in. These routines anchor the day and bring a sense of ease.

People who have a stress-relieving routine in place tend to make more efficient use of their time, make better food choices, sleep better and enjoy better overall health. In times of uncertainty, having a routine makes us feel grounded and less stressed.

female meditating with eyes closed and hands togetherMorning Routine: Setting Intention

Start the day off gently with some stretches, a mug of coffee or tea, and at least 16 ounces of water. Most of us are dehydrated first thing in the morning, which can be mistaken for fatigue.

Next, make time for at least a few minutes of meditation. According to the Mayo Clinic, even a short session will carry lasting benefits throughout the rest of the day. The type of meditation — focusing on the breath, saying an affirmation or a moving meditation like yoga or tai chi — isn’t as important as taking the time to focus and center. Regular meditators are better able to manage stress and deal with information overload. And meditation boosts creativity and imagination.

In addition to its physical benefits, exercise is also good for the brain, aiding cognition and reducing depression and anxiety, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Whether to exercise in the morning or evening is largely a matter of personal preference, and most experts seem to agree that the key question comes down to: What time of day are you most likely to stick with?

However, working out early in the day may have a slight advantage. A recent study from the International Journal of Obesity reports that people who knocked out their workouts early in the day lost more weight than people who exercised later in the day, even when both groups were doing the exact same regimens. This may be due to the fact that starting the day on a healthy note leads to healthier choices throughout the rest of the day.

One last stress tip for the morning: Finish a hot shower with a blast of cold water. According to some research, a brief cold shower may have anti-depressive effects and may reduce cortisol, the stress hormone.

Midday Routine: Pause to Refresh

bowl of nuts, granola and blueberriesSure, you’re in the zone now, and it can be hard to stop for a break. But remember that taking a brief midday reset for self-care will make you a calmer, more patient teacher the rest of the day, better able to come up with creative solutions when your students come to you with their needs. So, resist the urge to work straight through the lunch period by setting an alarm on your phone to nudge you toward a healthy meal and a physical break.

Refuel with foods that are high in antioxidants, such as beans, berries, walnuts, vegetables and spices like turmeric and ginger. That’s because, according to Harvard Medical School, foods rich in antioxidants may lower anxiety.

Instead of a soda, boost your mood and avoid jittery stress with a short walk. Getting a little vitamin D exposure via outdoor exercise improves mental wellbeing, according to researchers from the Loyola Chicago University School of Nursing, and improves overall quality of life.

diffuser Afternoon Routine: Assess and Reset

By 3 p.m., your energy is naturally lagging, and tasks can feel insurmountable. Stress grows. The solution? Move things off the mental load and onto a list (a digital one like ToDoist or on paper, whatever your preference).

Assess what tasks can realistically get done for the day, prioritize what is most impactful and move everything else onto your future list. Writing down goals, to-do’s and ideas at the end of the school day helps you to avoid stewing about them at 11 p.m.

If you’re caffeine sensitive, beware the late-afternoon coffee break — caffeine can stick around in your system for up to seven hours, making it hard to get to sleep. For a non-caffeine energy boost, place a few drops of mood-enhancing essential oils in a diffuser. Try grapefruit, lemon, bergamot or myrrh.

father reading with chidEvening Routine: Reclaiming Identity

At the end of the work day, power down electronics, physically move away from your workspace, even change out of work clothes into after-hours attire. All of these cues help your body and mind transition out of career time into relaxing time.

As you segue into the home or family sphere, be mindful. Even if you have been working from home near your loved ones, you still may need to take time to reconnect with them. If you have children, spend a few minutes building a tower, working on a puzzle or reading a story before launching straight into the evening. If it’s you and a partner, perhaps you can savor a glass of wine or chat for a few minutes to have that transition and reconnection, which may help reduce friction later.

For dinner, stress-reducing meal choices include complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice or quinoa, and vegetables. According to UCLA’s Center for East-West Medicine, these foods coax the brain to produce serotonin and stabilize blood pressure, both of which reduce feelings of stress. For dessert? The center recommends dark chocolate, which boosts cognition and mood, and lowers anxiety.

For balance and focus, spend a few nights a week nurturing the other facets of your identity — you are, after all, more than a music educator. Maybe you’ll go for a long run, paint, attend a virtual panel discussion or savor learning to play a new instrument as a hobby.

Bedtime Routine: Wind Down

To thrive physically and mentally, adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. A consistent pre-sleep routine, such as reading or sipping a favorite herbal tea, signals your brain that it’s time to start thinking about switching into resting mode.

Enjoying a 15-minute Epsom salt bath may increase production of the hormone serotonin, which is associated with relaxation and happiness. If you want to really up the ante, add a few drops of lavender essential oil.

By the time you slip into bed, your body will be completely relaxed and primed for an excellent night of restorative rest. And you’ll be ready to take on another day of teaching, come what may.

Top 10 Vinyl Albums for Audiophiles

Written by Jeff Dorgay on . Posted in Vinyl.

Any audiophile will tell you that serious listening requires serious equipment. This includes a source, such as a turntable, plus an amplifier, preamplifier and speakers. Maybe you’ve purchased a shiny new Yamaha A-S3200 integrated amp and are ready to enjoy it to its fullest. If you aren’t already a vinyl enthusiast, that input on the rear panel marked “phono” may have you wondering what the fuss is all about. Here’s a list — in no particular order — of 10 must-have LPs that really show what the vinyl format is capable of, in a wide range of musical genres, from classical to electronica.

1. Symphony No.5 – Mahler

If you are new to classical music, this is a great place to start. Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 is forceful and engaging. It begins with a funeral march, but by the second movement, it is in full swing and each of the four movements almost feel like pieces unto themselves. Bear in mind that this is not casual background music — whenever you think it’s OK to relax, Mahler blasts you with a barrage of trumpets, or some massive kettle drums; much like a good thriller movie, it keeps you on the edge of your seat, right to the very end. While there are over 2,800 versions of Mahler’s Fifth on vinyl, I really like the Audite pressing with Rafael Kubelik conducting. It’s produced from the original analog tapes in the Bavarian Radio Archives, and so it has a natural feel (especially when it comes to stringed instruments) that some versions sourced from digital do not possess.

2. Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd

Before you let out a groan, remember: This album was in the Billboard 200 for 950 weeks. Crazy. Whether the Floyd’s music is a guilty or non-guilty pleasure for you, there’s no denying that the sonics of this record are impeccable. There are numerous pressings available — some that will set you back four figures — but the copy you buy on Amazon or at your local record store will still impress. From the thumping heartbeat on the opening track “Breathe” to the maddening alarm clocks in “Time” to the well-known “Money,” this album will give your audio system a real workout.

3. Kind of Blue – Miles Davis

For many jazz lovers, this is the ultimate jazz record, performed by one of the genre’s top icons. Though Davis has an extensive catalog, this is usually the disc that gets pulled out when his name is mentioned. The sheer dynamics in his horn playing will set you back in your chair, and the vast sonic landscape painted is engulfing. Most of Davis’ music falls in the bop/hard bop category, but try his much later Bitches Brew if you dare. It was (and remains) a very progressive and unstructured performance that is diametrically opposed to KOB.

4. A Capella – Todd Rundgren

Unless you are a major TR fan, you probably only remember him for his two biggest hits: “Hello It’s Me” and “Bang on the Drum All Day.” But Todd Rundgren has had an interesting and experimental career. In 1985, he performed this group of songs literally a capella — vocals only, singing all 16 parts himself. Rundgren has said that this was one of “the easiest and most difficult” records he’s ever made. The more resolving your system, the easier it will be to pick out all of the individual harmonies.

5. Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway – Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway

While this album is easier to come by as a high-resolution download these days, you should be able to find a great copy in a used record store for under ten bucks. The voices of these two R&B idols blend seamlessly, and the arrangements and recording quality are first-rate. This record will either impress (if you’re a first-time listener) or bring back great memories.

6. Superfly – Curtis Mayfield

Thirty-seven minutes and five seconds will never go by as fast as they do when listening to this. Every track on the Superfly album is so intensely focused, you’ll want to take a quick gasp of fresh air when you get up to flip it over for side two. The second track, “Pusherman,” defines the “ping-pong” stereo effect the ’70s made famous, and those bongos jump right out of the speakers at you.

7. Zoolook – Jean Michel Jarre

You should have this record in your collection if for no other reason than that it’s so far off the beaten path. Jarre is well known for creating sound environments that encompass you with trance-like melodies and beats, with healthy doses of synthesizers mixed in. This album goes even further, with ethereal electronic bits that are almost hallucinogenic in their delivery. A great one to listen to on the couch with the lights down low.

8. Sea Change – Beck

When we hear the name “Beck,” many of us think of the slacker anthem “Loser,” yet on so many levels, this musical genius has always given us so much more. This 2002 album marks a distinct change in Beck’s output, moving to more of a semi-acoustic, singer/songwriter vibe. However, the recording is so deep (both sonically and texturally), nearly any attempt at pigeonholing it falls short.

9. Blackstar – David Bowie

David Bowie’s last record is one of his best. Full of his trademark dark imagery, the songs show off one of rock’s biggest talents burning brightest, just before he would be leaving us. Like the other selections on this list, it also sounds so much more involving on vinyl. The more you listen to Blackstar, the more it pulls you into its narrative; it’s a record you can almost find yourself swimming in.

10. Ella and Louis – Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

Despite its sonic limitations (it was, after all, recorded in 1956), this is one of the happiest, dreamiest albums I own. Ella Fitzgerald’s vocal range is stunning, with an unmatched purity of tone, and the contrast between her smooth voice and Armstrong’s gravelly harmonies makes for a fantastic listening experience. Standout tracks include “Isn’t This A Lovely Day?” “Cheek to Cheek,” and “April in Paris,” all of which bring you back to a simpler time — something we can always use a bit of.

 

Lists are always tough, and I have to confess that these are not necessarily my top 10 favorite LPs of all time (we can argue about that another day!). But for all of the musical diversity represented here, every album on this list has one thing in common: stellar sound quality. For us audiophiles, isn’t that what it’s all about?

 

Check out these related blog posts:

Here’s What You Need to Know About Vinyl

Appreciating Vinyl Records … and the Best Way to Enjoy Them

Five Reasons Vinyl Is Making a Comeback

Jeff Coffin Video Series, Part 1: Shopping for Vinyl

Jeff Coffin Video Series, Part 2: Caring for Vinyl

How to Clean Vinyl Records

Spotlight on Vinyl Subscription Services

Ultra Hi-Fi, Part 1: The Difference a Tonearm Makes

How to Connect a Turntable to an AV Receiver

Dialing in the Perfect Two-Channel Experience

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha integrated stereo amplifiers.

Click here for more information about Yamaha turntables.

Two Yamaha TransAcoustic guitars resting on a leather couch.

Flip the Switch

Written by Robbie Calvo on . Posted in Acoustic Guitars.

I took the above photographs at my studio and Hawaiian coffee farm, showing my friend and model, Colleen Boland, with a TransAcoustic LL-TA (left) and CSF-TA (right).

One of the best years of my life was spent in Hollywood, California, attending the Guitar Institute of Technology (G.I.T.) — a program offered by The Musicians Institute, a world-renowned vocational music school with a curriculum specifically designed for contemporary musicians.

G.I.T. employed advanced learning techniques such as visualization. We were also instructed to isolate problem areas and study small chunks of information in order to maximize practice time and accelerate the assimilation of course materials. These techniques were specifically designed to strengthen both the left and right sides of the brain — each of which plays a different role in our thinking and responses.

The left side of our brain deals with the analytical aspects of life. For musicians, this includes music theory, reading music, forming chord and scale shapes, and all the technical aspects of music.

The right side of our brain handles the creative aspects. For musicians, this involves the use of chords and scales for activities such as songwriting, improvisation and live performance.

In this posting, I’ll explore how we can tap into both sides of the brain for exponential technical growth and creative performance potential.

Making the Transition

If you’re a musician, you can think of the two sides as operating this way:

Left brain: Practice time, music theory, motor skills and muscle memory. This is where the heavy lifting is done.

Right brain: Creative pursuits, improvisation and performance. This is where we tap into the left brain’s hard work on a subconscious level, allowing us to trust our abilities.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could flip the switch between the two at will, in order to get the best results from both realms?

Turns out that we can. Here are some ideas to help you make that transition any time you want.

Separate the Functions, Set Your Intention

Begin by separating the analytical and creative functions by identifying which is which during your practice routines. Here’s an example of a practice routine that sets the intention for each function:

Left-Brain Analytical

  • Set your intention for practice time (for example, 30 minutes).
  • Devote 15 minutes of focused attention to learning a new chord progression. Visualize the shapes of the chords. Name the notes, the intervals and harmonized scale position within each.
  • Stand up, take a break, and clear your mind.
  • Devote 15 minutes of focused attention to learning a new scale shape. Visualize the shape. Name the tones, study the intervals and contours of the shape.
  • Stand up, take a break, and clear your mind.

Important detail: Remove any study material from view. (Referring to charts and diagrams will keep you in the left-brain analytical.)

Right-Brain Creative

  • Devote 15 minutes to creating chord progressions with the new chords. Change the tempo, feel and style. Move the notes around in the chords. Have fun with it!
  • Stand up, take a break, and clear your mind.
  • Devote 15 minutes to improvisation using your new scale shape. Allow yourself to make mistakes and flow through them if and when they occur.
  • Stand up, stretch, and conclude your practice routine.

Trust that this focused practice time is enough to achieve lasting results. Remember, unfocused practice time can actually be detrimental to your progress!

Other Ways to Remove the Analytical Mind and Promote Creative Freedom

Close Your Eyes

Removing one of your senses will heighten your other senses, so close your eyes when improvising and trust your ears and the vibrations under your fingers. Jamming in the dark is also an excellent way to flip over to the creative side of your mind.

Trust

Understand that all the study and analytical work you’ve done thus far was achieved with the left-brain conscious mind. But all that wonderful knowledge exists on the creative side too, so all the abilities you’ve worked hard for are available to you when you improvise. Trust, and the notes will appear!

Visualize

Without your instrument, visualize yourself playing perfectly, hitting all the right notes and phrasing them flawlessly. Don’t analyze what you’re doing; just see your best self in your minds-eye. Positive reinforcement of self-image is extremely powerful and will help you unleash your inner rock star.

Listen to the Small Voice

The inner dialogue that we all have running through our minds on a daily basis can destroy a performance. That “small voice” has no place on stage with you. If you hear that nagging critical voice chattering away, shut it down immediately and let your mind be neutral. We don’t need a coach on the sidelines when we are in a creative flow!

Knowledge is Freedom

The more you learn and understand about music, the more freedom you’ll have. In particular, having the skills to analyze progressions quickly will allow you more time to create melodies while performing or recording. For example, let’s assume the two-bar chord progression below is the underpinning for a solo:

I: E7 I A Dma7 :I (x4)

I know from looking at this progression (without even hearing it) that it’s in the key of A, with a tonal center of the E7 chord. This means I can use the A major scale resolving to tones of E7 (E Mixolydian Mode) to create my solo lines. I can also use E7 arpeggios, double-stops and a variety of other scale choices.

Creative Amnesia

When I cross over to right-brain performance mode, I rarely remember the performance — it’s like I’m not really there. I’ve literally watched my video performances and seen myself transition from right-brain to left-brain in order to talk to the camera again. Sometimes I’m in right-brain for the lesson dialogue as well as the performances. It’s as if I’m streaming the information and just acting as the conduit.

Search for Inspirational Sounds

I’m sure we’ve all had those gigs or experiences where our sound was so good that our playing was effortless and inspired. I can’t stress enough the importance of great tone and finding your own voice through your guitar and the equipment you use. If any part of your signal chain is a distraction or delivers sub-standard results, remove or replace it. Having your mind focus on anything other than performance will lock you into the analytical mindset … and that’s not a good thing.

The TransAcoustic range of Yamaha acoustic guitars feature two kinds of onboard reverb as well as chorus … even when they’re not plugged in! (Click here to find out how this magic happens.) I’ve watched guitarists get lost in those tones — so immersed in the sound that their playing gets ratcheted up a notch. As I observe those moments, it’s pretty clear to me that they are almost exclusively under the influence of right-brain creative elements. Those built-in effects are so inspiring, you just want to keep playing!

The Video

For this video, I wanted to create a demo that features two very different Yamaha TransAcoustic guitars: the LL-TA and the CSF-TA. They were both miked (no DI signal was used, even though both guitars have built-in piezo pickups) and double-tracked to capture a natural, full-sounding representation of their acoustic properties as well as the ambient effects emanating from their sound holes.

I used the LL-TA to play the warm rhythm tones you hear in the video, employing a good-quality tube microphone to capture a small amount of the guitar’s onboard room reverb and chorus effects. The CSF-TA was used for the lead lines; I recorded it with the same tube mic to capture a small amount of the guitar’s hall reverb and then added a touch of delay in my DAW during mixing.

The Guitars

Two Yamaha TransAcoustic guitars resting on a leather couch.

The CSF-TA (on the left) is a small parlor-size guitar that features a mahogany back and sides, a solid spruce top, a rosewood fingerboard and bridge, and those wonderful onboard effects.

The LL-TA (on the right) has a large Western body style and features a solid rosewood back and sides, an acoustic resonance-treated (A.R.E.) Engelmann spruce top, ebony fingerboard and bridge … and, again, those great onboard effects.

The Wrap-Up

You have control over the full realm of creative expression. Work hard and practice with intention … and know that the efforts you make are stored in both your conscious and subconscious mind for use at a later date. How you use that information is up to you.

When it’s time to practice, set your intention for focused study. When it’s time to perform, jam or improvise, set your intention for the perfect performance. Eliminate the small voice of doubt and don’t analyze your playing. Just dial in your tones and trust your creative mind to unleash the powers within.

Photographs courtesy of the author.

 

Check out Robbie’s other postings.

Click here for more information about Yamaha TransAcoustic guitars.

Woman in business attire with many hats stacked on top of her head.

Wearing Many Hats

Written by Shelly Peiken on . Posted in Creativity.

If you’ve been in the music business for awhile, I’m sure you’ve noticed a trend: The songwriter is no longer just a songwriter. (By “just,” I don’t mean to diminish the pure breed variety. Anyone who can just write a great song is a role model in my book.)

There was a time when a songwriter’s job was to imagine a concept, express it in words, marry the words to music and then hire someone to demo their creation. If a record label thought it was a good fit for one of their artists, they would enlist the services of an impartial third-party producer to bring it to fruition.

But today, labels are looking for the one-stop-shop — a person who wears many hats. They’re looking for someone who can program, produce and engineer in addition to writing a hit song … plus be a fun hang. Fedora, Baseball, Cowboy. They expect a fully realized demo that, with a stellar mix, can serve as the final record.

So, what’s a technically challenged traditional songwriter (i.e., someone like me) supposed to do?

Well, I’ve thought a lot about that.

You see, even though it was often a thrill to have my song in the hands of a world-renowned producer, I have to admit that the final result was sometimes disappointing. On the other hand, if I’m in the driver’s seat — in other words, if I produce my own record —then I have control of my artistic vision and determine (to a large degree, anyway) how my song will ultimately be presented. That’s a lot of incentive right there.

I’ll be honest: I’ve resisted going down that road because it seems so overwhelming. But recently I decided to do some online delving — dip my toe in and see how the water felt. Guess what? It wasn’t as deep and dark as I thought. For example, just a few months ago the words “audio interface” had no meaning to me — it might just as well have been an expression from a foreign language. But then I learned from articles like What Is An Audio Interface? and Essential Gear for Your Home Studio (both posted right here on the Yamaha blog) that it’s simply the box that lets you connect mics and instruments to your computer. Why was I afraid of that?

Steinberg UR22C Recording Pack
The UR22C Recording Pack.

Then I began checking out the options that were available and found that some companies, like Steinberg, even have all-in-one packages (for example, the UR22C Recording Pack) that include a mic and headphones in addition to a bunch of software for recording and manipulating sound so I wouldn’t have to mix and match gear. Yeah, there’d be a learning curve and I’ve always been the kind of person who gets flustered by instructions and manuals. But I’ve learned a lot from getting acquainted with my smart phone — mainly, that sometimes it’s best to just jump in and poke around a bit to get the lay of the land before reading the fine print. When I work from intuition instead of written materials, I tend to get the hang of things (even techie things) a lot faster than I give myself credit for.

The bottom line is that, with so many recording products designed for all levels, even someone as technically challenged as me can get started experimenting with creating beats, engineering tracks and producing my own demos right here at home. Before long, I’ll be able to demonstrate how a piece of music might sound in 6/8 rather that 4/4, or in a different key, or with strings. And what I’ve discovered is that expanding one’s palette and hat rack gives us creative freedom, as well as choice and power!

When I wrote my first song, I never expected to hear it on the radio. But then one day I did. Soon we’ll all be out there again, singing, performing, co-writing, clapping. Until then, I’ll be broadening my musical horizons one hat at a time.

 

Check out Shelly’s other postings.

What Is a Fractional Size Violin?

Written by Ken Dattmore on . Posted in Acoustic Strings. 1 Comment on What Is a Fractional Size Violin?

Put 50 violin makers in a room and ask them the proper dimensions of a violin. You’ll likely get 51 different answers.

From the very beginning, violin makers have debated the appropriate size of the instrument. While the four strings have remained tuned to the same pitch, the vehicle that delivers their sound has varied greatly in design over the centuries. After all, players don’t come in just one size, so why should instruments only come in one size? Instrument makers therefore set out to build string instruments that not only fit the players’ physical dimensions but could still deliver the good sound and proper pitch that was necessary.

Today, there are essentially seven different sizes that are recognized as standards:

A 1/32 size violin.
A 1/32 size violin.

1. 4/4 full size (a 14″ body)

2. 3/4 size (a 13″ body)

3. 1/2 size (a 12″ body)

4. 1/4 size (an 11″ body)

5. 1/8 size (a 10″ body)

6. 1/16 size (a 9″ body)

7. 1/32 size (an 8″ body)

Fractional size violins are recognized in educational programs where children start learning the instrument at very young ages. As they grow, the next sized instrument is available for them to step into. Yamaha YVN Model 3 student violins, for example, are available in 1/2, 3/4 and 4/4 sizes.

Three Yamaha student violins.
Yamaha YVN Model 3 student violins.

In the Suzuki Method of string education, a 1/10 sized instrument exists in-between the 1/16 and 1/8 sizes to accommodate a child who may be a little bigger or starts learning at an older age. Some violin makers have also created 7/8 sized instruments that are just slightly smaller than full-size. These are designed for players who are petite and may struggle with a full-sized instrument because their hands are small. Yamaha has created an online Student Violin Finder that can help you make the best selection.

The process of measuring the player to the correct sized violin is simple though crucial. The player places the instrument under their chin and reaches out over the scroll of the instrument. If their hand can comfortably wrap around the scroll of the instrument without overstretching, then it is the correct size. To help dealers and educators further determine proper instrument sizing, Yamaha has made a device called the “Fit Stick,” which allows a player to be measured without an instrument in their hands. The Fit Stick is simply placed under the chin; when the arm is extended out, the spot where the tips of the fingers land determines the proper instrument size needed. Contact Yamaha to get one free of charge.

A ruler showing the size of different violins.

So whether you are short or tall, three years old or 30, there is a violin that is sized right for you!

Photographs courtesy of the author.

 

Check out these related blog posts:

Five Things You May Not Know About String Instruments

Reimagining the Way Student Violins Are Made

How to Prepare Your Child for School Orchestra

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha YVN Model 3 student violins.

Click here for more information about Yamaha acoustic stringed instruments.

A guitar waveform that has been clipped.

Distortion and Saturation

Written by Mike Levine on . Posted in Recording. 3 Comments on Distortion and Saturation

In the audio world, the word “distortion” has more than one meaning. There’s unwanted distortion, also known as hard clipping, which occurs when you inadvertantly overload the input to a digital device (either hardware- or software-based). The resulting sound is quite unpleasant. Then there’s creative distortion, which you intentionally apply to an audio signal. Examples include a distorted guitar, a gritty vocal track or a mix tinged with light saturation to soften it around the edges.

In this posting, we’ll focus on the creative aspects, but for context, first a brief word about unwanted distortion.

The Perils of Hard Clipping

If you turn the input or output levels of a track up too much in your DAW, the result is clipping. This is a phenomenon that occurs in digital audio when you push a signal higher than 0dBFS (decibels full scale), which is an absolute maximum that’s represented by 0 on the level meter in your DAW’s mixer.

0dBFS is as high as you can go before clipping occurs.
0dBFS is as high as you can go before clipping occurs.

Once the level reaches 0dBFS, it’s as if it’s hitting an immovable ceiling. Instead of continuing to go up, it just flattens out against that ceiling. The tops of the waves get clipped off, which is why it’s referred to as clipping.

A guitar waveform (above) that has been clipped (below).
A guitar waveform (above) that has been clipped (below).

Soft Clipping Is A Totally Different Story

It’s a different story with analog hardware. Here, you can push the level above 0dBu (dBu is the scale typically used by analog meters) without creating hard clipping. Levels above 0dBu do overdrive the circuit. But, when used in moderation, the result is likely to be a pleasant distortion known as saturation or soft clipping, which adds overtones, harmonics and a gentle degree of compression to the original audio.

The type of circuitry in the analog gear will determine the nature of the saturation. Tubes, tapes, transformers and transistors each distort differently when you overdrive them. For example, here’s an audio clip that demonstrates the sound of tube saturation/distortion on guitar:

Unless you own outboard analog gear, you’re likely to get your distortion from analog-modeled plug-ins in your DAW. These closely emulate the sounds of tube, tape and transistor devices. Most DAWs, such as Steinberg Cubase, come with a range of distortion plug-ins, offering a variety of different sonic flavors.

Overdrive, Saturation and Tape Saturation

So far, I’ve used the term “distortion” in a generic sense, though it’s also used more specifically to describe heavy, fuzzed-out distortion like you get from a high-gain guitar amp or fuzz box. But there are lots of other kinds of distortion too, including overdrive, saturation and tape saturation.

The common definition of “overdrive” is that it’s a less extreme form of distortion that sounds more crunchy than fuzzy. This next audio clip demonstrates the sound of a rhythm guitar played first with overdrive, then with distortion:

The word “saturation” usually refers to the distortion you get from overdriving tube, tape or transformer-based devices (or from plug-ins emulating them, such as Cubase DaTube). It can vary from subtle to heavy, depending on how you set it.

In the analog days, engineers discovered that if you recorded drums at levels above 0dBu, it softened the rough edges, and added a bit of distortion and sustain, all in a complimentary way. This effect, referred to as tape saturation, could be used on all sorts of sources, both instrumental and vocal. It’s typically applied to “warm up” digital audio, which lacks the subtle imperfections of analog tape and therefore can sound a little too sterile to some listeners.

Today, of course, tape saturation can be emulated by many plug-ins, including Steinberg Magneto and Quadrafuzz v2. In this audio clip of a drum track, you can clearly hear the tape saturation created by Quadrafuzz v2 (set to “Tape”) when it comes in about halfway through:

Crush Those Bits

Another type of distortion, which is purely digital, is called bit crushing. It works primarily by reducing the bit-depth (that is, the resolution) of an audio signal by a user-specified amount, causing a loss of fidelity and making the source sound gritty and more “lo-fi.” In this next audio clip, you’ll hear two measures of clean drums, followed by the same drum track effected by the Cubase bitcrusher plug-in, with the intensity increasing (and the audio fidelity commensurately deteriorating) every two measures:

The Cubase bitcrusher settings used at the end of the above audio clip.
The Cubase bitcrusher settings used at the end of the above audio clip.

How to Apply Distortion

You typically add distortion, overdrive and saturation as serial effects in your DAW — that is, through the insert section of the mixer.

You can also bring them in as parallel effects, on an auxiliary track (an FX Channel in Cubase). Parallel processing entails applying the effect to a copy of the signal, either on another track or through an aux bus. You then heavily process the copy and then add it into the mix alongside the unprocessed sound, adjusting the relative levels of the two until you get the combination you want.

The Cubase DaTube plug-in, used as an insert (left) and in parallel (right).
The Cubase DaTube plug-in, used as an insert (left) and in parallel (right).

If your distortion, overdrive or saturation plug-in has a mix control, you can achieve parallel processing by setting it below 100% (usually significantly so), which has the effect of blending the unprocessed and processed signals together.

Distorting Guitars

Electric guitars are one of the most frequently distorted instruments. You can create distortion on a guitar track in several different ways:

1. Plug a distortion pedal into an amp and mic it
2. Overdrive an amp using its internal circuitry and mic it
3. Record through an amp-modeling or distortion device
4. Record a direct signal into your DAW and use plug-ins to add the distortion afterwards

Amp modeling plug-ins such as Steinberg VST Amp Rack or Amp Simulator (both included with most versions of Cubase) give you a range of amp types, speaker cabinet emulations and — in the case of VST Amp Rack, even some effects pedals — that you can mix and match to create the tone you’re looking for.

Steinberg VST Amp Rack.
Steinberg VST Amp Rack.

Be careful when you dial in extreme sounds, however, because they can create unwanted hiss and buzz, which is particularly noticeable when the guitar isn’t playing. Adding distortion can also accentuate some of the string noises that accompany the sound of a guitar, particularly finger squeaks.

Extreme distortion will also reduce the attack of an instrument part. If you’re applying it to a rhythm guitar or other rhythm instrument, those tracks could lose some definition (which will have a negative impact on the overall mix as well) if you are too heavy-handed in your application of it. Distortion can also add muddiness in the lows and lower midrange, which you might need to reduce with an equalizer.

Distorting Other Instruments

Beyond guitars, many other instruments sound good with some distortion, overdrive or saturation. A little bit of tape saturation on bass guitar, for example, can really help round out the sound. Similarly, distortion can be quite effective in adding grit to otherwise smooth electric piano sounds. Here’s an audio clip of an electric piano, first clean and then with distortion and cabinet emulation applied by VST Amp Rack:

You can also improve the sound of drum tracks with distortion. If you’re able to apply it the individual drums, subtly distorting the snare can often give your drum parts some additional energy. Or you might distort the kick, snare and toms, and leave the cymbals alone.

In EDM and hip-hop, you’re more likely to be working with stereo drum parts, such as loops or the output of a MIDI drum instrument. In those situations, you’ll be applying distortion to the entire drum part, rather than only to individual tracks — which can be quite effective too, if less subtle.

Distorting Vocals

Anything from a little saturation to heavy distortion can change the texture of a vocal track, giving it more of an edge and/or a ’50s vibe (an era when many sensitive tube microphones were in common use — mics that could easily distort if the singer got too close or sang too loudly); this is often used in rock mixes. Saturation can also be used on a vocal to give it a little more impact without it sounding “distorted” per se. In this audio clip, you’ll hear a two-measure vocal part repeat; the second time around, a mix of distortion and tube and tape saturation are added using the Quadrafuzz v2 plug-in:

The vocal setting used for the above audio clip.
The vocal setting used for the above audio clip.

Producers sometimes even apply light tape saturation across the full mix by way of the master bus to warm up the digital audio without making it sound overtly distorted.

No Limits

These are the standard ways to use distortion and saturation, but as with everything in recording, they are only guidelines. Feel free to experiment with the settings and plug-ins you use. You never know — you might come up with a fresh new sound!

 

Check out our other Recording Basics postings.

Click here for more information about Steinberg Cubase and Cubase plug-ins.

Close-up shot of HDMI 2.1 cable.

HDMI® 2.1: What It Means for Gear and Gamers

Written by Ted Goslin on . Posted in Gaming.

Any lover of video games knows the thrill of unboxing a new game. But imagine the sense of disappointment that would follow if you were trying to enjoy your new game on a system not equipped to handle the latest advances in visual effects and surround sound technology. Whether that means you need a new audio system or that your TV lacks the required graphic capabilities to keep up with high-res rapidly refreshing content, it’s enough to bring out the sad face emoji in any text message.

In an era where technological advances are coming at us faster than Usain Bolt crossing a finish line, it can seem hopeless to keep up at times. That’s where HDMI 2.1 comes in. It’s the latest technology for improving the video speed and quality of your favorite movies, TV shows and video games, along with the dynamic support needed to effectively capture and convey future content.

Are you ready for HDMI 2.1? Here are the ways this exciting new technology will impact your home theater and gaming experience.

The Five Basic Elements of Video

Before we start talking about HDMI 2.1, let’s go over the five basic elements of video:

1. Resolution. This describes the number of horizontal lines in the video signal, from top to bottom. 8K video is made up of 4,320 lines stacked on top of each other, with each line 7,680 pixels wide, making the aspect ratio 7,680 x 4,320 pixels, or 16:9. (The reason it’s called “8K” is because 7,680 rounds up to 8,000, or 8K). 8K offers 16 times more pixels than 1080p full HD resolution.

1080, 4K and 8K resolution comparison.

2. Frame Rate. Notated as frames per second (fps), frame rate is the speed at which video is captured and displayed. The faster the frame rate, the more images are displayed every second, and different frame rates provide different viewing experiences. 24 fps is the most commonly used frame rate for movies because it creates a cinematic look. Most major studios have the ability to shoot at higher frame rates but stick with 24 fps because that’s the quality most viewers are used to. However, newer video games will be supporting 60 and 120 fps modes. HDMI 2.1 provides solutions to issues like the “soap opera” effect (i.e., motion blur) that occur at these higher frame rates.

3. Color Depth. Also known as bit depth, this represents the number of bits used for each color component of a single pixel. When referring to a single pixel, it can be defined as bits per pixel (bpp). The higher the bpp, the more color variations are captured.

4. Color Space. This is an abstract mathematical model that describes the range of onscreen colors as numbers. As technology has advanced, wider ranges of colors are able to be displayed, and color space standards have evolved to support these capabilities. Color space types over the years have included Rec. 601 for SDTV, Rec. 709 for HDTV and Rec. 2020 for UHDTV, which is the latest standard.

5. Brightness Range. This is a core attribute that makes HDR (High Dynamic Range) video come alive. It is the range that allows video to be displayed with brighter whites and deeper blacks, as well as more variations of brightness in between.

Why HDMI?

HDMI has come a long way since its inception in 2002 as the replacement for component cables. It was originally meant to serve as a single all-in-one cable to carry both audio and video digital signals, as opposed to component cables, which split the audio and video signal over multiple cables and/or connectors.

The technology was first introduced as HDMI 1.0 and had a maximum bandwidth of 4.95 Gbps (short for Gigabits per second). Its bandwidth originally supported 1080p at 60Hz, along with 8-channel high-resolution audio at 192 kHz/24-bit resolution. Each succeeding update provided increased bandwidth and enhanced features, such as support for DVD audio (version 1.1), sRGB color support (version 1.2), a lip-syncing algorithm (version 1.3) and support for 2K and 4K resolution video, though at lower frame rates. HDMI 2.0 added support for 4K at 60 fps.

Bandwidth comparison of HDMi 1.4, 2.0 and 2.1.
Each new version of HDMI has increased the amount of bandwidth.

New HDMI 2.1 Features

In addition to more bandwidth, HDMI 2.1 offers several features designed to accommodate emerging audio and video technology in the future. These include Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel) and Dynamic HDR support.

Lots of acronyms, to be sure … but also lots of great advancements. Let’s take a look at each in turn.

– Variable Refresh Rate (VRR). Of particular interest to gamers and game developers, VRR is a new spin on the concept of refresh rate — it has the ability to vary the frame rate to match the output of the graphics processor (GPU) through the HDMI chain to the supporting monitor. The “variable” part of VRR refers to the way that graphics processors require different periods to render each frame.

Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) comparison.

VRR does three things to enable more fluid and detailed gameplay:

1. Reduces or eliminates lag.

2. Reduces or eliminates judder — jittery images caused by upscaling from the film’s original 24 fps to the 60fps required by a 60Hz television and above.

3. Reduces or eliminates frame tearing, which occurs when the frame rate exceeds your monitor or television’s refresh rate.

– Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). Another important enhancement for gaming, this feature tells the display (or AVR) to turn off all of its video processing so that the delay (latency) to display gaming video is minimized. Most video processing features are used for things like adjusting picture settings, upscaling video resolution, or adjusting for interlaced or progressive scan display. Since the game video output is known, these video processing features can be shut off, thus eliminating that processing time. ALLM is sometimes referred to as game mode, though it was previously a manual process. It works by letting a game console send a signal to the display to automatically switch to ALLM. This mode may not be ideal for other types of viewing, however, since some processing features on a TV may stop working in order to reduce latency. That’s why, when the gaming console is shut off, the TV will revert to regular viewing mode.

TV settings menu showing ALLM.
ALLM can be enabled through most TV settings menus.

– Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC). This feature is already available in many AV receivers, including most current Yamaha models. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, ARC allows audio to be sent from your TV to your AV receiver or sound bar through the same HDMI cable that sends the signal from your AV receiver/sound bar to the TV. The latest version, called eARC, provides increased bandwidth and speed. This allows you to send up to 32 channels of high-quality audio to a sound bar or AV receiver, including eight-channel, 24-bit/192kHz high-resolution uncompressed data streams, enabling content from movies that have Dolby Atmos® or DTS:X™-encoded audio. Learn more about the benefits of eARC here.

Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) diagram.

– Dynamic HDR Support. Formats such as HDR10+ are also supported to ensure that every moment of a video is displayed at its ideal values for depth, detail, brightness, contrast and wider color gamuts.

SDR, Static HDR and Dynamic HDR comparison.
HDR has progressed through the years to its current version.

When You’ll Need It

TV manufacturers are just starting to incorporate HDMI 2.1 connectivity in their latest models. But the real need for 2.1 will come when content arrives that requires the features described above. The next generation of gaming consoles, such as the Microsoft Xbox™ Series X, will support HDMI 2.1 gaming features like ALLM and VRR to display what the game designer originally intended. It’s likely that some AV receivers will soon provide HDMI 2.1 support too — stay tuned to this space.

Since the biggest benefit of HDMI 2.1 is in relationship to the latest features on gaming consoles and 8K content that are not yet available, it’s not a critical thing to have right this minute … but because it’s backwards compatible with current tech, it wouldn’t hurt to get a jump on things so that when you do need it, you already have it.

One last tip: When you decide to shop for an HDMI 2.1 cable, be sure to verify the cable’s capabilities before you buy, and opt for the shortest cable length required (ideally, under 10 feet). Cable length can have an impact on signal quality because it takes slightly longer for a signal to travel down its full length.

HDMI 2.1 cable.

 

The Adopted Trademarks HDMI, High-Definition Multimedia Interface, and the HDMI Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing Administrator, Inc.

All images courtesy of HDMI Licensing Administrator, Inc.

 

Check out these related blog articles:

What’s the Difference Between 4K Ultra HD, 8K UHD and HDR10+?

How to Recreate the Movie Theater Experience at Home

How to Connect Nintendo Switch™ to Your TV, Sound Bar or AV Receiver

Gaming in Dolby Atmos: An Interview with Josh Osiris

The History of AV Receivers

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha AV receivers.

How to Choose the Right Bass Strings

Written by Michael Gelfand on . Posted in Guitars How-to. 3 Comments on How to Choose the Right Bass Strings

No matter how great your bass may be, it’s only a slab of wood if it doesn’t have strings. Throw strings on it, though, and it suddenly springs to life.

The vibrations your hands create when they touch those strings resonate through the entire bass — the body, neck, tuners, nut, fret wire, bridge, pickups and other electronics — helping to create a unique audio signal for your amp to reproduce. So the strings you choose matter a great deal.

Just like basses, strings come in many different varieties. From a layman’s perspective, string construction isn’t a popular topic at parties — it’s just a wire, after all, wrapped in another wire or some other material. But ask any string manufacturer, or any discerning player, and you’ll hear passionate explanations about how the material choices and construction approaches dramatically affect the way a given string sounds and feels under your fingers. And to be fair, they’re right.

Here’s what you need to know to choose the right strings for you.

Winding

The type of winding is probably the most important string decision you can make because it will have the most impact on the sound of the bass you play and how you play it (i.e., fingerstyle, slap, with a pick, etc.). “Winding” refers to the material wrapped around the string’s core. It’s the surface that your fingers touch, and the surface that comes in contact with your frets and/or fretboard. Bass strings are available in four types of windings: flatwound, tapewound, roundwound and half round.

– Flatwounds were essentially the only game in town for bass strings until the 1960s, so they are synonymous with the classic round, mellow bass sound common to jazz and vintage rock. Their flat windings feel smooth on your fingertips, are easy on your frets, and don’t eat up the fingerboard the way other types of strings can.

– Tapewound strings are even silkier to the touch than flatwounds thanks to a nylon layer wrapped around the steel core. They tend to be dark-sounding — on some basses, even bordering on dull and thumpy — and deliver a tonality that’s more akin to what you might expect to hear from an upright bass.

– Roundwounds are the most popular winding type in use today. These strings are typically wrapped in stainless steel or nickel, and are renowned for their piano-like brightness and sizzle. They’re also the harshest on your fingertips, frets and fretboard, but if you’re into rock or funk, they deliver a hallmark sound that’s hard to beat. Yamaha basses are shipped with roundwound strings.

– Half rounds are essentially roundwounds that are ground to a somewhat flattened surface, which results in less string noise while also prolonging the life expectancy of your frets. Halfs aren’t as bright-sounding as roundwounds, but they are brighter than flatwounds and tapewounds.

Personally, I love the warmth of a bass strung with flatwounds played through a neck-position pickup, but I am equally in love with the sizzle of roundwounds when using a bridge-position pickup. If you’re not sure what’s right for you, think about a player whose sound you’d like to most closely emulate, then find out what strings they use. And consider taperwound strings for any of these winding types — they’re manufactured so that the windings taper toward the bridge end of the string (just in front of the ball end that attaches the string to the bridge) to enable the metal core to make direct contact with the bridge saddle. (If you decide to use taperwounds, make sure you confirm that the scale length for the string set you purchase matches the scale length of your bass.)

Wrap Material

While the type of wrap is the most important factor when it comes to strings, the wrap material also provides unique characteristics that color the resulting tone, affect how the strings feel, and contribute to how long they’ll last.

There are a number of different wrap materials commonly used in bass strings:

– Stainless steel is the brightest-sounding material available, and it lasts the longest.

– Nickel-plated steel is bright-sounding as well, but it isn’t as harsh on the hands and frets. Yamaha basses are shipped with nickel-plated strings.

– Copper-plated steel is very bright and commonly used on acoustic electric basses.

– Pure nickel is duller sounding (it’s the least magnetic material), with more of a vintage tone.

In addition, manufacturers sometimes apply protective coatings to help strings resist corrosion and give them longer life. Just be aware that the type of coating used can also color the sound of the strings.

String Gauge

This is a number that refers to the diameter, or thickness, of each string. A set of strings is identified by the gauge of the lowest string in the set. Yamaha basses, for example, are shipped with .45 gauge strings; the top string in their four-string models is .105 gauge, while the top string in five-string models is .130 gauge.

Comparatively speaking, heavy gauge strings sound meatier — less slinky — than lighter gauge ones; they make a good match for aggressive players who really attack their instruments. However, the heavier the gauge, the more tension the string will require to be tuned to pitch … and the more tension you add to a string, the harder it becomes to press down on a fret, so you’ll need good finger strength. In addition, thicker strings require wider slots in nuts and bridge saddles, and also create more tension on the truss rod(s) in your bass’ neck, so if you’re currently playing light or medium gauge strings and want to move to heavier gauge ones, you’ll likely need to have your bass set up (truss rod and intonation adjusted, action raised or lowered) by a qualified pro or things will quickly get out of whack.

Lighter gauge strings are much more pliant under your fingers, can be more easily bent, and deliver more snap and percussive funkiness, albeit with less fundamental bassiness. You can compensate to some degree by turning up the low tone control on your amp, but it still won’t sound the same as if you were using heavier-gauge strings.

Core Shape

A string’s core wire is usually made from steel, and it comes in essentially two different shapes: hex and round:

– A hex core, as its name implies, is hexagonal, which gives the string windings something to grab onto. But because the hex core’s six-sided shape has flat surfaces rather than being round, that means the windings don’t constantly touch the core all the way around, which results in a brighter tone.

– Round core strings — which many players associate with a vintage tone — maintain constant contact with the core, helping to create a darker and more fundamental sound with less tension required, translating into a string that’s slightly easier to play.

There’s a lot to consider here, I know. Longtime players typically find a brand of strings from a specific manufacturer that works for them and stick with it for years — sometimes even decades. In fact, some bassists will play the same set of strings on their bass for that long! (See Jamerson, James.) But don’t be deterred if you’re relatively new to the bass. The more you play and try out different strings, the sooner you’ll figure out what you like and what you don’t like. Oh, and one last tip: Always remember to buy strings that match the scale length of your bass (as measured from nut to saddle). This may seem inherently obvious, but trust me, the first time you slip up and go to put the wrong ones on, you won’t be a happy camper!

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha basses.

Larry Williams holding French horn

Larry Williams’ Juggling Act

Written by Elizabeth Anderson Lopez on . Posted in Educator Profiles.

If hornist Larry Williams were a superhero, he might be called The Juggler.

Williams’ music career spans decades and includes his current status as a performer, instructor, collaborator and administrator — and that’s just a few of his roles.

“I didn’t know I was a juggler until I started juggling,” he says. “Right after graduation, I was the principal horn with New World Symphony for two seasons. During my second year, I fell in love with teaching. I loved both equally. Being balanced between performing and teaching was true happiness for me.”

As with any good superhero, Williams has a fascinating origin story. He started playing the trumpet in his elementary school band. “I was the last chair, but I didn’t care — I just wanted to sit with my friend,” Williams recalls. “In middle school band, I was the last chair again. … Then the teacher asked for volunteers to play the French horn. I was dismayed when my friend raised his hand.”

Realizing that his sole reason for being in the band was going to move across the room, Williams raised his hand too. “My teacher, Olivia Gutoff, was skeptical based on how bad I was on the trumpet,” he says. “My friend played two notes, and she told him he was in. With me, she said to come after school, which I did. I started to play, and it felt right. She must have thought, ‘Holy crap, he’s a horn player!’”

The French horn was a lot easier to play than the trumpet for young Williams. “Olivia was a horn expert, which I didn’t know at the time,” he says. “She wanted me to take private lessons with her.”

Though he originally declined, Williams took up Gutoff on her years-old offer to work with him during high school when he decided to major in music for college. “I learned so much from her that I earned a scholarship to Penn State [University],” he says. “I later transferred to Peabody [Institute at Johns Hopkins University] and eventually started my career.”

Larry Williams looking up while holding French HornThe Multitasker

Williams’ career has flourished despite — or because of — his constant juggling. “I’m used to having four to seven jobs,” Williams says. “I like to have one or two main jobs with a lot of part-time jobs.”

One of those main jobs, teaching, has entered a new phase. In the spring of 2020, Williams was appointed associate director of the DMV Music Academy, whose mission is to expose, engage, inspire and guide musicians of all levels in the D.C., Maryland and Virgina area along their individual paths toward mastery. The academy started out as a summer percussion workshop led by Donnie Johns in Hyattsville, Maryland, and featured faculty from the National Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, U.S. Navy Band, and The Cadets and Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps. The organization has grown steadily in the past two years, and Williams was invited to join the leadership team to help guide the academy as it expands its programming and its reach.

And — cue juggling pins — Williams concurrently launched the DMV Horn Academy/Larry Williams Horn Studio. “The Horn Academy will feature in-person and online lessons, horn and brass chamber ensembles, a masterclass series, and workshops throughout the year,” Williams says. “I’m really excited that DMV Horn Academy will now be one of my home bases. I’ll be able to teach horn players regionally while doing masterclasses around the country.”

The Coach

Williams has taught French horn as a private instructor as well as in an academic environment. “I enjoy learning how people learn,” Williams says. “If you watch and listen, they teach you how they best process information. Ask them questions and understand their point of view. Don’t say, ‘This is how you do it.’”

Because each student learns differently, Williams sets out to know them as people. “I start every session by asking them how they are as people,” he says. “I need to get a sense of where they are mentally. We’re here to play the horn, but it’s more important to know how they are.”

Williams uses some similarities between music and sports, including being in “the zone.” “Part of what I teach is a form of meditation when we are playing,” he says. “It’s getting students into a mental state where they are deeply concentrated. When you’re in that zone, you’re working on a deeper level of consciousness.”

One of the ways that Williams achieves that focus is by going back to his quest for balance. “In the zone state, you’re firing both sides of your brain,” he says. “The physical includes your breathing and tongue placement. Then there’s the emotional, artistic part. When you get them both in balance, it’s like a seesaw. The point isn’t that it’s level. You have to stay in that small space where you’re monitoring and controlling it. I focus on the basic principles of playing the horn, but then I put that aside and ask my students how they’re feeling. Then I go back to technique. This back and forth gets them in the zone.”

As a teacher Williams often encounters a specific challenge with the zone. “I try to get students out of their own heads,” he says. “Younger students often worry if they’re playing correctly. I tell them to focus on serving the music. Make it about the audience, the composer, about anything but yourself. You can teach someone to play the French horn really well, but if they don’t focus, all that will go out the window when they perform.”

He practices what he preaches. “My brain works the same way whether I’m performing or teaching,” he says.

Larry Williams holding French horn, wearing white shirt and black pantsThe Administrator

After teaching at the Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute for more than 20 years, Williams was ready for a new challenge. In 2016, he was awarded a fellowship in the Johns Hopkins University Provost’s Office where he worked on university-wide initiatives.

The change to the administrative side of academia included some growing pains. “It was very weird,” Williams says. “I had to wear a suit every day. There were no students; it was all administrators.”

With persistence, Williams figured out that the rules of the road are the same. “We have things we want to accomplish, so we come together to figure out how to achieve them,” he says. “I was like a student again.”

During the second year of his renewed fellowship, Williams learned about an opening for assistant vice provost for faculty affairs. “I still wanted to challenge myself,” he says. “Even though I wasn’t sure I wanted to be in administration full time, I wanted to explore it.”

Williams also took several business courses from Johns Hopkins and earned an Executive Certificate in Business Communication. Williams says those courses focused on “the soft skills everyone needs, such as how to communicate with different generations. I was the only musician in these classes.”

And Williams will definitely make use of those skills as he flexes his leadership, communication and administration muscles with the DMV Horn Academy.

The Collaborator

Williams still finds joy in performing with others and as a solo artist. “I lean toward playing with others,” he says. “Playing music in real time with other people connects us to each other without using words. That’s an amazing feeling.”

Even when it’s just him, “I try to collaborate with the audience,” he says. “From a young age, I was taught the point of music was to bring people together.”

He encourages students to operate the same way. “I want students to play for others, not just for themselves.”

Williams collaborates with more than just musicians. In 2008, he founded the American Studio Orchestra (ASO), which he calls a multimedia orchestra that includes musicians, filmmakers, dancers and other creative minds. “I began having conversations with friends from different artistic backgrounds about what they do, why they do it and what they want to do,” Williams says. “I was really inspired to learn that they were asking the same questions that I was. Everybody was happy but seeking to do more.”

Larry Williams and the Lyric Brass Quintet
Lyric Brass Quintet

Another collaboration resulted in the Lyric Brass Quintet, which was formed in 1998. “It started as a group of friends who wanted to play and perform but didn’t want to tour,” Williams shares. “We still play every week and have managed to stay together through multiple changes. We don’t realize what an old married couple we all are until someone who doesn’t play with us comments on it.”

From juggling for so long, Williams has learned the importance of connecting his varied activities. For example, the Lyric Brass Quintet is the brass section for ASO, and the quintet helps with the arrangements.

These days Williams’ main focus is the DMV Horn Academy with a complement of side projects, all while combining life as a teacher and perpetual learner. “I’ve come full circle in a lot of ways,” he says. “It’s been an interesting ride so far, and I look forward to the future.”

And to think that it all started as a happenstance. “If my buddy hadn’t raised his hand that day, I wouldn’t have the career I have today,” Williams recalls. “I’m not one who says you have to know what you want to do right away. I just fell into my calling.”

Just as any good superhero would.

 

Larry Williams At A Glance

Education

Current positions

Previous positions

Solo Recordings

 

SupportED 2020v5n2 cover with Larry WilliamsThis article originally appeared in the 2020N2 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here. 

Case Study: Music Thrives at a STEAM Magnet School in Florida

Written by Savy Leiser on . Posted in Case Studies.

Art and science work in harmony at Sanders Memorial Elementary School in Land O’ Lakes, Florida. Each student has an assigned Apple device to pursue knowledge of STEAM — science, technology, engineering, art and math.

Ryan McCorkleKindergartners through 5th graders use their devices not only to learn coding, robotics and aviation but also to create music.

Sanders Memorial, a STEAM magnet that opened in 2015, has incorporated technology into the study of melody, rhythm and music theory. For the past four years, students have also performed in a tech-based instrumental ensemble called iPad Band.

“STEAM, to us, means not only doing the science, technology, engineering and math but … seeing that art is in all of those subjects as well,” says Ryan McCorkle, a co-teacher for the music program.

Tech and Theory

Adding technology to music education is a natural step as professional music becomes more entwined with the world of computers. “Music … on the radio is mostly technology-based,” McCorkle says, explaining that synthesizers and mixers have become more common than woodwind instruments in contemporary commercial music.

By using Apple’s GarageBand program, teachers break down the elements of music for their students. Scale patterns, form and improvisation are all taught through GarageBand, says James Coyne, co-teacher.

Loops help students identify the melody of a song. “We teach them that a melody is based on the sounds they’re familiar with,” McCorkle says.

At the beginning of 2020, 2nd graders learned improvisation using a pentatonic scale in GarageBand. “Breaking apart a song they can hear on the radio, [students learn] how it’s structured,” McCorkle says.

Students in 3rd through 5th grade are also working on creating cell phone ringtones and voting on their favorites. “The winning ringtone becomes our cell phone ringtone for the year,” McCorkle says.

Connecting Music to Math and Reading

Through the comprehensive STEAM education at Sanders, students learn how different subjects intersect. “When they’re learning about solar systems, they might do certain things in music and art class that relate to the solar system,” says principal Jason Petry. “It’s intertwined and embedded in everything we do.”

Consequently, music classes aren’t only creative; they’re mathematical as well. “We remind [students] all the time that music is a lot of math,” McCorkle says.

Counting is an important part of rhythm; similarly, sound waves, frequencies, pitch and other scientific concepts are important for a full understanding of music. “We cover sound waves, and we do an experiment with frequencies,” Coyne says.

In the sound-wave activity, 5th graders set plates on a speaker, adding different colors of sand to the plates to observe the reaction of the sand at different frequencies. “They learn about hertz; they visually see it with the sand, and they’re getting the science of it,” Coyne says.

This experiment gives students a visual representation of pitch. “The kids tell us when they see a pitch, and we point out where the nodes are and increase the frequency,” McCorkle says.

James CoyneComputer-generated music making can also tie into English and reading. In music class, older students use recording software to create an audiobook. “We do a project where students read a … 1st-grade level text and record that,” Coyne says. “They add in sound effects for page turns and background music.”

Those audiobooks then go to kindergarten and 1st-grade students to use in buddy reading exercises. “Some of their peers hear a book they’ve created, and it helps with phonics and comprehension,” Coyne says.

From Instruments to iPads

In 2016, Sanders debuted an extracurricular instrumental music ensemble, but instead of playing traditional brass and woodwind instruments, students performed on electronic tablets. This ensemble, known as iPad Band, comprises about 30 students in 4th and 5th grades.

While Sanders has a choir and an Orff ensemble, schools in Pasco County, Florida, traditionally don’t begin learning concert band instruments until middle school, McCorkle says.

Making music on a portable electronic device allows for accessibility to all students. “The chance of having an instrument at home is rare,” but every family has a cell phone, McCorkle says. “There’s an app they can [download] and create music. The link between technology and music is having the ability to create at any time in their own way.”

group photo of iPadBand with teachersDuring iPad Band rehearsals, which take place one hour before school, students use GarageBand and Yamaha synthesizer apps to create covers of pop songs. “We begin teaching them how to read chord charts with lyrics,” Coyne says. “They start to learn some of the mixing sides when we mix the group together.”

iPad Band has performed at school concerts, sometimes on its own and sometimes as a backup band for the choir. The band has even collaborated outside of the music department. “One of our concerts featured our iPad Band performing, our chorus performing, and our art department did live art,” Coyne says. “We did ‘99 Red Balloons’ [by Nena], and the art students painted [pictures of red balloons] live.”

Musicians of Tomorrow

iPad Band and music technology coursework have inspired students to continue with music in middle school and beyond. “We see students from the iPad Band continue into middle school, and they’ve joined the band program,” Coyne says.

McCorkle recalls one student who became interested in music production. “[He asked] us every day if we [were] going to use GarageBand,” McCorkle says. “He wants to be a music producer.”

Because Sanders is a magnet school, it feeds into about 13 middle schools. Petry has received positive feedback from administrators at many of those schools about the use of technology in students’ development.

“What I hear from middle school principals is that students are prepared in being independent, accountable, creative and collaborative with each other,” Petry says.

closeup of iPad screen showing GarageBand Though music is an auditory phenomenon, the use of technology has helped students engage with it visually as well. “For kids who are visual learners, they can see right then what they’ve done and how it lines up,” Coyne says. “The kids who you thought were going to struggle with the comprehension of it, they’re the ones who are like, ‘Let’s do it again! I want to keep going!’”

For Petry, a STEAM approach to music relates to his core mission of keeping students engaged and giving them opportunities to learn. “There are kids who never really liked music, but now they’re making jingles or doing iPad Band,” he says.

In the end, learning math, science, art and music together lead to a more well-rounded student. “Music isn’t just about music,” McCorkle says. “It’s about making you a better person.”

 

SupportED 2020v5n2 cover with Larry WilliamsThis article originally appeared in the 2020N2 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here. 

Dealing with Difficult Band Parents

Written by Sarah Lindenfeld Hall on . Posted in Teaching Tips. 1 Comment on Dealing with Difficult Band Parents

Michael Stone has experienced interpersonal conflicts from both sides of the podium.

Michael StoneNow band director at Bourbon County High School in Paris, Kentucky, Stone remembers when he was a teen and his own mother regularly argued with his music teacher over topics as simple as the timing of meals during band trips.

“My mom and my band director did not always see eye to eye,” Stone says. “She was usually one of those upset parents. I learned a lot watching my band director deal with my mom.”

Band directors work daily with students as well as with parents. Sometimes that level of togetherness can spark disagreements — between parents and directors and among parents themselves — that require finely tuned conflict-resolution skills.

Here’s what band directors should keep in mind when dealing with difficult conversations and relationships with caregivers.

Listen and ReflectTim Trost

Listen before getting directly involved in a situation, says Tim Trost, director of bands at Ayala High School in Chino Hills, California. “Let them air their grievances,” Trost says. “Stay calm. Don’t get emotional. And don’t fire back because that will escalate the situation more.”

No matter what, bite your tongue. “Sometimes you just want to blow up and go off,” Trost says. “But you can’t. As a teacher, you have to remain calm and professional.”

Once you know all sides of the story, you’ll be in a better place to come up with a solution that both parties can agree to, Trost says.

Kathy McIntoshWhile feeling defensive is human nature when your policies are questioned, self-reflection is vital, says Kathy McIntosh, director of bands and music department head at Troy (Ohio) City Schools. When she was a young band director, McIntosh spent a lot of time reflecting on whether various questioned policies were fair.

Now, three decades into her career, she’s fielded concerns about everything from chair placement and grading policies to drum major auditions. McIntosh recommends reaching out to trusted parents, mentors and professional groups to vet decisions that are causing concerns.

“Even if parents don’t like my policies, if they know that I’ve at least listened to what they’ve said and taken their thoughts into consideration, even if I don’t agree with them, at least they know they’ve been heard,” McIntosh says.

Hold a Meeting

Stone needed to handle several dust-ups with parents during one regional competition. Two parents didn’t like the mess students left. Another was angry she couldn’t sign out her daughter early. And other adults were drinking alcohol, violating school rules. During a different contest, parents were upset with each other after students were roughhousing.

After both cases, Stone held a meeting to hear the concerns and lay down the law.

Before meetings like these, Stone writes a script to cover all points. And once the meeting starts, he takes control. “I walk in and don’t let anybody else say anything at all,” he says.

Stone treads carefully between being bossy and informative. “Even when I’m trying to be in that authoritative role, I still treat people with respect,” he says.

Regular meetings with booster groups and their executive boards can also be used to head off concerns before tempers flare up. “Sometimes, if there’s an issue that needs to be brought up, we’ll bring it to the executive board, and we’ll discuss it and come up with a solution,” Trost says.

Upset Parent with arms crossed and one hand on chinLet Time Heal Some Wounds

Sometimes parents may not see the big picture — until later. Once after a subpar performance, Stone, then an assistant band director, listed the missteps to the students. All seemed fine as they headed back to the band room, but one parent pulled Stone and the head band director aside to complain about Stone’s critique.

Stone let him say his piece, but the parent was still angry when he left the office and didn’t volunteer for some time afterward. Eventually, he changed his tune. “Once he started seeing the growth in the performance quality throughout the season, he came back to me, and he said, ‘I understand what you were saying now,’” Stone says.

Find Your Allies

Some band parents will always have your back. “It’s really important to make sure that you have a handful of band parents who are 100 percent on your side about everything,” Stone says.

The booster president for Stone’s band regularly resolves parental concerns before they ever reach him. The complaints have ranged from conflicts between students to how Stone addressed a musician.

In other cases, band directors should seek guidance from school administrators, especially if they are young teachers who are getting pushback from much older parents. “The administration probably has a little bit of a pulse on the community and what’s going on,” McIntosh says.

Consider Compassion

Parents are the glue that keeps a marching band operating. “Without the parents’ support, we couldn’t do all the things we do here at Ayala High School,” Trost says.

Conflicts, misunderstandings and differences of opinion can happen for a variety of reasons. But often, says Stone, parents are simply passionate about their children and the music program. That’s why Stone’s mom, years ago, became so vocal about his band experience.

Those memories help temper his reactions when working with his students’ parents. “I have to realize that [band parents] just care,” Stone says. “And when I look at it that way, all these parents are like my mom. They just care.”

 

SupportED 2020v5n2 cover with Larry WilliamsThis article originally appeared in the 2020N2 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here. 

Pick the Right Drumsticks and Mallets

Written by Frank DiMaria on . Posted in Percussion.

A percussionist’s gig bag brims with sticks, mallets, brushes, keys, heads and tape. When choosing the implements to include in their arsenal, drummers have important factors to consider.

Wood, Metal or Synthetic?

Dennis Delucia
Dennis DeLucia

The most important factor is a drumstick’s composition, says Dennis DeLucia, percussion instructor and member of the Drum Corps International, Percussive Arts Society and World Drum Corps halls of fame.

Tommy Igoe
Tommy Igoe

Players have a variety of options like wood, metal or synthetic compounds. Because drums are a  collection of metallic and skin surfaces, the implements used to strike those surfaces must be unbiased in their tactile feedback, says Tommy Igoe, drummer, educator and author.

Wooden sticks, long a favorite of most players, provide the neutral tactile feedback that drummers seek. By far the most popular wood choice is hickory, which allows the drumhead to respond at all dynamic levels, Igoe says.

Some drumstick manufacturers market and sell metal sticks. Igoe is not a fan. “Just cross them off your list,” he says. “Never use metal on a drum set or any drum.”

One school of thought suggests that metal sticks will improve a player’s strength, but that idea is a travesty, Igoe says. DeLucia agrees, saying he never considers them.

Sherry Rubins
Sherry Rubins

Although most players avoid metal sticks, there are some interesting wood stick made with a metal tip. “I’ve seen my students use this type of stick to go quickly from a snare drum to a cymbal and/or triangle in some multiple percussion and contemporary band literature,” says Sherry Rubins, senior lecturer and coordinator of the percussion program at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Synthetic drumsticks last forever but are horrible to play with, Igoe says, because they do not offer a player the tactile feedback of a wooden stick.

Some sticks are fashioned out of wood, then chemically treated with a liquid plastic. This process renders a more durable stick but adds weight. “Most people, if they use them at all, use them as a warmup stick,” DeLucia says.

When band directors have a choice of wooden or nylon beads, they should explore the nylon-tip model. “If I were a high school band director, I’d buy nylon-tip drumsticks because they last longer than wooden-tip drumsticks,” Igoe says.

For Quick Changes

Drummers playing in wind and percussion ensembles need to fill their gig bags with a variety of sticks and mallets, Rubins says. Some literature requires percussionists to switch from one stick to another quickly during a performance, so sticks that perform double duty are invaluable. “There are some sticks that are a marimba mallet on one end [with] a round, wooden end on the other,” Rubins says.

No player should be without a good set of concert sticks and an implement with both a soft end and a beaded end. Players also need an implement for toms and one for intricate parts on the bass drum.

Variety is not limited to indoor ensembles. Marching snare drummers should also have a number of implements in their stick bags. They should carry two sets of marching sticks as well as a set of brushes. Some marchers like to carry a set of concert sticks, which are typically shorter and thinner than marching sticks, DeLucia says.

drumsticks display The Right Tool for Each Player

Drumsticks are typically categorized by a letter and a number, such as 7A or 5B, to indicate weight and diameter. Historically, “A” models were drum set sticks, “B” were concert sticks, and “S” were for street, or marching, use.

“While that nomenclature still exists with some manufacturers, there are also many variations and ‘artist models.’ You must read the description of the stick, so you can choose a pair that matches the style, student and instrument,” DeLucia says.

A common problem is when students use sticks that are too large for the context in which they’re performing, Igoe says. For middle schoolers and students with smaller hands, Igoe recommends a 7A stick, which is 15.5 inches long and has a diameter of .540 inches.

DeLucia agrees. Students ages 9 to 11 should use sticks that are short enough and light enough for them to handle. Players in the same drumline can vary in the size of their sticks. “You need to find a stick that works best for each individual player.”

Igoe encourages band directors to listen intently to the sound of the drums in an ensemble. If they’re not getting the sound they want, the students are using sticks that are too large, he adds.

“I want those band directors to feel empowered to recommend that 7A or 5A stick,” Igoe says. “They’ll notice a more pleasing sound immediately rather than what can be an ugly sound coming off the instrument when the implements are too large.”

 

SupportED 2020v5n2 cover with Larry WilliamsThis article originally appeared in the 2020N2 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here. 

Larry Williams Encourages Representation

Written by Elizabeth Anderson Lopez on . Posted in DEI.

“The world of musicians is small,” says Larry Williams, a French horn performer and teacher.

“The orchestra world is even smaller, and [for] those who play the French horn, [it] is even smaller. When it comes to Black French horn players, I know every one of us.”

Williams is half kidding but is very aware of his status — and his power. “I’m used to being the only person of color in an orchestra or sometimes one of two or three,” he says. “I came to the industry knowing that would be the case.”

Williams is involved in two projects to help change the orchestral landscape. He is the principal horn player for the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra (since 2009), where he also serves on its board of directors, and the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra (since 2004).

Black Pearl is “a shared experience of being Black and Latinx orchestra players,” Williams says. “Over the years we’ve networked and created opportunities for each other. It strives for diversity and inclusion in classical music.”

Williams appreciates other minority artists who came before him. “I understand if it wasn’t for some serious road pavers, I wouldn’t be allowed to play the French horn,” he adds. “I focus on how I can impact the next generation of horn players and create opportunities. I’ve figured out how to be authentic and be a change agent. I’m in a position now to try to open doors where I can.”

The Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, part of the Detroit-based Sphinx Organization, also wants to boost diversity in orchestras. Williams explains that the orchestra is made up of top professionals around the country, all Black or Latinx, who perform one weekend a year to support the young Black and Latinx string soloists competing at the Sphinx Competition. The professionals also teach master classes, deliver lectures as well as promote pieces by Black and Latinx composers. “It’s a very rewarding experience,” he says.

 

SupportED 2020v5n2 cover with Larry WilliamsThis article originally appeared in the 2020N2 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here. 

Practical Tips for Traveling with Students

Written by Christopher Ferrell on . Posted in Teaching Tips.

One of the most rewarding parts of participating in school music programs is the opportunity to travel. Whether for an invited performance or competition or as a spectator, the memories will last a lifetime.

Just like taking a trip with family or friends, many elements need to be considered in planning and execution. Knowing your students, school, district and community is vital to ensure the best experiences for everyone involved.

The Value of Traveling

Traveling provides enrichment for students in authentic performance practice as well as in real world cultural connections. Although today’s digital environment allows valuable virtual experiences, there simply is no substitute for just being there.

Travel can also improve recruitment and retention of students as well as reinforce the music program’s visibility in your school and community. Experiences for students are tangible and can be a rallying point for community

Where Should You Go?marching band in uniform

In choosing destinations for student travel, be sure to consider the cost/benefit ratio in your decision. For adjudicated events, be sure that the feedback and quality of experience for the students are top priorities.

Prepare students and parents in advance for the level of expectations and talk about the meaning and benefits of healthy competition. If attending a parade, concert presentation or other exhibition event, consider location, audience and the visibility of your ensemble along with cost for students.

Often, pairing the main event with recreational or sight-seeing opportunities can increase participation and add chances for students to bond and form lifelong friendships.

Making informed and careful choices regarding your destination and itinerary can significantly reduce obstacles and enhance the quality of experiences for directors and students.

The Planning Stages

After choosing a destination, create a timeline. Depending on the location, size of group and type of activity (major televised parades, for instance), you may need to plan for up to a year or more. Establish milestones in your planning to ensure that funding goals are met, communication with students and parents is frequent and clear, and all required forms and information are gathered.

Consider using a reputable tour company that has experience in student travel. Its staff can provide invaluable services and advice during the planning and travel.

Be sure to explore options for trip insurance. Note any deadlines regarding deposits and cancellations and clearly communicate those with your students and families.

Decide if the trip is optional or mandatory for students. Performances and competitions usually require a minimum distribution of parts or instruments. In the case of marching band, you may require every member.

Funding

If your program has a booster club, ask the group to help raise funds for student travel. Often, it has more freedom for collecting money than school system channels.

If funding is routed through the school system, be sure to know all the rules and regulations regarding fundraising before getting too far along in the process.

Consider provisions for students who are unable to contribute financially. The benefits of their participation are worthwhile to pursue.

Types of fundraisers vary dramatically but finding one or two that work best for your program and community would be better than constant solicitations. These could include business sponsorships, car shows, “taste of ” food events, silent auctions and many others.

When raising funds, be specific in your purpose. Telling the community why you are raising money and giving them a specific target will encourage more people to participate or donate.

With proper planning and careful consideration, student and professional travel can be an invaluable part of the complete music program experience. Now get out there and have fun!

 

SupportED 2020v5n2 cover with Larry WilliamsThis article originally appeared in the 2020N2 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here. 

Letter to Myself: Travis J. Cross

Written by Travis J. Cross on . Posted in Master Educator Collective.

Dr. Travis J. Cross is a Yamaha Master Educator and a Professor of Music and Director of Bands at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Below, he writes a letter advising his younger self to always do right and to seek opportunities to grow and stretch as a musician and educator.

 

Dear Younger Travis:

Dr. Travis J. Cross during his college years Welcome to your first year as a teacher. You are unusually lucky to start your career at an exemplary high school with a thriving band program, strong parental support, abundant resources and an amazing senior colleague. You’ll learn a lot living in Minneapolis, a great American city with two full-time professional orchestras, two classical radio stations and a vibrant theater scene. You’ll only be a short drive from your wonderful former teachers at St. Olaf College and even closer to the University of Minnesota and its many musical offerings.

Even with those advantages, the next few years will be incredibly challenging for you, and that’s okay. Four years of college and three months of student teaching aren’t enough to prepare anyone to succeed in this profession. I urge you to seek out opportunities to stretch and grow as a musician, teacher and person.

See and hear as much great art and as many world-class performers as you can afford. Attend other high school and college band (and choir and orchestra) concerts. Join a community band.

Befriend other inspired music educators. Observe their rehearsals and invite them to yours. Share meals, drinks, rides to concerts, video reviews, ideas, frustrations, techniques and repertoire. Play recordings of your ensemble for the best musicians you know and take their advice about how to solve problems they hear. Bring your college band director to your school, even when you’re afraid you’re not doing everything as well as you could. Why wait until you can already do everything to ask for help?

While you push yourself and your students to do better, remember to exercise patience and think strategically. Whether in your program or within yourself, some things change quickly, some change slowly, and some never change — or the effort required is disproportional to the result.

Dr. Travis J. Cross with L.A. Cityscape behind him The one thing I wish I knew when I started teaching is that no rational argument, however well-reasoned or explained, will prevail on a person acting irrationally. Though sometimes it’s important to be right — and it’s always important to do right — spending hours writing the perfect email to explain why someone’s child wasn’t placed in the top band, assigned the solo, selected as drum major or why the music festival is more necessary than the winter formal usually fails to make a difference or costs more than it’s worth. Instead, invest your time and energy in what you can actually improve — for example, yourself.

If you lead with love for music and your students as well as work really hard, you’ll find a lifetime of joy and fulfillment. Now go practice the piano and learn some alternate clarinet fingerings!

Best,

Travis in 2020

 

SupportED 2020v5n2 cover with Larry Williams

This article originally appeared in the 2020N2 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here. 

Principal Jim Kuzma

Q&A with Principal Jim Kuzma

Written by Marcia Neel on . Posted in Q & A.

Dr. Jim Kuzma, the principal of Rancho High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, fully credits performing arts for many of the school’s achievements.

During Kuzma’s tenure, the school’s graduation rate has grown by more than 40%, and the number of Advanced Placement tests administered has more than doubled.

Even though the school is located in the poorest ZIP Code in the state, it has a thriving arts program with almost 37% student enrollment. Chamber groups within Rancho’s band were invited to perform at The 2019 Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference and the 2020 Music for All National Concert Band Festival. (See Case Study: A Music Program Succeeds in the Inner City about the Rancho High School band.)

Q. What music programs are offered at Rancho High School currently? How many students are enrolled in your various performing arts programs?

A. Our performing arts department includes band, orchestra, choir, mariachi, ballet folklorico, dance, theater and theater technology. Our total school enrollment is 3,243, and we have an enrollment of 1,198 students in performing arts.

Q. How were you able to increase funding for staffing, facilities and materials over the years to offer such a comprehensive program?

A. Principals in the Clark County School District have been fortunate to enjoy relative autonomy in regards to their school budgets. That flexibility allowed us to make decisions concerning Rancho’s staffing, scheduling and budget that prioritized providing a variety of opportunities and experiences for our students. We offset other school expenses through grants and other funding, so that the remaining budget could be used to support fine arts and other programs.

Principal Jim Kuzma sitting at deskQ. What have you discovered about the value of music education since becoming the principal of Nevada’s largest high school?

A. I have been in education since 1984 and have worked at six schools in three states. A common denominator that I have discovered is that students in music programs typically perform better in school.

When I arrived at Rancho in 2009, we had a band program with 47 students. We had a part-time orchestra teacher who spent two periods per day at our school. The choir was on the brink of extinction with only 15 students. Our mariachi program was the only one that was growing. In 2010, Rancho was designated as a “persistently low achieving” school by the state of Nevada.

Rancho was chosen to be the first high school to undergo turnaround in the state. I have witnessed countless schools that attempt to improve academically by throwing large sums of money at remedial programs. In many of these cases, there is very little gain.

Our approach to turning around Rancho was different. We started by revisiting Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, placing emphasis on “sense of belonging.” The performing arts provide an excellent venue for students to be part of something truly special and to create that “sense of belonging.”

So far, that strategy has worked well. Our graduation rates have steadily climbed from 54% to more than 96%. The number of Advanced Placement tests administered has increased from 443 in 2011 to 1,131 in 2019. We are now designated as one of Nevada’s Shining Stars Schools.

Investing in performing arts has paid off with tremendous dividends. It is no coincidence that the academic improvements that Rancho has experienced over the last 11 years have paralleled the growth and successes of our performing arts programs.

Schools embarking on the turnaround process should take a hard look at enhancing their performing arts as well as other programs that offer students opportunities and experiences prior to investing additional resources in academic remediation.

Q. How has Rancho’s music education program inspired you personally?

A. As a young person, I studied piano for seven years. I understand the time, commitment and discipline required to master an instrument. As a principal for the last 19 years, I learned early on that without great teachers, it is impossible for school improvement to take place. My standard operating procedure at Rancho has been to hire the best teachers and find ways to say “yes” to whatever they ask for.

Fortunately, I struck gold when it came to performing arts teachers. Roberto Lopez and JuanJose Cortez (Mariachi), Karen Rzendzian (Orchestra and Choir), Clint Williams and Max Feld (Band), Jacqelyn Guzman (Ballet Folklorico), Tommie Baravong (Theater) and Natalie Dey (Dance) make me look smart every time their groups perform. The relationship between the rebirth of our music education programs and the improvement as a school are directly linked. I attend almost every performance or concert, and I frequently am brought to tears when I recall what it took to get here.

Q. Given the current socioeconomic status of Rancho High School, how are students able to participate and succeed in your programs? What would you recommend to principals at similar schools?

A. Our school is located in the poorest ZIP Code in the state. All our students get free breakfast, lunch and supper. Asking the families of our students to contribute hundreds of dollars toward performing arts expenses is not an option.

There is no reason why our students should not be able to participate in performing arts at the same level as students in more affluent areas. Our instructors are judicious when organizing trips. They don’t travel just to travel, but instead they give special consideration to the overall impact of a performance or festival. We ask that the groups participate in fundraising, and we look for opportunities for student groups to raise money.

We also welcome community support and are so grateful for the many individuals and organizations that have stepped up to support our programs over the years. One example is the Wynn Resorts, which made a sizable donation to our mariachi program a few years ago, so that our students could perform at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. When an opportunity like the prestigious Midwest Clinic in Chicago presents itself, we find a way to make it happen.

For schools that are in a similar position, I would suggest that they examine their priorities and have all decisions reflect those priorities. We know that our priority is providing opportunities and experiences for our students, often by way of the performing arts, so it is not uncommon that we forego certain niceties in order to make this happen.

Q. If you could expand your music program even further, what would you include that is not currently available to students at Rancho?

A. Part of what I would like to see in the future is more [interaction] with our feeder middle schools. I learned at the Midwest Clinic this past December that it is a common practice for high school music instructors to work directly with 6th grade students in beginning music classes. I think this would increase participation as well as improve the overall quality of the program.

Q. From your perspective, why is music important to humanity?

A. Music and dance have always been part of the human experience. It would be difficult to imagine a world without music. Music is present during times of celebration and in times of mourning. It connects the past, present and future.

Q. Which person from history, dead or alive, would you want to have lunch with, and what would you discuss?

A. I want to have lunch with the person who will eventually replace me as principal. I would discuss the importance of staying the course and continuing to focus on providing opportunities and experiences for all the students at Rancho High School. Hire the best teachers available and support them.

Principal Jim Kuzma

Q. Why is it important to protect access to music education?

A. Music education introduces students to accountability. When a student does not practice in a performing arts setting, it is clear to everyone. If a student misses a math question on a test, only the teacher and student know.

With the push for more STEM and increased scores on high-stakes tests, it may seem logical to place less emphasis on performing arts. But that would be a mistake. Music education is life-altering and can change the trajectory of a young person’s life. Much research has been done to link mathematical reasoning to music. In the end, the students inclined to take music classes will also engage in STEM classes and score higher on high-stakes tests.

On a personal note, I have seen firsthand the benefits of music education and its impact on our campus. Our music programs provide students with a “sense of belonging” as well as numerous opportunities and experiences that they would not have otherwise. Eliminating access to music programs would deny students access to elements of the culture and history of the human race.

 

SupportED 2020v5n2 cover with Larry WilliamsThis article originally appeared in the 2020N2 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here. 

Embrace Failing

Written by Savy Leiser on . Posted in Teaching Tips.

At Sanders Memorial Elementary School in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, faculty and students embrace failure.

The school has adopted a principle called “failing forward,” which encourages a fearless approach to improvement. “You never truly fail unless you give up,” says principal Jason Petry.

Ryan McCorkle and James Coyne, co-teachers of the school’s music program, advise other teachers not to be afraid of challenges. “You will fail — you will fail once, twice, three times, four times,” Coyne says, “But as soon as that one thing goes right, it will push you to the next level.”

With the launch of iPad Band in 2016, McCorkle experienced one of these failures. He asked students to bring in devices from home, and they brought all different kinds of handheld devices, from Apple products to Androids. When the devices were incompatible, Coyne and McCorkle realized that they would need to reserve a set of iPads for this group.

One way to embrace failure is to start small and improve slowly. Sanders began by giving individual devices to students in higher grade levels at first, then expanding to the younger kids. “Once you expand into the lower grades, you’re growing students,” Petry says. “By the time they get into 4th and 5th grade, you can expand it even more.”

A cultural acceptance of failure has taken pressure off of students. “When we first opened, the 5th graders were like, ‘We’re failing, and we’re mad, and we’re not doing well!’” Petry says.

However, students are now open to new challenges. A combination of rubrics, formative and summative assessments, small-group work and optional test retakes help students step outside their comfort zone.

 

SupportED 2020v5n2 cover with Larry WilliamsThis article originally appeared in the 2020N2 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here. 

Timeless Lessons from Larry Williams

Written by Elizabeth Anderson Lopez on . Posted in Teaching Tips.

“Being a 21st century artist is different than when I went to school,” says Larry Williams, a French horn performer and teacher.

“Being focused on one thing was pretty much demanded to be successful. Now [musicians] are expected to do multiple things and do them well.”

Williams encourages students to be entrepreneurial. “You need to know how to create opportunities for yourself,” he says. “We have so many good French horn players. … It’s a ‘who-you-know’ world. Isolating yourself in a practice room isn’t a good way to make people know you exist and want to work with you.”

Williams also cites personality, along with performance, as a factor for how students can make themselves more marketable. “Do people like sitting next to you in a section?” he asks. “What else do you bring to the table?”

However, Williams reminds students that sharing all the details of their lives in today’s social media era can work against them. “I warn students to take care when using social media,” he says. “I don’t tell them what to post, but I do tell them to be aware. I say, ‘You’re going to come across someone you want to impress someday, and you have to be cognizant of that. If you’re ranting about a peanut butter sandwich for 15 days straight and come to me interviewing for a position, I don’t know if I can deal with that every day.’”

Williams teaches another timeless lesson: Be respectful. For example, he encourages students to do some basic research on people and culture if they have the opportunity to tour abroad. “You’re not just representing yourself,” he says. “You’re representing your ensemble, your country and your culture, so it’s really important to be aware of that. You don’t need to be a scholar, but learn what people value, how they are similar and different from you. That shows respect, which has opened some doors really quickly for me.”

Williams experienced that concept firsthand when he participated in a cultural exchange while performing with the Peabody Symphony Orchestra in Russia after the Cold War. “We ran into some people who clearly didn’t want us there,” he remembers. “They didn’t know about Peabody or our orchestra. They just knew we were Americans. Showing them respect goes a long way to get people to trust you. Then when you get to the music, it’s business as usual.”

 

SupportED 2020v5n2 cover with Larry WilliamsThis article originally appeared in the 2020N2 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here. 

Practice Effectively: Go Slow to Go Fast

Written by Dr. Brad Meyer on . Posted in Teaching Tips.

Two of the most beneficial tools to help students learn music more quickly and with a higher level of quality are slow practice and gradual increases of music difficulty.

Many young musicians focus on learning music quickly, which can develop a strong sense of motivation. However, the drive to learn quickly has some downfalls. As music educators, we must help our students learn to practice more efficiently and effectively — and that means going slow to go fast.

Extremely Challenging Music

Many students pride themselves on moving to solos that require new skillsets, advanced techniques or superior dexterity. Students enjoy learning challenging pieces because it provides them with a sense of accomplishment. However, many students do not realize that progressing to significantly harder solos requires much more time in the practice room and more attention to detail than before.

There are two ways to resolve this problem. The first is to give students pieces that are just slightly more challenging. I also recommend that new pieces be in a completely different style/genre so there is a clear sense of change as well as in difficulty level.  Oftentimes, students will bring in a piece (let’s call it “Piece X”) that they want to play. You know that it will take them at least four to five months to learn Piece X. I recommend using your students’ enthusiasm to create a long-term goal for them. Instead of immediately moving them to Piece X, tell them to work on one or two pieces in between where their skill level currently is and where Piece X needs them to be. I call this the “stair method” and tell students to envision the stairs leading to the top of a football stadium. All those individual stairs make it easy to reach their ultimate objective through steady, gradual progress.

Another way to tackle Piece X is to break it into several smaller solos. Most pieces have three to four large sections, so treat each one like a separate solo. Work on one large section at a time, and do not let the student move to the next section until the first one is performance ready. This process allows students to take their time, which results in learning the music well and playing with high quality. The student will not be overwhelmed by the length of Piece X and can focus on the basics of music such as pitch, rhythm and dynamics. Too often, students wait to learn dynamics until they have learned the pitches and rhythms of a piece. This works against students because it reinforces the idea that dynamics are not important. Lack of dynamics is one of the most cited problems in student performances at solo and ensemble competitions.

 Female marimba student with teacherPracticing Too Fast

When students first enter college, many of them will consider a piece impossible because of the written tempo. This all-too-common occurrence reminds me of one of the most valuable lessons I learned as a freshman in high school. The senior section leader at the time told me that “every piece is easy if you take it slow enough.” This taught me that I could play anything if I take it at a slow enough tempo — usually half tempo or slower — to fully understand the rhythms, pitches and dynamics of a piece.

Many students believe practicing at a significantly slower tempo means they will never be able to play the piece at the written tempo. This is not true. What students need to understand is if they do not turn the tempo down to where the piece is easy to play and understand, then they will never build the essential foundation needed to perform the piece well when they get it to tempo.

I define the foundation of every piece of music as pitch, rhythm and dynamics. If a student cannot master all three with consistency (approximately four out of five times) at the tempo they are working at, then they should move to a slower tempo (approximately 15-20 bpm).

Example: Recently, I worked with students on “2” from Jacques Delécluse’s “Douze Etudes,” which is a snare drum solo marked at 100 bpm. Students usually drop the metronome to around 70 bpm when they first start practicing, but even at that slower tempo, they struggle to achieve quality ruffs, and they usually stumble over three bars — mm. 20, 24, and 30. (Side note: We use Rob Knopper’s sticking guides for “Douze Etudes,” which is why some of the students struggle with m. 20.)

It’s important to mention that those three bars are significantly more challenging than the rest of the piece. So, students often struggle with those bars at 70 bpm, while they play the rest of the piece rather well at that tempo. Students think that if they slow the metronome way down for those few bars, they will never be able to play them at the written tempo when performing the entire solo. It is crucial to show them that if they turn the metronome way down (somewhere around 40 to 45 bpm), those three bars become easy. I make students play one of those three troublesome bars three to four times in a row. If they play them with a high level of quality, I bump the metronome up by 5 bpm. I repeat this process (unless they stumble at a certain tempo, then we will work at that tempo or a couple of bpm slower) until we reach about 90 to 100 bpm. This total process usually lasts only about 10 to 15 minutes. During this short period of time, students realize that something they thought was impossible to play at a certain tempo is not the insurmountable challenge that they had initially thought. This type of extremely slow practice with small, incremental increases in tempo is one of the most valuable and effective methods of practicing challenging sections of music.

Learning Too Quickly

The last problem I want to look at is when students learn music too quickly. This is somewhat of an expansion on the first section of this article, “Extremely Challenging Music,” but it takes a slightly different perspective.

I find that students often learn too quickly when there is a barrier or track-style curriculum. Students see that if they can pass a piece, they get to move on to the next portion of the track. The problems is that the focus becomes getting through the track rather than learning pieces well and absorbing the different techniques, styles and challenges that a piece has to offer.

I find this usually happens when a piece is marked as an “etude.” The first thing I recommend doing is to reorient your students’ way of thinking about music by talking to them about what an etude is. An etude, in my opinion, is a small piece of music. It is not meant to advance a small skillset, but instead, is a short piece of music that gives students the opportunity to be extremely musical and expressive without having to learn a lengthy solo.

Example: I usually encounter this scenario when students start to work on multi-percussion solos for the first time in their sophomore year at Stephen F. Austin State University. When my students think of multi-percussion, they typically envision huge set-ups that look like Terry Bozzio’s drumset or pieces that are aggressive and exciting like Iannis Xenakis’s “Rebonds.”

So, when my students start on a piece for two toms that’s only a page and a half long (Michael Udow’s “1” from “The Contemporary Percussionist”), they tend to either rush through it and play wrong rhythms, stickings and dynamics, or they get disheartened because the think the piece boring. That’s when I perform the piece and show them how exciting, theatrical and musical a piece for two toms can be. Hopefully, they will realize that there are many small steps they need to take before they can attack the challenging pieces they yearn to play.

male timpani student with teacher

I remind my students that percussionists do not start playing Andrew Thomas’s Merlin as their first four-mallet piece. There’s a reason why everyone knows Mitchell Peters’s “Yellow After the Rain” because it is a great piece of music that is appropriate for percussionists just starting out on four-mallet marimba. I add that I love hearing performances of “Yellow After the Rain” when it is played well with expression, dynamics and musicality. To prove it, I show them Jisu Jung’s fantastic performance of “Yellow After the Rain” on YouTube. I would much rather watch her impressive performance of this less technically challenging piece over someone playing Joseph Schwantner’s “Velocities” above tempo and poorly.

Slow but Sure

Going faster isn’t always better. When it comes to many aspects of learning and performing music, speed can hinder students from reaching their maximum potential. As music educators, it is our duty to show them how important slow practice and the gradual advancement of musical difficulty will benefit them in the long term.

I use these three quotes about speed with my students. I hope these quotes will resonate with your students like they do with mine.

  • “There is more to life than simply increasing its speed.” — Mahatma Gandhi
  • “We don’t have to be fast; we simply have to be steady and move in the right direction. Direction is always going to trump speed.”
  • “It is a mistake to think that moving fast is the same as actually going somewhere.”

This article originally appeared in “Bandmasters Review,” The Texas Bandmasters Association, April 2017 issue. 

The United Sound Method for Private Lesson Teachers

Written by Yamaha Staff on . Posted in DEI.

Inclusion is at the heart of United Sound, a peer mentoring program that provides musical performance experiences for students with special needs (called New Musicians).

The United Sound method was created for use in a school setting, but the same training can be used by private lesson teachers.

Below are training videos that showcase United Sound’s program and resources.

Please note: These videos were created for students participating in United Sound programs in public schools around the country. We hope that the concepts will help shed light on working with students with special needs, but we acknowledge that private teachers’ experiences might vary greatly.

The United Sound Program

In this program overview, you’ll see the relationship between Peer Mentor Abby and New Musician Jessica develop and grow during the school year.

If you’d like to reflect on your own teaching while watching the video, download this worksheet. United Sound suggests thinking about the key themes of “Empower,” “Communicate” and “Modify” as it applies to each clip.

Parents’ Perspectives

Parents of New Musicians express how United Sound has positively affected their children in this video.

Teachers may find it helpful to reflect on:

  • What moment in the video did you find particularly interesting or surprising?
  • Have you had experiences with parents that were negative? How could these interactions be different with different instruction?

Curriculum and Teaching

In this video, United Sound founder Julie Duty explains how to utilize the United Sound methodology to create an inclusive environment for New Musicians, Peer Mentors and all band students.

While watching the video, reflect on how you might implement some of United Sound’s methodology in your teaching. You may find it helpful to download this worksheet to help you dig deeper on the key themes of EMPOWER, COMMUNICATE and MODIFY during the video’s pause-for discussion sections.

  • Pause #1: Which elements of Empower, Communicate and Modify did you see in these two classrooms? Do you think this type of celebration is more about Communication or Empowerment?
  • Pause #2: Think about your private lesson environment. What is one change that you could make to create a “no-fail” environment for your students?
  • Pause #3: What did you see that was positive in the student’s teaching? What could he have done better?
  • Pause #4: Do you think it’s appropriate to include “down time” in a private lesson? Could intentionally off-task moments increase the productivity of the rest (say, 25 minutes) of your lesson time? Beyond “chatting” about your day, what is one idea that you could add to your lessons to enhance the environment for a student with special needs?
  • Pause #5: Do you have students who struggle with traditional notation? Would you be willing to modify notation for them?
  • Using a single word or phrase, what is your biggest takeaway from this video?

United Sound Font Tutorial

This video shows you how to install and use the United Sound font from Finale (filmed during the ABLE Assembly at Berklee College of Music in April 2019).

You can download the Finale font here. You can download Finale font flashcards here.

Now, you’re ready to use the Finale font to write music in modified “food” notation. Good luck!

Sound Off for United Sound

Parents, students, teachers and administrators strongly endorse the United Sound program.

  • “United Sound has provided a new and powerful way for our daughter to communicate and given her more confidence when she does.” — a parent
  • “The campus-wide benefits we have received from this program are immeasurable. It’s a win, win, win for everyone involved!” — a principal
  • “This experience has reinforced to me the amazing power of music to reach a child in ways that classroom learning cannot. Our New Musicians and Peer Mentors have all grown as musicians, but more importantly, they have grown as humans, forging a common bond through the creation of art and beauty.” — an orchestra director
  • “United Sound’s real purpose is to create lasting friendships.” — a student

If you would like to learn more about United Sound or if you are interested in setting up a program at your school, visit the United Sound website.

Anatomy of a Home Theater Speaker

Written by Eric Thies on . Posted in TV & Movies.

Achieving home theater bliss is almost entirely dependent on speakers. But there’s so much jargon, so many form factors. Two-way, three-way, crossovers, tower speakers, bookshelf speakers, subwoofers, sound bars … what does it all mean?

Here are the answers to these questions — answers that will help you achieve great performance and find the right speakers for your home theater.

Basic Speaker Components

The basic components of a speaker are:

– Drivers. There are three kinds of home theater speaker drivers: tweeters to reproduce high frequencies; mid-range speakers to reproduce vocals, dialogue and most instruments; and woofers to reproduce low frequencies — bass and “feel” frequencies such as rumble. Whether a speaker is two-way or three-way depends upon how many drivers it has. A two-way speaker will typically contain a tweeter and a woofer, while a three-way speaker contains an additional driver to handle mid-range frequencies.

In the illustration below (a cross-section of a three-way speaker), you can see the tweeter driver on top, a mid-range driver below it, and two woofer drivers on the bottom.

Cross-section of a three-way speaker.
Cross-section of a three-way speaker.

– Crossover. This is a device installed inside the speaker cabinet that routes the different frequencies that make up a sound to the appropriate drivers.

– Cabinet. A boxed speaker will have a cabinet that houses the drivers and crossovers. This cabinet additionally affects the overall sound quality of the speaker based on the materials used and cubic volume. In-ceiling and in-wall speakers typically use the wall cavity as the “cabinet.”

Home Theater Speakers vs. Music Speakers

Will any speaker work in a home theater system? The short answer is … not really. A typical stereo speaker designed for music has a different intention than a home theater speaker. The intent of a music speaker is to disappear and give you the feeling that you are in a concert hall or live performance — in other words, it’s designed to create a soundstage that seems bigger than the box that houses the speaker drivers.

A home theater speaker is meant to do the complete opposite — it is intended to be directional. We want to feel that Top Gun fighter plane roar from the front left of the room to the rear right of the room as it moves across the screen. We do not want those speakers to “disappear” … well, perhaps visually we do (we don’t want them serving as a distraction), but in terms of audio, we want them to be present at specific locations within the room.

Another important factor that distinguishes a home theater speaker from a music speaker is the design of its front face, called the baffle. Music speakers tend to offer a wider baffle to help create that wide soundstage, while home theater speakers benefit from a narrow baffle to create more directionality.

The Importance of Consistency

Speakers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Which form factor is best for you?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of this, I’d like to make the recommendation that each speaker in your home theater system be from the same manufacturer and have at least the same general characteristics for consistent tone and quality. This will ensure that the Fast and Furious muscle car sounds the same as it circles you from speaker to speaker. You don’t want it to roar like a high-performance vehicle in the front channels and chug like a go-cart as it moves to the side and rear speakers.

Tower Speakers

The pinnacle of performance is typically found in a floor-standing “tower” speaker like the Yamaha NS-2000A. These offer full-range performance, amazing dynamics and incredible clarity. If they’re a little outside your budget, Yamaha NS-777 speakers are a great alternative.

NS-2000A
Yamaha NS-2000A.
NS-777
Yamaha NS-777.

Bookshelf Speakers

What if your room cannot support the physical footprint of five or seven tower speakers? In that case, your next best option is smaller bookshelf models like the Yamaha NS-333, perhaps paired with a NS-C444, which is a bookshelf speaker that’s specifically designed to handle the center channel — a channel that normally carries mostly dialog.

Yamaha NS-333 bookshelf speaker.
Yamaha NS-333.
Yamaha NSC-444 bookshelf speaker.
Yamaha NSC-444.

Bookshelf speakers can be used to carry the left and right front channels as well as acting as rear surrounds. If used as rear speakers, they can either sit on stands or in a cabinet. A set of bookshelf speakers can give you great quality sound in a smaller footprint, although there is some sacrifice when shrinking your cabinet size. When you move from a full-range three-way speaker to a two-way bookshelf speaker, you are going to lose the bottom octave and the part of the soundtrack where all of those great chest-thumping effects lie — things like rumbling tanks, explosions and planes.

The Subwoofer

So how do we get that back? The answer is simple: Add a subwoofer (or two). The Yamaha NS-SW100, for example, is a great option for a typical large family room. Keep in mind that bass travels until it hits a boundary. If you have a home with an open floor plan, you have a lot of volume to fill. A dinky subwoofer is simply not a great option in a room like that.

Yamaha NS-SW100 subwoofer.
Yamaha NS-SW100.

Wireless Speakers

Wireless speakers allow you to create a surround sound setup without the bother of having to run speaker wires around the room. Instead, it uses Wi-Fi to send audio signal from appropriately equipped AV receiver such as the Yamaha RX-V6A, which is MusicCast-enabled. (MusicCast is the Yamaha wireless multiroom audio solution, and its family of products includes not only speakers and AV amplifiers but sound bars and turntables too.)

Yamaha offers two wireless speaker options: the MusicCast 20, and the larger MusicCast 50, both of which incorporate unique designs (different from the bookshelf speaker) due to their need to be versatile. You can pair two MusicCast 20s together to serve as rear left and right speakers or use a single MusicCast 50 as a rear surround speaker. These speakers can also be easily moved to different rooms altogether (even out on your patio!) so you can listen to stereo music throughout your whole house.

MusicCast-STEREO-20-Black-2-1
A pair of Yamaha MusicCast 20s.
WX051BLfrUCAGBFLRTKPESV_f-1
Yamaha MusicCast 50.

The Sound Bar

And then there’s the ubiquitous sound bar. This is a very popular option as it is cost-effective, easy to incorporate into any room, and solves a big problem of the generally really poor quality speakers in most of today’s flat panel TVs. A great option in this category is the Yamaha True X Bar 40A. This all-in-one sound bar has built-in subwoofers and offers Dolby Atmos simulated surround sound as well as Yamaha Clear Voice technology for dialog enhancement — it can even be voice-controlled by Alexa. It’s meant to be a simpler version of a full-blown surround system that is both affordable and easy to implement into any system. No, it doesn’t offer the full range of sound that you will get with a great floor-standing or bookshelf speaker system, but a sound bar is a great solution to improve the sound on any TV.

 

A Yamaha sound bar.
Yamaha True X Bar 40A.

Click here for more information about Yamaha home theater speakers.

Click here for more information about Yamaha subwoofers.

Click here for more information about Yamaha sound bars.

Pop/Rock Chord Voicings, Part 2

Written by Jerry Kovarsky on . Posted in Keyboard How-to. 2 Comments on Pop/Rock Chord Voicings, Part 2

In Part 1 of this three-part series about playing pop and rock keyboards, we explored using inversions to connect your chords, as well as the use of basic passing chords. Now let’s add some interesting colors and movement to those concepts.

Adding the Second

Adding a note a whole step above the root sounds great on most chords, and since that note is the second tone in both major and minor scales, it’s called a second:

Notation showing C major and C minor scales

You can add a second to a full triad, or replace the root with it:

Adding a second to a full triad.

Note: The last two measures show the inversions of both root position voicings.

This works well for many of the scale tone chords, but not all. Basically, if the added second note (called an “add2 voicing”) occurs in that particular key or scale, it will sound good, so it will work for all the scale tone chords except the third and seventh scale tone chords (E minor and B diminished in the key of C). Here’s an example that creates a nice melodic movement for each of those chords by moving from the added 2nd back to the root for each chord:

Add 2 to triad.

This next example gets a little more fancy with the movement between the root, the second and the third. Pay close attention to keeping the right hand notes sustained as notated — it’s a bit like a Hanon exercise in that regard:

Add 2 movement.

A variant of the add2 voicing is to leave out the 3rd of the chord, and just play the root, 2nd and the 5th. This is called a sus2 chord, and it provides a really nice color. In the example below, it’s used to move into the major key triads, where it works best:

Adding Sus2 to triad.

 Sixths and Suspended Fourths

Another good tone for adding color to a triad is the 6th — a whole step above the fifth step of the scale. Anywhere that a song calls for a major triad, you can opt to make it a major sixth chord instead. But you can also use it to create movement, by switching between the fifth and the sixth in your chord voicings (see bars 3 – 8 in the example below):

6th chord movement.

If this next example sounds familiar, it’s because this is a common way to voice chords when playing classic rock and roll tunes from the ’50s and ’60s:

5-6 rock movement with drums.

The sixth tone also works well within a major seventh chord. And let’s not forget about the suspended chord (i.e., the suspended 4th) as a way of adding movement. Here’s a comping figure that makes use of all these concepts:

Add2 Movement with drums.

And here’s an example that keeps moving the C, D and E notes across the changing chords:

Adjusted tones.

Advanced Voicings

Putting the third in your left hand creates a nice open-sounding voicing for the Sus2 chord. This can be done whether your bass player plays the root or uses the third instead:

Sus2 over 3rd chord.

Here’s that technique applied — perfect for a pop ballad approach:

Pop ballad with drums example.

This example employs the same type of voicings as before, but with a few cool twists. In bar 2, the moving figure uses both the 2nd and the 6th, and in the second half of bar 4, the chord is arpeggiated downward. Rolling through a chord voicing is a great way to add movement without being too busy: I do it again in the next bar with the inversion of the sus2 voicing, adding the B note for more color. Bar 6 has an especially effective chord voicing: Instead of just playing a G over an F bass, I add the C above, which creates a little tension that resolves when the triad moves down to the F major. This came from playing the same notes I had just arpeggiated, giving the performance good continuity and structure.

Starting in bar 7, I wanted a little more power, so I added the octaves in the bass, and then doubled the G in the Csus2 voicing on beat 4 so my right hand chords could get a little bigger, and have good voice leading throughout bars 8 – 9.

Voicing In Fourths

As we saw earlier when we inverted the Csus2 voicing, you can attain a nice open sound by building your chords with 4ths in your right hand. Here’s an example of how you can move things around using a mixture of 4ths and some triads. Note that I finish each chord’s climb with a colorful voicing that adds a little “crunch” on top:

Quartal voicings.

I wouldn’t go too crazy using this idea in pop and rock settings, but used tastefully it can add some sophistication and color to your playing.

Click here for Part 3.

All audio played on a Yamaha P-515.

 

Check out our other Well-Rounded Keyboardist postings.

Click here for more information about Yamaha keyboard instruments.

Young girls playing violin.

Five Benefits of Joining School Orchestra

Written by Ken Dattmore on . Posted in Strings How-to.

There are many good reasons for having your child join their school orchestra, including the fact that it’s just plain fun! But more importantly, learning about music and gaining achievements both personally and as part of a team can be the most satisfying part of a child’s journey into adulthood.

Let’s take a look at five of the benefits your child will gain from taking a seat in the orchestra.

1. Improved Social Skills

One of the biggest positives will be the connections your child makes with other students. This development of social skills happens as each student makes new acquaintances with the other members of the orchestra. Some of these interactions may develop into friendships that last a lifetime.

2. Learning Teamwork

From the day a child joins an orchestra, they become part of a functioning team that has clear goals. They learn that by playing their part, they can add to the greater goal of making fine music. This builds a strong skill set that they can use going forward in their education and beyond, into their future work and family interactions.

3. Developing a Sense of Responsibility

Joining an orchestra gives a child the responsibility of taking care of their instrument … and orchestral instruments are among the most fragile. A child learns from the start to treat their instrument with respect, not just to prevent damage but to keep it clean and in good playing condition.

It also teaches children the responsibility of learning and overcoming difficult tasks as their progress advances from beginner to skilled player. The commitment to practicing and improving can translate into their other school studies as well as helping them to cope with future life challenges.

4. Improved Cognitive Skills

Learning to read music and making an instrument do what your child wants it to do (and sound the way they want it to sound!) offers benefits to eye-hand coordination as well as increased cognitive skills such as concentration and visual recognition. Studies indicate that this tends to give kids who participate in orchestra programs higher success in other learning areas like math and reading. It also offers them the ability to increase their creativity, which opens other opportunities over the course of a lifetime — whether it be in the arts, sciences or business world.

5. Increased Enjoyment

Adults who participate in musical activities as a child often reap a lifetime of benefits as they get older. Some find increased enjoyment and relaxation by continuing to practice their instrument, or by just listening to the music that they once played. They become lifelong enthusiasts and share that passion and appreciation with others around them. Some musically talented children choose to remain actively playing, even if not as a professional. Amateur chamber groups and community orchestras offer a great deal of joy and camaraderie.

Of course, there’s even a chance that your child will decide to make music a career choice. In addition to professional orchestra players, there are lots of options, including soloists, arrangers, music educators, artist managers, performance venue management … even in the medical field as a music therapist. Whatever path your child ends up following, there’s no question that joining school orchestra can help pave the way to a better, more fulfilling life.

Is your child still not sure if this is something they’d like to do? Ask them to watch this video:

 

Click here for more information about the ways Yamaha can help your child’s musical journey.

10 Guidelines for 1st-Year Directors

Written by Dr. Brad Meyer on . Posted in Teaching Tips.

Being a first-year music teacher is challenging. A big hurdle is applying the knowledge you gained during your formal education while building practical knowledge, which is usually learned on-the-fly once you enter the workforce.

Below are 10 helpful tips from my experience that I hope will help make your first year of teaching a little easier, more effective and more time efficient, so that you will not have to figure things out “the hard way” as I did.

taking a break -- female sitting and looking out1. Take Care of Yourself

Eat healthy, sleep at least six to eight hours every night and exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself takes time, but the time you put into keeping yourself healthy will allow you to stay more mentally focused and physically energized throughout your day.

Make time for yourself. Plan free time and vacations the way you schedule your rehearsals. Free time helps you recharge and re-energize, and it will help you avoid burnout at your job.

2. Communicate Safely and Effectively

Learn which way students and parents receive communication best (GroupMe, Remind, etc.) and use it. Take the time to become proficient in whatever method of parent/student communication your school uses, and use it consistently – whether it is weekly Charms emails, regular Google Classroom announcements or nightly Remind101s. Always remember that group communication is much safer for you as an instructor than one-on-one messages, which can lead to the appearance of inappropriate communication or behavior. A good rule of thumb for any written communication is to never write anything you would not feel comfortable discussing in a deposition.

3. Schedule Wisely

Use calendars (and calendar apps) constantly, consistently and effectively. Your iCal/Google Calendar/Fantastical 2/Calendars 5/Outlook/Timepage should look like a piece of art. Schedule in classes, rehearsals, meetings and travel times. Color coordinate your calendars (personal vs. professional vs. school-related), and put in deadlines for submissions to your local music education association, deadlines for competitions, grant/funding deadlines, etc. Many calendar apps can be shared with students/parents/administrators/colleagues to help avoid rehearsal/performance conflicts.

making a checklist4. Make Lists … Lots of Lists

Use a list-making or task-management app or program (Evernote/Trello/Todoist/Microsoft To Do) that you can access on your computer and phone and create separate categories to keep track of your various responsibilities. I have separate categories for current concert repertoire, future concert repertoire, future chamber ensemble repertoire, conference clinic topics, article topics, possible future clinicians, potential students (with all their contact information and family names), instrument needs, to-do lists and ensemble goals (1-year, 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year). Having your lists organized and easily available at all times will allow you to record ideas and any “ah-ha” moments no matter where you may be. Tracking ideas, goals and tasks will help you and your ensemble progress more quickly. The more you can plan ahead for your ensembles and yourself, the more direction and focus you and your program will have.

5. Learn to Delegate

In the beginning of your job/career, you will need to do a lot of things yourself, but the more you can delegate small tasks (restringing marimbas, loading cases, setting up chairs and stands, etc.), the more attention and energy you can give to big-picture items. Establish easy-to-follow systems for how you want your program to work. Also, relying on student leaders can be an effective way of getting tons of small tasks accomplished while giving students a hierarchy that allows them to advance among their peers.

6. Don’t Let a Bad Lesson/Rehearsal/Concert Ruin Your Day

Always try to learn what you could have done better from negative situations, but do not bring your work home (especially the negative aspects) because this will only hurt you and your relationships. Everyone needs to vent and doing so in small amounts infrequently can be healthy. However, try to avoid consistently discussing only the negative aspects of your job. This will result in you having a negative outlook on your job. Use friends and family as a healthy sounding board, but then move forward. Focusing on the negative can easily become a living feedback loop of self-pity.

7. Be Students’ Mentor, Not Their Friend

Students need a mentor much more than another friend. It is difficult to put students’ long-term goals over their immediate need for validation and attention, especially if they are having problems at home or in their personal lives. Focus on helping your students/young adults learn how to be dedicated, have a consistent work ethic and overcome hurdles (emotionally, mentally and physically) so they can become successful, independent adults.

Never give out your personal phone number or email to students and be aware of your school and district’s rules regarding text messaging and social media contact with students. This is important to protect you from any damaging ramifications.

smart phone and laptop8. Share Your Group’s Success

If you do not promote your group, who will? Use all the available types of media (newspapers, local radio/cable stations, blogs) and social media (your band’s or school’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) to get your program noticed in the public’s eyes and ears. Make sure you are an advocate to all shareholders. Reach out to administration, colleagues, parents, and past and future students to share news of the growth, success and accomplishments of your program. Many schools/districts have media outlets that can be harnessed for your program’s benefit as well.

9. Be Kind to Everyone

It is easy to keep in mind the people you are directly involved with – students, parents, colleagues, administrators, etc. However, some of the most important people to your program’s success are the ones who work behind the scenes, sometimes known as “support staff.” Be kind and show respect to the transportation director, custodial staff, maintenance department, IT people, administrative assistants, etc. These people are the backbone of any great organization and can either make your day run smoothly so you can stay focused on music-related aspects of your job, or they can make your day a logistical nightmare. Being kind to everyone is just a good rule of thumb for life, but it can be easy to overlook the support staff who make your day-to-day life easier.

mentorship -- male and female talking over coffee 10. Find a Mentor

Almost every young ensemble director has huge aspirations, and it can be easy to let your personal goals overshadow the actual needs of your program. Find an older, knowledgeable mentor, a seasoned veteran music educator who can advise you and help you avoid obstacles. Not only can you toss ideas around with your mentor, but you can get advice about practical things like how to juggle deadlines for marching competitions, find funding for band trips and schedule marching band rehearsals (that often involve numerous administrators and athletic coaches). Fortunately, most musicians and music educators enjoy helping each other. Your “rival band” might have a director who could be your most helpful mentor because “rival programs” often do similar activities because you are in the same district with the same deadlines and policies.

This article originally appeared in “Bandmasters Review,” The Texas Bandmasters Association, Volume 20, Issue 2, pp. 21-22.

Positive Mental Health Strategies

Written by Dr. Brad Meyer on . Posted in Self-Care.

The beginning of the school year is a good time for music educators to create a better routine for good mental health for themselves and their students.

Below, are several strategies that come from mental health research. While I am not a mental health specialist, many of the suggestions below come from professionals who have significant experience and research in the field of mental health. Much of what is presented below applies to high school and college musicians, but the concepts can be applied to other ages and professions.

Statistics

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI),

  • 75% of lifetime cases of mental conditions begin by age 24.
  • One in four young adults between 18 and 24 have a diagnosable mental illness.
  • Students cited depression and anxiety among the top impediments for academic performance in 2011.

Therapy session Therapy/Counseling

Therapy is a great way to improve numerous aspects of both personal and professional life. Many schools and colleges offer free or significantly reduced rates for therapy/counseling. Historically, there has been a stigma associated with therapy, and it was only sought out by a narrow segment of the population. But now, going to therapy is not only accepted but encouraged.

Seeing a therapist on a regular basis helps people learn how to manage anxiety and set reasonable goals; it also helps them deal with situations when their brain turns small issues into big issues.

To locate the health services department at a school, simply type the name of the school along with “mental health counseling” into a search engine. One of the first results will most likely list where you can find the mental health center, its contact information and much more.

Goal Setting

People are easily overwhelmed when they are given a huge goal to accomplish over a long period of time, such as the typical senior recital in college. With goal setting, this large goal is chopped up into smaller, bite-sized chunks that are more easily attainable. When a person reaches a goal, even a tiny goal, he or she is more likely to continue onto the next goal with more energy and excitement. Here is an example of how to break down a large goal (40-minute senior recital) into smaller tasks:

  • End Goal:40 minutes of music consisting of five pieces with three months (12 weeks) until the recital.
  • Smaller (Biweekly) Goal:Learn one piece every two weeks; reserve the last two weeks for cleaning and “confidence runs.”
  • Smaller (Weekly) Goal:Break each piece down into two one-week goals; first week to learn the solo, and the second week to get the solo worked up to tempo and cleaned.
  • Smaller (Daily) Goal:The first solo is seven pages, so learn one page a day and  review any material already learned.
  • Smallest Goal:On the first day, devote two hours to practice the solo. The first page is divided into four small sections, so set a timer and learn one section every 30 minutes.

This breakdown of a recital into biweekly, weekly, daily and a two-hour practice session will focus your efforts to meet the larger end goal. Every solo takes different amounts of time to learn/perfect, and every individual learns at a different pace. You know yourself better than anyone. So when you are goal setting, consider as many factors as possible that pertain to you and your work habits to create a realistic timeline that will lead to a great, confident recital.

The same process can be applied to any task that involves deadlines. When people break down the tasks to meet a big deadline, they feel like they are getting things done and moving toward their goal by completing small tasks on a daily or weekly basis. This idea is similar to how marathon runners think of running one mile 26 times, rather than thinking about running all 26 miles once.

jogging maleEat, Sleep and Exercise

Also known as the “Big Three,” eating healthy, getting enough sleep and exercising regularly have all been linked to improving people’s mental health.

I recommend meal prepping at night to create nutritious meals that are easily accessible, so that things like fast food can be avoided.

Consider using an alarm to tell you when to go to bed so you get a good night’s sleep. For example, iPhones have a “Bedtime Alarm,” which can be helpful if you lose track of time at night watching Netflix, playing on the computer or scrolling through social media.

Lastly, schedule exercise into your weekly calendar so that it is not overlooked as something to “fit in when possible.” Everyone is different — some people work out better at night, some prefer the mornings and others mid-day. Try different workout times until you find the one that works best for you.

Reduce/Eliminate Electronics Time

There are numerous articles and studies that say reducing or eliminating social media and other electronics (gaming, video apps/services, etc.) can improve your mental health. It’s difficult to do this because social media and other electronics are specifically designed to be addictive. Netflix’s chief executive, Reed Hastings, said, “… You know, think about it, when you watch a show from Netflix, and you get addicted to it, you stay up late at night. We’re competing with sleep, on the margin. And so, it’s a very large pool of time.”

Quitting or reducing time with electronics can help you get into a regular sleep routine. But it can also boost self-esteem. People use social media as a way to show off the highlights of their day, but they generally do not include the regular, boring and sometimes negative things in their lives. By looking as their social media accounts, you may have negative feelings of self-worth because your life does not seem as amazing as theirs with their new relationship, fancy car, professional achievements, new clothes, etc.

Reducing or eliminating the constant barrage of thousands of people’s singular highlights will help you keep a level head and improve your ability to know what is truly important instead of simply superficial.

Build Your Financial Health

Another major cause of mental anguish is money. With the rise of student debt, it is common for many young adults to feel overwhelmed by financial insecurity.

The best thing to do is to get started with a singular task. Just like preparing for your senior recital outlined above, you can easily get overwhelmed when you just focus on your debt. A common way to get a handle over your finances is to create a budget (income vs. expenses). After that, make smaller, manageable financial goals, such as building an emergency fund by saving $50 a month or eliminate debts one at a time. Then make longer-term financial plans like starting a retirement savings, buying a house or car, starting a family, etc.

There are many great resources about building your financial knowledge. You can start by reading my article “Financial Advice for Young Percussionists,” which was published in the May 2018 issue of Percussive Notes. You can also check out Dave Ramsey’s “Seven Baby Steps” or his “Financial Peace University” (a fee is required).

planner next to laptopTime Management

One of the best ways to feel in control of your mental health is to be in control of your schedule. Use calendars (iCal, Google Calendars, paper calendars, etc.) to map out days, months, weeks and even years. Musicians are known to have complex schedules that can vary drastically from week to week, so having a schedule that is constantly updated will give you a sense of healthy control for your mental health.

A detailed calendar allows for planning of academic, professional and personal events. Scheduling times to eat, sleep, relax, hang with friends/family and other personal things will allow you to plan each day to be maximally productive without being overwhelming. Calendars are a great place to put practice times (with practice goals), study times (with study goals) and other things that are not fixed like classes, rehearsals, concerts and lessons.

Do not feel as if you are a slave to your calendar; instead, treat your calendar as a tool that helps you build a great day, every day. Try mixing up your practice and study times to find out what works best. Some people find they practice better at night, but as they grow older, they may prefer the morning. Remember, your calendar/schedule does not have to be the same from day to day.

Lastly, don’t forget to add mental health activities into your calendar, such as therapy, mindfulness practice, meditation, yoga, body scans, etc.

One Thing at a Time

The hardest thing about starting down the road of self-improvement is taking that first step. A lot of change in a short period of time can cause you to abandon the idea of change at all, even though you know it is for the best.

Try taking one thing — therapy, goal setting, time management, “the big three” or reducing/eliminating electronics — and start working on it one day at a time.

Creating a positive environment to improve mental health is a life-long process. There are always setbacks, so expect them, deal with them and learn from them because you will become stronger from these setbacks.

If things get too hard, schedule an appointment with a therapist, talk with a close friend or family member, or if it is a life-threatening emergency, contact the appropriate authority like 911, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255) or Crisis Text Line (text “CONNECT to 741741).

Everyone needs help from time to time, so make sure to watch out for fellow musicians, music educators and your students by being observant and available to help, even if it is just to listen.

This article originally appeared in Percussive Notes, Percussive Arts Society, Volume 58, Issue 1, pp. 47-49.

9 Strategies to Combat Burnout

Written by Dr. Brad Meyer on . Posted in Self-Care.

When it comes to teaching and/or performing in the field of music, almost everyone has or will have to deal with “burnout,” which is a mental collapse due to stress.

Oftentimes, people are afraid to discuss mental issues like burnout because many infer that if someone is burned out, then he has lost his love of music. However, that is not the case at all. Burnout is a natural experience in the extreme ebb and flow of being in a creative, passionate and demanding field.

Here are nine ways of reducing burnout utilizing both academic research and from my personal experience.

1. Have a Routine that Includes Quality Rest and Breaks

Musicians often forget to take real breaks because of the relentless nature of their field. Music is inherently something that you can never perfect; it can always be better with more practice. Nonstop practice without breaks and/or rest can result in the law of diminishing returns where the time being spent on a project is more than the benefits gained. One way to make sure you get good rest is to schedule breaks so that they are a mandatory part of your day.

  • Sleeping maleGet consistent sleep. Sleep is one of those things that everyone knows is important, but it is one of the first things that people do less of during stressful times. There have been numerous studies on the detriment of reducing one’s sleep schedule, especially in regard to mental efficiency. (One study is “Patterns of Performance Degradation and Restoration During Sleep Restriction and Subsequent Recovery: A Sleep Dose-Response Study” from the Journal of Sleep Research.) Not getting enough sleep can make the time you are awake less productive. To fix this, go to bed at a consistent time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. When you go to bed, turn off all distractions – do not get on your smartphone/tablet or watch TV.  Dedicate that time to trying to relax and falling asleep. In the beginning, you may find yourself lying awake in bed, but if you stay consistent with your schedule, your body will learn that it can shut down and sleep at a consistent hour. Apply these same “rules” to when you wake up. Trying to “catch up” on sleep by sleeping in on the weekends can ruin your sleep cycle by pushing back the time your body is used to being awake, which then pushes back the time your body will want to go to sleep.
  • Take real breaks. Sometimes when we do get a break, we continue to ruminate on what we should be doing instead of enjoying the break. A good way to take a real break is to remove yourself from the work situation. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has a resource titled “Tooling and Studying: Effective Breaks,” which offers several methods for making breaks effective, including studying in blocks of time (50 minutes of study/10 minutes for a break), getting up and moving around, scheduling meal breaks, turning off your phone during study (turn it on only during breaks). I recommend that if you are practicing in an office, practice room or rehearsal space, go outside and either walk around or sit on a bench. Be present in your moment outside by experiencing the break. Listen to the sounds of nature (or traffic) or look up and notice the trees, clouds, birds or the people around you. Finding ways to get your mind mentally focused away from the task/job that is making you feel burned out will help you return to the task at hand with more mental energy and concentration.

2. Exercise

It is universally agreed that exercise is good for the body and mind. Developing an exercise routine can help balance hormones in your body and help increase energy throughout the day. Many people have the misconception that working out will rob them of energy that they could have used later, when in fact working out has the opposite effect. Exercise will increase your mental awareness while boosting your level of physical energy for the day, which is why many people recommend working out in the morning.

Researchers have found that “individuals who exercised at least two to three time a week experienced significantly less depression, anger, cynical distrust and stress … and higher levels of coherence and a stronger feeling of social integration …” (from “Physical Exercises and Psychological Well-Being: A Population Study in Finland” by Peter Hassmén, Nathalie Koivula and Antti Uutela). You do not need to become a body builder or an endurance athlete, just enjoy the exertion that will improve your physical and mental health.

3. Rely on Friends

Friends are an invaluable resource when you experience burnout. You can vent to them, cry on their shoulder and use them as a healthy distraction from your current dilemmas. Do not be afraid to share issues with your friends. One of the best ways to deal with difficult issues is to talk through them out loud. When you think through problems in your mind, you tend to focus on issues that would sound preposterous when said out loud.

Talking to someone gives you the opportunity to explain your situation and to get a response you might not have considered. Friends also provide sympathy and laughter. Both of these can make us feel less overwhelmed by the difficulties and stress of being a music educator or performer.

The Mental Health Foundation has a great article titled “Friendship and Mental Health” about how people can utilize their friends to strengthen their mental health and how to be a good friend by listening to others who are having problems/mental health issues.

female gardening 4. Do Something Completely Different

Some people make music their one and only focus in life, which is easy to do because there are so many ways to become more and more involved in music. However, having a nonmusical activity in your life can give you the mental release you need so that when you return to your musical activities, you will be refreshed and energized.

Consider joining an athletic team, finding a hobby (gardening, painting, wood working, model building, etc.), start exploring new places where you live (hiking, camping, biking, etc.) or something else that is not related to music. The point is to get away from music to stave off burnout so when you return to it, you will have a fresh and open mind.

5. Mental Health Strategies (Mindfulness and Meditation)

Burnout is often fed by negative mental actions like rumination and repetitive “what if-ing,” which can exacerbate problems. The best thing you can do is to learn how the brain works so that you can calm down negative mental responses to stress. Things like mindfulness and meditation are great tools to help you deal with stress at all levels. There are numerous podcasts and books on both of these topics, but one podcast on mindfulness I recommend is UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center’s “Weekly Podcast at the Hammer.”

An additional step in helping create strong mental health strategies is to see a licensed therapist regularly. Charles (Chuck) Bryant from the podcast and video series, “Stuff You Should Know,” is paraphrased as saying, “I’m not concerned for people in therapy, I’m concerned for those who aren’t in therapy.” This is a great slogan for mental health services because it conveys that people who are in therapy are actively trying to get better, while people who are not don’t have the guidance or instruction to know where to start to get better.

Everyone could use a little help from time to time, so do not be afraid to see a therapist/counselor. Even if you feel that you are mentally healthy, it would not hurt to develop new strategies to deal with life’s problems and stresses while they are manageable and before they become overwhelming.

6. Reshape Your Mental Perspective

Sometimes your mental attitude about a task or assignment is the reason for burnout. This tends to be the case with students. Many people view their jobs/work/practicing/assignments as something that must be done so they can move on to the next item at hand. However, this often creates a sense of moving forward for the sake of moving forward.

Instead, focus on the exercise/etude/piece as an opportunity to become better in that moment. It is great to be motivated to progress in your studies/education, but progressing should be a natural part of the learning curve. Viewing tasks as opportunities to get better at certain skills or concepts will be much more fulfilling in the long term, rather than moving through material just to say that you have done it. You often see this with students who run through exercises just to say that they have completed their work instead of doing exercises with a mental focus to become better at a skill or group of skills that is being isolated. A good motto I use is: “Work on the quality, and the quantity will come.”

7. Do Something New and Invigorating Within Music

Many times, we get stuck doing the same types of things over and over in music. If you are known for playing timpani, you might play in orchestras all the time. If you are known as being a good drum set player, you may play in jazz combos all the time. But doing the same thing can lead to burnout.

What might get your “creative juices flowing” is to try something new musically. For example, try playing a different style of music, start a chamber group, research new ways to perform/teach, organize a performance in a place you have never played before or learn a new instrument. As the saying goes, “variety is the spice of life.” Varying your musical activities can help create a renewed sense of meaning and purpose.

Male playing the drums 8. Play Something Challenging or Easy

If all you do is perform difficult music, the challenge can become the reason why you are experiencing burnout. Just because a composition is touted as being difficult, does not necessarily mean it will be personally fulfilling. Constantly performing pieces like this can make you feel like a modern-day Sisyphus — continually struggling to roll that boulder uphill, just to get there and realize that you have to do it again.

The same is true on the other end of the musical spectrum. If you play easy music all the time, you can feel unfulfilled. This is especially common with percussionists who play regular gigs where the music does not seem particularly varied.

In either case, try pursuing something significantly more musically and/or technically demanding or easy outside of your regular gigs. This new challenge may lead to a sense of renewed musical growth and self-expression.

9. Push Through

Sometimes burnout happens at a time where you cannot stop and take a break to recharge your mental batteries the way that you would like. This can be one of the hardest situations when dealing with burnout. But sometimes you must push through or persist in order to keep your job to pay bills or fulfill a musical obligation where quitting is not an option.

It will be difficult, but you need to stick to a routine that you have developed in the past that you know works for you. Sometimes you will have to plan your day down to the minute and then force yourself to stick to that schedule. Even though it can feel like you are “going through the motions,” utilizing your time toward a goal can eventually give you some sense of direction.

The worst thing you can do in a situation like this is to constantly think about what you have to do. Instead, like Nike’s motto exclaims, “Just Do It!” I have met many people who, when they get overloaded or feel burnt out, spend more time talking about what they need to do rather than just doing those things. Pushing through burnout with a sense of brute force can sometimes help overcome burnout.

On the other hand, pushing through immediate burnout can also lead to long-term burnout. Pushing through can be beneficial when you are in a tough situation, such as meeting a tight deadline. When you complete the task at hand, it can give you a sense of accomplishment or fulfillment that leads to breaking away from feelings of burnout. However, pushing through can also increase feelings of burnout once the task has been completed. Pushing through can be a temporary fix, but it is most likely not a permanent solution.

These nine strategies are not the only ways to deal with burnout, but they are a good place to start. One of these strategies may work for you the next time you have feelings of burnout, but the same strategy may not work the next time. It is important to find different ways of dealing with mental stress because you change throughout your life and how you deal with stress. Just know that you are not alone. Everyone deals with stress and burnout throughout life. Without the difficult times, the great times would not be as great!

This article was originally published in Percussive Notes, Percussive Arts Society, Volume 54, Issue 1, pp. 16-17.

Does Your AV Receiver Need an Upgrade?

Written by Joy Frye on . Posted in TV & Movies.

Your AV receiver is the heart of your home entertainment system. That means it’s also the gatekeeper. If it’s not up-to-date with the latest technology, you could be missing out on important audio and video advancements and not getting the best experience possible.

Most of us can’t afford to get a new receiver every year. As with cars, it’s important to consider what new features are available, or will be available soon, then decide when it’s worthwhile to buy the latest model. For example, a tailgate that you can open with your foot may not be a priority, but an onboard blind spot warning system might be something you really would like to have.

Let’s take a look at some key features you’ll find in current Yamaha AV receivers so you can decide which might be must-haves for you.

4K, 8K and Ultra HD

Most Yamaha receivers released from 2015 to 2019 support the latest HDMI® standards for 4K Ultra HD, which is defined as 3840 x 2160 pixels. The latest standard, HDMI 2.1, supports 8K, which has an aspect ratio of 7680 x 4320 pixels.

For comparison, high definition (which was previously the highest standard) is 1080 or 1920 x 1080 pixels. More pixels means greater resolution of fine details with greater contrast, which enables you to sit closer to the screen while still enjoying a clear image. Video that originates in 4K can be downscaled by some AV receivers (including many Yamaha models) and still retain high-definition resolution. Blu-ray Discs™ used to be the only place to find 4K movies, but now it’s much more commonly available, with streaming services like Netflix® offering movies and programs in 4K. Most TVs are now also 4K.

HDR (High Dynamic Range)

HDR TVs have much more contrast and many more colors than non-HDR TVs, which gives them more vivid, realistic images. AV receivers that support HDR video formats (such as Dolby® Vision® and Hybrid Log-Gamma [HLG]) give you a full, high-definition experience with exceptionally realistic and natural picture quality. But don’t forget that, in addition to an HDR-capable TV and AV receiver, you need HDR content to enjoy the amazing contrast and lifelike colors. Luckily, like 4K, many streaming services are now offering HDR content.

eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel)

A feature called ARC (Audio Return Channel) allows audio to be sent from your TV to your AV receiver through the same HDMI cable that carries the video signal from your AV receiver to the TV. Enhanced ARC (eARC) increases bandwidth, which enables signals from high-res audio (like Dolby TrueHD® and DTS-HD Master Audio™) as well as 3D surround sound formats (such as Dolby Atmos® and DTS:X™) to be sent uncompressed, so you can enjoy movie theater-quality experience at home.

Artificial Intelligence

Yamaha receivers were the first to incorporate artificial intelligence with Surround:AI™, a technology that analyzes the DSP parameters for each scene of a movie five times per second — essentially, in real time. By focusing on distinct sound elements (such as dialogue, background music, ambient sounds and sound effects), Surround:AI automatically optimizes the overall surround effect for your home theater, making intimate dialogue-heavy scenes just as engrossing as raging battle scenes.

Whole-Home Audio

No receiver should be an island. If your AV receiver is part of a larger family of devices designed to work together, like Yamaha MusicCast-enabled products, then you’re able to enjoy whole-home audio. Being able to wirelessly share music from a variety of sources to sound bars and speakers in other rooms — even in your backyard — is a music lover’s dream come true.

Voice Control

Chances are you already have a voice assistant in your home, whether it be Alexa, Google Assistant™ or Siri®. But if you want to ask for music, you’re not limited to talking to your smart speaker. Many modern AV receivers can be controlled by voice too — just ask for your favorite music (or turn the power on and off) without having to hunt for the remote control!

 

So should you replace your old faithful AV receiver that still sounds great, but can’t take advantage of the latest audio, video and smart home technologies? The choice is yours, but if you already have an AV receiver, chances are you value high-quality sound and immersive entertainment … and there’s no question that the latest features can be very tempting!

 

Check out these related blog articles:

What’s a Receiver? Part 2: AV

Top Five AV Receiver Features

HDMI® 2.1: What It Means for Gear and Gamers

The Perfect Pairing: Yamaha MusicCast and Home Automation

Smart Home Integration — From DIY to CI Guy

Enjoy Music Outdoors with Zone 2

How to Use Alexa with MusicCast

How to Use Actions on Google with Yamaha MusicCast

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha AV receivers.

Mastering engineer in studio sitting in front of mixing console.

The Loudness Wars

Written by Pete Lyman on . Posted in Recording.

I’m often asked my opinion about the so-called “loudness wars.” To me, it’s not a “war” and I don’t have a stance either way. I prefer to make the best-sounding record I can, without sacrificing any quality for the sake of loudness.

Sure, there have been times that I’ve felt pressured to make records louder than I normally would … some of which have gone on to win multiple Grammys®. I’ve also worked on plenty of records that weren’t mastered super-loud yet were really well-received. But it’s hard to say whether or not some of the projects I’ve worked on would have been as successful without having that loudness push. In the end, it really just depends on the project and what the artist is going for.

Keep It Clean

If the artist’s goal is to make a loud record, it’s important to try to figure out a way to get that loudness as clean as possible. This all starts in the mix phase and can either make or break your ability to push a track to its limits in the mastering stage. For example, most mixing engineers that understand that a track needs to be “competitive” will compress the individual elements in the song so that, by the time it comes to be mastered, that sound is already baked in. On the other side of the coin, if I have a mix come in that I’m trying to push to -6 or -7 LUFS (Loudness Units Full Scale) with transients spiking, I would have to compress the entire mix, which would change the balance of the entire track. There is always a compromise.

To Remix or Not to Remix

I rarely ask for remixes. I’m always happy to give clients feedback on their mixes if they ask for it, but otherwise I usually assume the mix has been approved by the team and is ready to be mastered.

In fact, one of my biggest pet peeves is mastering engineers sending back mixes and asking for new ones without bus processing or limiting. If a mixing engineer uses either of those tools as part of their process, then the mastering engineer needs to deal with that. However, it’s important to be aware of the fact that if a track comes in too hot, it limits (pardon the pun) the amount of processing a mastering engineer is able to apply to the track (which isn’t always a bad thing). I think there’s a common misconception that mastering engineers are supposed to put their fingerprint on every mix and do a ton of manipulation and bus processing, when in fact sometimes our job is to do very little. In fact, one of the biggest parts of our job is to know what a track does or doesn’t need. If I receive a mix that is virtually perfect, then I need to send it back as is. Like doctors, the first credo of mastering engineers should be: “First, do no harm.”

Less Is Always More

My philosophy on making tracks louder can be summed up in four words: “Less is always more.” Use the least amount of tools possible to get the job done. You’ll start getting into trouble when you start stacking twenty different plug-ins on a track. If it already sounds good, all you should need, ideally, is an equalizer and a limiter.

For instance, if you’re using the Steinberg WaveLab MasterRig to master a well-balanced mix, you should be starting with the EQ and limiter modules. Ninety percent of the time that’s going to get the track exactly where it needs to go.

If you get a mix that isn’t quite working dynamically, you can start adding a little compression to get some movement in the song. I think the idea of using compression in the mastering stage is oftentimes approached incorrectly. You should be using it to add life and vibe, not to compress the life out of the mix.

In general, loudness can be achieved using many different tools, including saturation and even sometimes clipping, but the most important one is equalization — something people often forget! You can use EQ to emphasize the areas of a track that your ears will hear first. For example, I might go in and sweeten up the mid-range, or tighten up the low end. EQ can also be a major problem solver if, say, you have a track that has an excessive amount of low or even sub-audible frequencies that need to be rolled off because they are eating up all the headroom.

Be Flexible When It Comes to the Order of Operations

The order of operations is completely dependent on the project. Let’s say you’re using EQ, compressor and limiter plug-ins on a mix. I would typically start with the EQ, then compression, and finally limiting. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes if I really need to compress a track, but want to add some life into it, I might use an EQ to add a high “air” band after compression. This adds back some of the highs that might have gotten sucked out during the compression stage. It’s important to experiment with equalizers both before and after the compression stage, instead of assuming it should always happen in the same flow.

Trust Your Monitors

In general, mastering engineers don’t have multiple versions of speakers, because we’ve spent a ton of resources tuning our rooms so mixes translate as flat as possible. (I also have a small speaker that I occasionally listen back on when I’m printing a “real-world” listening experience, but never for the actual mastering process.) It’s so important to learn your monitors. You should spend hours and hours listening to music you love, as well as music you’ve worked on. That’s the only way you’ll be able to trust them.

Whether you’re controlling your volume from a DAW, or from a monitoring system, having a calibrated level is just as important. You need to understand where your speakers are the flattest and how they are loading your room. The sound pressure level (SPL) at my listening position is usually between 83 and 86dB, C-weighted, but sometimes I’ll crank things up to 90dB to feel the energy and get the room moving. This also helps you understand what’s going on with the low end. However, when I print a final pass, I always listen really low in volume.

Make Sure Your Metering Is Accurate

One of the best things about WaveLab is the metering. The level meter is particularly versatile, because it can be modified to your liking and your scale. And since I’m a vinyl guy, I use the phase scope all the time too. Phase coherence is incredibly important, especially when it comes to low frequency content.

I also really like using the WaveLab loudness and spectrum meters. The latter (both the spectroscope and spectrometer, shown below) can be especially helpful if you don’t have a full-range monitoring system. They provide a perfect way to see what’s going on in the sub frequencies even if you can’t necessarily hear them in your environment.

WaveLab spectroscope.
WaveLab spectroscope.
WaveLab spectrometer.
WaveLab spectrometer.

The key thing to understand is that the loudness potential of a track is largely built in at the mix stage. Once you listen to the mix, you pretty much know how far you can push the track without destroying it — something to be avoided at all costs!

Photograph courtesy of the author.

 

Check out Pete’s other blogs.

Click here for more information about Steinberg WaveLab.

Silhouette of a man playing piano with the moon behind him.

The Saddest of All Keys

Written by Shelly Peiken on . Posted in Creativity.

“D minor … is the saddest of all keys, I find.”— Nigel Tufnel
Spinal Tap guitarist Nigel Tufnel grinning innocuously.
Nigel Tufnel in a pensive moment.

In This is Spinal Tap, the 1984 mockumentary about a fictional heavy metal band, fictional guitarist Nigel Tufnel proclaims that Dm is not only the saddest of all keys, but that “it makes people weep instantly.” I don’t know about the “saddest” or “weep instantly” parts, but Dm is indeed a sad key.

The idea that key signatures evoke certain emotional responses has been widely accepted by musicologists (and many musicians, too) for literally centuries. Jared H., founder of LedgerNote, posits that all 24 commonly used musical key signatures have a distinct personality. For example, A major is “youthful cheerful,” Bm is “patient and calm,” D major “triumphant,” etc. (Check out music theorist John Mattheson’s full list of keys and their corresponding characteristics here, and Howard Massey’s blog on the subject here.)

It certainly is a fascinating thing to consider. And to my ears (and I think the ears of most people), if you play pretty much any song in two or three different keys, you can hear a subtle shift in nuance. So shouldn’t we keep that in mind when sitting down to write a song?

Well, I have to be honest: I’m just not the kind of writer who asks herself how I’m feeling in order to determine the key in which I’ll write about those feelings. My hands have an inner accord with my emotions and they fall where they may on the ivories. I trust them. If I’m feeling melancholy, they know better than to aim for G major. Maybe this is due to the fact that they’ve been doing this for so long, they know the drill. That said, when I’m writing on guitar, there are certain keys I default to simply because the fingerings are so easy to play — E or Em, for example. I can just throw a capo on if I need to go higher — one of the things I love about guitar. (Try doing that with any other musical instrument!)

Perhaps adhering to a key’s corresponding characteristics is a more useful tool when composing instrumental music only — that is, when one isn’t also using their voice as part of the writing process. For me — someone who invariably sings while they write — it helps if a key and its tonal center are compatible with my vocal range. Where does my voice sound most expressive? Where are my sweet spots? Of course, singing/writing/demoing in my optimum key isn’t necessarily the best solution if my goal is to get that song covered by a particular artist. If that’s the case, it behooves me to do some research to determine where that artist’s voice shines, then record the demo accordingly.

Which is not to say that an artist only listens for songs they can sink their lungs into; many will connect, even if the recording is in a less than optimum key for them, and then transpose it to suit either their vocal range or the emotions they felt. Take Adele choosing to cover Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love,” which he recorded in D♭ major — “grief, depressive.” I can only assume that the song itself obviously and understandably pulled hard at Adele’s heartstrings. When she recorded her own version in the key of B♭ major (“hope, optimistic”), it made me cry even more.

Speaking of covers, there are many people who believe that cover songs should always be performed in the key in which they were written — the familiar, accepted and wholly embraced key. I disagree. Isn’t a cover supposed to be a different take on the same song? In fact, I think the ear perks up when it hears a song in a different key with a fresh tonal center.

I don’t doubt that there is some credence to the idea that key signatures evoke certain emotional responses. But must that absolutely dictate how we write? I don’t think so. It’s just not as simple as pairing a wine with an entrée. (Of course, that’s a matter of taste too … ☺)

Like beauty is to the eyes of the beholder, music is — to the ears of the beholder — subjective. And as with most things music, there are no rules, just different considerations to ponder.

(On a personal note, if you haven’t seen “This Is Spinal Tap,” what are you waiting for? It’s required viewing for anyone in the music business. I’ve seen it at least a dozen times and I think I may watch it again tonight.)

Photo by Robert Knight Archive/Redferns.

 

Check out Shelly’s other postings.

Seven Things About Chimes You May Not Know

Written by Troy C. Wollwage on . Posted in Percussion. 1 Comment on Seven Things About Chimes You May Not Know

Orchestral chimes, also called orchestral bells or tubular bells, are a series of tuned brass tubes of different lengths, suspended within a frame by thin wire or cord. These tubes are struck with mallets to produce a sound.

But there’s a lot more to this unique instrument! Here are seven facts about chimes that you may not know.

1. They’ve Been Around a Long Time

Ancient Chinese bronze bell.
Ancient Chinese bell.

In early civilizations, the sound of bells was thought to avert danger and other trouble. The Chinese culture used bells of various sizes over 4,000 years ago. In 1978, archaeologists discovered a cache of 65 bronze bells of various sizes in a 1,400-year-old tomb in China, although these bells did not have the rounded form of today’s chimes.

The first bronze bells of a large size were cast in Mesopotamia and Egypt in the 9th century BC. In 1884, John Harrington, of Coventry, England, patented the first clock-chime of tubular bells. It won gold medals at Invention Expeditions held in 1885 and 1886.

Tubular bells as a substitute for church bells were first used by Giuseppe Verdi in his operas Il trovatore (1853) and Un ballo in maschera (1859). Arthur Sullivan is believed to have been the first composer to score for tubular bells, for an 1886 orchestral performance of the cantata Golden Legend. The composer Giacomo Puccini also used them in his 1900 opera Tosca.

2. They’re Used in Popular Music Too

Over the past fifty years, chimes have become increasingly used in pop music. The most famous example is multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield’s use of the instrument on the 1973 mega-hit album Tubular Bells (followed in later years by other “Tubular Bells” releases, including Tubular Bells II, Tubular Bells III, The Orchestral Tubular Bells and Tubular Bells 2003).

Tubular bells also appear on Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon (on the song “Brain Damage”) and as part of a rally scene in the movie adaptation of the group’s The Wall. In addition, Rush drummer Neil Peart used tubular bells on the songs “Xanadu” and “Closer to the Heart.”

3. Chimes Were Part of the First Sonic Patent

In 1950, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) filed with the U.S. Patent Office to make their three-note chime a registered audible service mark. It was the first time a “tune” was filed with that office.

Here’s what it sounded like:

4. The Hardness of the Mallet Influences the Sound

A chime is struck with a mallet hammer made of rawhide or a hard plastic. A softer mallet brings out the fundamentals (the lower tones) and higher partials are not so noticeable, making for a darker tonality. When chimes are struck with a harder mallet, the higher overtones predominate, making the sound brighter and more incisive.

A chime mallet.
A chime mallet.

5. It’s a What?

Chimes are considered an idiophone type of musical instrument. An idiophone is one that creates sound primarily by the vibration of the instrument itself, without the use of air (as is the case with wind instruments, which are known as aerophones), strings (chordophones) or membranes such as drum skins (membranophones).

An idiophone is designed to vibrate by being struck either directly with a stick or hand (like the wood block, singing bowl, steel tongue drum, triangle or marimba) or indirectly, by way of a scraping or shaking motion (like maracas or flexatone).

6. They Have a Unique Dampening System

A set of chimes is tuned chromatically and arranged in two rows in keyboard fashion, with the back row containing pitches that correspond to the black keys of the piano. The back row of tubes is set higher than the front row to allow the player to play each note with ease.

A set of chimes.

In the middle of the chime stand is a damper, shown here:

Chimes damper box

This is connected to a foot pedal by a rod, as shown below.

Damper rod attachment system.

This pedal affects all the chimes at the same time and works the same way as on a piano. If the pedal is depressed, the damping system does not touch any of the tubes, allowing each to vibrate freely. If the pedal is not depressed, the damper is closed, and none of the tubes can freely vibrate.

7. Chimes Have a Totally Unique Sound

Unlike any other musical instrument, the human ear perceives the sound of a chime as a pitch that is actually one octave below the fundamental. (The pitches written in any given score refer to the strike note, not the note we hear.) Its overtones also depart from the more usual linear set of harmonics, where each is a multiple of the fundamental pitch. Together, this serves to give chimes a unique timbre.

Even within the dense sound of an orchestra, concert band or percussion ensemble, chimes are clearly audible because their timbre is so different from that of other instruments. The initial attack is a short, forceful, metallic sound followed (if undamped) by a long, resounding note in which the pitch of the chime is more prominent. Like all metal idiophones, the notes of a chime decay slowly — that is, they resonate for a relatively long time unless they are dampened.

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha chimes.

Blonde boy playing the violin.

How to Prepare Your Child for School Orchestra

Written by Dale Ramirez on . Posted in Strings How-to.

For many children, the music classroom serves as their first introduction to playing an instrument. It is an exciting, challenging and beneficial endeavor, and being part of a school orchestra has been shown to increase confidence, decrease stress and improve cognitive function.

But for many parents who are new to the world of music, when your child says, “I want to play violin,” the next steps may not be clear. Let’s take a look at how you can best prepare your child for their first orchestral experience.

Adopt the Right Mindset

Blonde boy playing the violin.

The first thing is to make sure you (and your child) know that joining an orchestra is not an easy endeavor — it takes time, patience and dedication to get to a place where you hear improvements in your child’s sound. Frustration is guaranteed, but that’s okay. Everyone goes through the same process when trying to master something new, and learning how to play a violin or a cello is much more than the actual notes. Endless encouragement is needed from you. Walk with your child through this journey by celebrating every step of their success. Did they just learn how to hold their bow correctly? Great! Did they just learn how to play on an open string? Celebrate that. Applaud your child for every little bit of learning.

The important thing to keep in mind is that your child’s first days on an instrument are priming them for a lifetime of music-making. Whether those days are filled with hope and excitement is largely determined by the support they receive. So bolster their inherent musicality by making sure they have fun. Encourage them to play the music they like — even if it doesn’t sound all that great at first — because it will improve the odds that they are enjoying themselves.

Arrange for Private Lessons If Possible

Young boy studying violin with virtual lesson.

One of the big questions that will likely emerge at some point in the course of starting any new instrument is whether or not to take private lessons. In just about every case, it’s a good idea, since these kinds of lessons are designed to promote musical learning in a one-on-one environment.

Beginning books have their place, but they are not able to teach correct technique. Only a teacher can reinforce safe hand and posture positioning, so if at all possible, make arrangements for private lessons to help your child develop healthy habits sooner rather than later.

Choose the Right Instrument

Display of many violins against the wall.

The last piece of the puzzle is choosing the right instrument for your child. There are many different types of beginner instruments, and they often come in several sizes to suit the growing student.

If you are looking for a violin, Yamaha has created a Student Violin Finder that can help you make the best selection. Yamaha also offers student-level violas and cellos. For the young student interested in viola, the AVA5S is the most economical and sturdy option. If your child is looking to learn cello, the AVC5 is a great place to start because of its warm sound and availability in different sizes.

AVA5S
Yamaha AVA5S.

AVC5-1
Yamaha AVC5.

Your local music dealer will be able to assist in choosing the right instrument and can also help you explore affordable rental options. Renting is a great way to start since it allows your child to easily move on to larger instruments as they grow, and also enables them to switch to a different instrument altogether if they want to make a change at some point down the road.

Yamaha has created useful resources that explain what parents need to know when their child joins orchestra or band. Click here for more information.

 

Click here for the Yamaha Student Violin Finder.

Click here to find an authorized Yamaha music retailer near you.

Click here for more information about Yamaha string instruments.

Piles of CDs in their cases stacked haphazardly on a shelf.

Fall in Love with CDs All Over Again

Written by Mike Levine on . Posted in Music and Streaming.

Do you have a collection of CDs that are gathering dust on a shelf or in a storage box at home? If you’re like most of the music-consuming public, you may have switched over to streaming music services like Spotify® or Apple Music® because of their convenience, low price and breadth of offerings.

But while compact discs might seem to be headed for obsolescence, there are actually plenty of reasons to consider dusting off your collection and bringing them back into your music-listening rotation. Let’s take a look at some of the advantages they offer over other types of media.

CDs vs. Vinyl

For some people who are looking for an alternative or supplement to streaming, CDs might make more sense than vinyl, despite vinyl’s recent resurgence. CDs may lack the “hipness” factor of vinyl, but they offer a noise-free listening experience without the hiss, scratches and crackle that are endemic to records.

CDs are also much less delicate than vinyl. They don’t warp, are harder to damage and rarely ever skip. They offer pristine digital audio reproduction that’s more consistent than what you get with vinyl, whose fidelity is highly dependent on the quality of turntable and cartridge in your sound system.

Plus, as their name implies, CDs are more compact than vinyl, so even an extensive collection will take up less space. And if you’ve already accumulated a lot of CDs over the years, repurchasing everything on vinyl will cost a fortune.

CDs vs. Streaming

CDs also have some pluses when compared to streaming services. They deliver uncompressed audio, whereas most streamed music uses data-compression formats that entail removing some digital information to make song files small enough to stream.

True, you won’t notice much difference if you’re listening on your earbuds while walking down the street, or over small computer speakers while in your home office. But most people would probably choose the sound of a CD over that of compressed streaming audio if listening over a typical home system with good quality speakers.

These days, some services (such as Qobuz) allow you to stream uncompressed high-resolution files, but you’ll need a fast internet connection to do so. And for any kind of streaming, you’re restricted to where you have internet service. With CDs, you can listen anywhere, whether or not there’s Wi-Fi.

In addition, CDs come with printed sleeves that are superior to the images provided by streaming services. These also have musician credits and liner notes, which are very hard to find online. If you’re a music aficionado — particularly if you’re into jazz or classical, you want to know who the musicians are on the recording.

Another plus for CDs is that you may have discs in your collection from obscure musicians or bands that aren’t available on streaming services and probably never will be.

Last but not least, CDs can give you the best of both worlds. Using your computer, you can burn them as MP3s (or even in uncompressed WAV format) and put the resulting files into your smartphone or tablet music library for listening on the go, while still enjoying their sound when playing the original disks through your home audio system.

Expand, Revive and Store Your Collection

You can find plenty of online music stores that still sell new CDs, and, since they rarely degrade or scratch, you can also consider buying used collections at significant discounts. You may also have friends or acquaintances who have boxes full of CDs that they’d love to find a good home for!

If your discs are dirty or dusty, you can find kits that provide a CD-cleaning solution and a specialized cloth. You can also make your own DIY disc-cleaning kit with a 50/50 mix of rubbing alcohol and distilled water, and a microfiber cloth. Simply dampen the cloth with your cleaning solution (don’t put it directly on the disc), then gently wipe from the center of the disc outward.

Microfiber cleaning cloth on cd.
Microfiber is the best type of cloth for CD cleaning.

Even though CD popularity is not what it used to be, the discs themselves are the same size as DVDs and Blu-ray discs™ (12cm in diameter and 1.2mm thick), so storage units made for those formats will work just fine. Search online for “media storage,” and you’ll find a vast assortment of choices available. You can get freestanding shelf units in myriad shapes, sizes and materials. You’ll find wooden units that look like bookshelves, tall tower units that spin, and even portable cases made of plastic, vinyl or metal that cleverly hold large numbers of discs for their size.

Your Sound System

If you have a home stereo that you’ve owned for many years, it may well already include a CD player. But if you don’t, you can still find plenty of players on the market. If you’re looking for the highest quality sound and performance, consider the Yamaha CD-S1000. It’s built with high-grade components, offers both analog and digital outputs, and can play both standard CDs and higher-resolution Super Audio CDs (SACDs).

Yamaha CD-S1000 CD player.
Yamaha CD-S1000 CD player.

If you need an amp too and want to go for premium sound, the Yamaha A-S1200 will complement the CD-S1000 (or any CD player) well. It’s got a cool retro look, but its technology is entirely contemporary. This integrated amplifier produces plenty of power with 90W per side at 8 ohms or 150W per side at 4 ohms, giving you plenty of headroom for loud and clean reproduction of your CDs or other audio sources.

Yamaha A-S1200 integrated amplifier.
Yamaha A-S1200 integrated amplifier.

The final touch would be a pair of high-quality speakers such as the Yamaha NS-777. These 3-way floor-standing tower speakers feature 8″ woofers for superior bass reproduction, along with midrange horns and 1″ aluminum dome tweeters. They’re even internally wired with Monster Cable™ to ensure optimal sound quality.

Yamaha NS-777 floor-standing speaker.
Yamaha NS-777 floor-standing speaker.

Together, these components make for an awesome CD-listening system, and one which is easily expandable for other formats.

Rumors about the death of the CD format have been greatly exaggerated. Your CDs will continue to offer you a high level of audio performance for years to come. So before you throw out or give away your collection, think instead about making CDs part of your music-listening experience. You may be glad that you did!

 

Check out these related blog posts:

How to Develop Critical Listening Skills

What is an Integrated Amplifier?

Are Expensive Speaker Cables Worth It?

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha CD players.

Click here for more information about Yamaha stereo amplifiers.

Click here for more information about Yamaha home speakers.

Small round metal disc held in place against a wooden frame with a metal bracket.

Which TransAcoustic Guitar is Right for Me?

Written by Mac Randall on . Posted in Acoustic Guitars. 2 Comments on Which TransAcoustic Guitar is Right for Me?

The first time you play a Yamaha TransAcoustic guitar can be a surreal experience. It certainly was for me! A couple of years ago, I was visiting the recording studio of a friend who had just come into possession of an FG-TA model (I’ll explain the differences between the various models shortly). I picked the instrument up and inspected it. To my eyes, it simply looked like a really nice acoustic guitar. That’s what it sounded like too, as I began playing. But with one press of a small button on the guitar, everything changed; that very same instrument now sounded like it was being played in a concert hall, with a lush, almost tangible reverb lingering after each note.

I’d read a bit about the company’s TransAcoustic technology, so I wasn’t completely unprepared for this. But even so, I found myself looking around the room for a hidden amplifier or a wireless connection to a remote pedalboard. Of course, there was none to be found: What I was hearing was coming straight from the guitar’s body. Not that TransAcoustic guitars can’t be plugged into an amp (they can, via a handy jack that carries the signal from an onboard piezo pickup). But the only thing a guitarist has to do in order to access that reverb and an equally lovely chorus effect is to simply play the instrument.

Small round metal disc held in place against a wooden frame with a metal bracket.
TransAcoustic guitar actuator.

The secret of the TransAcoustic sound is a device called an “actuator” that’s attached to the inner back of the instrument. When you play the guitar, the actuator picks up the vibrations of the body and adds its own — vibrations that, through a kind of sonic translation process, become effects. Knowing this secret, however, doesn’t do anything to diminish the strange magic being produced.

As surreal as that first experience is, you quickly get used to it. And being able to aurally expand the size of the room you’re playing in, with no cables or plugs involved, is a pretty cool trick. But if you want to have that experience for yourself (and I heartily encourage it), you may be wondering where to begin. That depends on where you’re at as a player and what you prefer in your guitar. Here’s a rundown of the six current TransAcoustic models, so you can make a more informed decision.

LL-TA and FG-TA

Standard-size acoustic guitars (also known as Western-body guitars or dreadnoughts) are bright and loud, with a pronounced bass resonance, perfect for strumming out big chords in rock, folk, and country music. Yamaha offers two standard-size TransAcoustic guitars: the LL-TA and the FG-TA. The differences between them mainly come down to the types of wood used and the way their bodies are braced (the bracing allows the top to vibrate while still keeping it stable).

LL-TA.
LL-TA.

FG-TA
FG-TA.

The LL-TA has a solid Engelmann spruce top that’s been treated with a Yamaha process called A.R.E. (Acoustic Resonance Enhancement). One reason why vintage acoustic guitars can be so highly prized is that the tone produced by many woods tends to get richer over time. A.R.E. aims to replicate that quality in a new instrument. The LL-TA has a rosewood back and sides, and its bracing is non-scalloped, meaning that the pieces of wood used to brace the top are fairly uniform in their dimensions; these features equal a brighter, more direct sound. (Here’s a video of the LL-TA in action.)

The FG-TA has a solid spruce top (with no A.R.E. treatment), a mahogany back and sides, and scalloped bracing. Mahogany tends to impart a dark tone, and scalloped bracing — created by shaving away or even simply removing parts of the wood braces inside the instrument — allows the top to vibrate more, creating a kind of halo around notes and chords. The result is a deeper sound; one might even call it a little mysterious.

LS-TA and FS-TA

Concert-size models are my personal favorite type of acoustic guitar. Their bodies are smaller than standard size, and they’re more suited for music that’s intricate and detailed. Bluegrass, blues and folk players — particularly guitarists who like to fingerpick — often have a special relationship with concert-size acoustics.

Yamaha makes two concert TransAcoustics: the LS-TA and the FS-TA. The differences between them are the same as those between the LL-TA and the FG-TA: Engelmann spruce top with A.R.E. versus standard spruce top, rosewood versus mahogany back and sides, and non-scalloped versus scalloped bracing. The bodies of both instruments are about an inch shorter than their standard-size counterparts.

LS-TA
LS-TA.

FS-TA
FS-TA.

CSF-TA

A parlor guitar is even smaller than a concert-size guitar. Considerably smaller, in fact — the fingerboard of the CSF-TA is 23 5/8″ long, as opposed to just over 25″ on all other TransAcoustic models, and the instrument’s total length is 37″, at least two inches shorter than any other TransAcoustic. As you’d probably expect, the sound produced by a parlor guitar is more intimate than that of its larger brethren. If you’ve got big hands, the CSF-TA may not be for you, but if you prefer your guitars quiet, cute and easily embraceable, there’s no better choice. Like the FS-TA, the CSF-TA has a solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides.

Yamaha CSF-TA TransAcoustic guitar.
CSF-TA

CG-TA

I generally encourage beginning guitarists to start out on a classical instrument, for two reasons: First, the nylon strings of a classical guitar are easier on the fingers than steel strings in the early stages (i.e., before you develop calluses), and second, the wider neck of a classical makes for an easier transition to a narrower neck characteristic of a steel-string guitar if and when you want to move on. Not that there’s any actual need to make the change; some players never want to stop playing classicals once they’ve started. Their deep, dark tone and roomier fingerboard make them ideal for classical repertoire, of course, as well as for Spanish flamenco, Brazilian bossa nova and American folk music. The CG-TA incorporates TA technology into a classical guitar. It has a spruce top, ovangkol back and sides, and a neck that’s only about 3/8″ thicker than steel-string TransAcoustic models.

Yamaha CG-TA TransAcoustic guitar.
CG-TA.

No matter which of these instruments you choose, you’re bound to enjoy the array of tones they place at your disposal — not to mention the surprised reactions those tones may elicit from listeners. If you find that members of your audience start making furtive, puzzled glances around the room as you begin playing, my advice is to just give them a big smile … and keep playing. Chances are you’ll soon find your smile returned many times over!

Check out these related blog articles:

          How Yamaha TransAcoustic Guitar Technology Works

Discover Yamaha TransAcoustic Guitars

MJ Ultra and the FG-TA TransAcoustic Guitar

“Breaking Amish” With My Yamaha FG-TA

Her Name Is Ruby

A Musical Message of Healing

Slide Rules

Nylon TA on TV

How to Record TransAcoustic Guitar Effects

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha TransAcoustic guitars.

Visualization of audio delay.

Delay, Part 2

Written by Mike Levine on . Posted in Recording. 1 Comment on Delay, Part 2

In Part 1 of this two-part series, we covered basic delay parameters and talked about different delay types. Here, we’ll present step-by-step setups for some common delay applications. Each includes a screenshot from Steinberg Cubase and/or various Cubase plug-ins showing a setting that you can use as a starting point. (Similar settings can be applied to delay plug-ins in other DAWs.)

Thickening

If you have a vocal or instrument track that sounds thin, you can use a delay to thicken it.

1. Insert a delay plug-in directly on the track.

2. If the plug-in offers EQ or filter controls, make sure they are turned off. The idea is to make the delayed signal sound as similar to the source as possible.

3. Set the delay time somewhere between 30ms and 50ms.

4. Leave the feedback at its lowest setting.

5. Set the mix control between 20% and 30% wet, and experiment from there. The interplay between the delay time and mix settings is the key to creating this effect.

Panned doubling using Cubase and the monodelay plug-in.
Thickening using the monodelay plug-in.

Panned Doubling

This configuration allows you to create a short delay that’s panned to the opposite side from the original signal. You’ll find this especially useful on backing vocals or rhythm guitar, particularly when you can’t record an actual double-track — something that’s usually preferable due to the slight variations in timing and/or tuning.

1. Create an aux track (an FX Track in Cubase) and insert a mono delay plug-in on it.

2. Pan the plug-in’s output opposite that of the source track. If you’re applying this to a track that’s panned to the center, move it a bit towards one side and pan the delay opposite.

3. Set the delay time somewhere between about 40 and 50ms.

4. Leave the feedback at its lowest setting.

5. If you’re not hearing the double as a distinct sound, try inserting a pitch shift or chorus plug-in after the delay in the aux track to add a subtle change to the delayed track’s pitch. This helps differentiate it from the original and adds to the illusion of it being a separate part. You can also experiment with EQ settings to further change the sound of the double.

Screenshot.
Panned doubling using the monodelay plug-in.

Slapback Delay

As we mentioned in Part 1, slapback (sometimes called “slap”) delays were a big part of the vocals on rockabilly recordings made back in the ’50s. (They were also a big favorite of Beatle John Lennon.) These delays are long enough that you can hear a discrete, albeit very short echo. Depending on where you set the wet/dry control, they can help give body to a sound without being overly noticeable.

1. Insert a delay directly on your track. If it’s a mono track, use a mono delay. If it’s a stereo, use a stereo delay.

2. Set the delay time in the 50ms to 140ms neighborhood.

3. Use little or no feedback.

4. If you’re using a stereo delay, use its filters or EQ controls to differentiate the sonics of the two sides, and set the delay time for the left side slightly different from the right to enhance the stereo effect. Make one side about 4 or 5 milliseconds slower or faster than the other. If you’re using the slap on a lead vocal and the delay has pan controls, try setting the left side to around 3 o’clock and the right side at 9 o’clock to keep the vocal sounding relatively centered.

Screenshot of controls.
Stereo slap delay using the stereodelay plug-in.

Long Delay

Here’s another setup that lets you add space to a vocal or lead instrument. This technique works especially well on songs recorded to a click because you can turn on the sync option for the delay time and set it to a rhythmic value. If you didn’t record to a click, you can still apply this effect, but you’ll have to use your ears when setting the delay time. Google “Delay Time Calculator” to find online calculators that let you figure out approximate delay times for different rhythmic values, based on your starting tempo.

1. Put a delay (either mono or stereo) on an aux track with the wet/dry set at 100%.

2. Set the feedback so you get a few repeats, and experiment with long delay times, such as a quarter-note or even a half-note. If you want to make the effect more syncopated, try using dotted or triplet settings.

3. Use the plug-in’s filters to roll off both high end and low end so that the delay is less “hi-fi” than the original signal.

4. Keep the send reasonably low, so you’re getting subtle repeats that are mostly audible at the ends of vocal or instrumental lines.

Screenshot of controls
Stereo long delay using the pingpongdelay plug-in.

Opposite-Panned “Ghost” Delay

If you have a soloing instrument such as lead guitar that’s panned to one side (either fully or partially), it can be cool to add a “ghost” delay that’s panned opposite and only faintly audible. It gives the track a subtle spaciousness that makes it sound fuller without seeming as if there’s an actual delay.

1. Set up a mono delay on an aux track.

2. Pan the aux track’s output to be opposite that of the source track. For example, if the source is at 3 o’clock, pan the delay to 9 o’clock.

3. Set the delay time relatively short, such as a sixteenth note.

4. Start with the aux channel’s volume off, and slowly bring it up during playback until you hear the delay only slightly.

5. If you want an obvious delay effect, turn the aux channel (or the send from the source channel) up higher.

Screenshot of controls.
Opposite-panned ghost delay using the monodelay plug-in.

 

Check out our other Recording Basics postings.

 

Click here for more information about Steinberg Cubase.

Pop/Rock Chord Voicings, Part 1

Written by Jerry Kovarsky on . Posted in Keyboard How-to. 2 Comments on Pop/Rock Chord Voicings, Part 1

The application of harmonic concepts, as well as your choice of chord voicings (the way you arrange the notes across your two hands), can vary significantly depending upon the genre of music you’re playing. Pop and rock styles are a good place to start, as they tend to use simpler approaches.

The Basics

In this style of music, the root of the chord is generally played by the left hand — either as a single note or as an octave — accompanied by the right hand playing basic triads.

Triad with bass.

Using this approach, we can take a common chord progression and explore how to arrange the notes in the right hand. If we only played the chords in root position (i.e., with the root note always at the bottom), we would get this:

Chord progression.

This works, but it sounds somewhat “disconnected” since the right hand chords are not close to one another. But one of the cool things about harmony is that chords can be rearranged so the order of the notes varies, yet they will still sound much the same. These different arrangements of the notes are called inversions, as shown below:

Example of inversions.

Using inversions, we can find the closest way to move each note of the current chord to get to the second one. This concept is called voice leading. Let’s go back to our chord progression again and see how all these variations can work to make the right hand chord voicings move more smoothly.

Progressions using inversions.

There is no strict rule that says you must only use the closest voicing. When playing a repeating chord progression, I like to add variety by sometimes moving to a different inversion and starting the progression again a bit higher or lower on the keyboard. (A jump is fine, as long as you settle back down into good voice leading for a little while.) Here are a few variations that show how you might make some different choices:

Progressions using inversions.

The second bar has a slight jump up from the F to the E to make for a smooth transition to the first voicing for the A minor chord. The next variation moves downward from the F to the E, which works well to lead into the root position A minor in the third variation (bars 5 – 6). The fourth variation (bars 7 – 8) jumps up to the C root position to help climb back up the keyboard a bit and lead into the fifth variation, which also jumps up to the C (as opposed to the first two examples), leading nicely into the last variation.

Knowing your chords and their inversions gives you lots of freedom in how you voice your right hand parts. You’ll make these decisions largely based on two factors: One, what register of the keyboard you want to play in to support a singer or instrumentalist; and two, what sounds good against the given melody line or solo being played.

Got Rhythm?

The notes are only part of the solution: you’ll also want to play with rhythm and develop a feel that matches the “groove,” or pulse of the song. (This is a deep subject that I’m only going to touch on lightly here.) Simple patterns are always a good way to go, and you can either play with both hands together to set the groove, or create some back-and-forth between the hands. If you’re playing in a band, it’s usually better to play simpler, and you also need to be careful that your left hand doesn’t get in the way of the bass player (maybe play single notes instead of octaves). If you’re accompanying a singer or playing solo, you have much more freedom.

This first pattern keeps the hands mostly together and uses a simple rhythm. The left hand adds a “push” (an upbeat) into the bar that follows. This push is supported by the right hand in bars 3 and 4.

Rhythm example.

This next pattern gets a little busier, and divides up the hands more. Bar 3 especially has some nice syncopation in it: imagine you are hearing the rhythm from a drummer as you practice it.

Busy rhythm example.

Another approach is to play steadily repeated notes. In this example, the right hand holds down the pulse while the left hand adds strong accents.

Rhythm example with steadily repeated notes.

Creating Movement with Passing Chords

A cool way to move between chord voicings is to use a passing chord to go between two inversions of the same chord, or just to add a little more rhythmic action while on a single chord root tone. This concept is different from the one described in our two-part Functional Harmony series; since these chords all come from the scale tone chords, they can be used without affecting the bass player or other harmonic elements that might be going on.

Here are the scale tone triads for the key of C major, including their two inversion positions:

Scale tone chords and inversions.

Drawing from these chords, we can create movement like this:

Scale tone passing chords.

When played against an unchanging bass note, these examples help to move the sound around. As a bonus, they also create some melodic figures without actually reharmonizing the passage. Of course, more interesting rhythms need to be used!

You can also apply this concept when moving between two different chords when you want to stay in the key center — again, without sounding like you’re reharmonizing the song. As before, it’s not necessary to change your bass notes, although that can be done if desired.

Passing chords example.

A Bigger Sound

Rock pianists will often play bigger chord voicings to stand up to the sound of drums, bass and guitars. This is done simply by adding an octave tone either above the lowest note of the voicing, or an octave below the top note of the voicing.

Adding 4th note to triad.

Here are a few of the previous examples revisited, with the added octave to make the right hand chords sound bigger:

Chord progression with 4 note chords.
Rhythm examples with 4 note chords.

Click here for Part 2.

All audio played on a Yamaha P-515.

 

Check out our other Well-Rounded Keyboardist postings.

Click here for more information about Yamaha keyboard instruments.

 

Built-in shelving with vintage audio devices.

The History of Yamaha AV Receivers

Written by Phil Shea on . Posted in History. 2 Comments on The History of Yamaha AV Receivers

The AV (audio visual) receiver is central to any home theater experience. Unlike its cousin, the 2-channel stereo receiver — which has seen steady but mostly incremental upgrades over the years — the AVR has had a number of revolutionary jumps in technology and usability in its relatively short 30-year existence.

Let’s take a look at the evolution of this crucial piece of home theater gear.

Early Days

In the mid-1980s, broadcast television began implementing standards to enhance their programming with stereo sound. If you were an early adopter, you could buy yourself a new CRT (cathode-ray tube) TV with stereo decoding capabilities that was best enjoyed when connected to your home audio system for sound reinforcement. At the time, the opening scenes of Miami Vice were a truly cutting-edge experience. Laser discs and Hi-Fi VCRs were available for the audio-video hobbyist, but stereo TV broadcasts were the catalyst for the growth and adoption of home theater by the general public.

Enter Surround Sound

Because Dolby® Surround was compatible with these stereo TV broadcasts, it didn’t take long for surround sound hardware to begin showing up in Hi-Fi stores (and, eventually, living rooms) around the country. The first surround sound decoders of the late 1980s and 1990 were mostly integrated amplifiers, albeit without the extensive capabilities of today’s AV receivers.

Yamaha RX-V850 rear panel.
Yamaha RX-V850 rear panel.

In 1991 Yamaha began shipping RX-V850 and RX-V1050 receivers. These were built around a digital surround decoder integrated circuit (the YSS203) developed by Yamaha. Other Dolby Pro Logic® decoders of the era were using analog circuitry with mediocre separation and “steering” (real-time signal routing) between the left, center, right and surround channels. The YSS203 provided digitally controlled steering for improved surround sound realism.

Back then, the two rear speakers were mono and there was no subwoofer track, so by today’s nomenclature these systems were 4.0. (Stereo rear channels and the .1, or LFE [low-frequency effects] dedicated track arrived on the scene much later with Dolby Digital®.) In addition, the Dolby Pro Logic bandwidth specification for the rear channel was only 100 Hz to 12 kHz, so receivers of the era typically only needed 20 or 30 watts of power for the rear speakers.

The Dolby Pro Logic Enhanced surround mode (first introduced in the Yamaha RX-V850) provided enveloping DSP processing for directional sound placement, making your living room sound more like a movie theater. This was the early predecessor to today’s CINEMA DSP™ and Surround:AI™ — two groundbreaking Yamaha technologies.

CINEMA DSP

Dolby Cinema DSP logo.

In 1993, the RX-V870 became the first Yamaha receiver to utilize CINEMA DSP, which added a newly refined soundfield process to Dolby Pro Logic Enhanced mode. The RX-V870’s 70-mm Mode produced a much larger surround presentation within the home, aiming to replicate the experience of a premium movie theater.

At the time, typical movie theaters used 35-mm film to project video onto the screen; larger 70-mm film stock and projectors, which provided a better viewing experience, were only used in premium theaters. These premium theaters also tended to have upgraded sound systems, in part because 70-mm film stock used a magnetic track on the side of the film, which produced much better audio than the two optical tracks used by 35-mm film.

Used in conjunction with Dolby Pro Logic, CINEMA DSP 70-mm Mode provided enhanced surround sound envelopment in consumer home theaters. The RX-V870 also included a greatly upgraded video switching system with the addition of five S-Video inputs to complement the five standard composite video inputs, which only supported 480i resolution.

Dolby Digital

Dolby Digital logo

Dolby Digital was a technological breakthrough that gave movie mixing engineers the freedom to send helicopter sounds all around the room instead of just front to back. The RX-V992, introduced in 1997, was the first Yamaha receiver with built-in Dolby Digital decoding. It offered surround sound with 5.1 channels of discrete programming, as well as full-range 20 Hz – 20 kHz frequency response for each main channel and a full 80 watts of power to all five main channels, including the rear speakers.

YPAO™

YPAO logo.

AV receiver calibration used to be a manual process in which you used the receiver’s remote control to cycle pink noise to one channel at a time, adjusting the volume and delay of each speaker accordingly. Essentially, this was simply a wild guess of what sounded best.

By the 1990s, the number of discrete channels offered by AV receivers grew from 4.0 to 7.1, and automated room calibration became critical. The timing, balance and equalization of so many speakers in a small room required some serious signal processing. Enter Yamaha Parametric room Acoustic Optimizer (YPAO for short), first introduced in 2003 and now a staple of all current Yamaha AV receivers. With this technological breakthrough, you can be sure you are getting the maximum performance out of your system. Just plug in the microphone and let YPAO do the rest!

HDMI®

HDMI logo with the view of the front of an AV receiver.

When it was first being developed in the early 2000s, HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) was intended to be the digital replacement for analog video standards, but it soon grew to become much more. For example, digital HD video switching was added with the introduction of HDMI version 1.1. Since most of the video sources at the time were still analog (composite, S-Video and component video), video up-conversion to HDMI was added to the signal flow. The Yamaha RX-V2600 AV receiver (which debuted in 2005) could up-convert analog 480i signals all the way up to 1080i or 720p. Although not up to today’s video standards, it was a good forerunner to the kind of advanced upsampling available in current AV receivers.

The Shift to Separate Components

Yamaha RX-Z11 rear panel.
Yamaha RX-Z11 rear panel.

The RX-Z11, introduced in 2007, was the last of the renowned Z-series Yamaha AV receivers. At over 74 lbs., everything about this receiver said BIG! This was also one of the last Yamaha receivers to be THX®-certified.

The market conditions after 2008 pulled the rug out from under über high-end AV receivers, with a shift to separate components such as the Yamaha CX-5000 preamplifier and MX-5000 amplifier introduced in 2013. AV receivers at that time focused on the everyday performance needs of the home theater enthusiast: more channels, multi-room capability, video switching and processing and, of course, state-of-the-art surround sound capabilities.

AVENTAGE

Aventage logo and front view of receiver and its remote control.

By 2010, the stage was set for a new era of AVRs. Incremental improvements to receivers, while effective up until this point, were beginning to create engineering challenges. After all, you can only add so many room additions to a home before it comes time to buy a new plot of land and start from scratch. Yamaha devoted two years to developing a line of receivers by rethinking, well, everything. From chassis design to circuit layout, grounding techniques and electronic component selection, the entire design and engineering process was reset. Thus was born the AVENTAGE line of receivers, delivered on the promise of a fresh start with unlimited potential.

Dolby Atmos® , DTS:X™ and MusicCast

MusicCast logo and front view of electronic unit.

In 2015 there were even more surround sound breakthroughs. Dolby Atmos 3D surround sound — the same technology used in movie theaters — became available for home use, as did DTS:X. Object-based sound placement technologies like these, in combination with in-ceiling speakers, offered complete directional envelopment in your home theater.

In addition, Yamaha MusicCast multi-room technology brought the world of streaming music and whole-home audio to AV receivers. Selecting music and sharing content with other MusicCast devices in the home, all under the control of a simple free app, was a listening breakthrough; all your audio content could be played in any room of the home … even out on the patio or in your backyard! Later firmware updates gave MusicCast products voice control via Alexa and Google Assistant™ .

Surround: AI logo.

The latest Yamaha AV receivers can not only decode up to 9.1 channels of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X object-based surround sound, they can now enhance the home theater experience with Surround:AI. This proprietary Yamaha technology utilizes onboard artificial intelligence to analyze all the decoded channels five times per second and applies the optimal CINEMA DSP processing to every channel. With Surround:AI, you’re no longer confined to the small listening area of your home theater. It’s as if your speakers and room boundaries disappear, transporting you from a listener to a participant in the surround sound experience.

Things have come a long way since the first AV receivers were introduced 30 years ago. New technologies in surround sound, video formats, room calibration systems, streaming services and multi-room capability have enabled the quantum leap in capability and performance that make today’s audio-video receiver the centerpiece of home entertainment. And as new technologies emerge, rest assured that the AV receiver will continue to provide you with the most exciting home audio and video experience available.

 

Check out these related blog articles:

The History Of Hi-Fi

What’s a Receiver? Part 2: AV

Top Five AV Receiver Features

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha AV receivers.

 

Jake Gosling in the studio.

Jake Gosling

Written by Yamaha Corporation of America on . Posted in Pro Audio Artists.

Jake Gosling is a producer/songwriter who has worked with Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, Paloma Faith, Shawn Mendes, the Libertines and many other well-known artists. In this video, he reveals how he learned and developed his craft, and discusses the vital role that Steinberg Cubase plays in his work. He also talks about his approach to production and songwriting, and provides valuable advice for up-and-coming artists about how to get themselves heard in today’s music business.

“Experimenting … is part of my process,” Gosling explains, “but I very much come to it with an analog point of view, so my production is more about capturing the moment.” Why is Cubase his DAW of choice? “It helps with my workflow,” he says. “It’s fast, it’s cohesive, and there’s a sound to it [that’s] almost transparent. It’s certainly helped me with the music I’ve made, and still [does], to this day.”

Check out these related articles.

Click here to learn more about Steinberg Cubase.

Compact drum set in studio with SILENT Bass™.

Compact Drums: Big Sounds in Small Footprints

Written by Paul Winterhalter on . Posted in Drums.

Compact products have been a fad for quite some time now. From fashion-forward kids making fanny packs cool again to sleek carry-on suitcases, it seems like everywhere you look, small is in vogue. But what about compact musical instruments?

As a drummer in my high school’s marching band, this concept was only a dream. I was always envious of the flute players who could carry their instruments in their backpack. Having to lug my drums from place to place became such a hassle that it detracted from the art form.

Fitting a complete drum set into one bag is seemingly impossible. But compact drums (sometimes called traveling or gigging drums) are a reality today. They can be used in a wide variety of applications, from practice to teaching, from playing on small club stages to busking on the streets of your city (assuming you have the proper license, of course!).

It’s important to find the instrument that will not only hold up to your playing, but also matches your lifestyle. If you’re a drummer who lives in a tiny apartment or a drum teacher looking to make the most of the limited space you have available in your studio, you need a drum set with a small footprint. (Note: If you practice or teach where sound is an issue, consider using silent heads and cymbals and pairing them with the Yamaha EAD10 acoustic electronic drum module. This can help minimize sound, while still allowing you to play and maintain the feel of acoustic drums.)

There are plenty of compact options when it comes to finding a drum set that can be used to practice when on the road or in a tight space. While pancake drums, pad sets and some entry-level electronic kits are great for keeping your chops tight, they might not give you the sound you are looking for when gigging. There are a variety of cocktail and mini kits that provide more of a punch while still maintaining a small footprint; these can be great for playing club gigs as well as for recording.

Yet when designing a compact drum set, portability and small size is not the only goal. Making compact drums sound good takes knowledge and experience.

Travel Timpani

When it comes to compact instruments, the key is having a build and design that is focused on sonics. Yamaha has been making drum and percussion products for decades, and was one of the first manufacturers to offer portable “travel” timpani. The company’s TP-3300 Series travel timpani are designed for performances in small spaces like houses of worship or recording studios, yet they deliver a big sound.

Yamaha TP-3300 travel timpani.
Yamaha TP-3300 travel timpani.

Stage Custom Hip

In early 2020, Yamaha released the Stage Custom Hip drum set. An extension of the company’s Stage Custom Birch set — complete with the same exact six-ply birch wood — this innovative product offers a small footprint that makes it ideal for teaching, rehearsal and recording, as well as performance in tight spaces.

The dimensions of the Stage Custom Hip reflect its compact design: a punchy 20″x 8″ bass drum (suitable for use on its own or even as a subkick for larger bass drums); a 13″x 5″ snare drum; a 10″x 5″ tom-tom; and a multi-use 13″x 8″ floor tom, which provides a snare bed with an on/off throw for even greater versatility. This optional snare across the bottom head allows drummers to bring different styles of playing to life.

Stage Custom Hip floor tom snare bed.
Stage Custom Hip floor tom snare bed.

Birch wood produces a lively attack with warm, clear overtones that “speak” openly at both high and low registers, allowing the player to create everything from a funky, tight-sounding presence to an open live jazz feel. And because the Stage Custom Hip utilizes the same tech and spec as the Stage Custom Birch, you can freely mix and match components between the two so you can plug and play different elements from either to create the setup you desire.

The entire Stage Custom Hip drum set can be packed up within a single over-sized bass drum bag with ease, though I recommend giving each drum its own bag for extra cushioning. Pair the Stage Custom Hip with Yamaha HW-3 Crosstown hardware (which includes a snare stand, two cymbal stands and a hi-hat stand, all in one bag), and you have a match made in heaven.

Beyond its advantages when it comes to travel, the footprint of the Stage Custom Hip set is perfect for any small club venue or studio layout that doesn’t have much room for drums. The entire set, including cymbals, can fit comfortably within the confines of about 3′ x 5′.

Stage Custom Hip footprint.
Stage Custom Hip footprint.

The Stage Custom Hip is available in three different finishes (Matte Surf Green, Natural Wood, and Raven Black with Two-Tone Bass Hoops) and utilizes hardware with the tom-ball receiver in the top of the kick drum. This allows the tom-tom to be adjusted to any angle so the drum set can be configured in many different ways, while still enabling the wood shells to sustain their natural vibration for maximum projection.

Stage Custom Hip in raven black finish.
Stage Custom Hip in Raven Black finish (cymbals and hardware not included).

The Video

Ready to hear and see the Stage Custom Hip in action? Check out this video:

 

Click here for more information about the Yamaha Stage Custom Hip drum set.

Her Name is Ruby

Written by Shelly Peiken on . Posted in Acoustic Guitars. 2 Comments on Her Name is Ruby

All the musical instruments in my life have had names. I believe they deserve them. After all, they have souls. We don’t relate to any two guitars the same way. Each casts its own particular spell on us and each brings a unique experience.

Although I’ve had substantial success as a songwriter, I’m really only an adequate musician. In fact, I’m considerably more accomplished on the ivories than the strings. But because I feel more intimately connected to a crowd with a guitar in my hands than I do sitting on a piano bench, I’m always on the lookout for a model that can further my potential or augment my limited abilities.

That’s why I was so excited when, earlier this year, a friend suggested I check out the Yamaha TransAcoustic guitar. With reverb and chorus effects built right into the body — no effects pedal or external gizmos needed — he felt this instrument might offer me that certain “zhoosh” I’m always looking for.

And so, come NAMM®-time, I headed straight over to the Yamaha booth, hopped on a stool and cradled a beautiful red FS-TA model in my arms. With an eager sense of anticipation, I turned the knob for the chorus effect and gave her a whirl. Nice! My sound was thicker — as if someone else were strumming along with me. Then I tried out the reverb. What I heard was ambiance expanded to church-like proportions. Finally, I blended the two effects together. It was like moisturizer on dry skin. I was radiating. My trajectory as a performer was definitely on the rise.

Shelly Peiken holding red FS-TA guitar at NAMM.
Here I am at NAMM, trying out a TA guitar for the first time.

Sold! The guitar arrived in early spring, and I named her Ruby. (What else? ☺)

Shelly Peiken holding red FS-TA guitar.
Ruby arrives!

We debuted our collaboration at a friend’s after-dinner jam where my hopes were confirmed: my presence, it seemed to me, was a little larger than real life. With that, I felt confident she’d be the perfect companion for some upcoming gigs. But alas, something unforeseen happened: all gigs for the foreseeable future (not just for me, but for everybody) were canceled.

Everyone was taking it online. Livestreaming meant there’d be no sound person — just me and my acoustic going direct into a laptop. With her built-in effects, Ruby was going to be absolutely perfect for that.

I played her at a livestream Zoom concert from my living room. I shared her story with the viewers on a She Rocks Spotlight Series, and I featured her at a virtual global birthday party for my clever tech-savvy girlfriend Kristin.

Shelly Peiken playing red FS-TA guitar during Zoom livestream.
Ruby and I livestreaming.

The dual effects opened up a world of possibilities. For example, they allowed a slowed-down version of “What A Girl Wants” to be less pop — more laid back and bluesy. Same girl, different dress. And “Bitch” vibrated with power.

I’ve also spent a lot of my at-home time composing (mostly by myself, since in-person collaboration hasn’t been possible), and thankfully, I find that I have a new muse. In the glow of Ruby’s performance-enhancing pick-me-ups, my writing feels more fluid. Dependably prolific. Even when I’m alone in a room, I inspire myself! I’m still the same songwriter I’ve always been, but I believe I’m better. And believing is an under-rated creative aphrodisiac.

Let’s face it. The more vibe-y our sound, the more confident we are. And getting a boost in confidence can make us feel like we’re standing in the spotlight rather than just blending into the background.

We’re only human. No matter what our level, when our sound is elevated, we’re elevated. When we feel better, we get better. We play better. We write better. It’s not all in our heads. Sometimes it’s in our guitar.

Welcome to my world, Ruby! I look forward to a lasting friendship — one that continues well into the years ahead.

No need for any of Ruby’s effects on this beachside version of “Slow Down the World” — a song I wrote about 18 years ago with my long-time collaborator Guy Roche — and one that seems more relevant now than ever before.

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha TransAcoustic guitars.

Group of young friends performing on stage.

Live Recording, Part 2

Written by Steve La Cerra on . Posted in Live Sound. 1 Comment on Live Recording, Part 2

In Part 1 of this two-part series, we looked at ways to make live stereo recordings, which is a relatively easy way of documenting a rehearsal or performance. Unfortunately, stereo recordings don’t give you the option of changing the mix or fixing mistakes that may have been made by the musicians. In this article, we’ll see how multitrack recording can solve these issues and provide you with more professional results.

Get On Track

In a multitrack recording, each instrument or group of instruments is recorded on its own track. You can independently control the volume level, pan position and EQ of each track, as well as selectively add effects. Just as importantly, individual tracks can be edited to fix mistakes or replaced altogether to capture a better performance, plus new tracks can be added to an existing recording — a process called overdubbing.

In order to make a live multitrack recording, you’ll need a recording device that not only offers multiple tracks but multiple inputs as well. (It’s technically possible to make multitrack recordings using one input, but that would require capturing only one instrument at a time and doing tons of overdubbing — something that’s certainly not practical in live performance, or even rehearsal, for that matter.) Some portable or table-top multitrack recorders provide up to 16 inputs, but you’ll get more control over the editing and mixing process if you use a computer running DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software such as Steinberg Cubase AI, along with a connected audio interface —a device that serves as the bridge between your mixer and computer.

The Steinberg UR44C audio interface.
The Steinberg UR44C audio interface.

The most versatile multitrack recordings are the ones where each instrument is recorded to a separate track. Many professional studio recordings even go so far as to record each microphone for the drum kit onto a separate track. That kind of setup requires a mixer with a lot of outputs, and an interface with a lot of inputs — but plenty of great recordings have been made on just four or eight tracks (many of The Beatles’ records, for example), and most audio interfaces (such as the Steinberg UR44C, which comes bundled with Cubase AI) offer at least four inputs.

Group Therapy

A wide range of analog and digital mixers feature extra audio outputs that can be used to make multitrack recordings while simultaneously feeding a PA system. The Yamaha MG20XU, for example, has four group outputs as well as four aux sends.

Four Group outputs and four Aux outputs on the Yamaha MG20XU.
The Yamaha MG20XU has four group outputs and four aux sends.

By assigning specific instruments (or logical collections of mic signals, such as all drum mics) to each of these outputs, you can simultaneously record four or eight instruments (i.e., stereo drums, stereo keyboard, bass, guitar, lead vocal, backing vocal) onto separate tracks.

Diagram of group outputs from a mixer feeding the inputs of an audio interface.
Group outputs from a mixer can feed the inputs of an audio interface.

Direct Me to Your DAW

Digital mixers that have built-in USB have a distinct advantage when it comes to live recording. Yamaha TF Series mixers, for example, provide multichannel USB capabilities, and when connected to your computer, they function as 34-in/34-out USB audio interfaces … meaning you won’t have to buy external interfaces. Each input channel on a TF1 mixer has a “Direct Output” which routes that channel to a computer via USB. These outputs are exclusive for each channel, so only the signal connected to that channel is sent to a track in the DAW. Each TF1 Direct Out can be switched on or off, and can be set “Pre DG” (before Digital Gain) so that the recording is made without any EQ, dynamics or effects, providing much more control in the mixdown process. Steinberg Nuendo Live software is included with TF mixers to make multitrack recording quick and easy.

Diagram showing a USB cable connecting a Yamaha TF1 mixer to a laptop computer.
A single USB cable can route up to 34 separate signals from the Yamaha TF1 into a computer.

You’ll be able to go back and fix mistakes because DAW software allows recording on any or all tracks in the session — so if someone plays a wrong note at the start of the second chorus, you can fix that note while leaving the other instruments untouched.

Preparation Tips

As you prepare to make a live multitrack recording, keep these four caveats in mind:

1. Make sure that only the channels you want recorded to a track are routed to the group or aux send dedicated to that track. This prevents other instruments from “leaking” onto the track.

2. If you use a post-fader aux send or a group to route signal to an input on the interface, moving a channel fader during the show will affect the level of the recorded signal, and that can cause problems in the mixing process. When possible, use a pre-fader aux send instead.

3. Bear in mind that using an aux send to route a signal to an interface input leaves one less send available for stage monitors or effects. If the mixer has six or eight aux sends, this is less of a problem.

4. Try to keep channel processing to a minimum. EQ or compression added to a channel will be included on the recording, which may limit your options to modify the sound when mixing.

Tips for Improved Computer Performance

– When recording a large number of tracks, try to use a hard drive with a speed of 7200 RPM (or faster) or use a Solid State Drive (SSD).

– Make sure the hard drive is large enough to record the entire show. Each track will require about 500 MB for an hour of recording, so if you plan to record 16 tracks for a two-hour show, you’ll need a hard drive with at least 16 GB of storage.

– Turn off wireless networking and Bluetooth® before you start recording.

One last piece of advice: Give yourself plenty of time to set up before recording a show. Doing a quick test recording during sound check can take a lot of stress out of the process, leaving you to concentrate on your all-important live mixing chores.

Check out our other Tools of the Trade postings.

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha MG Series mixers.

Click here for more information about Yamaha TF Series mixers.

Click here for more information about the Steinberg UR44C interface.

Click here for more information about Steinberg Cubase AI.

Click here for more information about Steinberg Nuendo Live.

 

Young man playing Yamaha Electric Violin (YEV).

SILENT™ and Electric String Instruments, Explained

Written by Dale Ramirez on . Posted in Electric Strings. 2 Comments on SILENT™ and Electric String Instruments, Explained

History

Yamaha first introduced the SV-100 SILENT Violin™ to America in 1997. Since then, an entire line of SILENT and electric string instruments have become a staple of orchestra classrooms, rehearsal rooms, performance venues and everything in-between. The SV-100 was initially developed in response to the needs of string musicians in Tokyo, Hamamatsu and other large Japanese cities, where a quiet practice violin was desirable so that students and performers could rehearse and play in the tightly arranged living spaces commonly found there.

The SV-100 was a hit among Japanese violinists, but many American string players, while still appreciating the silent feature, opted to plug the instrument into amplifiers to see how loud they could make it! This demand for amplification led to the creation of the first Yamaha electric violin — the EV-204 (as well as a five-string version, the EV-205) — and soon a whole new class of instruments was born.

Over the coming years, Yamaha would introduce many new models of SILENT and electric strings. Although they might seem similar, there are actually quite a few differences between the two. Today’s versions of these instruments offer advanced technology to allow musicians to choose the best stringed instrument for their playing needs. Let’s take a look at the current lineup.

Violins

The YEV line of electric violins is designed for those who need to amplify their sound. The YEV-104/105 (four and five string versions, respectively) brings an elegant form factor to the performing musician, with electronics suited for amplified practice.

Yamaha YEV104 Electric Violin.
Yamaha YEV-104 Electric Violin.

The YSV104 returns to the original SILENT Violin concept and offers straightforward electronics optimized for silent practice.

Yamaha YSV104 SILENT Violin.
Yamaha YSV104 SILENT Violin.

String players who plan on performing live, as well as wanting the ability to practice silently, should consider the SV-200.

Yamaha SV-200 Electric Violin.
Yamaha SV-200 SILENT Violin.

The top-of-the-line SV-250/255 (again, four and five string versions, respectively) is designed for the professional touring and recording musician. It offers robust electronics for a clear, strong signal both onstage and in the studio.

Yamaha SV250 SILENT Violin.
Yamaha SV-250 SILENT Violin.

Cellos

Yamaha offers three SILENT Cello™ options. The SVC-50 is designed for silent practice through headphones, while the SVC-110SK is designed for both practice and live performance, with state-of-the-art electronics that allow it to match the sound of conventional acoustic string ensembles.

SVC-50 SILENT Cello
Yamaha SVC-50 SILENT Cello.

SVC-110SK SILENT Cello
Yamaha SVC-110SK SILENT Cello.

Cello players who are itching for the edgy electronic sounds of contemporary ensembles should check out the SVC-210SK, which is designed to blend with other electric instruments and match the sound used by many newer types of performance genres.

Yamaha SVC210 SILENT Cello.
Yamaha SVC-210SK SILENT Cello.

Bass

The newest addition to the SILENT Bass™ family is actually not silent at all! Despite its name, the SLB300 SILENT Bass has some of the most advanced technology in string instruments today, with features such as the ability to choose a virtual microphone and Studio Response Technology that provides the sound and response you’d expect from a real, full-size acoustic bass.

Yamaha SLB300 SILENT Bass.
Yamaha SLB300 SILENT Bass.

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha SILENT Strings.

Click here for more information about Yamaha Electric Strings.

Laser cutting through metal.

Focus Like A Laser

Written by Rich Tozzoli on . Posted in Creativity.

Think about shining a flashlight at night. You can light up an area and have a pretty good idea of what you’re seeing … sort of. Compare that to shining a laser instead. While you may not see as much of the surrounding environment, it’s highly focused and, if powerful enough, can literally cut through steel. Each has their need and purpose, but the laser is much more piercing and accurate.

This is an analogy I’ve often used in my professional life. When I first began my career in music after getting a business degree at college, I taught myself the art of audio engineering. That led to developing the skill of mixing, which in turn led to surround sound production. All the while, I continued to study guitar, simply because I loved to play, and began writing original music too. While I enjoyed it all, I can see now (with the benefit of hindsight) that I was a bit unfocused as to what I really wanted to do, as well as what might be viable in terms of making a living. It was almost like I was shining a flashlight as I walked along my career path, trying out various things, looking here, looking there.

It took some time, but eventually all these skill sets dovetailed to enable me to become a successful television composer. It was as if I took the broad beams of that flashlight and finally focused them on one area.

A little internet research reveals that the light from a flashlight cannot travel a long distance, because the light is unfocused and diverges as the traveled distance increases. Laser light, however, can travel a long distance, even to the moon and back. The fact that a laser can hit the moon is testament to power of being focused with a coherent goal. (Physicists, in fact, refer to the photons emitted by a laser as forming “coherent” light.)

Another good analogy is that of shooting an arrow at a target. If you pull a bow back just a little and use several arrows, when you release them, they will fly all over the place. Maybe one or two might find the mark … if you get lucky. But if you pull the bow back with intent and use one single arrow carefully aimed, you have a much better chance of scoring a bullseye.

When I work in my home studio, I have only one monitor screen at my mixing desk. This is a conscious choice I made years ago because it helps me stay focused. While some find it useful to have multiple screens, I personally find all the additional colors and light to be distracting. Having a single screen allows me to better concentrate on the big picture, which is delivering great-sounding tracks. A side benefit of the single screen approach is that the speakers have less surface to reflect off, which helps direct the audio into the “sweet spot” where I sit.

There are many other ways to create a focused work environment as you write, play and mix music. For one thing, how about shutting your phone off? Sure, there are times where you need it handy to communicate while working, but let’s be honest, most of the time it’s not necessary — it’s just a force of habit. This is actually one of my pet peeves and something that I make clear ahead of time when I’m asked to do a session at an outside facility. If you are working with me and want my time, don’t waste that time by talking or texting on the phone. I’ve found far too many people checking social media during sessions, and I’m not afraid to politely insist that they shut it off (OK, maybe not always so politely) — not just because it bugs me, but because I know that it’s a powerful sensory distraction that can detract from the end result.

Since we all have more time on our hands these days, why not use this overall “laser-like” approach to look at your own professional and/or musical objectives? What skills can you combine by synthesizing them together into a singular focused effort? It may take a little thought and considerable effort, but the end result could be well worth it. Stay focused and shoot for the moon!

 

Check out Rich’s other postings.

Bring Administrators Plans, Not Problems

Written by Dr. Dave Gerhart on . Posted in Advocacy.

Over the past two months, it feels like I have watched more webinars than I have in the last two years. I am sure that is the case for many of you.

There have been many educational and informative webinars that are sharing advocacy resources. These resources are so important for all educators, especially music educators. After watching these webinars, two main points kept coming to the forefront.

  • Music educators need to open a line of dialogue with administrators and school board members.
  • Do not wait for administrators to bring you their plan for next year. Start your own plans now!

As advocates of music education, we must talk with our administrators. Yes, they are constantly bombarded with problems and questions, but don’t let that deter you. How do you open the door to these conversations? How can you be solution-oriented? If we offer plans and back them up with current information and up-to-date data, the easier it will be for our administrators and school board members to advocate and support our music programs.

During the “CDC Guidelines for Music Educators” webinar presented on May 27 by Amro Music, Barry Trobaugh, the director of bands at Munford High School in Tennessee, emphasized that “the decisions for your future are being made right now.” While you must be understanding about the “horrible” positions your administrators are in, you also need to be in daily contact with your principal.

“If nothing else, talk about the weather. Tell them how much you miss them,” Trobaugh said. There will come a time when you will have a conversation about your program, and you can talk about “your problems, but you also need to have a resolve,” he said.

Where Do I Start? 

male talking on cell phone

“One good conversation can shift the direction of change forever.” — Linda Lambert, author and professor emeritus, California State University, East Bay

The first thing to do is to have a conversation with your principal, superintendent or other administrators. Keep the dialogue open and positive. Ask questions and come up with solutions to teach music next school year. As stated earlier, you must bring plans to your administrators.

A good place to start is the Center for Disease Control (CDC) document “Interim Guidance for Administrators of US K-12 Schools and Child Care Programs to Plan, Prepare, and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019” and the “College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) Covid-19 Response Committee Report.”  As you read these documents, start brainstorming solutions.

  • How can you setup your classroom to teach next school year?
  • Can you use technology to teach theory and/or music history?
  • How about purchasing recorders and/or pianicas for all of your elementary students so they don’t have to share instruments?
  • Can you teach your students about composition or arranging in small groups?
  • Is it possible to setup a virtual ensemble?
  • Can you or your students conduct guest artist interviews via video conferencing software?
  • How about putting together a bucket drumming ensemble?
  • Can you teach your students about entrepreneurship? Could they build a musical website? How about some instructional YouTube video?
  • See the resource list below for more ideas and examples. 

What Do I Do Next?

Male talking in front of school board

“Be Proactive. Be Prepared. Be Vigilant.” — Cordelia Istel, Director of Organizing, Arts for LA

The next step is to open up communications and advocate to your school board. Your school board is made up of individuals who represent the public. They do not work for the school district. They represent the needs and interests of the public, and they are tasked with making the school environment better for students. How can you start to create a dialogue with your school board? Your school board members may not specialize in the arts, so they may not be aware that music and arts are part of a “well-rounded education” as outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act). In the “Arts for LA/California Alliance for Arts Education“ webinar, they outlined the following steps:

  • Download the Advocacy Dashboard and Rapid Response Plan. (These documents from Arts for LA will help you determine who is making the decisions, when the decisions are being made and how you can influence these decisions.) Do your research and get members of your community to help advocate for the arts.
  • Go to your school board’s website and find out the date for the next meeting. Put this information into the Advocacy Dashboard and Rapid Response Plan documents.
  • Download the school board meeting agenda, which is usually available 72 hours prior to the meeting. Are there any agenda items related to the arts or music?
  • Create an action plan. Adapt the formula on the Rapid Response Plan, to create your action plan — “Goal → Target → Strategy → Tactics.”
    1. “In order to [GOAL], we will influence [TARGET], by [STRATEGY] using [TACTICS].”
  • Attend the meeting. To speak at the school board meeting, you can either:
    1. Make comments during the public comments portion of the board meeting.
    2. Contact the board and ask to be added to the agenda.

According to Summer McBride, the president of the board of education for Culver City, CA, adding an item to the agenda is more effective. “When the public comments on items [that are] not on the agenda, board members are not allowed to respond,” said McBride. Once an item is added to the agenda, there can be a dialogue with the board.

McBride also pointed out that all school boards govern these five areas: facilities, budget, curriculum, personnel and student discipline. Curriculum and budget are the areas where you can influence the board to ensure that the arts are part of the conversation.

Why We Do the Thing We Do

“Arts education supports the social and emotional well-being of students, whether through distance learning or in person.” – From Arts Education is Essential, a unified statement put out by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) on May 27 and endorsed by national arts organizations and music industry corporations across the United States

Music educators are often asked to justify their music programs. There are many research studies and surveys that support the importance of including music and the arts into a well-rounded education. Arts for LA has a simple way to justify arts education. It is the 5-4-3 method, which is students with an arts education are:

  • 5 times more likely to stay in school
  • 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement
  • 3 times more likely to get a bachelor’s degree (from Public Comments Talking Points)

We must not forget that social and emotional learning (SEL) is critical as we re-engage with our students. SEL will help us restore relationships and create a foundation for academic learning. In the NAfME webinar “Advocating for Music Education Utilizing Social Emotional Learning,” Dr. Scott Edgar stated that our music programs help foster “school connectedness, resiliency, self-awareness, diversity, high standards and cultural necessity.” SEL is more important than ever and will help us advocate for our programs.

Now is the Time to Form the Team!

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller

Building a group of like-minded individuals will help you put your plan into action. Why not set up a meeting with the other arts and music teachers in your district or surrounding communities? Come together (virtually or in person while being mindful of social distancing, of course) and start brainstorming for the next year school year. Maybe one of the other teachers has a connection that will help your cause. You won’t know until you start networking and talking.

Use social media to get ideas from music educators across the country. Engage in positive conversations about solutions. We are all in this together, and we need to support our fellow arts educators. Ask questions and see what others are doing. Something that works in New Jersey may work in your district. There are numerous Facebook groups where you can post your ideas and get a lot of great feedback, including:

Expand your network to include community-based arts organizations, city council members who believe in the arts, and your state’s arts-specific organizations. A list of state associations can be found on the NAfME website. Research how these arts organizations are advocating for the arts and how you can partner with them to help support your program. Follow them on social media and keep up to date on what is happening in your state.

Take Action

“Advocacy is not something that you do … it is something that you are.” — Bob Morrison, founder of Quadrant Arts Education Research

Advocating for your program is more important than ever. With inevitable budget cuts and the uncertainty surrounding next year’s guidelines for the classroom, you must remain positive. Your students need you. You see your students more than any other faculty member on campus. You are a constant in their lives. No matter what comes your way, approach it with an “I can make it work!” attitude

I hope this article will ignite you to make connections, start conversations and build an advocacy toolkit to support you, your students and your program.

 Resources

Acknowledgments

There have been several great webinars over the past couple of months. I want to acknowledge three that influenced the materials outlined in this article.

Yamaha is an active advocate for music education. We want to empower you as music educators to strengthen your programs in any way we can. Please register for the Yamaha Educator newsletter to read up on advocacy, professional development, instruments, resources, partnerships in education. Join the Yamaha Music Educator Community on Facebook. Email us at educators@yamaha.com.

Wifi router.

What to Do When Your Wi-Fi Goes Down

Written by Ted Goslin on . Posted in Audio How-to.

We all need the internet. Whether for work, school or connecting with friends on social media, getting online is a critical part of modern living. That includes your wireless audio devices as well. But what do you do when your internet goes down?

First, don’t panic. If you’re using Wi-Fi for internet access and connected devices, there are a number of easy troubleshooting options you can try to (hopefully) get everything quickly back online. Here are some ways to restore your wireless communications to working order.

Why Wi-Fi?

The key to fixing the problem is a basic knowledge of Wi-Fi and internet. Here’s what you need to know:

– Wi-Fi stands for “wireless fidelity” — a protocol that allows for the interlinking of digital devices via radio signal (i.e., without wiring). And while these devices need to be linked to one another, they may or may not be connected to the internet.

– To get online you’ll need an ISP (Internet Service Provider), who typically provides you with a modem, a router or a combination of both. (More about these devices below.) The speed of your service will depend on the package you select, but the FCC recommends between 12 to 25 Mbps (Megabits per second) for homes with three users or devices online at once with moderate use (basic functions and one high-demand application in use simultaneously).

– A modem is the unit that connects your home to the internet via a cable or optical connection that carries the signal from your ISP. That signal needs to be transmitted either through an ethernet cable (hardwired CAT-5 cable) or through Wi-Fi, in which case you’ll need …

– A wireless router, connected to the modem.

– You can also create something called a mesh network, which lets you cover a larger home with multiple access points that are linked together. This tends to work well with wireless multi-room audio devices.

– The loss of internet could be due to a loss of service from the ISP or it could be due to an issue with your modem, router, mesh network (if you have one installed) or, in rare instances, the device(s) you’re using. To pinpoint the problem, you’ll have to troubleshoot one component at a time.

One by One

1. The first thing you should do is determine if there’s a signal coming from the ISP. This can be spotted by perusing the LEDs on the modem. Different modems use different names to identify presence of a signal, but typically you might find it labeled as “Online” or “Internet.” If this light is off, your ISP is likely the problem. At this point, you should visit their website to see if any service outages are listed in your local area (these can occur due to weather issues or other reasons). If no outage in your area is listed, you’ll need to contact your ISP and let them know you’re not getting a signal.

2. If you’ve determined that there is no outage and that your ISP is providing service, the next thing to try is to cycle the power on the modem. This involves switching off the power, then unplugging the power cord from the back of the unit. Confirm that the lights of the modem are off and wait three to five minutes until plugging the power cord back in and flipping the power switch to the ON position. Now you’ll need to keep an eye on the LEDs on the front of the modem. Most modems use different-colored LEDs to indicate various states. (Your modem’s manual will tell you what each light means.) Be patient. Depending on your modem and internet service, it can take several minutes for the power-up sequence to complete.

3. If your modem indicates you are connected to the internet, you can rule it out as the source of the issue for now. Start by connecting your modem directly to a computer via an ethernet cable. (Most computers have an ethernet port; in the unlikely event yours doesn’t, you’ll need to purchase a USB to ethernet adapter for this step.) This should get your computer online. Now run a speed test (do a search to find one that’s optimized to work in your geographic area). This will tell you what connection speed you’re getting from the ISP. If you’re getting an internet connection with good speed, hardwire your router to your PC instead of the modem (again, using an ethernet cable) and run a speed test again. Still no internet? Cycle the power on the router just as you did for the modem, then wait for it to reboot. Check to see if you’re getting internet now.

4. If not, you may need to hit the reset button on the router as a last resort. This is usually a small, pin-sized button on the back of the router; you’ll probably need a paper clip or pen tip to push it. Before you do so, however, be sure to read the instructions in the router’s owner manual carefully, as resetting the router will likely restore its factory settings, which could remove your saved network name and password. This mainly applies to smart devices you have connected to the router via Wi-Fi, including voice control devices like Google Home™, streaming devices like an Apple TV® and wireless audio products like those with Yamaha MusicCast (which includes MusicCast-enabled products such as speakers, sound bars and AV receivers). If you used the same name and password that came with the router, then some of your devices should reconnect automatically once you reset the router, but you’ll want to test all connections regardless. Add passwords to devices as needed.

Should you discover your Mbps is running below the speed you are paying for, you’ll need to contact your ISP for instructions on what to do next. You may be asked to return your modem to the nearest office (or send it in by mail) and replace it with a new one, then follow the instructions provided with it to re-establish your network at home. Some ISPs will send a tech to your home to swap out modems, but you should check your service contract to see if this will incur an extra charge.

NOTE: These are meant merely as guidelines, and Yamaha cannot be held responsible for any damages that may occur as a result of resetting or powering your internet equipment on or off. We recommend that you read the owners’ manuals of those devices carefully before proceeding!

Back Online

Settings icon in the MusicCast Controller app.After you’ve got everything working, you should run a speed test to make sure your network is working correctly. If you find that your Mbps is running below the speed you are paying for, you’ll need to contact your ISP for instructions on what to do next. You may be asked to return your modem and replace it with a new one, then follow the provided instructions to re-establish your network at home.

To add MusicCast devices back onto your Wi-Fi network, you’ll need to follow the instructions in the MusicCast Controller app by pressing the Settings icon in the top right-hand corner (as shown in the illustration on the right), then connecting one device at a time. Once each device has been added back onto your network, it should be visible in the app.

 

For more on how to best enjoy streaming music or movies through connected devices, check out these related blog posts:

The Smart Home Begins with Good Wi-Fi

MusicCast Wireless Surround Sound for Your 5.1 Home Theater

Five MusicCast App Features You May Not Know

How to Use Actions on Google with Yamaha MusicCast

How to Get the Best Audio When Listening to Livestreams

How to Stream Music from Your Computer

 

Want to learn more about Yamaha MusicCast? Visit our MusicCast FAQ section here.

Man playing guitar with vintage-style photo filter.

Slide Rules

Written by Robbie Calvo on . Posted in Acoustic Guitars. 1 Comment on Slide Rules

Even in the peaceful daily moments, my mind is working overtime.

The other day, I started to wonder how many notes I play per song at a typical gig, so I did the math. A four-minute song at 100 bpm (beats per minute) contains approximately 100 measures of music.

Let’s say each measure contains one chord. That means my left hand forms a new chord shape a hundred times per song. If I’m fingerpicking eighth notes in my right hand, that’s 800 notes per song. An average gig consists of 30 songs, so that’s approximately 24,000 notes and some 3,000 chords.

At a musician’s typical pay, that works out to … hmmm. Don’t get me started!

Playing guitar is intense. We take a piece of wood strung with high-tension wires (heavy gauge string tension is around 40 pounds) and use one hand to strum, fingerpick, tap, rake and palm-mute in order to execute precise rhythms, while the other hand forms elaborate chord shapes, scales, arpeggios and double-stops … and we do all this thousands of times per song.

Man playing guitar with vintage-style photo filter.

As if that isn’t enough, we’re called upon to improvise single notes over harmonic structures to create melodies. Sometimes we’re awesome and other times … well, other times we’re human.

One technique I know a lot of guitar players struggle with is slide guitar. In my opinion, there are two main reasons why. First, the slide needs to be placed directly over the fret-wire in order to achieve perfect intonation (not directly behind it, as we’re used to). Second, both hands need to employ muting techniques in order to reduce unwanted overtones when moving the slide.

For many, this combination can be frustrating, but if you follow the steps listed below and watch the video I’ve filmed especially for you, you’ll be well on your way to sounding like a slide master. Oh, and one more tip: You’ll find that playing a guitar with heavier strings and a slightly higher action (i.e., one where the strings are not very close to the fretboard) will help you achieve better slide tone.

Fretting Technique

Put a slide on the little finger of the hand you use for fretting — for right-handed guitarists, this will be your left hand — and place all four fingers flat across the strings, perpendicular to the frets, resting lightly on the strings to mute them. (Although some well-known slide players put the slide on their ring finger, I’m advocating placing it on your little finger so you can still form chords with your first three fingers.)

Now move your whole hand as a single unit until the center of the slide is directly over the fret of choice. Lightly muting the strings behind the slide this way prevents unwanted rogue notes from being produced when in motion.

Picking Technique

Place the thumb of your strumming/picking hand — for right-handed guitarists, this will be your right hand — on the fourth string (D) and allow it to mute not just the D string, but the A and E strings too. Then rest your index finger on the G-string, your middle finger on the B-string, and your ring finger on the top E. At this point, all six strings will be muted.

Now fingerpick the six strings, un-muting one string at a time in order to hear just that note. Adhere to this method, and your slide playing will forever be clean and cacophony-free!

Finding the Right Notes

That’s the technical side. Now we need to find an easy way to hit all of the right notes.

If you know your chord-tone arpeggios and scales, you can play licks in standard tuning. However, one of the best ways to locate chord tones for slide playing is to tune your guitar to an “open” chord (something often referred to as open tuning). This will give you six chord tones over every fret.

To tune a guitar to “Open G,” for example, detune the high and low E strings a whole-tone down to D, then detune the A string a whole-tone down to G. Playing all six strings open (i.e., unfretted) will now result in a G Major chord; the notes produced, from low to high, are D – G – D – G – B – D. Placing the slide directly over the fret-wire at the 12th fret will give you the same tones (and the same G Major chord) an octave higher.

Since open tuning results in a chord over each fret, you can play other chords (and each of their individual chord tones) by simply moving the slide. In Open G, moving the slide to the fifth fret produces a C Major chord, while moving it to the seventh fret produces a D Major chord. I’ve found that sliding into chords from a whole step below can often sound really good.

If you know your harmony and theory, you’ll also know that Major chords contain three of the tones found in the relative Minor chord. For example, G, B and D on the top three strings are the Minor third, fifth and Minor seventh of an Emi7 chord. So, we actually have Minor chords covered too!

The Video

The Yamaha CSF-TA TransAcoustic guitar I’m playing in this video is tuned to Open G, and all the reverb and chorus effects you hear are being produced by the guitar itself (more on that shortly), though I do add some drive and delay from my Line 6 POD® Go effects processor.

After the performance, I go over all the techniques discussed here so you can see and hear how applying my method pulls it all together for super-clean and precise slide playing, even at higher gain settings.

The Guitar

The Yamaha CSF-TA TransAcoustic is an acoustic guitar with built-in reverb and chorus effects that are available even when the guitar isn’t plugged in. Its small “parlor size” (a body size that’s popular among blues and folk players) makes it the perfect instrument to take to the park, beach or gig and still enjoy ambient inspiration.

TransAcoustic guitar resting on dark leather couch.
Close-up shot of the sound hole of the TransAcoustic guitar resting on dark leather couch.

The guitar features a solid Sitka spruce top, mahogany back and sides, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, plus a stunning abalone inlay around the sound hole. It even comes with a hard gig bag, perfect for those last-minute getaways and overhead storage.

The Wrap-Up

It’s no surprise that guitar players constantly strive for better tone, technique and the ultimate instrument. I think we are just wired that way — the challenge of bending an inanimate vibrational counterpart to our will is what motivates us.

We may never achieve perfection as a musician, but we can take positive steps towards that goal with hard work, passion and an active mind for learning. Keep pushing yourself forward!

Photographs courtesy of the author.

For more information, see our two-part series “How to Play Slide Guitar.”

 

Check out Robbie’s other postings.

Click here for more information about the Yamaha CSF-TA TransAcoustic guitar.

Soft-focus shot of Yamaha piano keys.

How to Clean Piano Keys

Written by Yamaha Corporation of America on . Posted in Piano How-to. 2 Comments on How to Clean Piano Keys

Ever wonder about the best way to properly clean the keys of your piano without damaging them? Here’s how.

First and foremost, avoid cleaners (both liquid and saturated wipe-type cleaners) that contain harsh ingredients such as alcohol (isopropyl), chlorine, ethanol, benzene, peroxide or salts. These ingredients contribute to discoloration and cracking.

Instead, gather together three clean microfiber cloths and some dishwashing liquid and follow these easy steps:

1. Dampen one of the microfiber cloths with lukewarm water and a small amount of dishwashing liquid, then wring it out enough so that water does not drip on the keys. Use the cloth to gently wipe down several keys at a time in a “toward-the-player” motion (i.e., from the part of the keys farthest from you to the part closest to you).

2. Take the second microfiber cloth and dampen it with lukewarm water only, then wring it out enough so that water does not drip on the keys. Use it to wipe down the keys again in the same “toward-the-player” motion.

3. Using the third microfiber cloth (but keeping it completely dry), wipe down the keys one more time in that same “toward-the-player” motion until all the keys are dry.

Cleaning your hands before playing is recommended and will ensure a high level of playability through the life of your piano. If you use hand sanitizer that contains any of the ingredients listed in the first paragraph, make sure your hands are completely dry before touching the keyboard.

One last tip: Keeping the key cover closed at all times when the piano is not in use will help keep the keys free of dust and dirt … meaning that you’ll have to clean them less!

Please note that these recommendations do not guarantee disinfection of the keys, and many currently popular disinfectants may damage key surfaces over time. Check out our guide to disinfecting musical instruments.

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha pianos.

Writing for TV and Film

Written by Shelly Peiken on . Posted in Creativity. 1 Comment on Writing for TV and Film

If you’re a songwriter or composer, at some point you may be asked to write for a TV show or a film. On the surface, they might seem like two sides to the same coin, but actually the processes are quite different.

Writing on assignment uses a different set of brain muscles than those we use for creating music boundary-free. I enjoy both challenges but I’m all too aware that the former calls for switching gears and listening to instructions and guidelines, rather than free-falling into creative nirvana.

Here’s how it typically goes: A music supervisor (a person who combines music and visual media) gives the composer a “brief.” This important document describes the scene for which your music will partner and also tells you a bit about the characters involved and what their motivations are.

Sometimes the scene will have been filmed already. If footage is available to you, be sure to watch it! This is like gold. Being able to actually see the moving picture come to life is always a more tangible reference than a description of it.

Fortunately for me, footage was available when I was asked to compose an opening song for the 1999 film Music From The Heart. The character on camera (played by Meryl Streep) had recently been left by her husband. She was flipping through the pages of a photo album (remember those?), missing him terribly and trying to move on. I felt her. My pen went into auto-pilot and scribbled down a title: “Turn the Page.”

Aaliyah recorded the finished piece (co-written with Guy Roche) and when I saw it put to picture I felt satisfied I had done my job — that the song captured the spirit of the emotional essence and enhanced the scene.

But footage often isn’t an option, in which case the brief usually includes bullet points or relevant keywords the music supervisor or director wants to hear in the finished song, along with “reference” material — examples of songs that could work in the scene … if the filmmaker wished to use an existing copyright.

I take this list seriously. Each song may have been referenced for its own reason. One might be lyrically on the money. Another more musically fitting.

I’ll playlist these referenced songs and consider them for some time before I actually sit down to write. This helps me connect with tone and steer my unconscious creative flow.

Then I’ll go to the piano and actually play one of those songs to establish the mood. Loosen me up, so to speak. At which point I’ll undoubtedly hear a voice in my head that says:

How on earth will I be able to come up with something better? It seems like this song was made for the scene. Plus, it’s a proven hit. Loved by millions already.

It’s OK. I let that voice have at it and then I proceed anyway! From scratch. (Such a demeaning yet necessary place to start.)

Next, I begin implementing my ideas with the chord progression of one of the referenced songs. This at least gets me in the “neighborhood” of the vibe. Now I’m in transition.

Ideally, my song will morph into its own original creation, but the references give me a template, a place from which to jump off. To me, whatever gets you going — whatever inspires — is fair game.

It’s worth pointing out that not all assignments call for a song that’s directly derived from the on-screen narrative. Sometimes a music supervisor or director is looking for something more vague — a composition with a musical texture that’s evocative of the spirit of the scene, but not at all lyrically congruous. Knowing in advance which approach they’re looking for will save you a lot of trouble.

As I get close to finishing the song, I’ve found that it’s wise to recheck the brief and ensure that I’ve covered as best I can all the elements that were suggested be incorporated. That said, just because I can check off the keywords doesn’t necessarily mean I’ve done my job. It’s not enough to hope that the song I’ve written makes the director cry. It has to make me cry too. Or give me chills, or make me laugh out loud. Aside from the elements, the song must still be effective!

I haven’t written to a brief in a long time, but it just so happens that I was tapped to do so recently, and it just so happened that I had some time on my hands. So I sat at my piano and revisited the exact process described in this posting. I heard those same voices in my head (they never go away!) — the ones that ask if I can beat the proven hit. I let them have at it, and then I proceeded.

And once again, even though I believed I captured the character of the referenced songs, checked off 90% of the keywords and felt genuinely uplifted by the final result (as was the goal), when I played back the demo one last time just before emailing it to the music supervisor, there was still that last thought right after I pressed send:

“I hope they like it!”

 

Check out Shelly’s other postings.

Yamaha and 50+ Organizations Unite to Support Arts Education

Written by Yamaha Staff on . Posted in Advocacy.

Yamaha Corporation of America joined more than 50 other organizations to endorse the National Association for Music Education’s “Arts Education Is Essential” unified statement.

YamahaLogoNAfME and all the endorsing organizations recognize the necessity for students to have access to arts education, which includes music, dance, theater, visual arts and media arts.

While teaching in the post-COVID-19 world may look different, Yamaha and the other organizations remain committed to supporting arts education, arts educators, community arts providers and, most importantly, arts students.

The arts were identified as part of a “well-rounded education” well before this pandemic, but as we read stories and watch videos from around the world about the healing and unifying power of music and the arts during these tough times, this designation is all the more meaningful.

nafme logo hiresThe three driving principles of “Arts Education Is Essential” are:

  1. “Arts education supports the social and emotional well-being of students, whether through distance learning or in person.” Not only do the arts emphasize team-building and self-reflection, it fosters collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and communication.
  2. “Arts education nurtures the creation of a welcoming school environment where students can express themselves in a safe and positive way.” Through arts participation and partnerships among students, teachers and parents, an inclusive school and community are formed.
  3. “Arts education is part of a well-rounded education for all students as understood and supported by federal and state policymakers.” Within the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), music and the arts were repeatedly cited to be a part of a balanced education and federal funds are available to support arts education.

Read NAfME’s “Arts Education Is Essential” statement and the list of endorsing organizations here.

Yamaha is an active advocate for music education. We want to empower you as music educators to strengthen your programs in any way we can. Please register for the Yamaha Educator newsletter to read up on advocacy, professional development, instruments, resources, partnerships in education. Join the Yamaha Music Educator Community on Facebook. Email us at educators@yamaha.com.

10 Tips to Start a Middle School Drumline

Written by Troy C. Wollwage on . Posted in Percussion.

Middle school band is often where students begin their musical journey. It is a time when the three basic elements of music — rhythm, melody and harmony — begin to take shape and make sense to students.

Many middle schools, or junior high schools, have a beginning and advanced concert bands, as well as a jazz band. Some middle school music programs may also include orchestras with string instruments. Very few middle schools, however, have a drumline.

Incorporating a drumline into any middle school program presents a few challenges, such as time to rehearse, an appropriate rehearsal space, a qualified percussion teacher or having the appropriate equipment. Whether you are thinking about developing a new drumline program or continuing the program you inherited, a middle school drumline can be a fun and exciting musical outlet for your students. Whatever the  present drumline situation may be, keep these 10 things in mind.

1. Determine Performance Expectations

Decide the types of performances you want for this drumline. Will the drumline perform primarily at parades, standstill exhibitions, an indoor percussion show like Winter Guard International (WGI) or a combination of these events? This decision is important because you must consider the length of marching activity required and equipment transportation needs.

A 12-to-14-year-old student, who is new to the activity may not be able to carry a drum for a 2-mile parade. You must consider heat, humidity and the weight of the drums.

You want equipment that is easy to carry, play and maintain. The weight of any drum should not tire out the students. Check the weights of your drums to ensure proper fit at each rehearsal. This will help students as they grow and practice in the activity.

2. Stay Away from Hand-Me-Downs

Old drums from the high school are often passed down to the middle school after several years of use. While this may appear to save money, these drums are designed for high school students, not middle school students. Drumline equipment for high schools are heavier, larger and designed to meet the needs of competitive performance environments. None of these are important for a middle school drumline.

It’s best to pass on the hand-me-downs. Your students will pay the price as they march down the street with drums that are too heavy for their smaller frames. A bad experience like this may lead to them leaving the program.

marching snare drum3. Choose Appropriate Music

Music that is too complicated for beginners in middle school will be difficult to memorize for performances where students must march and play at the same time. Whether or not you have a drumline instructor, utilize music that fits the needs of the students. Remember, this is not Drum Corps International (DCI) or a college drumline. Sound expectations must be kept in check. Music that is simple yet challenging, will give middle schoolers confidence and make the marching experience fun.

4. Drumheads Are Important

Make sure to ask what type and brand of drumhead is preinstalled on each drum — and get it in writing from the music dealer. This is important because low-cost, generic drumheads may not be usable and could lead to an expensive and unbudgeted purchase to get the correct drumheads a month or two after your drumline purchase.

For snare drums, choose a Mylar top batter drumhead and a clear Ambassador® on the bottom or snare side. For multi-toms, select a pinstripe head. For bass drums, get a white Ambassador head with either internal or external muffling.

5. Keep a Supply of Sticks on Hand

Much like mouthpieces and reeds, sticks will get lost and forgotten by your students — usually right before a performance. Always have a healthy supply of extra sticks. Provide a list of acceptable stick options to both parents and students. Ensure your local music deal can get them in a timely manner.

Find sticks that are easy to hold, not too heavy and match appropriately. Sticks and mallets that are too heavy or wrong for a specific drum may cause damage to the drumhead and will tire out the arms of junior high school students.

6. Wear Earplugs

Ear protection at every level is important but is essential for students in the drumline because of the loud sounds they create as an ensemble. Ensure that all students always have proper ear protection for rehearsals and performances. Educate everyone — including parents — on the facts about ear protection and why it is needed. Ask your local music dealer about ear protection and have extra earplugs available for all situations because junior high students may forget to bring their earplugs. Set an example by wearing earplugs yourself.

7. Make Sure Carriers and Stands are Appropriately Sized

To make the drumline experience a rewarding one for students, you must ensure that they are comfortable marching down the street or standing in place for rehearsal. Review the different options for carriers and stands with each drum. You want hardware that are easy to adjust for students of all shapes and sizes. Check the fit of carriers on each student at every rehearsal. Don’t assume that each student understands the proper way a drum should sit on his or her body. Proper fit is key to comfort and having fun on drumline.

 8. Ask Peers for Advice

Ask you high school marching band directors, percussion friends and local dealers for recommendations as to the brands they prefer. Was the company sales representative available when needed? Were the drums easy to carry? Where the carriers flexible enough to fit students of all sizes? Were replacement parts easily available?  What is the manufacturers’ product warranties? The advice you get from friends and associates about the products they purchased can go a long way to ensuring your experience is a happy one.

9. Protect Your Investment

multi-toms

To keep your drumline equipment in tip-top shape all year, purchase accessories like covers to protect the drums from the damage of heat and moisture, as well as hard cases to protect the drums during travel and storage during the off season. Other accessories to consider include rim savers to keep bass drum hoops free from the damage of rim clicks, stick bags for snare drums and multi-toms, and tom guards to protect the bottom edges of multi-toms. An ounce of prevention goes a long way toward keeping any drumline in good working order.

10. Know Drum Sizes and Quantity

Several factors allow a drum to produce volume, but the most important ones to consider are the shell material and shell depth. When a wood shell is made properly, there are no gaps in the construction. (Some brands fill in the plies with wood putty.) The wood shell must vibrate freely to produce a full sound. A shorter shell depth is lighter, but it produces less volume.

Drums differ in size for a reason. A standard wood shell snare drum for middle school is 13 or 14 inches in diameter and 11 inches deep.

Multi-toms come in various depths and sizes, but for a middle school drumline, a small trio or small quad setup where the largest drum is 13 inches in diameter is the most appropriate option.

Bass drums are important to keep the drumline’s beat but keep the sizes close together for optimal tonal response. A middle school drumline does not require a bass drum larger than 26 inches because projecting over a large brass sound is just not needed at this level.

As with any major purchase, the key is to research your options and ask a lot of questions. That’s the best way to ensure that your students are equipped with quality instruments that will last.

Get more information about Yamaha marching drums here.

Using the Yamaha MLC-200 Lab Controller in the Classroom

Written by Lori Frazer on . Posted in Educator.

Students work well in groups, particularly if the more advanced students are mentoring the others. But teaching music students in large groups can be challenging for the instructor, for a variety of reasons. For one thing, many schools have students at varying skill levels together in one class. In addition, students playing their instruments while you are trying to instruct the class can be frustrating for everyone involved … and because the student does not hear the lesson and directions, they may later be asking questions that can slow the entire class down.

Enter the lab controller — a communication system widely used in group piano and keyboard classroom settings, from K-12 all the way up to college-level. With these systems, the instructor is able to communicate with students through a headset that has an attached microphone. Students hear the instruction, as well as demonstrations from the teacher’s instrument and the sound of their own instruments, through their headsets, which also have attached microphones. This allows students to communicate with the instructor, as well as with each other — and with no outside noise to disturb either the class members or the instructor, and no noise escaping the classroom either. And because there are many different configurations the instructor can set for a wide range of activities, the dynamic of the group class becomes much more exciting, fun and interesting.

In this article, we’ll focus on the functionality of the Yamaha MLC-200 — the first ever all-digital lab controller.

What’s Included

Yamaha Music Lab components.
Yamaha MLC-200.

The MLC-200 utilizes the revolutionary professional digital audio platform called Dante® (short for “Digital Audio Networked Through Ethernet”) for unparalleled flexibility and sound quality. Communication to and from students (using their included wired headphones) is crystal clear, and a set of wireless headphones is provided for the instructor so that he or she can move throughout the classroom without being tethered to their teaching instrument. Also provided are all the necessary cables to connect each instrument to a central hub.

ML Touch

The MLC-200 is controlled from the teacher’s iPad® (not included) running a free Yamaha app called ML Touch. You can download it from the Apple® App Store for iPad ahead of time in order to experiment with most of the features without being connected to an actual lab system, or you can check out the User’s Guide here.

ML Touch is exceptionally easy to use — just set up your class layout, and you’re ready to go:

Class layout in ML Touch app.

By touching LAYOUT in the upper right corner, you can move the icons around the display until your iPad looks just like your classroom. There are templates for various setups, from two to six rows, or you can completely customize the layout to match your classroom’s exact configuration.

Personalize class layout in ML Touch app.

The “Hamburger” menu in the upper left corner allows you to insert the name of each student to appear in their instrument icon. You can even take their photo and use it to accompany their name!

Adding name of each student to roster in ML Touch app.

From the home page of the ML Touch app, touching CONNECT ALL highlights all student icons in green and allow you to communicate with the entire class. Each student can then hear their instrument as well as your instrument and microphone.

Connect All feature in ML Touch app.

DISCONNECT ALL does the opposite, turning all instruments off at once. MUTE STUDENTS is particularly helpful: it instantly silences all student instruments, allowing you to instruct and demonstrate from your instrument, without students being distracted by the sound of their own instruments.

The GROUPING command in the main screen provides many helpful functions for teaching. For example, touching 2 PEOPLE in the lower left corner places students into groups of two. Four-person and eight-person groups can also be selected.

The Grouping feature in ML Touch app.

Grouping is especially helpful for duet and ensemble playing. By selecting the color-coded letters in the lower right corner, you can completely customize up to 12 different groups: Simply touch a letter and then touch the student icons you wish to be in that group. Even if students are sitting across the room from each other, they can still work together. While working in groups, students hear their instruments, as well as the instruments and microphones of the other students they are grouped with. Groups can also be saved for later use.

Saving groups for later use in ML Touch app.

The home screen also offers a command called BROADCAST. This allows you to share the performances of an individual student, group of students, or just your instrument, so that students won’t have to constantly be unplugging their headphones to perform out loud for each other — a feature that will save lots of wear and tear on equipment!

The MLC-200 allows you to connect auxiliary devices such as a computer, music player, tablet or smartphone. The audio from these connected devices can be distributed to student headphones by selecting the AUX device you want them to hear.

Connecting auxiliary device in ML Touch app.

Attendance can also be taken through the ML Touch app, either manually or via an Auto mode, where each student’s call light illuminates in turn at their instrument. Once they turn the light off, it will mark them as present in the app. You can later edit these records, as well as export them.

MLA-200 Interface

The MLC-200 system provides each student with a high-quality, durable MLA-200 interface for the connection of their instrument. From this box, the student can adjust the volume level of their instrument, as well as the teacher instrument, or that of duo or group partners. It also allows them to turn their microphone on and off, as well as call the teacher if help is needed.

MLC-200 system.

There is also a USB port on the MLA-200 that allows even greater functionality when it is used in a classroom equipped with select Yamaha CVP Clavinovas. From the instructor’s iPad, student Clavinovas can be reset back to piano sound, MIDI files can be sent to a student’s instrument, and guide lights can be sent out to the student instruments to assist with hand position during playback and keyboard drills.

Lighted Key Mode training in ML Touch app.

Yamaha keyboards, digital pianos and Clavinovas that are compatible with the free Yamaha Smart Pianist app will also have some added features when using the USB ports on their MLA-200 interfaces. Features will vary by instrument model.

Additional features in ML Touch App.

Videos

Here’s a video that provides an overview of the main MLC-200 features:

Also available for the budget-conscious classroom is the Yamaha LC4 analog lab controller, offering many of the same features as the MLC-200. With the use of an optional Wi-Fi kit, the LC4 can also be controlled by a free iPad app. Like ML Touch, this app can be run in an offline mode, so you can experiment with its features while not connected to an actual lab.

Here’s a video that shows the features of the LC4:

Both the MLC-200 and the LC4 offer instructors tremendous flexibility and can greatly enhance the group learning experience. And as a bonus, the use of systems like these allow other classrooms to be situated close by, with no sound interference coming from either direction. If you haven’t incorporated a lab controller into your teaching routine before, you may find yourself wondering how you ever got along without one!

 

Click here for more information about the Yamaha MLC-200.

Click here for more information about the Yamaha LC4.

Click here for more information about Dante.

Quick Start Guide to Dorico

Written by Dr. Dave Gerhart on . Posted in Teaching Tips. 2 Comments on Quick Start Guide to Dorico

Most music educators, choir directors, composers or music students have likely used a music notation program for a variety of reasons including:

  • Having a clean representation of musical ideas to share with others
  • Getting immediate feedback from the playback function
  • Writing for more than one voice and hearing them played together
  • Creating worksheets
  • Transposing parts for ensembles
  • Re-writing a part to make it accessible to a variety of levels of students

In the last couple of years, Dorico has established itself as an incredible resource and tool for educators. If you are new to music notation software, or Dorico specifically, this article will help you get started and guide you through your first project and building worksheets.

Getting Started

First, download the trial software. Dorico comes in three versions: Dorico Pro 3.5, Dorico Elements 3.5 and Dorico SE 3.5. (Here’s a comparison chart.) I recommend that you download so you can try all of the software’s available features during your 30-day trial.

You can learn the ins and outs of Dorico by watching videos and downloading PDFs on “Getting Started with Note Input” and “Creating a Worksheet.”

Watch Training Videos

Once you have installed Dorico, head to YouTube and watch this introductory overview video of the software.

Dorico has an entire Getting Started with Dorico playlist that includes the following videos:

  • Overview
  • Installing and activating
  • Finding your way around
  • Starting your first project
  • Adding a second instrument
  • Editing and arranging
  • Sharing your project
  • Guitar & percussion
  • Advanced techniques
  • Upgrading from SE to Elements

Please note: Even though these videos are for Dorico SE 3,they introduce the basics of the software and are applicable for all versions of Dorico.

For more in-depth videos, check out these Modes Playlists that contain up to 10 videos about each mode.

BONUS DOCUMENT: Educate Yourself – For even more training videos.

Get Started with Note Input

If you are new to Dorico and want to try a directed project to learn common key commands, download the Getting Started with Note Input article. This article will teach you how create a four-bar piece of music for four string instruments and lead vocal including using voices (two simultaneous rhythms per staff), articulations, dynamics, chords and lyrics.

Create a Worksheet Handout

As an educator, you will need to make worksheets or handouts. Download the Creating a worksheet zip file that will show you what you need to do, starting either with the included time-saving Dorico project template or completely from scratch. Just unzip the file to access the PDF and the Dorico project template.

Additional Resources

Visualization of audio delay.

Delay, Part 1

Written by Mike Levine on . Posted in Recording. 1 Comment on Delay, Part 1

Delay is one of the most popular effects out there, but what is it, exactly, and how can it best be utilized to enhance your home recordings?

At its most basic, a delay is a copy of the incoming signal that is repeated after a user-specified duration. In practice, it’s actually incredibly versatile, and can be used for everything from subtle doubling to long echoes reminiscent of those that occur naturally in large spaces, and much more.

In Part 1 of this two-part series, we’ll take a look at the parameters you’re most likely to encounter (in both hardware delay processors and their plug-in cousins) and some of the different types of delays you’ll run across. In Part 2, we’ll give you tips for specific ways you can use delay in your home recordings.

What Time is It?

Although there are some delay processors with complicated controls — particularly those of the “multi-tap” variety, which we’ll be discussing in the next installment — the fundamental parameters common to virtually all delays are relatively straightforward.

The first and most important of these is delay time. This governs the duration between the original and delayed sounds, along with the timing of each successive repeat (sometimes referred to as “taps” or “echoes”). Note that, unless you have extreme feedback settings (see the “Time and Time Again” section below), the volume of each repeat will be softer than the one before it.

The distance between the original and delayed notes at various time settings.
The distance between the source signal and delays at various time settings.

Delay time is generally expressed in one of two ways: in milliseconds, or as a rhythmic value related to the song’s tempo — something that generally requires that you turn on a sync function, which automatically synchronizes the delay time to the BPM setting of the song.

Assuming you recorded your song to a click track or metronome, the latter is much easier to use, because you know it will be in time with the music. There are normally options for even-beat delays (i.e., quarter-note, eighth-note, etc.) as well as dotted or triplet ones, which add syncopation to the delay.

The delay time is critical because it dictates the type of effect you’re going to hear. Delay times up to 50 milliseconds (ms) create doubling, which act like a thickener for the sound. Set it between 50ms and about 150ms and you’ll get slapback delays, which your ears perceive as a separate echo, but only barely (the delay on rockabilly vocals — think Elvis — is the classic slapback sound). Over about 150ms, the ear perceives the echoes as being noticeably separate from the original sounds; these fall under the very loose category of “long delays.”

Time and Time (and Time) Again

The feedback parameter controls whether the effect will stop after one tap or repeat multiple times. The higher you set the feedback value, the more echoes you get. With long delay times (for example, sync settings of a quarter-note or half-note), the higher the feedback setting, the more intricate the pattern you can create.

The higher the feedback setting, the more repeats the delay produces.
The higher the feedback setting, the more repeats the delay produces.

A word of warning: If you turn feedback up too high, it can produce an oscillating, squealing sound. Quickly mute your monitors and back off the control if that happens.

Many delay processors provide stereo outputs, in which case you can use the feedback control to create “ping-pong” stereo delays in which the taps alternate between left and right. In the appropriate musical context, such delays can be quite effective, but you should use them judiciously.

All Mixed Up

When inserting a delay directly on a track, the mix control is crucial, because it governs the ratio of original (dry) sound to delayed (wet) sound. It’s a creative decision as to how high to turn it up, but usually you’ll want to keep it below about 30%.

With an insert delay, the mix knob controls the dry-to-wet ratio.
The mix knob (circled) controls the dry-to-wet ratio.

However, if you’re routing signal to a delay from an aux send, you’ll want to set the delay’s mix control to 100%, same as you would with a reverb. In that case, the aux send feeding the delay determines the amount of wet signal. (Click here for more information about the difference between inserts and aux sends/returns.)

If you’re sending signal to a delay from an aux send, set the delay mix to 100% as shown in the red circle on the image.
If you’re sending signal to a delay from an aux send, set the delay mix to 100%.

Altering the Sound of the Delay

Most delay processors (both hardware and plug-in) offer various options for changing the tone of the taps. For example, the monodelay plug-in included with Steinberg Cubase provides both low and high filters, which allow you to roll off low or high frequencies from the delayed signal.

Cutting out lows will get rid of muddy low-end signal that you probably don’t need. You might want to cut high frequencies to make a digital delay sound a little more like an analog or tape delay, where the taps are noticeably lower fidelity than the source. Plug-ins that emulate vintage hardware delay processors usually produce altered-sounding taps that are authentic to the original units.

Some delays also come with built-in effects (such as saturation or distortion) to alter the sound of the taps. The modmachine plug-in included with Steinberg Cubase Pro offers extensive modulation as well as filtering options for advanced sound-shaping.

Screenshot of the Cubase Pro ModMachine plug-in.
The Cubase Pro modmachine plug-in.

If you want to add effects to the delayed sound and your processor doesn’t provide such options, you can simply insert separate plug-ins or effects devices after the delay. If you’re feeding the delay via an aux send, note that the send’s output will be 100% wet, so any additional processing that you use will only impact the delayed signal, not the source sound.

Click here for Part 2.

 

Check out our other Recording Basics postings.

 

Click here for more information about Steinberg Cubase.

The Difference Between a Writer and an Author

Written by Howard Massey on . Posted in Creativity.

“What do you do?”

It’s a question we all get asked from time to time, and a pat answer is usually what’s expected. “I’m a bank teller,” for example, or, “I’m Senior VP of Finance, Acquisitions and Asset Leveraging for MegaGlobal CorpCorp.”

But for most musicians, things are not so clear-cut. A truly honest answer might be something along the lines of, “I play trumpet when a gig comes up, which isn’t all that often, so most of the time I flip burgers or work as an office temp or do pretty much anything I can to make a buck.”

“I’m an editor” is the answer I tend to give these days, but, like so many of us in today’s multi-tasking global-economy world, I’m also a lot of other things. I still consider myself a musician, for one thing. And a writer. Actually, an author. No, a writer/author.

What the heck is the difference?

Most people think that authors are writers who have written books, but in these days of self-publishing, almost anyone can write a book. (And it seems as if almost everyone does!) So there must be a better way to differentiate between the two.

Photograph of Colette by Henri Manuel.
Colette, circa 1910.

I think French novelist and performer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (better known simply as Colette) nailed it nearly a century ago when she said, “Sit down and put down everything that comes into your head and then you’re a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff’s worth, without pity, and destroy most of it.”

I have written hundreds of articles and authored more than a dozen published (not self-published) books over the course of my career, and if I’ve learned anything, it’s this: Writing is easy. Rewriting is hard. When I was working on my first novel, Roadie, I sought feedback from a group of peers and found myself doing as many as a dozen revisions of some of the chapters. It was a task that required a lot of time and effort, but it was worth it, since each revision represented an improvement over the previous version.

When it comes to writing music, the same holds true. With the benefit of hindsight, I can see that the earliest songs I wrote were mere outpourings of teenage angst coupled with the wonder of exploring chord changes and the way those chords could enhance (or be enhanced by) melody and harmony. I rarely if ever revisited or rewrote any of those early songs … and, almost without exception, they were truly terrible. As I matured as a songwriter, I’d spend more time tinkering and reworking things, substituting more sophisticated chords, adding variety to melodies and counterpoint so that they evolved from simple to fairly complex. While the results were still not gems, my songs were definitely getting more polished, inching closer to the work of established songwriters. A few even passed muster by others (such as producers and artists), yielding a cover here, a modest hit there, accompanied by a welcome trickle of royalties.

So the willingness to tear down what you’ve built — to not be overly precious about your creations — can clearly pay dividends, both artistically and commercially. Yet there is something to be said for immediacy. One little ditty I tossed off in a matter of minutes ended up being used as the theme song for a popular quiz show in England (still in syndication, amazingly enough). And while you could make the case that it had been percolating in my subconscious for months beforehand, the penultimate chapter in Roadie popped into my head one morning as I awoke, pretty much completely written, word for word — all I had to do was race downstairs to my computer and begin typing, and it was done in less than an hour. Even more amazingly, that particular chapter ended up needing the least amount of revision of any in the book.

Every now and then, serendipity rears its beautiful head and some lucky person is blessed with an effortless masterpiece. (Paul McCartney is said to have woken up one morning with the entire melody of “Yesterday” in his head.) But more often, great work is the result of great effort … and the willingness by its creator to destroy some or all of it. Like the sculptor removing all the parts of a block of granite that don’t belong, you may find that your best efforts come from the willingness to chip away at what you’ve created. That’s what will truly make you an author of great words, or great music.

Photograph by Henri Manuel.

 

Check out Howard’s other postings.

Funding Resource Roundup

Written by Heather Mansell on . Posted in Funding. 2 Comments on Funding Resource Roundup

UPDATED 6/27/2022

Schools are still recovering from the pandemic as educators make plans for the future of their music programs.

Music and the arts are an essential part of a well-rounded education as defined by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and music teachers must be proactive, especially when it comes to getting grant funds for your program.

You know better than anyone what your program needs. After you have prioritized your needs, gather the necessary data and put together a compelling story – this will be the framework for all of your grant and funding applications.

Remember, you are not alone. Music educators are a close-knit group willing to help each other — reach out to them as well as to your administrators for advice. Even if your district has a specialist who handles grants, it’s good to research the many grants that are out there because you don’t want to miss an opportunity to get funding for your program.

Here are some essential resources to check out to get started:

male looking at tablet with various bar and pie chartsTitle IV-A Funds

Currently, the largest source of grants for music programs is Title IV-A funds, which are part of ESSA. These funds are available annually for program expansions. To learn more about Title IV-A, read our blog post, Access Title IV Funds and Build a Stronger Music Program.

Other blog posts about ESSA and Title IV-A funds:

New COVID Relief Bill

The new coronavirus relief bill that was signed into law in December 2020 extends or modifies many of the provisions from the CARES Act that passed in March. Also included in the new relief package is additional funding for K-12 education — read about it in the Update to CARES Act Funding for Your Program and Key Takeaways from FAQs on ESSER and GEER Funds blog posts.

open notebook with pen and glasses on it in front of a laptopAdditional Resources

Below are other resources that we have gathered to help you. We know that navigating the legalese and juggling application forms and deadlines can be overwhelming, but the effort is worth it!

  • Search for Grants:
    • Duke University Research Funding — Duke’s Office of Research Support’s online database of funding opportunities.
    • Grant Gopher — “your underground connection” to grants for schools, nonprofits and municipalities, you can sign up for a Lite (free) or Pro (fee required) account.
    • Foundation Directory Online — get funding using the Foundation Center’s database and fundraising expertise. Sign up for an Essential or Professional account (fee required for both).
    • Grants.gov — search for available federal grants. Also has resources to learn about grants.
    • Grants4Teachers — a free grant database; just select your educational institution and the subject/category.
    • GrantsAlert.com — find current funding opportunities for your school, district or community. Also has resources for grant writers.
    • NOZA Search — a searchable database of foundation grants (you can search for free) and individual/corporate giving (monthly or annual fee required).
  • female working on laptop while looking out windowCorporate and Private Foundations and Federal Agencies that Offer Grants, Donations and Support:
    • ASCAP Foundation — provides a variety of outreach programs, scholarships and talent development to support schools, students, teachers and music creators.
    • DonorsChoose.org — fulfills “classroom project” requests by partnering educators with donors. Individuals, companies and corporations can search which projects to support.
    • Give a Note Foundation — offers year-round grants called Music Teacher Notes designed to support music programs.
    • GuideStar — learn about the nonprofit organizations that are offering grants.
    • Instrumentl — find, track and manage your grants in one place. Home to 11,000+ active grant opportunities and in-depth funder profiles.
    • Kids in Need Foundation — through its SupplyATeacher program, provides classroom supplies.
    • Kinder Morgan Foundation — this energy company donates more than $1 million each year to youth programs in science, math and music in cities and towns where Kinder Morgan operates.
    • The Mockingbird Foundation — provides competitive, emergency-related and tour-related grants for music education for children.
    • Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation — donates musical instruments to underfunded programs, giving disadvantaged youth access to the benefits of music education.
    • MTNA (Music Teachers National Association) Foundation Fund — offers grants for program development, community engagement and teacher enrichment. Also available are collegiate enrichment grants and collegiate travel stipends to MTNA events.
    • National Endowment for the Arts — supports arts learning, celebrates America’s rich cultural heritage and promotes equal access to the arts through grants.
    • National Endowment for the Humanities — promotes teaching and learning in schools and colleges, strengthens the base of the humanities, and preserves and provides access to cultural and educational resources through grants.
    • NEA (National Education Association) Foundation — founded by educators for educators, the NEA offers funding and resources to public school educators, schools and districts.
    • Save the Music Foundation — donates instruments, music technology and other equipment. Also supports teachers and advocates for music education at the local, state and national levels.

If you have questions about grant funding, please email us at educators@yamaha.com.

Yamaha is an active advocate for music education, and we want to empower music educators to strengthen their programs in any way we can. Please register for the Yamaha Educator newsletter to read up on advocacy, professional development, information about instruments, resources, partnerships in education and more. Join the Yamaha Music Educator Community on Facebook or email us at educators@yamaha.com.

Top photo by rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com

Tips for the Beginning Bassist

Written by Michael Gelfand on . Posted in Bass.

You have to learn to crawl before you can walk (or run). That old saying applies perfectly to learning how to play bass. Looking back, I can see how the choices I made as a beginner — and those my parents helped me with — led me to where I am today as a bassist.

It was the 1980s. I had a mullet and a misplaced love for acid-washed jeans. Right there, someone should have planned an intervention that would’ve spared me some agony. My saving grace? A tired old bass, an equally moth-eaten amp and endless enthusiasm for practicing.

Despite the lack of style and quality gear, I figured out a way to make it all work, and proceeded to wear out cassette tapes and LPs until I could nail even fairly complex basslines note for note. Coupled with a voracious appetite for live music and college radio stations, I built up my chops, found and emulated my musical heroes, and eventually arrived at my own quirky style.

But if I had known then what I know now, it could’ve come together more readily … and that’s what this article is all about. In addition to steering you clear of the fashion mistakes I made way back when, I’m going to share some pointers to put you on the fast track to bass glory.

1. It Starts with the Right Bass

My first bass was terrible — a splintery hunk of plywood with barbed wire for strings and frets that would cut you for looking at them the wrong way. Luckily for you, many of today’s entry-level basses are light years better than my old albatross was, and with a little research, you’ll see there’s no reason to own a bass that hurts you when you play it, or one that costs too much.

RBX170
Yamaha RBX170.

TRBX174
Yamaha TRBX174.

Take the Yamaha RBX170 and TRBX174 basses, for instance. Both deliver the goods right out of the box, with lots of swagger, gobs of tone, solid construction and an affordable price. They’re easy to play too, thanks to their low string height, comfortable neck profiles and ergonomic balance. These are the key attributes that keep aspiring players inspired, rather than deterred, by their instrument.

If you already own a beginner’s bass that doesn’t speak to you when you pick it up, you might consider upgrading to an intermediate instrument like the Yamaha BB234 (or its 5-string cousin, the BB235.) It’s a true workhorse, with classic looks, durability, sweet sounds and the kind of playability that serious musicians expect and deserve.

Yamaha BB234.
Yamaha BB234.

2. You’ll Need a Real Amplifier Too

Today’s amps and speaker cabinets are light enough to wheel around with one hand and small enough to sit next to you in the back seat of a taxi … but powerful enough to blow the doors off of any room. Bigger isn’t necessarily better, so ignore refrigerator-size rigs and look carefully for a combo (amplifier and speaker combined in a single footprint) or an amp that marries the tone-shaping capability and power you need with a high-quality 2 x 10″, 1 x 12″ or 1 x 15″ cabinet. One good option in the latter configuration is the Ampeg™ Rocket Bass RB-115. It’s got that classic beefy Ampeg sound in a portable, easy-to-transport package.

A small bass amplifier.
Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-115.

By the way, when it comes to amplifiers, know this: Your parents or roommates won’t be disappointed if said bass rig comes with a headphone output jack.

3. Find a Good Teacher and Commit to Taking Lessons

There’s no better way to get started than under the wing of someone who knows more than you do and has the patience to guide you through the struggles you’ll encounter. The right teacher will be able to assess your strengths and weakness, show you proper techniques for playing, provide you with encouragement, and challenge you regularly with observations, insights, theory and practical exercises that feed your passion and push you to grow and achieve new heights.

4. Learn How to Read Music

See above. A good teacher can help here, as can online lessons. True, there’s no law that says you can’t play the bass if you don’t know how to read music, and in fact, there’s something commendable about taking a non-traditional path toward achieving your goals. But ideally you want to be able to balance raw genius with knowledge and ability, and illiteracy of any kind will hold you back.

Don’t wait to get started, either. It may feel like slow going at first, but once you get it down you’ll have access to a language that only other musicians can speak. Make sight reading a priority early on to speed up your growth and open up doors — both musical opportunities and creative insights — that might otherwise remain shut.

5. Purchase a Tuner

If your bass isn’t in tune, chances are you’ll get lots of sour looks from bandmates and audience alike. Fortunately, it’s easy to do, even if you don’t have a particularly good ear: Simply buy a clip-on tuner such as the Yamaha GCT1. These small, inexpensive devices attach to your bass’ headstock and provide on-the-go tuning capability whether you’re on stage, in the rehearsal room or practicing on your own.

Yamaha GCT1 clip-on tuner.
Yamaha GCT1.

6. Make Sure Your Bass Is Set Up Correctly

A proper bass setup includes striking the preferred balance between string height, saddle height and neck bow to make your bass play comfortably and ensure that it’s correctly intonated (i.e., so it plays notes in tune over the entire length of the fretboard). Most music stores have a luthier who can do this for you (if not, they can probably refer you to one), but if you’re handy you can consider doing it yourself. (A word to the wise: If you’re going to go the DIY route, make your first attempt on an inexpensive instrument.)

7. Practice, Practice, Practice

There is no substitute for regular, consistent practice, both alone and with others. Play until your fingers feel like they’ll fall off, and do it again the next day and the next until callouses start building up on your fingertips and your stamina increases. You can only get better by running through finger exercises and scales, as well as practicing grooves and patterns to a metronome in order to help you internalize your sense of time and accuracy.

Challenge yourself by playing along with recordings of bassists whose playing you admire, and push yourself hard to figure out complex lines in odd meters. Learn how to play the same pattern in different locations up and down the neck. And when you feel ready, take every opportunity you can to play with other people, particularly if they’re better than you are.

 

Check out Michael’s other blog posts.

Click here for more information about Yamaha basses.

Tips for Sharing Your Drum Performances Online

Written by Steve La Cerra on . Posted in Electronic Drums.

Being stuck at home doesn’t mean you have to stop drumming. There are a number of ways to collaborate through file sharing when you can’t perform with others in person. After all, plenty of great recordings have been made where the musicians never played together in the same room!

Here are seven tips for making high-quality recordings of your drum performances at home and sharing them online with your friends, family and fellow musicians.

1. Make Sure Your Drums are Ready to Record

Recording your drums is like putting them under a microscope because microphones will pick up all sorts of sounds that you may not otherwise notice. The rule of thumb here is simple: If your drums don’t sound good in the room, they won’t sound good when recorded.

Here are some things you can do to get your drum set ready for recording:

– Check the heads to see if they need replacement.

– Always tune your drums before you record. If you’re a hard-hitting player, you may even need to retune between takes — particularly the snare drum.

– Have materials on hand for dampening your drums and removing ringing. Popular choices include O-rings, Moongel® pads, felt strips, moleskin, tea towels (a tradition started by The Beatles) and good old reliable gaffer tape. (Be sure to use the low-residue variety.)

– Beware of squeaky foot pedals! Have some WD-40® or lubricating oil at the ready.

– Use cymbal stands with plastic tube caps (like those found on Yamaha CS-750, CS-755, CS-850, CS-865 and CS-965 models) to prevent metal-on-metal contact from creating rattling noises which can ruin a recording.

Yamaha CS-865/CS-965 cymbal stand plastic tube cap.
Yamaha CS-865/CS-965 cymbal stand plastic tube cap.

2. Find an Isolated Space for Your Performance

Try to record in a space that’s relatively quiet and isolated from outside noise, such as a basement or garage. Since drums are loud, you won’t have to worry much about low-level sounds like water dripping from a faucet, but you don’t want a perfect take ruined because the dog next door starts barking while your last cymbal crash fades.

Ideally, you’ll also want to choose a space that’s had some acoustic treatment, so it isn’t overly reverberant. (For more information, check out our blog post “How to Practice Drums Without Disturbing the Neighbors.”)

3. Use External Microphones Instead of Your Phone

Many smartphones can record video with good results, but the built-in microphones may not be able to handle the high sound levels generated by drums, resulting in distorted recordings. An inexpensive external microphone attached to your phone can go a long way toward improving audio quality.

In an ideal recording situation, each drum would have its own microphone and the mics would be recorded onto separate tracks in a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), but there are other ways to make great recordings of your drums. For example, the Yamaha EAD10 acoustic electronic drum module has high-quality stereo microphones built in (see #6 below). You can also get great recordings of your drums using just four mics: a pair of overheads positioned a couple of feet above your cymbals, plus one on the kick drum and one on the snare. Audio interfaces like the Steinberg UR44C (which comes bundled with Cubase AI recording software) provide separate inputs for up to four microphones and allow direct connection to your computer without the need for expensive extras such as mic preamps.

When placing a microphone on a snare drum, tom or bass drum, don’t be afraid to move the mic close to the drum. Microphones designed for this kind of use are equipped to handle high sound levels, so you won’t have to worry about damaging them or distorting the signal. Close placement also ensures that you’ll get less “leakage” (unwanted sound from other parts of the drum set) in each microphone — just make sure the mic is out of the “line of fire” of your drum sticks.

Microphone placed near drum head.
Close-miking reduces leakage.

4. Choose the Best File Format

Smartphones typically store video and stereo audio in MOV, M4V or MP4 file formats, all of which compress data to make the file size manageable. While that makes the files easy to share and upload to social media, it also means that the sound quality is not as good as it would be if you recorded full-bandwidth uncompressed files (at a 44.1 kHz sample rate or higher, with 16- or 24-bit resolution) into DAW software such as Steinberg Cubase.

5. Take Advantage of Electronic Drums

Electronic drums are a great tool for making high-quality recordings without the hassle or expense of a lot of external gear … plus they provide lots of sounds for you to choose from. Yamaha DTX6 Series electronic drums offer hundreds of sounds that can be organized into 10 kits, and the included DTX-PRO module can connect to your computer via USB, allowing you to route audio directly into DAW software and create professional-sounding drum tracks.

Rear panel of drum trigger module with USB connections circled in red.
The USB connections on the rear panel of the DTX-PRO enable direct connection to a computer.

6. Supplement Your Acoustic Drum Set with an Electronic Drum Module

Yamaha EAD10 sensor.
Yamaha EAD10 sensor.

Even if you’re a diehard acoustic drum set player, you can still incorporate electronic sounds with the use of the Yamaha EAD10 acoustic electronic drum module mentioned in Tip #3. This revolutionary device includes a sensor unit that’s designed to be mounted onto your bass drum hoop. In addition to stereo microphones, the sensor also contains a trigger that can be used to play kick drum sounds stored in the EAD10 module, and the triggered sound can also be mixed with the microphones, so you don’t have to worry about using a separate kick drum microphone.

The EAD10 allows you to get clear, distortion-free stereo recordings of your drums without the hassle and expense of placing a lot of microphones and cables around your drum set. And, since setup is a breeze, you can be ready to record a scratch track or practice session in minutes. The EAD10 also provides the ability to add a variety of effects such as reverb, delay, and compression, plus you have the option of hearing the effects while you’re playing, which can help you come up with new, creative parts that you might not have otherwise played.

Recordings made with the EAD10 can be stored onto a USB thumb drive as high-quality (44.1 kHz/16-bit) uncompressed WAV files. When you’re finished recording, you can move the thumb drive to your computer and upload or email files to your friends. (Here’s a video that explores the EAD10 in detail and shows you all it can do. You can also find video examples of drummers using the EAD10 here and here.)

Another really cool feature of the EAD10 is that it functions as a 2-in/2-out USB audio interface for your computer, enabling you to record directly into most DAW software without any additional gear. This means you can easily overdub to tracks downloaded from your friends, create new tracks, and work on songs together. The files generated by most DAWs are usually too big to email, but you can exchange files using a cloud-based file server, some of which are free as long as the files remain below a certain size.

7. Record and Share

Looking for the easiest way to collaborate online? Check out the free Yamaha Rec’n’Share app, which runs on iOS and Android™ devices. Used in conjunction with the Yamaha EAD10 or DTX6 Series electronic drums, Rec’n’Share enables you to record both audio and video of your drum performance. When you’re finished recording the track, you can edit the beginning and end of the file to remove any extraneous audio, then email it, upload it to a file sharing app, or post your performance directly to social media.

Screenshot of the Yamaha Rec’n’Share app on tablet.
The Yamaha Rec’n’Share app.

Remember, keep practicing to keep up your chops … and happy sharing!

Photograph courtesy of the author.

 

Check out these related blog postings:

How to Practice Drums Without Disturbing the Neighbors

The Benefits of Recording Drum Practice and Performance

Electronic Drums 101

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha DTX6 Series electronic drums.

Click here for more information about the Yamaha EAD10 acoustic electronic drum module.

Click here for more information about the Yamaha Rec’n’Share app.

Mastering engineer in studio sitting in front of mixing console.

How Not to Over-Process During Mastering

Written by Pete Lyman on . Posted in Recording.

My whole philosophy as a mastering engineer first and foremost is to do the least amount of processing possible to get the best result. When I know someone is about to deliver files to me for mastering, I suggest they first use whatever tools they have in their arsenal to get their mix sounding great … but without crossing the line into over-processing.

Better Safe Than Sorry

If a client is unsure of the processing that they want to apply, I tell them to print a backup without it — that way, we have options. But if they’re certain the processing is adding something to the mix, I tell them to go ahead and use it. For instance, if you’re applying a dB or two of mix bus compression and you’re making changes based upon how the song is sounding going through that compressor, don’t take that compressor off. Send it to me that way, because without that compression, I’m not going to be able to hear the mix as you hear it.

Nonetheless, I always advise clients to be careful that they are not painting themselves into a corner. Mix bus EQ and compression is usually fine, but I’m always a little leery of mix bus digital brickwall limiting, because it can place restrictions on what can be done at the mastering stage. For instance, if you’re mixing into a brickwall limiter and there are low frequency issues, that might cause the limiter to pump in an unpleasant way. Even though I might be able to EQ some of those frequency issues out in mastering, it’s really hard to fix limiter pumping; in fact, it’s usually impossible. That said, there are a lot of great engineers that mix into limiters, and if you know what you’re doing, it can be very effective.

Start Slow

For newer engineers that are experimenting with mastering at home with Steinberg WaveLab, the best way to do it is to pull up the MasterRig … but don’t activate all of the functions. Try instead by starting with just the EQ and the Limiter. Most of your mastering could potentially be done with those two modules alone. There’s no need to get fancy with a bunch of multiband compression right off the bat, for example. In fact, I would argue that multiband compression should only be used to fix any serious problems that you can’t fix with EQ. Even then, you might only need to compress one or two bands. Note also that if you pull up a preset, it may be useful for some things, but it may not apply to your specific track.

The best approach is to start with EQ and get the track sounding the way you want it. From there, start working on the overall level. As you are doing so, you may find yourself adjusting the EQ a little — things sometimes change slightly when you start making the track louder.

MasterRig EQ module.
MasterRig EQ module.

After that, try some limiting for loudness. Keep it simple, and try to get the result you want with just those two tools. If you’re not sure about what you’re doing, you may be doing damage, so think about every move you make, and ask yourself: Is this helping the track, or hurting it? Don’t pull out the saturation and tape emulators quite yet. Those are a bit more advanced, and frankly most mastering engineers aren’t using them, at least not on a daily basis.

MasterRig Limiter module.
MasterRig Limiter module.

Don’t Get Over-Loud

It’s also important to not make things too loud. Obviously, over the last 20 years, tracks have continued to get louder and louder as people push the envelope of what they can achieve in the digital realm. My take on this is different than people who get outraged about loudness, over-limiting and over-compression. While it’s not my first choice to set something on stun, I believe my job as a mastering engineer is to give the client what they ask for. So if someone specifically requests a really loud master, then I am going to figure out the most elegant and cleanest way to deliver that to them.

Where a lot of inexperienced people fail at this is that they assume loudness is achieved by using just one brickwall limiter and slamming their mix into it. They don’t understand that, with that kind of approach, they are not going to be able to get the clean result that I or other mastering engineers might, because it’s really all about gain staging. The key is to pick up a little bit of loudness here and there through different parts of your chain. This principle works whether you’re using a completely in-the-box software mastering chain or an analog hardware chain, or a combination of the two. It’s best to pick up a couple of dB at a time using different plug-ins or different devices to get the cleanest sound, as opposed to achieving 10 dB of gain reduction on a single limiter. It’s not as easy as a lot of people think … not if you want the result to be comparable to a commercially mastered track.

Frankly, I’m of the opinion that track loudness is simply not important. I have mastered many records that have won Grammys that aren’t loud at all. Loudness seems to be driven by artist insecurity and A&R label-based insecurity. Consumers are not getting mad that a track or a record isn’t loud. It’s not an issue to them. Everyone knows there’s a volume knob. Turn it up and let’s start making better-sounding records!

Photograph courtesy of the author.

 

Check out Pete’s other blogs.

Click here for more information about Steinberg WaveLab.

Male portrait with hands touching his temples with audio equalizer on the background.

How to Develop Critical Listening Skills

Written by Mike Levine on . Posted in Audio How-to. 2 Comments on How to Develop Critical Listening Skills

You might think that there isn’t much difference between hearing and listening, but that’s not the case. Although both involve the auditory system, they’re mostly different processes. Just ask legendary recording engineer, producer, inventor and educator George Massenburg.

“Hearing is the act of perceiving sound by the ear,” he wrote in a 2019 paper entitled “Critical Listening and Critical Evaluation.” “Listening is a conscious mental process, as much about the brain as the ear.”

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the meaning of critical listening and describe some steps you can take to develop that invaluable skill.

Critical Information

Other than covering our ears or moving to a different location, we don’t have control over what we hear. If a sound is within the range of our auditory system, we will hear it. Listening, on the other hand, is something we do for a reason.

The reason can be quite simple — for example, listening for a whistle to blow to know if a train is coming. Or it can be a lot more complex, such as wanting to concentrate on what a lecturer is saying in order to better understand the subject being explained.

When it comes to music, listening can be a visceral and straightforward process, or it can be far more complex, depending on the situation. If you’re dancing at a club, you’re probably not consciously analyzing specific aspects of the music; you’re just reacting to the beat and the groove.

But if you’re sitting down to savor a favorite album or song being played on a high-quality audio system, the ability to listen critically — to perceive and analyze the musical and sonic constituents — can make for a more rewarding experience. It gives you a more comprehensive and informed basis for understanding the music you love, from both an artistic and technical standpoint.

“For evaluating music, there are at least two basic ways to listen,” says Massenburg. “[As] an engineer and as a producer.” Although he’s referring to the listening skills required by audio professionals, the same basic concept and the same degree of focus applies if you’re a music lover listening for pure enjoyment … and while you’re at it, you should also learn to listen like an arranger.

Listen Like a Producer

The “producer” side Massenburg cites requires knowledge of the genre in order to evaluate the artistic aspects of the songwriting (both music and lyrics), as well as the arrangement and the quality of the performance. Music lovers, like producers, need to become an aficionado of the style(s) they want to listen to critically. In addition to consuming a wide range of music by artists in the genre, it’s helpful to read interviews, listen to podcasts and watch videos.

Once you’ve immersed yourself like that, you’ll be better able to evaluate the artistic aspects of a song or album from a contemporary standpoint, as well as helping you understand its roots and historical context.

Listen Like an Arranger

A big part of listening critically is being able to pick out the sound of individual instruments so you can understand what they are doing and the role they’re playing in the overall arrangement. Some people are born with this ability, but if you’re not one of those lucky individuals, there’s ample evidence that it’s a skill that can be developed over time: It’s simply a matter of playing a song repeatedly as you concentrate on one instrument at a time.

The more you do this, the better you’ll get at it, and you’ll find that you get a better sense of how the instruments all interlock with each other to create an ensemble sound. You’ll also start noticing similarities in the instrument parts between different songs of similar types. Those similarities are what help define a genre.

For example, in reggae music, the rhythm guitar parts almost always consist of short, staccato chords played on the upbeats. In EDM (Electronic Dance Music), the bass drum is almost always playing a “four-on-the-floor” pattern. That means it’s hitting on every quarter note (1, 2, 3, 4), creating a pulse in the low frequencies.

Listen Like an Engineer

The “engineer” side of critical listening entails being able to analyze a recording from a technical standpoint. This includes negative aspects like an awareness of distortion or processing artifacts such as over-compression or poor application of EQ, as well as positive aspects such as a good balance of tonalities or powerful dynamics. The good news is that you don’t need musical or studio experience to be able to do this: over time, you can learn to evaluate the technical aspects of what you’re listening to.

A good place to start is by studying panning — the way that the mix engineer or producer places the instruments in the stereo spectrum to create a virtual soundstage. This is one of the main tools used by professional mixing engineers to help give each element its own space — something that’s critical to keep a recording from sounding cluttered or muddy.

In pop music, the bass drum, snare drum, bass (whether upright or electric) and lead vocal are usually panned in the center, while the rest of the drum set, as well as most other instruments, are usually spread out to various points to the left and right. The illustration below shows a typical software mixing console a recording engineer might use, showing pan settings (L/C/R, short for “Left” / “Center” / “Right”) at the top for each instrument or vocal part.

Illustration showing a typical software mixing console a recording engineer might use, with pan settings at the top for each instrument or vocal part.

Mixing engineers can also make specific instruments or vocals seem like they’re further forward or further back. One way to bring an element forward is to make it louder. Another is to make it “drier” by putting less reverb on it.

Listen to a favorite song with the placement of the parts in mind. Which elements feel more forward? Where are the background vocals panned? Are the rhythm guitars fully left and right? The keyboards? Apply these kinds of criteria as you listen repeatedly, and you’ll soon begin to appreciate the styles and skills of various mixing engineers and producers.

The Highs and Lows

Another important aspect of critical listening is being able to discern the different frequencies (pitch ranges) in a recording. The illustration below shows a software frequency analyzer — a tool used to display the relative strengths of the different frequency areas, from the lows (bass, bass drum) to the mids (vocals, guitars, keyboards) to the highs (cymbals, shakers, breathiness).

Illustration showing a software frequency analyzer — a tool used to display the relative strengths of the different frequency areas.

This is a great tool for understanding frequency areas, but the goal here is to use your ears, not your eyes, to discern these regions. Try listening to a favorite piece of music without the benefit of this kind of aid, and ask yourself the following questions: Does the overall recording have a lot of clarity (i.e., is it easy to pick out individual instruments) or is it muddy (i.e., hard to discern individual components)? Does it sound overly sizzly, boxy, or boomy? (This would indicate a poor tonal balance, and a surplus of high, midrange or low frequencies, respectively.)

Not Just for Effect

Another facet to listen for is effects. Is there a lot of reverb on the vocals? Is there delay (echo)? It’s important to be able to differentiate between the two. (Reverb is a kind of diffuse “cloud” that follows a signal, while delays/echoes are distinguishable as being separate from the source.) Maybe there’s some subtle distortion? Does the voice sound natural or heavily processed? Is the overall recording dynamic (i.e., can you easily differentiate between the loudest sections and the softest ones) or is it static (i.e., everything sounds like it’s pretty much at the same volume)? Dynamic recordings tend to be much more interesting to the human ear than static ones, which often result from the over-application of compression and/or limiting.

Change is Good

One of the hallmarks of well-crafted music is that it changes — sometimes quite dramatically — from start to finish. When you’re analyzing the arrangement and performance on a recording, one of the fascinating things to listen for is how it changes over time.

For example, in both classical and pop music, you’ll notice that the arrangement usually builds subtly from section to section. Instruments will get added, or the intensity will vary, and the composition or song will typically reach its peak (both in level and complexity) at or near its conclusion. Well-arranged songs also have variations not only in instrumentation but dynamics, with the volume level constantly shifting to hold the listener’s interest.

Get Critical

Being a critical listener allows you to delve beyond the gut-level reaction you have when you first hear a song. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that; in fact, music is typically written to elicit an immediate response from the listener.)

But with the ability to listen critically, you can appreciate music intellectually as well. You’ll start to see how all the various aspects — writing, performance, arrangement, production and the technical aspects of the recording — come together as a whole to put a smile on your face. There’s a reason, after all, why your favorite music is your favorite music … and now you’ll be able to know what that reason is!

 

Check out these related blog posts:

Dialing in the Perfect Two-Channel Experience

What is an Integrated Amplifier?

Here’s What You Need to Know About Vinyl

How to Clean Vinyl Records

Functional Harmony, Part 2

Written by Jerry Kovarsky on . Posted in Keyboard How-to. 3 Comments on Functional Harmony, Part 2

In Part 1 of this two-part series, we described how to add passing chords based on Dominant seventh chord resolutions. In this installment, we’ll dig a little deeper into this concept by creating longer sequences of those chords.

Taking the Long Road

Let’s assume you want to add some more color to a chord progression, and finish up with the I chord (the root chord of the key you’re playing in). In the key of C, for example, you can set up that final chord by first playing the V7 chord, which is a fifth higher (7 half-steps) from C — in this case, a G7 chord.

Circle of fifths progression.

To set up the G7 chord, you again go up a fifth and use a D7th chord. Following this same logic, you would use an A7 to set up the D7, an E7 to set up the A7, and finally a B7 to set up the E7. If we analyze these chords based on the key of C, we get:

Setting up a chord by going up a fifth.

You may find it easiest to understand how these chords function in relationship to each other if you read backwards from the C (the root tone) in the third bar:

– The G7 is the V of the C.
– The D7 is the V of that V chord (the G7), called a Secondary Dominant.
– The A7 is the V of the D, which is the second step of the C scale (although not usually a Dominant seventh chord).
– The E7 is the V of the A, which is the sixth step of the scale.
– The B7 is the V of the E, which is the third step of the scale.

The second half of the illustration above shows the same chords, this time displaying the scale tone number of each chord’s root tone, disregarding how those scale tone chords would occur in the key (i.e., major, minor, etc.).

This progression of functional chords is based on consecutive intervals of a fifth. In music theory, this is called the circle of fifths. Here’s the full cycle, including all key signatures and relative minor relationships:

Circle of fifths chart.

The circle of fifths allows you to easily create a longer series of chords to help connect any two chords. But you won’t always want all your chords to be Dominant sevenths. And, as we’ll soon see, they don’t have to be.

The ii – V – I Progression

As we’ve shown, when you use the circle of fifths to set up your root tone chord in the key of C, you end up with a progression that goes from D to G to C — in other words, scale tone steps ii, V and then I. If you look at the scale tone chord qualities of a major key, you’ll see that the ii chord is a minor seventh, while in a minor key the ii chord is a minor seventh with a flatted fifth, also called a half-diminished chord, indicated by the red arrows in this illustration:

Scale tone 7th chords.

You can use these qualities to give your progressions a little more variety. As the following illustration shows, the two chords preceding any chord in this cycle can be a ii – V – I progression of some sort:

Varied cycle of fifth chords.

Let’s examine some of the possibilities this offers. For example, here’s a common chord progression with a ii – V – I movement applied:

Pop tune adding ii-V-I.

In the second version, I’m using a ii – V in the second bar to set up the coming Fmaj7, and in the fourth bar, I use the proper ii – V to set up the return to the Am7 at the top of the progression.

Exactly how you choose to apply these harmonic devices has to take into account the melody notes of the song. In the following example, the melody notes allow the use of the progression outlined above:

Pop tune melody.

But the melody of this next example presents some issues:

Pop tune melody.

In the second bar, the sustained E in the melody doesn’t sound great against a Gm7 chord, so I chose to go right to the C7, which acts as a V7 to the coming Fmaj7 chord. To add a little more interest, I chose not to use the root in the bass of the chord, using the G note as a passing tone to bring me down to the coming Fmaj7 nicely. Then I got a little more advanced, and on the last beat I used a tri-tone substitution of the C7 chord to add a little more movement on the way down to the Fmaj7th. (At this point, you might want to refer to this blog post to review the concept of tri-tone substitutions.) In the fourth bar, the G# note didn’t sound good against the B half-diminished chord, so I went right to the E7, and then brought back the ii – V for the last two beats of the bar.

The Wrap-Up

An understanding of Dominant chord resolutions, the circle of fifths, and ii – V – I chord progressions will allow you to add variety and sophistication to your playing. Once you have a firm grasp of these concepts, the next step is to decide on voicings — that is, the assignment of the notes between your two hands — to sound your best. This will largely be based on the style of music you are playing, as we’ll be exploring in future columns. Stay tuned!

All audio played on a Yamaha P-515.

 

Check out our other Well-Rounded Keyboardist postings.

Click here for more information about Yamaha keyboard instruments.

Person using MusicCast app on smartphone.

Explore the New Features of the MusicCast App

Written by Joy Frye on . Posted in TV & Movies.

Yamaha MusicCast wireless multi-room audio technology offers a large selection of home audio components, from AV receivers and streaming amplifiers to sound bars and speakers, as well as a free MusicCast Controller app that allows you to control all your equipment from your smart device.

Now there’s a new release of MusicCast Controller (version 4.10) that’s even more powerful and user friendly. Let’s look at some of the improvements it offers.

Alexa Scenes

A scene is a set of actions you want Alexa to take in response to a voice command spoken to an Alexa device. For instance, when you say, “Alexa, I’m home” to your Amazon Echo, you might want the smart lightbulb in your lamp to turn on and adjust to a certain brightness.

The latest version of MusicCast Controller allows you to integrate the app with your other smart home devices through the use of these scenes. First, you need the Alexa app downloaded on your phone or tablet. Next, make sure you have Alexa set up in MusicCast Controller, as well as the MusicCast Smart Home skill set up in your Alexa app:

Fig01 Alexa Google Setup 1
MusicCast App.

Fig02 Alexa MusicCast Skills
Alexa App.

A convenient feature offered by MusicCast Controller is something called Room Presets. These save a room’s link information, input and volume in a preset that can be instantly recalled with the tap of a button. For instance, say you have the input of a Yamaha RX-V685 AV receiver in the living room set to HDMI® 1 for watching TV, and that the receiver is wirelessly linked to a Yamaha MusicCast 20 speaker with the volume set to an appropriate level. You might then save those settings as a room preset called “Late Night TV.”

When at least one room preset is created, you’ll see an Alexa button displayed beneath your room presets, as shown below. Tap the button to register a scene with Alexa. This will involve logging into Yamaha Connect — something you’ve already done when you first set up Alexa in the MusicCast Controller app. (Download our setup manual for complete instructions).

Screenshots showing how to set up Alexa in the MusicCast Controller app.

Once your preset is registered as a scene with Alexa, you can combine it with other scenes or events into a routine. First, check that your scenes are available in the Alexa app by tapping Devices, then Scenes:

Screenshots showing how you can combine scene with other scenes or events into a routine.

You can create Routines in the Alexa app that combine scenes from other smart home devices which can be triggered by voice command or events, such as time of day.

Screenshots showing how to create routines in the Alexa app.

For instance, you can create a Routine that you invoke by saying, “Alexa, turn on late night TV.” Alexa would then set your TV to the correct input and your speakers to the right volume.

AV Controller Functions

AV Controller is a free app that allows you to control legacy Yamaha AV receivers from your smart device. The most commonly used features of that app have now been integrated into MusicCast Controller to allow remote control of the latest model Yamaha AV receivers.

Note: Not all the features listed below are available for every MusicCast device. Most models require a firmware update, and some older models do not support certain features. Availability is noted after each feature.

The following sound settings have been added:

– Party Mode (all MusicCast models)

– Remote Control screen (all MusicCast models)

– YPAO™ Volume (2018 MusicCast models and newer)

– DTS® Dialogue control (2018 MusicCast models and newer)

– Video preset (2018 MusicCast models and newer)

– Screen on/off for background video (2018 MusicCast models and newer)

– Helpful descriptions of the sound settings have also been added for all MusicCast models, as shown here:

Fig01 Alexa Google Setup 1
Old sound settings.

Fig02 Alexa MusicCast Skills
New descriptions.

As noted above, Party Mode is now available for all MusicCast AV receivers (AVRs), with an On/off switch displayed in the Sound Settings screen. There are, however, two limitations in Party Mode, as follows:

– AVR Zone 2/3/4 can’t be selected in the Rooms screen. (The input name is shown as “Party Mode.”)

– AVR Zone 2/3/4 can’t link master/clients.

Scene functions have also been added.

Streaming Service Enhancements

Yamaha has also made a number of streaming service-related updates, as follows:

– An “HR” indicator has been added to high-res content in Qobuz. This feature is available for 2020 MusicCast models out of the box; 2018 or newer MusicCast models require a firmware update.

– A 15-second skip function has been added to Spotify® podcast playback. This feature is available for 2020 MusicCast models out of the box.

– The ability to jump to the Spotify app by tapping the album art.

Fig14_Qobuz HR Mark
Qobuz high-res indicator.

Fig15_Spotify Podcast Skip
Spotify podcast skip.

A Better User Experience

Finally, there are several additions that make MusicCast Controller easier to use:

– The volume is now displayed in percentages so that it’s consistent across all MusicCast devices:

Screenshot showing volume as a percentage in the MusicCast app.

– Your smart device’s volume button now works for linked rooms too, not just individual rooms / devices.

– You can see updated tips for using the app by tapping the Settings icon, then TIPS:

Screenshot showing the "Tips" button in the MusicCast App.

 

Have fun exploring MusicCast Controller’s new functionality! We’ll keep you apprised here on the blog about future updates that will include even more time-saving features and additional smart home integration.

 

Check out these related blog articles:

Five MusicCast App Features You May Not Know

How to Use Alexa with MusicCast

How to Stream Amazon Music from Your Smartphone or Sound Bar

The Perfect Pairing: Yamaha MusicCast and Home Automation

Doing a Firmware Update on Your AV Receiver

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha MusicCast.

Click here for more information about the Yamaha MusicCast Controller app.

 

Read other articles in our AV Technology Spotlight series.

Woman playing Yamaha SILENT violin.

How to Silently Practice Your String Instrument at Home

Written by Dale Ramirez on . Posted in Electric Strings.

Practicing at home is taking on new meaning during these times. Regularly practicing violin always required diligence and dedication to your instrument. Now string players find themselves mostly at home, creating music for their family and neighbors and maybe the occasional livestream. But as you prepare for your big living room concert or Instagram debut, you may want to practice in complete privacy. Or maybe you want to pull out your violin for the first time in a long time and are thinking of ways to decrease your volume … at least until you get your intonation up to standard (we’ve all been there!).

Whatever reason you have for playing at a reduced dynamic level, there are solutions to make sure you can keep practicing even when you are in close quarters with family members or next-door neighbors.

Bear in mind that acoustic string instruments — that is, wooden instruments without electric components — cannot be made fully silent. That said, you can affix a practice mute (a piece of rubber or metal) under the bridge of the instrument to significantly reduce the vibration of the strings, and hence the overall volume. This is a good option for those okay with a little bit of sound emanating from the instrument.

For those looking for greater reduction in volume, there are instruments made expressly for that purpose, such as electric strings. However, even these instruments may lack the capability of true silent practice unless they allow you to plug in a set of headphones. Many electric string instruments are specifically designed to be used with amplifiers, meaning that if you want to play silently, you have to get a little creative.

Yamaha SILENT™ Series violins such as the YSV104 and SV250/SV255 are an even better option, since they allow you to directly connect headphones as well as an external audio source for completely silent play-along practice. The YSV104 also provides adjustable settings that allow you to switch the sound in your headphones between a realistic room ambience ideally suited to practice and the deep, rich reverb of a concert hall. (Click here for more information about the differences between SILENT and electric strings.)

YSV104 Crop
Yamaha YSV104.

SV250 Crop
Yamaha SV250.

All kinds of music is being performed on SILENT and electric string instruments these days, so play what you like and what you want out in the world. We want to hear you!

 

Ready to learn more? Here’s a video that shows you how to set up an electric violin:

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha SILENT strings.

Express Yourself

Written by Dr. Daniel J. Levitin on . Posted in Brand. 2 Comments on Express Yourself

I’ve been playing piano since I was four. One of the pieces I struggle with still is the Chopin Prelude in E Minor — which is fascinating, because I’ve been able to put my fingers in all the right places for 50 years. It’s being able to play it with true expression that has been a lifelong challenge.

Dan Levitin with Yamaha piano.
The author and his Yamaha C6 grand piano.

Which Instrument?

A typical orchestra has more than a dozen different instruments, and sometimes many more if you count special use instruments such as piano, celeste, xylophone, saxophone and bass clarinet. In fact, there are seventeen different clarinets alone, and over a hundred different percussion instruments. How do people decide what to play?

The decision depends in part on what your goals are. If your aim is to play in a heavy metal band, bassoon is not the obvious choice (but not unheard of — conductor Edwin Outwater just performed a concert with the San Francisco Symphony and Metallica). The decision also likely depends on how old you are. For a young child — say under age 10 — I recommend that parents take a different approach than individuals north of 50 who are picking up a musical instrument for the first time. Yes, you can learn an instrument at any age and you can become pretty good at it, but the older you are, your choice of which instrument to play becomes more crucial to success.

The Age Factor

At a young age, one instrument isn’t necessarily more difficult to play than another, although physical factors can be relevant. A child with chubby fingers, for example, will find more success on the cello than the violin. The best way to help children choose an instrument is to let them hear as many different instruments as they can and see which ones excite them most. Artur Rubinstein, one of the great pianists of all time, knew from the age of six that he wanted to play the piano. His father had other ideas — he bought young Artur a violin, which the precocious child promptly smashed. Rewarding a tantrum is not usually a good idea, but most children who are drawn to music are very specific about the kind of sound that resonates with them. And this is an important decision, since becoming a great musician requires a minimum of 10,000 hours of practice. (There is no documented case of a master musician who achieved that in fewer hours.) If you don’t like the sound you’re making for all those hours, it can be hard to motivate yourself to practice.

Everything’s different for older adults because learning takes on a qualitatively different aspect. A child may be content to practice scales for an hour or more a day, and be resigned to the fact that it can take years to coax a pleasing tone out of some instruments, such as the violin or the oboe. Other instruments, like guitar or electric bass, require that the player develop callouses so that it isn’t physically painful to practice.

The Keyboard Advantage

For older adults, the instrument I recommend is the piano (or any similar keyboard, such as organ or synthesizer). The reason is that getting a good tone out of a keyboard is not at all difficult: anyone can sit down at a piano and play a C-sharp as well as a Rubinstein, an Alicia de Larrocha or an Elton John. Putting the notes together is the challenge, but it’s a challenge you can start addressing right away.

The other advantage of the piano is that it’s easy to visualize scales and chords — they’re all there in front of you, laid out linearly. On brass instruments, the fingering combinations, along with lip pressure, determine the notes in a way that can be difficult to visualize. And although clarinet notes are laid out somewhat linearly, the different octaves require different fingerings. Similarly, some people find stringed instruments such as violins and guitars hard to learn because each string is tuned differently — like having four (or six) pianos stacked on top of each other.

Of course, not everyone can afford an acoustic piano and others don’t have the space for one. Modern digital keyboards that can sound like other instruments are a fantastic innovation. Yamaha patented FM synthesis decades ago (based on an idea by my music teacher John Chowning) and popularized it with the release of the iconic DX7. Today’s keyboard instruments allow you to play realistic sounds of any number of instruments at the touch of a button.

From a technical standpoint, the Chopin Prelude I mentioned at the beginning of this article is fiendishly simple — even a novice can learn to put their hands on all the right keys in just a few weeks of practice. But getting the piece to sound musical is something else altogether. The subtlest variations in tempo and finger pressure, not to mention pedaling, make this a rich and hugely rewarding undertaking. And a great deal of the reward, as with the first movement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, is that I don’t have to learn complicated fingerings, and I don’t have to worry about whether the instrument is producing a pleasing tone. Instead, I can devote all of my attention to emotional expression, getting lost in the beauty of two of the greatest works of art ever created, putting my fingers in the same configurations as Chopin and Beethoven, imagining for a moment that I am them. What better gift can be bestowed upon any musician?

Photograph courtesy of the author.

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha pianos.

Silhouette of man sitting in lotus position watching the sunset.

Zen and the Art of Making Music

Written by Rich Tozzoli on . Posted in Creativity.

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.”
— author Shunryu Suzuki, from his book Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind

This profound thought has helped me get through more than a few challenges in the course of my life. It often reminds me that it’s OK to recognize that not knowing something, or having naiveté about a topic, is perfectly fine and in certain situations can actually be helpful to the end result.

Soto Zen Monk and teacher Shunryu Suzuki standing outside some windows.
Shunryu Suzuki.

During this time of staying at home, I’ve decided to make the best of the situation by not only catching up on long overdue reading, but to push the limits of my professional craft. One of the books I’ve been reading is Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, which is a compilation of relevant talks given by Soto Zen Monk and teacher Shunryu Suzuki (1904-1971). One of the primary topics he explores is the practice of always trying to keep a beginner’s mind. While that can be taken many ways, I’ve come to recognize that I can benefit by rethinking certain elements of my music with that mindset.

Here’s how I recently put it into practice: I accepted the fact that in order to become more proficient at my guitar playing and composing (which is how I make my living), I needed to address my weaknesses. For me, that would be things like bluegrass picking, slide guitar technique and string orchestration. I decided to put focused intense effort into each aspect, and to identify qualified online teachers to help me in the quest.

I’ve been playing guitar most of my life, but bluegrass is technical, intricate and frankly, difficult. At first, I found it remarkably frustrating to learn some of the genre’s precision picking techniques that were foreign to me. To overcome this, I had to accept that it’s OK to start with a beginner’s mind. That acceptance made it easier for me to get a grasp on the basics. Next, I put time into relentlessly playing the same few licks over and over. By locking this into muscle memory, I was able to develop a modified technique that worked for me and let me move on to something slightly more complicated. Now, just a few weeks into the process, I’m able to knock out enough fast bluegrass licks to actually write a few TV cues in the genre … and sound competent at it.

The same applies to slide guitar technique. At first, I found it incredibly annoying that the slide would always bang on the frets and all the strings would buzz at once. But by adopting a beginner’s mindset, I discovered a few simple approaches that led me to understand how to mute the strings and play with my fingers, which delivers a richer tone. I also learned to set up one of my guitars with the action a bit higher, which largely eliminates the bangs and buzzes. As with bluegrass picking, taking a step backwards and starting at the beginning has allowed me to progress quite quickly.

My approach to learning string orchestration is a little different: I’ve been doing live online classes with my teacher while we both sit at keyboards in our respective rooms. We study a piece of classical music and break it down to the basic principles, then discuss how to build our own composition using what we’ve learned. With that knowledge, I found that I was able to create a cue for a tension-filled television show by using a motif based on the first few notes in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.

When it comes to mixing music, I also allow myself to have a beginner’s mind. For example, when applying EQ and/or compression, I don’t worry about what order they are in or how many plug-ins I use, no matter what some say is the “correct” approach. To me, if it sounds right, it is right. If I need to use five EQs in a row and four compressors to get the sound I’m after, so be it. The same applies to my use of reverbs: On occasion, I’ve been known to apply a reverb to a reverb! Sometimes the simple act of trying something new works, and sometimes it doesn’t. The only way you will know is to try.

For some, the word naiveté has come to mean ignorance or simple-mindedness, yet the Latin root means natural, or self-taught. And here’s what I’ve learned: By taking a step backwards and starting from ground zero, I’ve been able to build a solid foundation on my weaknesses, which then allows me to keep constructing a stronger and stronger structure on top of that foundation. Try to approach your next musical endeavor with an open mind and a beginner’s mindset. You never know where it might take you!

Photograph of Shunryu Suzuki courtesy of the San Francisco Zen Center. 

 

Check out Rich’s other postings.

Group of young friends performing on stage.

Live Recording, Part 1

Written by Steve La Cerra on . Posted in Live Sound.

There’s nothing more exciting than listening to a live performance, especially when it’s your band. But how do you go about making a recording of a show or rehearsal that accurately represents what the musicians are playing? In this posting we’ll cover live stereo recording; in Part 2, we’ll show you how to do live multitrack recordings.

The Basics

Live recording can be as easy as using a smartphone or a handheld stereo recorder. However, with such a simple rig, the quality of the audio will be highly dependent upon the room acoustics and the location and quality of the microphone(s) being used. The mics built into most handheld stereo recorders can handle the high sound levels typical of a gig or rehearsal, but the microphones built into phones aren’t usually up to the task (no surprise, since they were designed to handle the low levels required by phone calls), so you may need to add an external mic or two to avoid distortion and capture a wider frequency range.

Another problem with recordings made with handheld devices is that there’s no way to “remix” them, so the balance between the instruments and vocals heard in the room at the time of the performance is what you’ll get on the recording too. As a result, these kinds of recordings can sometimes contain a lot of room ambience and background noise, which make it difficult to hear the music. The bottom line is that recordings made with a phone or handheld recorder are probably best used for reference purposes only, and not for distribution to your fans.

Recording directly from the outputs of your mixer can significantly improve the audio quality while avoiding some of the issues described above. Because it’s coming from mics onstage, the signal from the mixer will have minimal room ambience and crowd noise, and (as long as you maintain correct gain structure and don’t overload the audio path in the mixer) these “board” recordings will be distortion-free.

Creating Board Mixes

One way of recording the outputs from a mixer is using the mixer’s USB port. Yamaha MGXU Series mixers all provide a 2-in/2-out USB interface that can be used to record and play back stereo files. Connecting this port to a laptop running DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software such as Steinberg Cubase AI (a free download that’s also included with MGXU Series mixers) enables you to record the digital stereo output from the mixer straight into a computer. Using an appropriate cable, this USB port can also be connected to an iPhone® or iPad® running the free Yamaha Rec’n’Share app.

Audio mixer connected to a laptop running Steinberg Cubase AI software
The USB output from a mixer can be used to route digital audio to a laptop.

Yamaha MGP24X and MGP32X mixers incorporate a USB Type A port that accepts a USB storage device such as a thumb drive, enabling you to record directly to (or play files back from) the storage device without the need for a computer.

If your mixer doesn’t have USB capabilities, you can create an analog board mix as long as it has an extra set of stereo outputs (that is, in addition to the main stereo outputs feeding your PA system); all you have to do is connect those outputs to the inputs of a handheld recorder or computer audio interface.

As convenient as board mixes are, there are some disadvantages too. The main one is that the audience may be hearing something different than what you are recording. That’s because they are listening to a combination of sound coming from the stage and the sound coming from the PA system. The smaller the room (i.e., in a club setting), the more the stage sound contributes to this blend, and so the fidelity and accuracy of board recordings made in such venues may be compromised.

Complicating this is the fact that some instruments don’t need to be very loud in the PA system due to their stage volume. For example, if the bass player’s stage amp is really loud, there may not be a need for a lot of bass in the PA. This may work fine for the audience, but when you play back a recording taken directly from the mixer, there will be a lack of bass. Ditto for massive onstage guitar stacks. That’s one of the reasons why many board recordings feature overly loud vocals and anemic bass or guitars.

Enter The Matrix

One way to solve these problems is by using a mixer that has a built-in matrix. A matrix is kind of like a mixer inside a mixer. It allows you to internally combine different mix buses (a bus is an audio path that combines multiple signals) and send them to another destination. As an example, the two matrices provided by the Yamaha MGP24X and MGP32X can be used to combine the main stereo L/R mix with signals sent to Groups 1, 2, 3 or 4. (See our Tools of the Trade posting about grouping for more information.)

These matrices are mono, so you’ll need two in order to create stereo. This is accomplished by routing the main stereo L bus into matrix 1, and the main stereo R bus into matrix 2. The USB recorder built into the MGP24/32X gives you a choice of recording either the output from the two matrices or the main L/R stereo mix. These recordings can be saved as either MP3 or WAV file formats.

Two built-in matrices on the Yamaha MGP24X and MGP32X mixers.
Yamaha MGP24X and MGP32X mixers provide two matrices.

It’s not actually as complicated as it sounds. Let’s take a look, for example, at that band with the loud bass player described above. If you assign the bass channel to Group 1, and route that group into matrices 1 and 2 along with the main L/R stereo mix (Left to matrix 1, Right to matrix 2), you’ll hear too much bass in the recording (though the mix the audience hears in the room will sound just fine). But if you don’t assign Group 1 into the main L/R stereo mix (which keeps the group, and therefore the extra bass) out of the PA system, you can make the bass as loud as you want in the recording by altering the Group 1 level … without affecting the house mix.

The MGP24/32X provides four groups, so you can do the same for other sounds that may not need to be as loud in the house mix — electric guitars, for example. You can also use a group to add audience microphones to the recording, while keeping them out of the PA system.

The “ST” button assigns a group to the main stereo L/R mix.
The “ST” button assigns a group to the main stereo L/R mix.

It may take some experimentation to determine which instruments should be routed to a matrix using a group, along with the appropriate level of those groups into the matrices. But once you have it sorted, you’ll have an easy way to make high-quality stereo recordings of your performances and rehearsals.

Click here for Part 2.

 

Check out our other Tools of the Trade postings.

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha MGXU Series mixers.

Click here for more information about Yamaha MGP Series mixers.

Phrase to Amaze

Written by Robbie Calvo on . Posted in Guitars How-to.

The first five years of my guitar playing life were spent studying rhythm guitar, not lead. For some reason, I had no desire to learn scales, arpeggios and melodies.

Focusing my attention strictly on harmonic structures and stylistic rhythmic variations early in my development gave me a solid musical foundation for creating cool chord progressions and a strong sense of the “groove and pocket” for layering multiple guitar parts.

I think of “groove” as the underlying rhythmic feel of a song, and “pocket” as the placement of the parts within the groove. When there are multiple instruments in a mix, finding your own pocket is essential to maintaining clarity in an arrangement.

Understanding how guitar parts lock together to create layers and harmonic interest is fascinating to me, and that may be why I hear melody and lead guitar parts as rhythms that also need to sit in pockets of their own. It’s not just a matter of playing notes over the top of an arrangement or backing track, it’s the purposeful positioning of those notes to interact with the other instrumentation and composition.

What is Phrasing?

The rhythmic delivery of your melodic message is called “phrasing.” This is one of the key elements to creating a personal identity on any instrument. After all, what would a series of musical pitches be without rhythm? A cluster of unorganized sound.

So let’s consider musical phrases to be an organized sequence of notes, arranged as pitch and rhythm. How we personally arrange those elements will have a huge impact on how our music is perceived by an audience.

I’m always looking for new ways to develop my melodic palette, and over the years, I’ve formulated several approaches to expand my musical vocabulary without deconstructing my stock phrases.

Rhythmic Displacement

One of the simplest ways to get more mileage out of your ideas is to place phrases in new locations within a bar (measure) of music — something called rhythmic displacement (sometimes referred to as melodic displacement). But before I get ahead of myself, let’s first establish a description of a measure of music that shows the downbeats as numbers and the plus sign “+” as the upbeat (the “and”). A simple bar of four beats would therefore look like this:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

As you can see, each beat has been divided into two equal parts — the downbeat (number) and the upbeat (plus sign). We can choose to start our phrases on any one of those divisions, provided we control our hands and don’t let muscle memory control us. Playing with this kind of control and intention is going to be a challenge for many guitar players, but with concentrated effort, it can change your phrasing ability forever.

For example, starting a musical phrase on the downbeat of “one” will sound immediate, while starting it on the downbeat of “three” will leave more space at the beginning of the bar, allowing the music to breathe and sound more laid back. As you move phrases further into the bar, you’ll also notice that the end of your phrases may resolve to a new location in the next measure … which can have the unintended — but often good — consequence of landing on a new chord for melodic variation.

I’ve worked with a lot of guitar students who tend to start every phrase on downbeats only. I think this is more of an unconscious thing than a deliberate approach, but it can become an obstacle in creating interesting phrases. Personally, I like to place the start of my phrases on upbeats — at all different points within each bar. I think this sounds hipper and less predictable to the listener.

The Video

In this video, you’ll hear me play two eight-bar solos. In each solo, I place my phrases on the upbeat (the “and”) of each of the four downbeats. In other words, the first phrase is started on the upbeat of one, the second phrase on the upbeat of two, etc. Count along as you listen to the solos to give yourself a solid reference of this phrasing approach. To further demonstrate this, I then play four separate solos, with all the licks of the first solo starting on the upbeat of one, all the licks of the second solo starting on the upbeat of two, etc.

I’ve also placed the backing track at the end of the video so you can try out all these phrasing ideas for yourself, using the G Blues (G Minor Pentatonic) scale. In addition to choosing where you start your phrases, you’ll want to end and resolve your phrases to the tones of the Gmi7 chord: G, B♭, D and F.

The Guitar

Yamaha Revstar 502TFM guitar with subtle flame maple top and finished with a hand-rubbed Vintage Japanese Denim.

The P90 single-coil pickups in the Yamaha Revstar 502TFM I’m playing in this video are perfect for this track. I used the neck pickup exclusively during all the solos for a smooth and creamy tone, and the jumbo frets on the 13-inch radius rosewood fretboard made string bending a breeze. The guitar is great visually, too! Its subtle flame maple top is finished with a hand-rubbed Vintage Japanese Denim, effectively eliminating glare from the camera lighting.

Note that I’m running the Revstar through a Line 6 Helix® guitar processor in stereo, direct to the recording software via an audio interface — no amplifier is used.

The Wrap-Up

We can all learn scale shapes and the resulting chord tones and apply them to a guitar fretboard to create melodic lines and licks … but that’s only half of the musical equation.

Organizing those pitches into compelling rhythmic phrases and then placing them creatively in each bar will give you ultimate command of your instrument and the ability to express yourself fully as an improviser. Don’t just play it, phrase it!

Photograph courtesy of the author.

Check out Robbie’s other postings.

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha Revstar guitars.

Click here for more information about the Line 6 Helix guitar processor.

Musician playing saxophone during online concert at home isolated and quarantined.

Top 10 Tips for Livestreaming Your Music

Written by Mike Levine on . Posted in Live Sound.

More than ever before, musicians are livestreaming from their homes. To make yours stand out from the crowd, you need more than a good performance — you need to optimize your technology and maximize your production values.

Here are ten tips that will help you create a livestreaming event you’ll be proud of.

1. Choose the Right Platform

All the leading social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook®, YouTube™, Twitter/Periscope and Twitch) offer livestreaming options. Your choice will likely come down to where you have the most followers, or what’s fashionable within your genre of music.

But there are other factors to consider. For example, YouTube only allows you to stream from a mobile device if you have a channel with a thousand or more followers. (There’s no minimum follower requirement if you stream from a computer, however.) YouTube also requires a 24-hour waiting period after you verify your account (a relatively quick process involving inputting your phone number) before you can start to stream.

Initiating a YouTube stream in YouTube Studio.
Initiating a YouTube stream in YouTube Studio.

Instagram Live is easy to start streaming on, but your content only stays up for 24 hours. If you want your performance to be available in perpetuity, you need to record it and re-upload it to Instagram or YouTube.

Check out these links for more specifics on the streaming policies of the various main social media platforms: YouTube, Instagram Live, Facebook Live and Twitch.

2. Maximize Your Audio Quality

Livestreaming, at its most basic, entails standing in front of your smartphone and using its built-in camera and mic to capture your performance. It’s easy and quick, but doesn’t offer the best results, particularly on the audio side.

That’s because the built-in mics on phones are generally mono and don’t provide very good fidelity — not surprising, given that they were designed primarily for making phone calls. What’s more, you have to position yourself in such a way that your voice and instrument are correctly mixed. That usually requires you to get your mouth relatively close to the mic, which means moving your face close to the camera. That doesn’t often produce a flattering shot due to the optical distortion you get with extreme closeups.

White Yamaha AG03 mixer.
Yamaha AG03 mixer.

Whether you’re streaming from your phone or from your computer, you can connect higher quality audio devices such as USB microphones or external mixers. The latter allows the usage of professional quality external microphones (positioned exactly where you want) and also enables you to bring in multiple sources. They also allow you to create a stereo mix before the audio is sent to the encoder software in your computer. (See Tip #8 below.)

A good starting point would be one of the compact Yamaha AG Series mixers, which are optimized for basic livestreaming and podcasts, with features such as built-in effects and USB/iPad® connectivity. If you need more inputs and additional flexibility, check out the Yamaha MG Series or MGP Series line of mixers, which come in a variety of sizes and offer USB outputs that make them well-suited for livestreaming applications.

The Yamaha MG10XU mixer offers plenty of channels and a USB output.
The Yamaha MG10XU mixer offers plenty of channels and a USB output.

If you’re a solo act, you should consider using a vocal mic like the one you use onstage, plus a second mic (or a DI connection) for your instrument. If more than one person is performing, multiple input sources are imperative for getting a good blend of sound.

If you’re using your phone for a camera, you can connect USB mixers to it with the use of an inexpensive and readily available adapter cable. For iOS devices, you’ll need the Apple® Lightning-to-USB Camera Adapter; for Android™, an OTG cable.

3. Create an Appealing Visual Background

You want to make your visuals as appealing as possible, so finding the best spot in your house or apartment for your performance is critical. You’ll probably want the background to be as simple as possible — a cluttered room will be a distraction for your viewers.

Light-colored curtains make for a good background; if you don’t have any, you can always hang some fabric on the wall behind you. Or consider buying a “green screen” — a cloth backdrop in a particular shade of green compatible with the chroma key function in your broadcasting software. That’s a great way to go, since it allows you to use any kinds of images as backgrounds, giving you a lot of visual options.

4. Check Your Lighting

You’ll also need decent lighting. Unless you’re planning to stream your show during daylight hours (and assuming you have a space with good natural light), you’ll have to use artificial lighting of some type.

You may be able to get away with the existing lighting in your home, but you should think about purchasing a lighting setup designed for video since professional lighting will help eliminate facial shadows and other visual anomalies. Products and prices vary quite a bit, but you should be able to get something that does a credible job in the $200 – $300 range.

Musician playing saxophone during online concert at home isolated and quarantined.
Natural light can work well when practical.

5. Use a Tripod or Stand

Whether you’re using your phone’s camera or a dedicated video camera, you’ll need a stand or tripod. Obviously, you can’t hold a camera and perform at the same time, and even if you have somebody in your house who can operate it for you, you want the visual image to be steady, not shaky, as would occur if the camera is handheld. A steady camera will provide a much more professional look and help you keep your viewers longer.

6. Consider Multiple Cameras

If you’re ambitious and have some money to spend, you might consider using more than one camera for your livestream. To do so, you’ll need to purchase either a hardware switcher or a software switcher and video capture card, which will require a minimum investment of $300 to $500. You’ll also need someone to operate the switcher during your performance. But the result is a much more captivating image, since the viewer won’t have to be subjected to the same camera angle from start to finish.

7. Maximize Your Internet Connection

Having a stable internet connection makes a huge difference when it comes to livestreaming. If your Wi-Fi is uneven in your house, it may dictate where you perform, which may not always be the best spot visually or acoustically. But if you perform where the signal is weak or unstable, your stream will be subject to dropouts and freezes, which could ruin things for your viewers.

Generally, you’ll get the best results if you set up in the same room as your router (or Wi-Fi extender, if you have one). If possible, connect your computer to the router/extender with an Ethernet cable (as opposed to wirelessly) for the most consistent — and likely fastest — service.

8. Pick the Right Encoding Software

To combine your audio and video sources for streaming, you’ll need to install broadcaster software on your computer. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend any money to do so. Two of the top freeware applications are OBS Studio (OBS stands for “Open Broadcaster Software”) and Streamlabs. Other software packages offering more extensive feature sets are also available.

Screenshot of OBS encoder software.
OBS Studio is freeware encoder software.

These apps allow you to configure your video and audio inputs and will stream your content directly to YouTube, Facebook, Periscope (Twitter’s live streaming service) and Twitch, among others. (Only one at a time, however. If you want to stream to multiple sources you’ll have to pay for a subscription to a multi-streaming platform such as CASTR, Restream or Switchboard.)

9. Play Original Music

Legally, you don’t have the right to play a cover song online unless you’ve arranged for a license through a licensing agent such as The Harry Fox Agency®. If you play an unlicensed cover, your stream (or the recording of it that you post) could be taken down by Facebook, YouTube or whichever platform you’re streaming to. Don’t take that chance: Stick to original material.

Facebook’s tips on posting and copyright for livestream content.
Facebook’s tips on posting and copyright.

10. Test Test Test!

Before you stream to the world, you want to test your setup extensively. Check how your background looks, how the lighting is working, whether your audio is coming through with sufficient fidelity, and how your internet connection is holding up.

Do several dry runs in advance of any public performance. If you’ve decided to use YouTube, you can do a test stream that’s recorded but that only you can access. For other platforms, you might consider setting up a separate account that you use exclusively for tests and don’t publicize.

In addition, most OBS software packages offer a handy recording option. Simply use the same settings as you’re planning on using for your livestream, then record a rehearsal onto your local drive to preview how it will look and sound.

Above all, remember Murphy’s Law: Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. The only way to cope is to be copiously prepared. Happy streaming!

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha mixers.

Headphones, guitar, notebook, electronic tablet and pen on wooden background.

Lyric or Vibe?

Written by Shelly Peiken on . Posted in Creativity.

“What comes first? Melody or lyrics?” This is a question I get asked a lot.

My answer: When I sit down to write by myself, lyrics — or at least a title or a concept — come first. Then I marry it/them to a melody and a chord progression. That’s just me. Everyone has their process. There’s no right or wrong. But to me, words are the seed that initiates a new song.

So much so that I’m absolutely perplexed when someone asks me to critique their song and doesn’t include the lyrics with the MP3 they send me. As if lyrics were incidental. Gravy. Icing on the cake.

Back in the day, if you showed up to play a song for Clive Davis without supplying a hard copy lyric sheet, you’d be escorted out of his office. And that would be a shame after it took so long to get in.

Why have lyrics become so secondary nowadays? I have my theories.

For one thing, with current mainstream pop music being so electronic and beat-driven, it’s the backing track (the musical bed) that has become the star of the show, with the lyrics serving as the supporting cast. One has to wonder if all the triggering of sounds and beats — now such an integral part of the modern songwriting process — is the reason why vibe has leapfrogged all else in the hierarchy of song ingredients. Furthermore, because technology has replaced some of the more human-made musical choices, perhaps we’re simply more cavalier when it comes to other ingredients. Like the WORDS!

Don’t get me wrong. Vibe is essential. But vibe is result of the treatment used (i.e., the production) to usher lyrics and melody into the world — the clothing they’re dressed in, so to speak. The same song can be dressed in many different outfits. But a song has only one lyric. I want to know what they are, especially if you want my opinion of your song.

Yet I’ve recently discovered that when I listen to music (as opposed to creating it), it’s the vibe that initially draws me in. That’s right. It’s vibe that gets my attention. Not the lyrics. At least at first.

I realize this may sound a little hypocritical, but in my defense, it’s occurred to me that perhaps songwriters relate to music differently depending on whether we’re a music “user” — i.e., in a car getting fed random curated playlists — or we’re involved in the creative writing (or critiquing) process. Personally, I look to vibe to service my mood — to take me deeper into the one I’m in (will it enhance my hot tub experience / Sunday night cooking / two-mile run?), or rescue me from it (lift me up or calm me down).

These different behaviors make sense because I didn’t become a songwriter with the intention of enhancing mood. Rather, it was my therapy. I wanted to better understand myself. I wanted to connect with others via a universal concept with a unique point of view. It was, admittedly, all about the words.

That said, if a song’s vibe pulls me in, I’ll pay more attention to the lyric second or third time around — but should I find no substance, I move on. Thank you, next!

Because lyrics matter.

What matters most to you? What comes first when you’re writing? When you’re listening?

Whatever your response, if you’re asking someone to critique your song, please remember to include the lyrics!

 

Check out Shelly’s other postings.

Bring Music Into Your Home This Mother’s Day

Written by Shana Kirk on . Posted in Digital Pianos.

There’s no such thing as a “typical” 21st-century mom. Some mothers engage children through clever crafts, while others explore nature or lead family yoga. Some inspire greatness through sleek professional achievements; others through detailed activity schedules or perfectly executed birthday parties. Most roll a few of these qualities into one unique force. But no matter what their style might be, moms everywhere do all they can to help their children build fulfilling lives. For many, an essential part of that fulfillment is a musical experience.

There are countless ways to include these kinds of experiences into the daily family routine. For example, plenty of children take piano lessons, either online or with a piano teacher. The time-honored practice of working toward a spring recital by learning minuets and sonatinas is a special rite of passage in many families. These families form lifelong bonds with the upright and grand pianos in their living rooms.

Beyond this traditional experience, however, today’s moms also recognize that children’s lives can be enriched in other ways. A tiny energetic explorer might not be ready for the discipline of piano lessons, but might be absolutely captivated by the fun sounds and lighted keys of a starter keyboard like the Yamaha EZ-220. And who knows when that exploration is going to turn into inspiration?

Yamaha EZ-220 keyboard.
Yamaha EZ-220.

Once that moment hits, the budding pop star might learn some quick chords and create dazzling backing tracks for a YouTube channel using the Groove Sampler feature in a Yamaha PSR-EW425. Or that inspiration might take an inward direction, when a burgeoning composer finds delight in exploring the richly authentic sounds of a Yamaha PSR-EW320 — an instrument with an extended touch-sensitive keyboard that allows your child to easily play duets with you. Maybe she even presses the record button and exports their musings to MP3, creating a soundscape for the mindful meditation program at school.

An electronic keyboard musical instrument.
Yamaha PSR-EW320.

Meanwhile, there’s a Yamaha Genos workstation supplying the beats to help a middle schooler find just the right mood for the lyrics he wrote, while a budding Broadway star uses that same instrument to plug in a microphone and creates a dazzling audition recording with authentic backing tracks and vocal harmony.

A large electronic keyboard instrument.
Yamaha Genos digital arranger workstation.

But what happens when one family includes a lot of musical paths? Moms are often also responsible for figuring out how to best include everyone in the family, even when it comes to making music. Recognizing that many families have multiple musical needs, Yamaha offers a variety of flexible hybrid instruments, nimble enough to support divergent musical tastes.

The Yamaha AvantGrand hybrid piano, for example, doesn’t just replicate the sound of an acoustic piano — it actually uses the same mechanism and parts to deliver the feel of playing a real piano … but with no strings to tune, making it the perfect no-maintenance solution.

Woman playing a Yamaha N1X AvantGrand digital piano.
Yamaha N1X AvantGrand.

Clavinova digital pianos offer 88 full-size keys, authentic sounds and traditional cabinets. They also include a suite of educational, recording and arranging features, making them perfect for learning. Some models offer fun entertainment features like karaoke and stream lights, turning a musical instrument into a family party hub.

Yamaha Clavinova stream lights feature.
Yamaha Clavinova stream lights.

Even some fully acoustic Yamaha instruments now include the flexibility to accommodate modern family life. Children practicing traditional études on a piano equipped with the company’s unique SILENT Piano™ technology (such as a Yamaha U1SH upright, P22 SC2 upright or GC1 SH grand) can do all their listening through headphones while still enjoying the true feel of a genuine acoustic piano … plus they can connect their instrument with an iPad® for interactive games or virtual ensembles.

So this Mother’s Day, remember: Nothing says love like music!

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha keyboard instruments.

Young woman at home playing a Yamaha synthesizer.

How to Get the Best Audio When Listening to Livestreams

Written by Joy Frye on . Posted in Music and Streaming. 1 Comment on How to Get the Best Audio When Listening to Livestreams

Whether you’re watching a Facebook Live event on your iPhone® while using AirPlay® to stream it to your AV receiver, or are watching YouTube Live on your smart TV with sound playing through your sound bar, you want the best audio possible. You may already have your home theater fine-tuned to deliver amazing 3D surround sound, but listening to a livestream can be a quite different experience than listening to a highly produced, professionally recorded and mixed movie or TV show.

That’s largely because livestreaming events use a wide variety of audio recording resources. Some may only be using a smartphone’s built-in microphone for the audio portion (sometimes even the video portion too!), while more sophisticated livestreams employ external microphones for better quality, and may also be presenting the performance in stereo. Higher production streams may even use a professional mixing board, where the vocals, instruments and room acoustics are captured by separate microphones and mixed together for a good balance of sound, sometimes even with added effects such as reverb.

Whether you’re listening with the use of an AV receiver, sound bar and/or wireless speakers, here are some tips to improve the livestreaming experience.

Tips for AV Receivers

Most AV receivers offer various preset modes (sometimes called “sound programs”) that are optimized for various types of content, from movies and sports to gaming and music. When listening to a livestreamed event, try starting with Straight Mode, which is the digital soundtrack decoded without alteration. If it’s a stereo broadcast, you’ll get left and right information. If it’s mono, you’ll get the same information through both the left and right channels, which will sound like it’s coming from between the two speakers. Straight Mode probably won’t be your final choice, but it’s a good baseline.

Multi-Channel Stereo Mode (sometimes called All-Channel Stereo Mode) will give you simulated stereo through all the speakers you have connected to the system, which is good for filling the room with sound. However, you may want to try some of the modes that use surround speakers to generate acoustics that simulate where the performance could be originating from. To create these experiences, the receiver takes the digital bitstream from the broadcast and decodes it into the original number of channels of audio being broadcast: one channel if it’s a mono broadcast, two channels for stereo or up to full 5.1 or 7.1 channels of surround, depending on the original source.

There will also usually be a variety of “DSP” (Digital Signal Processing) modes that create virtual surround sound environments such as a Jazz Club or Concert Hall. These process the original signal with additional acoustic information to recreate a tailored sound field that can emulate different listening environments in your home: everything from a baseball stadium to an intimate nightclub.

Be sure to try all the modes on your receiver’s remote, even the ones with names that don’t sound like they’re intended for music. You may be surprised at which mode is the best for your livestreaming event!

Closeup of someone's hand choosing from the items on their smartphone app with the TV on in background.
AV receiver sound programs in the MusicCast app.

Tips for Sound Bars

Like AV receivers, many sound bars have preset sound settings for TV, movies, sports, games, music and stereo. Even if content is streamed in stereo, your sound bar may be able to decode it into surround sound using Dolby® Surround. So try presets other than stereo or a “music mode” and see which one sounds the best for the livestreaming event you’re listening to. You can also try turning up the volume of your subwoofer for more bass.

Clear Voice is a feature offered by many Yamaha sound bars that makes voices easier to hear and understand by bringing the dialogue and narration to the forefront. Although intended for movies, Clear Voice can have a positive effect on music too.

Tips for Wireless Speakers

Even your humble wireless speaker may have settings that will improve your livestreaming listening experience. For example, Yamaha MusicCast 20 and MusicCast 50 wireless speakers offer a Bass Booster feature for those who are all about that bottom end. You can turn on Bass Booster in the MusicCast Controller app by tapping the hamburger in the lower right-hand corner of the Now Playing screen:

Music app in use.
MusicCast 50 Bass Booster feature in the MusicCast app.

Remember, you are watching these musicians because you appreciate their artistry and talent. Don’t let a poor audio stream rob you of enjoying the artist’s gift to you!

Photograph by Walden Kennedy.

 

Check out this related blog article: How to Get Great Sound When Watching Sports on TV

Click here for more information about Yamaha AV receivers.

Click here for more information about Yamaha sound bars.

Click here for more information about Yamaha wireless speakers.

Front face of electronic equipment.

Understanding and Using Reverb

Written by Mike Levine on . Posted in Recording. 2 Comments on Understanding and Using Reverb

Producers and recording engineers commonly add some degree of reverb to pretty much every song they work on. That’s because reverb provides a sense of space, giving instruments and voices more dimension and life. It can make anything sound as if it was recorded in a big concert hall, the live room of a famous studio, a club or almost any other type of space … even if it was actually captured two inches in front of a microphone in a tiny bedroom.

In this article, we’ll talk about the various kinds of reverb plug-ins available, and the ways you can use them during recording and mixing. (For information on how to use reverb in live sound, check out this blog post.)

Which is Which?

Reverb plug-ins are based on either algorithmic or convolution technology (or sometimes a combination of both). Algorithmic reverbs such as Steinberg REVelation or roomworksSE (both included with Cubase) use mathematical formulas to emulate various real acoustic spaces, such as rooms, halls, plates, and so forth. Even though they’re digital models of reality, they can be quite accurate.

Convolution reverbs use samples of actual spaces — called “Impulse Responses” (or IRs for short) — as the basis for their sounds. For example, REVerence, one of the reverb plug-ins included with Cubase Pro, offers sampled acoustics from recording studios, concert halls, cathedrals, tunnels and gymnasiums, among other places.

Screenshot of REVerence plug-in showing example of IRs from large Viennese hall.
REVerence’s sounds include IRs from places and spaces all over the world.

Although convolution reverbs sample real spaces, that doesn’t necessarily make them better overall. Algorithmic reverbs typically have more adjustable parameters, providing superior control and customization. They’re also more CPU-efficient, as compared to convolution plug-ins.

Configurations

Whichever type of reverb you use, the best way to apply it is as a “send effect,” using an auxiliary (“aux”) send-and-return configuration. Such a setup is usually preferable to using it as an “insert effect” — that is, inserting it directly on the source track. (For more information about aux sends and returns, check out this blog post.) There are two reasons why. First, you can send the signal to one reverb plug-in from multiple channels in your mix simultaneously, which allows you to use fewer plug-ins overall and save on CPU overhead. The second is that you can further customize the sound with other processing plug-ins inserted after the reverb. (More about this shortly.)

One note of caution: Whenever using an aux send to feed signal to a reverb plug-in, be sure to set the plug-in’s mix control (sometimes called “wet/dry”) to 100%. Otherwise, when you turn up the send, the reverb will output some dry (unprocessed) signal along with the wet (processed) signal, which can potentially cause phase issues since dry signal is already coming from the source track.

Screenshot of Cubase roomworksSE showing Mix control.
Cubase roomworksSE Mix control.

Spaces

When mixing, you’ll generally want to add some reverb to several tracks, unless they were recorded with enough natural ambience that it’s not necessary. How much you apply and the type of space(s) you select is an artistic choice.

For example, if you wanted to make a vocal sound like it was recorded at a live concert, you would probably want to choose a reverb based on a hall or some other large space. If you were trying to add some additional ambience to an instrument, you might want to instead go for a smaller virtual space such as a room, chamber or short plate.

Plate reverbs, in case you’re wondering, were analog devices typically found in recording studios that featured large metal plates that vibrated as audio passed through them, creating a reverberant sound that was then captured by an internally mounted microphone, with its signal then routed to the console.

Chamber reverbs simulate reverbs created in echo chambers, which were highly reverberant rooms (usually with tiled walls and/or floors, like bathrooms). The sound of an instrument or voice was pumped into the room through speakers and then picked up with a series of mics, with the resultant signal routed back to the console to be mixed in with the original sound source.

Plug-in recreations of plates and chambers often sound quite good. Plates are particularly versatile.

Falling into Decay

A reverb signal has two main sections: the early reflections and the tail. The former is the first part of the reverb signal. It reproduces the initial part of the sound being processed and is louder than the tail, which is the sustaining and fading part of the signal.

Screenshot of REVerence plug-in showing early reflections in a reverb waveform.
The early reflections in a reverb waveform.

The length of the entire reverb signal is a critical variable, and is often expressed as decay time, though it is also sometimes called reverb time or RT60. Some plug-ins offer an adjustable size (or “room size”) control that determines the length of the decay.

Be careful when using a reverb with a long decay time on an up-tempo song. The faster the tempo, the more quickly the next line or phrase comes around, and you generally don’t want the reverb tail hanging over it, since that can make your mix sound muddy and indistinct. On songs with slow tempos, you have more leeway to use longer decay times.

An easy way to check if the reverb is hanging over is to solo the vocal (or another track you’ve put the reverb on) and listen to whether it ends before the next line comes in. If not, try shortening the decay time.

In Advance

Another important reverb parameter is pre-delay, which is usually expressed in milliseconds. As the name implies, this adds a delay before the reverb starts.

A reverb waveform without (top) and with (bottom) pre-delay.
A reverb waveform without (top) and with (bottom) pre-delay.

You’ll find that a short pre-delay (less than 30ms or so, depending on the song) often helps a reverb sit better in the mix. Without it, the reverb will start the instant the audio hits it, which can sound unnatural. If you set the pre-delay too high, however, you’ll hear a distinct space before the reverb begins. Unless you’re going for a rhythmic effect (where the reverb is timed to come in on a beat), that probably won’t sound very good.

Extra Goodies

Most reverbs have EQ controls of some type. It’s often helpful to attenuate (cut) some frequencies of the reverberated signal, particularly in the low end. Doing so can help avoid cluttering the mix with the low frequencies in the reverb tails, which generally can be reduced without damaging the overall tone. If you want more equalization options than your reverb plug-in provides, you can always insert an EQ plug-in after the reverb.

Screenshot of StudioEQ showing EQ plug-in inserted after a reverb.
An EQ plug-in inserted after a reverb gives you additional frequency control.

When it comes to processing reverb, you’re not limited to EQ, either. If you place a compressor after a reverb, for example, it will squash down the reverberated signal and change its sound — sometimes quite significantly. Similarly, saturation after reverb can add a cool graininess. If you’re going for a rhythmic effect, a dedicated delay plug-in can substitute for the pre-delay and give you more control, including locking it to the song’s tempo.

Bear in mind that, as mentioned in our blog posting The Virtual Soundstage, ambient effects like reverb make a sound recede towards the back of the mix, so factor that in when you’re deciding how much of it to put on a vocal or lead instrument. In general, it’s usually best to be understated with reverb. If all your tracks are dripping in it, it can take away the punch and clarity of your mix. That said, almost every song can benefit from some judicious application of reverb. Experimentation, as always, is key!

 

Check out our other Recording Basics postings.

Click here for more information about Steinberg Cubase.

Young girl reading a book on the floor of her room.

In My Room

Written by Howard Massey on . Posted in Creativity.

When I was a kid, my favorite room was the Reading Room in the Ingersoll Public Library — a massive Art Deco building in the heart of Brooklyn, where I grew up.

Ingersoll Public Library in Brooklyn at sunset.

Perched up on the second floor, the Reading Room was a large, opulent space with dark wood wainscoting, plush carpeting and sunlight streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked Prospect Park (the Brooklyn equivalent to Manhattan’s Central Park). My parents — both of whom were avid readers, a trait they passed on to me — would take me there every few weeks. It was a family outing I always looked forward to.

I remember racing through the bookshelves, picking out a dozen or more tomes of interest as quickly as possible before heading to the escalator upstairs. I’d plunk myself down in one of the Reading Room’s easy chairs and begin thumbing through the books in my lap, eager to pick out the top seven (the maximum you were allowed to check out). Once that decision was made, I’d settle back and enjoy the solemn stillness, feeling like a real grown-up. In my imagination, I was Bruce Wayne studying criminology in his private library at Gotham Manor, or Sherlock Holmes contemplating a set of baffling clues while puffing on his pipe at No. 221B Baker Street.

When I got to college, my favorite room was one of the practice rooms in the basement of the campus Fine Arts building. Behind its heavy soundproofed doors lay an old grand piano in pretty decent shape, and I’d pound away on it for hours on end, composing songs that I was convinced would be my ticket to fame and fortune. None of them did, but I wouldn’t trade a moment of the joy that uninhibited playing brought me — the perfect antidote to the pressures of academia and trying to find my way in the world.

In my senior year, I formed a rock band, playing drums at first before switching over to bass. After graduation, a group of my bandmates and I rented a house near the university, and the center of activity was our rehearsal room. With all our gear in there (plus an out-of-tune spinet I’d bought for fifty bucks from a neighbor), it was cramped, and pretty musty too, but I still recall spending many happy hours in that room, both with friends and on my own.

A few years later, I relocated to England. I still played bass with various bands and on recording sessions (as well as, sometimes, guitar or keyboards), but encouraged by some of the music publishers I’d wangled meetings with, I felt that my future lay in songwriting. So, even though my first domicile in Blighty was a tiny studio apartment in central London (something the Brits endearingly called a “bedsit,” since it had barely enough room to accommodate a bed and a single chair), I promptly rented an upright piano and placed it up against one wall, thereby depriving myself of a fair chunk of the already limited available space. No matter. As I saw things, it was a necessary part of my life.

I would move twice while living in England, and each time that piano would go with me. And indeed a few of the songs I composed on it would bring me a modicum of success (and much-needed income). It was hard to say goodbye to that old friend when I moved back to the States. I miss that piano to this very day.

Everywhere I’ve lived, I’ve had a music room, though over the years it would evolve into a well-equipped home recording studio. Today that studio does double-duty as my home office, where I find myself spending more time behind a computer keyboard than a musical one. But my old guitars and basses are still with me, even if my drum set isn’t (it was long ago replaced by electronic drum pads), and I take great comfort from knowing that they are here, still serving as my faithful companions.

Frankly, I can’t imagine life without a favorite room — a room where, as Brian Wilson once wrote, I can go and tell my secrets to. I hope you too have such a place in your life, especially these days, when positivity and inspiration have become such precious commodities.

Photograph by Jim Henderson.

 

Check out Howard’s other postings.

3d rendered space environment.

Eight Great Star Wars™ Surround Sound Effects

Written by Ted Goslin on . Posted in TV & Movies.

One of the most significant achievements of the Star Wars™ universe is its use of sound. When the original film came out in 1977, there were few audio or visual effects companies that could create what was needed. This forced Star Wars creator George Lucas to start his own company, Industrial Light and Magic™, which is considered today to be one of the leaders in movie special effects.

We thought it would be fitting this May 4th (the official Star Wars Day) to pay tribute by presenting a list of the sound effects used in the saga that are best appreciated when heard in surround sound.

We’re providing YouTube™ links of film clips to help you identify the effects listed here, but to get the most from these moments, we suggest you go beyond your TV speakers and listen on a 5.1 (or more) channel system, using either an AV receiver and discrete speakers, or a sound bar with surround sound capabilities. You’ll enjoy even better audio if you can get your hands on Blu-ray Discs™ containing the full movies or access a streaming service that offers an option for 5.1-channel surround sound.

(Warning: Spoilers ahead!)

1. Light Sabers

Originally created by combining the hum of movie projector motors and electronic TV interference, this iconic sound can be heard buzzing through the front stage of your system in most of the original Star Wars trilogy, most notably when Luke Skywalker battles Darth Vader. A more recent example can be heard during the animated series, Star Wars: Rebels, when Vader faces off in an epic duel with his former apprentice, Ashoka Tano. Filled with the clashing of light sabers from every angle and rounded out with great music and a powerful, lightning strike-filled low end, this tense fight ends in a nail-biting climax. Watch it here.

2. Blaster Fire

While there’s no shortage of blaster fire to enjoy in any of these movies, try watching Rogue One while observing where the shots are coming from in the surround sound mix. One standout moment occurs when Baze Malbus rescues his wannabe Jedi pal Chirrut Îmwe from a bunch of stormtroopers using his heavy repeater blaster cannon. During the rescue, and in the incredible fight sequence that precedes it, you’ll notice blaster fire scattered through the soundstage, with some high-impact martial arts moves mixed in that make great use of the subwoofer as well. Watch it here.

3. Chase Sequences

Any chase sequence in Star Wars is well worth watching, but one notable recent addition happens in Solo: A Star Wars Story, when Han Solo, Chewbacca and their accomplices attempt to heist a monorail-like train on a frozen planet and are forced to contend with a group of thieves. Underpinned with rousing music, lots of blaster fire, ships crashing into things and a big explosion or two, this sequence makes great use of surround sound, with audio across the whole front stage, rear nuances from mechanical noises and full use of the subwoofer for explosions. Watch it here.

4. Space Battles

No Star Wars story is complete without epic space battles. One of the most jaw-dropping scenes takes place in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith right after the opening crawl during the Battle of Coruscant. First you’re introduced to a complete color palette of ships, lasers and explosions that fill the soundstage from front to back. Then the two Jedi fighters of Obi-wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker enter, soaring in from off-screen and zipping all around, heading towards their objective: a rescue. Watch it here.

5. Character Sounds

There are plenty of big moments in Star Wars, but what about the little ones? There’s lots of those too, from the ominous sound of Darth Vader’s breathing to the playful droid noises from R2-D2 and BB8. One of the most impactful comes in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, when Princess Leia frees Han Solo from being a carbonite wall ornament in Jabba the Hutt’s palace. Just when they think they’re safe, Jabba’s laugh creeps into the audio track, soon filling the room, along with the sounds of his lackies laughing along with him. Watch it here.

6. Pod Racing

Episode I: The Phantom Menace offers something unique: pod racing. During this thrilling sequence, Anakin Skywalker, a 10-year-old boy, is competing against professional racers to win his own freedom, along with some ship parts to help his friends. While the whole race is filled with exciting sound, pay particular attention to the moments when ships are turning corners, crashing into each other and exploding … as well as at the end, when Sebulba tries to overtake Anakin with tragic results. Watch it here.

7. Jet Packs

Large engines sound cool when they reverberate with the low-end power of a subwoofer, but smaller engines — the ones that offer more than just the gut-punch of a subwoofer explosion — can sound even cooler. The perfect example: the jetpacks (known as “the Rising Phoenix”) used by Mandalorians, a warrior creed that train from a young age to fight for noble causes. In the Season 1 finale of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, the title character launches himself towards the show’s main villain, Moff Gideon, who is flying overhead in a TIE Fighter (the solo fighter craft used by the evil Empire in aerial and space combat). The Mandalorian manages to get the upper hand and the result is a buffet of audio mayhem, from the launch of the jet pack to the sounds of the fighter and air whooshing by during the onslaught. Watch the series trailer here.

8. The Sounds of the Force

As every Star Wars fan knows well, “the force” is the invisible presence that binds all life together. One of the more shocking (and audibly powerful) moments involving the force occurs in the video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order when the hero, Cal Kestis, has just defeated an Imperial Inquisitor and is about to escape when footsteps and the familiar sound of breathing signal trouble, in the form of Darth Vader. Now it’s time for you (the player) to attempt to fight the menacing Sith lord, and what ensues is a race for your life. During the battle, there’s plenty happening audio-wise, from slashing sabers in the front to the low-end rumble of the force in action. Watch it here.

Have fun … and may the force be with you!

 

Here are some more blog posts to help you enjoy Star Wars in surround sound:

Best Star Wars Scenes to Enjoy on Your Sound Bar

May the Fourth Be With You: The Best Moments from the Star Wars Saga

Home Theater Basics

Four Myths of Surround Sound

How to Shop for a Surround Sound System

Updated: How to Get ESSER (CARES, CRRSA, ARP) Funding for Your Music Program

Written by Dr. Dave Gerhart on . Posted in Funding.

UPDATED: July 10,2023

There have been many rumors that all ESSER funds have been spent or the funds have been pulled back due to the debt-ceiling legislation that Congress passed in May 2023. These statements are not true.

Below, we have compiled resources from arts organizations and federal government websites. The purpose of federal education funding is to promote fairness among various communities and aid in increasing the availability of exceptional music and arts programs for a greater number of students. Your ongoing support and advocacy play a crucial role in advancing this endeavor!

Important Links

ESSER Funding Toolkit 2023 — COVID Relief Funding in the Music Classroom: An updated resource from the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) that provides tools to initiate conversations with your administrators about the remaining ESSER funds.

The Education Stabilization Fund Transparency Portal: This website provides a transparent view into federal COVID relief funds (ESSER, GEER, EANS and HEER). It shows how much funding was allocated to school districts and the amount of remaining funds.

Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER): The Department of Education has compiled ESSER resources on this page. (Updated 5/17/23)

In addition to ESSER funds, there are many federal programs that can be used to support music education. The links below provide information about block grants and other federal programs to help support music education.

  • Federal Funds Can Be Used for Music Education: This webinar, hosted by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation, discusses federal funds (Title IV Part A, SSAE, Title I and Title II) and provides success stories to expand opportunities for all students.
  • REPORT — The Impact of Federal Funds on Music & Arts Education, 2022 Survey: NAfME, in collaboration with the NAMM Foundation, the Educational Theatre Association (edTA), the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) and the National Art Education Association (NAEA), conducted an informal survey to collect data about the use of federal funds to support music and the arts (dance, theater and visual arts) during the 2021–22 school year.

 

UPDATE FROM DECEMBER 20, 2021: On June 14, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education began releasing state plans on how each state will use their ESSER III funds to support schools, students and educators. The state plans are required for states to receive the final third of their allocated ESSER III funds. As of today, 50 states and the District of Columbia have submitted their plans.

 

UPDATE FROM JUNE 4, 2021: On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) released a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on ESSER and GEER funds.

This document helps educators justify how and why they can access these funds for their program. It is important to note that for the first time, the DOE states that ESSER funds can be used to implement or expand music programs, which includes purchasing instruments.

Don’t forget, if you receive ESSER funds, please email us and tell us your success story.

 

UPDATE FROM May 5, 2021: The American Rescue Plan (ARP) was signed into law on March 11, 2021. This COVID relief bill extends or modifies several provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was passed in March 2020 and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) that was passed in December 2020.

The new relief bill authorizes $168 billion for the Education Stabilization Fund. The bulk of that funding falls under Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III), which will receive an additional $122 billion on top of the $54 billion (ESSER II) and $13 billion (ESSER I) that was allocated in the previous acts.

Important Links

Educator Success Stories

 

UPDATE FROM February 25, 2021: The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) was signed into law on Dec. 27, 2020. This new COVID relief bill extends or modifies several provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was passed in March 2020.

The new relief bill authorizes $81.9 billion for the Education Stabilization Fund. The bulk of that funding falls under Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER II to differentiate it from the original K-12 funding under the CARES Act), which will receive an additional $54 billion on top of the $13 billion that was allocated under ESSER in March 2020.

ESSER II funds cannot be used until original ESSER funds are spent. ESSER funds are still available — check out this dashboard of ESSER funding that has been allocated and spent by each state and territory.

ESSER II funds must be spent within one year of allocation. All ESSER II funds must be spent by Sept. 30, 2023.

Important Links

 

Below is the original article about the CARES Act. 

Get CARES Act Funding for Your Program

We are living in challenging and unprecedented times, requiring intervention from the federal government. On March 27, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed. Last week, the U.S. Department of Education announced that $30.75 billion of the CARES Act will be distributed through four grant programs to address the impact of COVID-19 on students, K-12 schools and higher education institutions. This allotment is new grant money and not part of Title IV-A or other grant programs. 

Only one of the CARES Act grant programs requires an application — due by July 1, 2020 — through the federal government. The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) provides $13.5 billion in emergency relief funds to support continued learning for K-12 students. State education agencies (SEAs) must apply for ESSER grant money by July 1, 2020 — time is of the essence! — and local education agencies (LEAs) will have one year to use the money. See below for information about how ESSER Funds can be used and how to get started on the application.

The other three grant programs are distributed to states or directly to higher education institutions. 1) The Education Stabilization Fund Discretionary Grants (ESF) provides a portion of $307 million in grants to states most affected by coronavirus to address specific educational needs of students, their parents and teachers. 2) The Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEERF) includes $3 billion of discretionary funds distributed to state governments to support K-12 and higher education needs related to COVID-19. 3) The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) provides $14 billion of funding directly to higher education institutions to provide emergency financial aid grants to students whose lives have been disrupted.

States have been informed of the funds they will receive. Here is the state-by-state breakdown of the GEERF, HEERF and ESSER Funds Allocations.

How Can ESSER Funds Be Used?

ESSER Funds can be used for the following:

  • Tools and resources for distance education/learning
  • Ensuring student health and safety
  • To give resources necessary to address the needs of individual schools
  • Developing and implementing plans for the next school year
  • Provide internet access for students struggling to learn remotely
  • Supporting low-income students with resources to help them with online learning
  • Support for special populations of students, such as those who are homeless
  • Children with disabilities
  • Racial and ethnic minorities

For a detailed list on how ESSER Funds can be used, refer to pages 7 and 8 of the Certification and Agreement for Funding under the Education Stabilization Fund Program.

How Do I Get Started?

  • Start with a musical needs assessment. Using the criteria above, how can ESSER Funds help your program address the projected needs of your incoming students? Write up a proposal to reflect those items.
  • Meet with your administrator about the proposal to address projected needs and ask about securing support from this funding source.
  • Principals are not always up to date on U.S. Department of Education funding programs, so it may be helpful to ask your principal/supervisor if they could advocate for your needs by checking with the district’s or school’s federal funding professional. (Most school districts have a dedicated staff member who seeks out federal funds to support educational needs.)
  • Ensure that your needs are advanced to the appropriate LEA department or representative to ensure that they are accounted for because it is the responsibility of the SEAs to download and complete the Certification and Agreement form and submit it.
  • Remember, SEAs have until July 1, 2020, to apply for ESSER Funds, so it is important to reach out to your administrator as soon as possible.
  • In a letter to education commissioners, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said that applications will be processed within three business days of receipt.

chart

Additional Resources

Please be aware that this information changes daily. Refer to the U.S. Department of Education website for current information.

Music Education Policy During a Global Pandemic Webinar by the NAfME Public Policy Team (webinar slides are available here)

Press Release from U.S. Department of Education: Secretary DeVos Makes Available Over $13 Billion in Emergency Coronavirus Relief to Support Continued Education for K-12 Students

Education Week: Betsy DeVos Releases Billions More in Coronavirus Education Aid

If you know of additional ESSER Funds or CARES Act resources, please email them to educators@yamaha.com and we will share them with other music educators.

 

Yamaha is an active advocate for music education, and we want to empower music educators to strengthen their programs in any way we can. Please register for the Yamaha Educator newsletter to read up on advocacy, professional development, information about instruments, resources, partnerships in education and more. Join the Yamaha Music Educator Community on Facebook or email us at educators@yamaha.com.

 

How to Practice Drums Without Disturbing the Neighbors

Written by Steve La Cerra on . Posted in Electronic Drums. 1 Comment on How to Practice Drums Without Disturbing the Neighbors

Drummers have to drum. But unless you have access to a rehearsal studio or you’re regularly gigging, it can be challenging to find ways to practice without disturbing the neighbors.

“Quiet drumming” might seem like a contradiction in terms, but there are actually several options for getting the volume down while keeping your chops up. Here are a few of them.

1. Use Practice Pads

The age-old method for quiet practice is the practice pad, which was initially developed for working on rudiments (though not necessarily beats and fills). Multi-pad kits are also available, making it possible to work on coordination and independence.

Practice pads offer a lot of advantages. They’re lightweight, easy to move and relatively inexpensive. They can be used anywhere in your home — you even take them outside and work on your flams while you work on your tan. A practice pad brings you back to the basics, forcing you to focus your concentration on a single surface. You can also easily hear a metronome while playing on a pad, which helps prevent sloppy habits and improves stick control.

A drum practice pad.
A practice pad can help focus your attention on stick control.

Practice pads are available with a variety of playing surfaces, ranging from rubber to real drum heads, so try various options and see what feels best to you. (Bear in mind, however, that whichever one you choose, the rebound is likely to be stronger than that of an acoustic drum.) Pads designed for tabletop use are adequate, but to maintain your playing posture, a practice pad should be placed on a stand at the same height as your snare drum.

2. Muffle Your Drums

As long as there have been drums, there have been people trying to figure out how to make them quiet! Homemade remedies have included filling drum shells with packing peanuts or moving blankets, placing towels on top of heads or cymbals, and putting sheets between the bearing edges and the heads.

These days, there are more sophisticated ways to reduce the volume of acoustic drums. For example, rubber drum and cymbal mutes can easily be placed atop your existing kit and quickly removed when it’s gig time. A downside to playing on drum mutes, however, is that sticks don’t rebound the way they would if you were playing directly on the heads, so you’ll have to work a little harder than usual — which is also a good way to build up your drumming muscles.

Mesh heads can also drastically decrease the loudness of any acoustic drum set, though a big disadvantage is that you’ll have to change back to normal heads when it comes time for a gig — unless you have the luxury of owning separate kits for practice and gigging. Mesh heads can also feel somewhat springy under normal tension and don’t play well with brushes because the wires get caught in the weave … and when tensioned high enough to feel like traditional heads, they generally don’t sound all that great. That’s where triggers like the Yamaha DT Series come in handy. Simply attach them to drums with mesh heads and connect them to an electronic module like the Yamaha EAD10 in order to practice at a low volume while hearing realistic drum sounds in your headphones.

Yamaha DT50S drum trigger.
Yamaha DT50S drum trigger.

Complementing mesh heads are the new generation of “practice cymbals” (sometimes called “low volume” or “silent” cymbals.) Essentially lightweight cymbals that have been perforated with a large number of holes, they feel and sound very much like regular cymbals, but are not nearly as loud. Since the Yamaha EAD10 has a built-in stereo mic, you’ll be able to mix in the sound of these kinds of cymbals for a realistic practice experience at a low volume. Check out this video to see how it works:

Here’s another video that shows you how to use practice cymbals along with DT Series triggers and an EAD10 to build a quiet drum set.

3. Use Electronic Drum Kits

There’s no question that an electronic drum kit keeps noise levels down, and they also provide a wide range of different sounds and features. That means you can keep reinventing your kit over and over again while sharpening your skills at the same time. (For a good example, check out this video of the Yamaha DTX6 being put through its paces.

However, keep in mind that playing on an electronic pad with a hard rubber surface can actually produce enough noise to disturb your next-door neighbors. For that reason, you should look for electronic pads with soft rubber surfaces or synthetic heads (these are also easier on your elbows than hard surface pads!). The Yamaha DTX720K electronic drum kit utilizes advanced DTX-PADs for the snare and toms. These are exceptionally quiet, but at the same time offer playability similar to that of acoustic drums.

The Yamaha DTX720K electronic drum kit.
The Yamaha DTX720K electronic drum kit.

4. Soundproof Your Practice Space

Soundproofing your practice space is the most effective way to play acoustic drums without disturbing your neighbors, but it’s an expensive undertaking, and few rooms (if any) end up being truly soundproof. If you can use a part of your garage or basement for practice, that’s the best way to go because they’re usually constructed from concrete, which is a very effective material for isolating sound. These kinds of spaces also have the natural advantage of no neighbors underneath — important since the thumping generated by foot pedals can easily permeate through floors and ceilings. There are commercially available sound-deadening mats and platforms that address this problem, though these kinds of products can be pricey. If you’re on a tight budget, rubber floor tiles designed for home playrooms or workout rooms can work surprisingly well. As a bonus, they usually come as locking panels, so you can custom-create a platform in pretty much exactly the size needed to accommodate your drums.

If neither a garage nor a basement is an option, fear not: There are ways to prevent sound from leaking out of any room. Start by making sure that all windows and doors are thoroughly sealed using weather stripping or caulk — but understand that sound can escape through air vents as well as holes in walls, floors or ceilings, so make sure they’re sealed too. Isolation of hollow doors can be improved by adding a layer of plywood or medium-density fiberboard (“MDF”) to each side of the door. Heavy curtains and blankets can also significantly decrease the amount of noise leaking through windows or doorways. Placing old mattresses or couch cushions against walls can also help improve isolation (even at the tough-to-control low frequencies), though you should determine whether the possible health risks of doing so outweigh the acoustic benefits. One myth to avoid: Don’t tack empty egg cartons on the walls or door. They won’t make things soundproof. In fact, they’ll do little more than make your practice room smell like a dirty grocery store.

Acoustic foam pads in a variety of colors.
Acoustic foam.

Bear in mind that, even if you’ve done a great job keeping sound from leaking out, the amount of sound bouncing around inside a room can be a real distraction, especially when playing a high-decibel instrument like acoustic drums. Fortunately, this can be tamed by hanging heavy drapes or moving blankets or by mounting “acoustic foam” on the wall. These kinds of treatments will also serve to slightly reduce the amount of high-frequency sound heard outside the room, though they won’t significantly improve isolation at low frequencies, such as the boom of your bass drum or floor toms.

 

Making your drums quiet is a challenge — but it’s not impossible. A small investment in materials and a little bit of ingenuity can help you maintain your practice routine and remain friends with your neighbors.

Photograph courtesy of the author.

Click here for more information about Yamaha drum triggers.

Click here for more information about the Yamaha EAD10 electronic drum module.

Click here for more information about Yamaha electronic drums.

 

Elderly man playing a piano in front of the ocean.

Sounds of Resilience: An Interview With Dr. Barry Bittman

Written by Rich Tozzoli on . Posted in Brand. 1 Comment on Sounds of Resilience: An Interview With Dr. Barry Bittman

“The solutions for our most difficult challenges often lie within us.” So says Barry Bittman, MD, Chairman and CEO of the Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute, a non-profit organization actively engaged in both education and research.

Black and white portrait of Dr Barry Bittman.
Dr. Barry Bittman

Dr. Bittman is an acknowledged expert in his field — a neurologist, author, international speaker, researcher and innovator who serves as a national healthcare transformation consultant. I recently had the opportunity to speak with him at length about the challenges facing us all during times like these. The information he shared was both illuminating and comforting.

RT: What are the benefits of making music during stressful times?

BB: More than two decades ago, I began what has become a remarkable journey into the relatively uncharted realm of understanding the psychobiological benefits of playing a musical instrument. Over the years, our research teams have uncovered a number of key insights and extensive evidence suggesting that expressing one’s self creatively (even without prior experience) reduces the impact of stress on many levels.

When we are stressed, there are a series of predictable biological changes that occur. If we can reverse the impact of stress by creatively expressing that which weighs upon us, we enable the healing process to begin.

This “disclosure theory” was originated years ago by the psychologist James Pennebaker. What he basically said was that the things we hold inside that we don’t express have a tendency to destroy us. If we can get those things off our chest, then we can positively transform our biology. There is a great deal of research to show that when people express themselves creatively with a musical instrument, there are positive biological benefits.

RT: Does this apply only to professional musicians, or to people who play just for fun too?

BB: We’ve performed a great deal of research on people who frankly don’t consider themselves musical at all. In fact, not being a musician was one of the conditions for the studies.

We discovered that, for individuals who don’t consider themselves musical or who aren’t trying to get to Carnegie Hall, if you give them an opportunity for creative expression musically, their biology changes in a positive manner. It became apparent that what we were really talking about was reversing or mitigating the impact on human stress, regardless of musical proficiency level.

RT: Can you get the same benefits from practicing on your own as you do from performing with others?

"The worst reason not to play now is because you don't have an audience. And the most important reason to play now is because you don't have an audience."

BB: There is an entirely different biology when you play an instrument for the sake of simply expressing what you are feeling inside versus when you are performing. You don’t have to be playing for somebody else. You can play for yourself and in doing so, you have the opportunity to inspire others. In fact, the worst reason not to play now is because you don’t have an audience. And the most important reason to play now is because you don’t have an audience.

One of my heroes is a gentleman by the name of Ray Bradbury, who was one of the greatest science fiction authors of all time. He didn’t write because he needed to make money or because he needed to publish another book. He wrote because there was no other way for him to internally make sense of everything that was happening in his life. He wrote as a form of creative expression.

As another example, take the classical composer Robert Schumann. He was what we would now call bipolar, previously referred to as manic-depressive. He didn’t compose so that he could buy a new buggy, he did so because he couldn’t survive another day without getting off his chest what he could not express otherwise. The reality is that many of the great composers composed or played for that same reason: it was their survival mechanism.

The problem today is that people, especially in competitive music, strive to play every piece perfectly. They want to play it the way Mozart did, or the way Schumann played it. But it’s absolutely impossible, because it’s inconceivable you could play it that way unless you felt precisely what they were experiencing. I sincerely doubt that even Mozart — who was truly a vessel of music — could play something twice exactly the same way.

What concerns me during times like these is that, when we are stressed and pressured, we tend to first give up the things we love most, because they don’t seem like real necessities. But if we fall back on that which has given us inner peace by allowing ourselves to express our joy, our sorrow, our frustration — if we put those things back into our lives, that’s when healing begins.

RT: How can simply playing an instrument — as opposed to composing a piece of music — be a liberating form of expression?

"Our feelings become our biology."

BB: A person playing a guitar on their couch is expressing whatever they feel. Even if you don’t know how to improvise, even if you’re playing someone else’s music, the way you play it reflects what’s within your soul, what’s in your heart and what needs to be expressed in the moment. In my younger years, I played piano seriously and then I gave it up during medical school. Yet after becoming a doctor, the very first thing I purchased when I could afford it was a piano. I would then come home at the end of a challenging day and bang away, or play gently, to enable myself to get off my chest what I didn’t even realize was inside.

Not surprisingly, I always felt better afterward. Our feelings become our biology. When we talk about blood pressure being raised, for example, it’s a complex reaction to stress — or distress — occurring at multiple levels. When our brains interpret a situation or whatever happens as stressful, a unique biological response occurs. Our experiences become woven into our memory banks — what we call our limbic system — and what follows is the turning on or off of a series switches at the DNA level, which we refer to as gene expression.

What we’ve been able to scientifically accomplish over the years is to measure that gene expression, technically in the form of messenger RNA, and look at the pathways that are associated with inducing and reversing that stress response by playing a musical instrument. Our first study focused on 47 genes that were associated with the stress axis. Later, we were able to look at the entire human genome — every single gene. We were able to measure the reversal of that stress response by actually triggering new stress-mitigating pathways. By pathway, I’m referring to a series of biological reactions in the body that can affect our immunity, and in turn, our health.

RT: What do you see as the best way of coping with the current situation?

Actually, I have a prescription. It’s one that doesn’t require a pharmacy, nor does it have any known side effects. Simply take the time to allow the creativity within you to well up in your own form of musical expression. Whether it be on 88 keys, a drum head, on any instrument of your choice — even just singing in the shower — devote a portion of your day to enabling the sounds of resilience within you to emerge. Just allow your mind to float and generate the music that extends from your instrument in a very personal way. That’s where true healing begins.

Photograph courtesy of the author.

Music Is Life: Michael McDonald, Bob James and Jon McLaughlin

Written by Yamaha Corporation of America on . Posted in Artists.

Music is life. It’s something that we’re born with. Your heart is a musical instrument. It beats at a tempo and a rhythm that keeps you alive. Check out these videos as three master pianists talk about the impact music has had on their lives.

Michael McDonald

“I believe that making waves is something that every single human being does, in ways they maybe don’t even imagine,” says superstar singer/pianist Michael McDonald. “The simple act of love and kindness ripples out, and music is just another form of that. Music and art are what truly make us human.”

Bob James

“You don’t have to use any words to have an emotional experience with music,” observes jazz pianist and arranger Bob James. “I can go to any country in the world and if I go to a piano and play notes, I can speak to [my audience] in this unique way with sound: it’s its own language.”

Jon McLaughlin

“Music helps me be empathetic,” pianist/songwriter Jon McLaughlin says. “It helps me understand someone else, understand myself, and feel connected. With everything I do, I want to be creating a positive wave.”

 

Looking for more inspiration? Check out this video:

 

Functional Harmony, Part 1

Written by Jerry Kovarsky on . Posted in Keyboard How-to.

In a recent posting, I described how a Dominant seventh chord has an inherent tension that wants to be released by resolving into a triad a fourth above / fifth below (i.e., G7 wants to resolve to C). This comes from a scale having a Dominant seventh chord on its fifth step (i.e., G7 if we’re talking about the scale of C) that wants to resolve back to the key center of the scale, the I chord (in this case, C).

This kind of “functional harmony” can be used to add more chords to a chord progression. Such added chords are often called passing chords because they help to create logical movement between two chords that seems to set up our ears to anticipate the next chord that follows.

Setting Up Other Scale Tone Chords

Let’s look at how we can use the Dominant seventh chord to set up various scale tone chords. In this example, they are built on the C Major scale (i.e., the key of C):

Major Scale Triads.

Let’s say you want to go from a C Major chord to an A minor chord. If you count up a perfect fifth from A (that is, seven half steps higher), you come to E. And E is the fifth step of an A Major or A minor scale, so an E Dominant seventh chord (E7) can be used as a passing chord to set up the A minor.

C resolves to A minor.

Note: In this, and the following two audio examples, the chords are played twice; the second time around, I add left-hand bass notes to help reinforce the sound.

In the analysis below the notes in the above example, I am calling the E7 chord a V7 of the vi chord. In traditional music theory this is called a secondary dominant chord. Basically, it means that the chord does not come from the current key center, so it has some notes from outside the key signature, but it works well to set up the following chord.

Let’s do the same thing to move from C to F:

C resolves to F.

Here we only have to change the C Major triad to a C Dominant seventh to get the “pull” that wants to resolve to the F.

One more example, this time getting a C major triad to connect to an E minor:

C resolves to E minor.

Now let’s take a very common four-chord progression and show how you can use these passing chords for some additional color:

Four chord progression.

Finally, here’s an example that uses Dominant seventh chords to set up each scale tone triad, with a little melodic figure to make it more interesting:

Setting Up Scale Tone Chords.

Note that I chose to skip the seventh step scale tone chord and just finish the example with the V7 (G7) resolving back to the I (C).

Changing the Bass Note

To get some variety in these progressions, you can use notes other than the root tone in the left hand (bass) for the passing chords:

Alternate Bass Notes for the passing chords.

Let’s Get Fancy

Let’s finish up with something a bit tricky that comes from deeper jazz harmony, but is related to this Dominant seventh resolution concept. The idea is that Dominant seventh chords that are a tritone (six half steps higher) apart from each other can be used interchangeably. You can think of this tritone interval as raising the fourth step of the scale, or lowering the fifth:

Tritone interval.

Both chords share some important common tones, like their third and sevenths, which are the tension notes that want to resolve.

Tritones.

Let’s look at how this works when going from the I chord to the IV chord:

C resolves to F Tritones.

In the above example, the E (the third) and B♭ (the seventh) of the C7 chord are the notes that want to resolve to the F and A of the F major chord. When we change the chord to an F#7, the same tension notes are present (E is now the seventh, and A# — which is the same as a B♭ — is the third), and while they usually would want to resolve into the B and D# of a B major chord, they sound equally good resolving into the F chord. In the third variation above, I modified the F#7 chord to have a lowered fifth, which keeps a C note constant in all three chords, which is the root of the key. This sounds really good, and is a common treatment used in R&B, gospel and jazz music.

Click here to read Part 2.

 

All audio played on a Yamaha P-515.

 

Check out our other Well-Rounded Keyboardist postings.

Click here for more information about Yamaha keyboard instruments.

Bolt-On vs. Neck-Through Basses

Written by Michael Gelfand on . Posted in Bass. 3 Comments on Bolt-On vs. Neck-Through Basses

To a non-musician, all basses are essentially the same. Just slap a body, neck, pickups, bridge, tuners, strings and some shiny, twiddly doo-dads together and you’ve got a bass, right?

Wrong. That’s like suggesting all cars are just hunks of metal with wheels, brakes, gas pedals and seats — they all do the same thing, so what’s the big deal?

To me, the factors that distinguish one bass from another are endlessly fascinating. Some details are obvious, easily measurable and dramatically affect how a bass sounds, feels and looks. Other design choices, however, are less visible and more finely nuanced, imparting subtle characteristics that are more challenging to measure and attribute. The line between subjective preferences and clear-cut performance features can get a bit blurry.

Consider, for example, basses with bolt-on necks versus those with neck-through designs. Some players say the difference between the two are night and day, while others would argue that other design decisions — tonewoods, scale length, pickup type and position —have a much greater overall impact.

Personally, I don’t think one design is inherently better or worse than the other. I own lots of basses, with a roughly 70/30 split between bolt-on and neck-through designs, and I love them all uniquely, if not equally. That said, understanding the differences between the two can help shine some new light on what it is about a bass’ design and construction that resonates with you.

What Is a Bolt-On Design?

As the name suggests, these basses have necks that are attached to the body via bolts or screws. The design tolerances of that neck-to-body connection are critical, though. The stronger the connection, and the tighter the gaps where the neck and body touch, the less the neck will move around, which translates into more stability and better transference of string vibrations into body resonance. Most Yamaha basses utilize a bolt-on design, with the BB Pro Series BBP34 and Attitude Limited 3 Billy Sheehan signature models featuring a six-screw mitre neck joint for extraordinary stability that withstands extreme duress. (Billy talks more about the importance of the Attitude Limited 3 neck joint in our blog posting “Exploring the Yamaha Signature Basses.”)

BBP34 Crop
Yamaha BBP34

Attitude Ltd3 (1)
Yamaha Attitude Limited 3

What Is a Neck-Through Design?

Instead of being bolted on, this type of design (as featured in the Yamaha BBNE2 Nathan East signature bass) marries the neck and body into a single uninterrupted piece. In most cases, the neck runs all the way “through” the body, end-to-end, with wings attached on either side to flesh out the rest of the bass’ shape. Unlike bolt-on necks, which can be removed if necessary, neck-through basses are permanently interconnected for maximum stability.

Bass with white finish and neck-through design.
Yamaha BBNE2.

Benefits of the Bolt-On Design

It’s subjective, of course, but many players say that basses with bolt-on necks have a punchier, brighter and more pronounced attack than neck-through instruments. This could be due to the nature of how the neck interacts with — rather than interconnects with — the body, but I think it’s also affected by the types of tonewoods used in the bass’ body and neck. (Read more about bass tonewoods here.)

For example, a bass with a maple neck and fingerboard bolted onto a solid ash body will likely have a very different sound than an instrument with a maple/mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard bolted onto a composite alder/maple body. One isn’t necessarily better or worse than the other, but they are surely different due to the tonal qualities of the woods being used. When you start considering all the possible combinations of bass tonewoods, it’s hard to know how much the bolt-on design starts to influence that equation.

That said, basses with bolt-on necks are almost always less complicated to build than those with neck-through designs, giving you more options to choose from. Another big plus is that if your bass’ neck ever suffers irreversible damage, bolt-on necks are easy to replace. (Mind you, most accidents are preventable! Here are some tips and tricks for the bass road dog.)

Benefits of Neck-Through Design

Basses with neck-through designs integrate the neck directly with the body to eliminate movement and maximize stability, which in turn should increase sustain — at least in theory. A couple of my neck-through basses are notable for their sustain, though it’s hard for me to definitively state whether this is due to their design or other factors such as the wood choices.

One inarguable benefit to neck-through basses, however, is that their neck “heel” — where the back of the neck meets up with the body — is more contoured, making for a more seamless feel and comfortable access to the upper register, especially when you’re at the end of the fretboard and need to move quickly around on the fatter strings. The aforementioned BBNE2 Nathan East signature bass, for example, provides effortless access up and down its 24-fret neck for sublime playing comfort.

And the Winner Is … You

There are arguments for and against every design, but to me a bass’ greatness isn’t measured by the sum of its parts, it’s measured by the experience of playing it with an open mind and your eyes closed. You can know everything there is to know about an instrument’s construction, but at the end of the day, all of that information between your ears takes a back seat to the indescribable feeling that comes when you finally pick up and plug in the bass that speaks to your soul. Bolt-on? Neck-through? They’re both great. As Stephen Stills once said, “If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.”

 

Check out Michael’s other blog posts.

Click here for more information about Yamaha basses.

Person holding switch controller near tv screen.

How to Connect Nintendo Switch™ to Your TV, Sound Bar or AV Receiver

Written by Ted Goslin on . Posted in Gaming. 4 Comments on How to Connect Nintendo Switch™ to Your TV, Sound Bar or AV Receiver

Ask anyone on the street and they’ve likely heard of Nintendo®. Whether it be for classic titles like Super Mario Bros.® or one of its many consoles — such as the Nintendo Entertainment System® (NES®), Super NES®, N64™ or Nintendo Wii® — Nintendo has become a household name since its first console launched in the U.S. in 1985.

To set itself apart from rival products like Microsoft Xbox™ and Sony™ PlayStation®, Nintendo released Nintendo Switch in 2017. This is a console with incredible versatility that allows gamers to use its interchangeable pieces to play with or without a TV and take games on the go.

Since its launch, Nintendo Switch has sold hundreds of millions of consoles worldwide. Its popularity has given rise to a steady stream of new and rereleased games of cinematic quality that practically demand players connect the console to external devices to fully enjoy the content. Wondering how to do that? Here’s how to set up your Switch with a TV, sound bar or AV receiver.

TV Setup

Nintendo Switch console in the box.
Nintendo Switch in the box.

If you’re new to Nintendo Switch, setup with a TV is quick and easy. Simply unbox your Switch, piece together your console, dock and Joy-con controllers, then find a place for your Nintendo Switch dock to sit near your TV. This can be a cabinet under the TV that houses your home entertainment products, for example.

Next, you’ll need to plug in the power supply, then take the HDMI® cable that comes with the Switch and connect that directly into an HDMI input on your TV. Depending on which HDMI source you’re using, you may need to use your TV’s remote control to change to that input in order to start playing the Switch. Then all you have to do is follow the on-screen setup instructions to start playing.

Nintendo Switch TV connection instructions, post-connection.
Nintendo Switch TV connection instructions, post-connection.

Listening over TV speakers provides stereo audio but one of the best features of the Switch is that it can be used with any device that provides full 5.1-channel surround sound — more about this shortly.

The Switch works with any standard video format, including standard definition, 1080p HD and 4K UHD (click here to find out about the differences between them) but it outputs video at a maximum of 1080p. There are ways to upscale your video output to 4K, which we’ll be explaining a little later in this article.

Sound Bar Setup

To take your audio to the next level, consider adding a sound bar, which provides a boost of more speakers with extra range, along with features that can improve the audio performance of your favorite games. Sound bars can also provide surround sound capabilities with technologies like DTS Virtual:X™ virtual 3D surround sound, which simulates the sense of audio coming from all around and above you. The Yamaha YAS-109 sound bar offers this option, and comes with HDMI inputs, built-in subwoofers for deeper bass, and Clear Voice technology for enhanced dialogue clarity.

Setting up your sound bar is just as simple as connecting your TV to the Switch — just plug the HDMI cable supplied with the Switch into the sound bar’s HDMI IN jack, then take a second HDMI cable (which you can purchase online or at most electronics stores) to connect the sound bar’s HDMI Out jack to your TV’s HDMI input.

Yamaha YAS-109 sound bar HDMI input and output.
Yamaha YAS-109 sound bar HDMI input and output.

AV Receiver Setup

An AV receiver (AVR) can also be connected to the Nintendo Switch and your TV. If you’re unfamiliar with what an AV receiver is and what it does, think of it as an all-in-one hub for your home entertainment system that not only routes signal to and from various audio and video components but can also enhance the look and sound of the content you’re viewing or listening to.

One unit that matches well with the Switch is the Yamaha RX-V385 AV receiver, which offers 5.1-channel surround sound and four HDMI inputs for multiple game consoles, streaming devices or Blu-ray players, plus MusicCast Surround, which lets you use Yamaha MusicCast 20 or MusicCast 50 wireless speakers as wireless rears. Another benefit of using the RX-V385 is upscaling, which takes video content below 4K and converts it to 4K quality if you are playing or watching on a 4K TV.

To play the Switch using an AVR, connect your TV and Nintendo Switch console to the AV receiver the same way you would to a sound bar, using the HDMI input to connect the Switch and the HDMI Out to connect the TV.

Yamaha RX-V485 HDMI inputs and output.
Yamaha RX-V385 HDMI inputs and output.

Because most AVRs provide multiple HDMI inputs (something that most sound bars do not offer), there will likely be several source options for you to choose from, so you’ll need to press the Input button on your AVR’s remote control to cycle through the various inputs.

Once you’ve connected your Switch to your TV, sound bar or AV receiver, you can get to work beating your new game!

 

Check out these articles for more about audio for gaming:

Three Reasons to Upgrade Your Sound System for Modern Gaming

Gaming in Dolby Atmos®: An Interview with Josh Osiris

Home Theater Gaming with Google Stadia™

 

electric string ensemble

Electric String Ensemble Checklist

Written by Ken Dattmore on . Posted in Strings.

Electric string ensembles in school music programs are not the far-fetched idea they once were.

Hundreds of high school and middle school programs have added electric quartets, quintets and more to their existing orchestra programs. In this article, we’ll take a look at the things you’ll need to get started.

Gear

Instruments will be your largest investment in this endeavor, but it’s okay to start small. A basic quartet of two violins plus viola and cello will give you a full performing ensemble. The crucial thing to keep in mind is ergonomics. Students should not have to deal with instruments that are heavy, oddly shaped or have poor components. As students move from acoustic instruments to electric, the transition should be seamless — they should not have to make adjustments at the expense of sound quality or ease of playing.

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Sound System

amplifierMost schools will already have a basic Public Address (PA) system in their cafeteria, gym or auditorium. In a situation where such a system is not available, small amplifiers can be used instead so that the students can hear each other. Ultimately, you will need a PA with a mixer that can blend the individual instruments into a unified stereo or mono output.

In situations where it is difficult for students to hear themselves onstage, in-ear monitors (available from a variety of manufacturers) can be connected to the mixer and worn by the performers.

Yamaha mixerYou’ll also need a number of cables in lengths of 8 to 12 feet to connect the instruments to the sound system. A variety of colors works best so students know which cable is theirs. In addition, color-coding the inputs to the PA helps speed up setup time during rehearsal and live performance.

Batteries are required for instruments that have internal amplifiers (i.e., those with active electronics), while those with passive electronics do not require batteries. If your ensemble is using instruments with active electronics, be sure to have a good supply of batteries on hand.

Effects pedals are not necessary, but at some point your students will probably want to use them. After all, one of the attractions of electric strings is that their sound can be processed to emulate that of electric guitars and keyboards! Start with a basic pedal with a few effects. Your students will catch on fast on how to use them.

Sheet Music

Now that you have your gear, the question is what to play? Likely it won’t be traditional acoustic repertoire. Students will want to play the music they relate to and listen to on their own time —  modern songs. More and more, publishers are providing charts for these songs arranged for string ensembles. (You can find a wide selection of sheet music here.) If what you are looking for is not commercially available, you or your students can write their own transcriptions, which becomes another valuable learning experience.

two students playing electric bass

Performers

Your final component are the performers. An electric ensemble is an exciting addition to a program and there will be no shortage of students who want to be part of it. More advanced players will sound great immediately, and less experienced players will find inspiration to stay in a program and get better. The performers who have the most fun are the ones that will do best!

Click here for more information about Yamaha electric strings.

Alan Silvestri smiling in studio in front of monitors.

Alan Silvestri

Written by Yamaha Corporation of America on . Posted in Artists, Pro Audio Artists. 1 Comment on Alan Silvestri

Alan Silvestri is the composer of some of the most memorable film soundtracks of the last three decades, from Romancing the Stone and Back to the Future to his recent work on the 2019 blockbuster Avengers: Endgame — the highest-grossing movie of all time.

In these two videos, filmed at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, Silvestri describes his scoring workflow in detail, starting with loading the film into Steinberg Cubase and composing the music to play in time with the picture. From there, he adds different instrument parts to create a basic arrangement, and then exports the timeline to Steinberg Dorico to complete the final scoring. “It’s always about getting the technology out of the process,” he explains. “I’ve just found a kind of resonance with Cubase and Dorico — they just feel so comfortable and forward-thinking, and made for what I’m trying to do.”

Check out these related articles.

 

Click here to read an in-depth interview with Alan Silvestri.

Click here to learn more about Steinberg Cubase.

Click here to learn more about Steinberg Dorico.

The Modern Drum Set, Part 5: Cymbals and Hardware

Written by Steve La Cerra on . Posted in Stage Drums, Studio Drums.

In previous installments of this series of blog postings about The Modern Drum Set, we discussed the snare drum, bass drum, toms and foot pedals. In this, our last installment, we take a look at the metal of the drum set: cymbals and hardware.

It’s Ancient History

Cymbals are some of the oldest known percussion instruments, dating back to the Bronze Age (around 3000 to 4000 B.C.) and originating in Central Asia. They made their way to Europe in the Middle Ages, and in the late 1700s, were used in orchestral works. All these years later, a cymbal is still essentially the same thing: a bronze or brass disc with a hole in the center.

Small cymbals, 10 to 12 inches in diameter, became a part of the drum set during the early 1900s; known as “sock” cymbals (the predecessor to the hi-hat), they were used mostly for special effects — often, songs ended with the drummer delivering a sharp smack on one. In the mid-1940s, bebop drummer Kenny Clarke switched his cross-rhythms from the hi-hat to a larger cymbal that we now call the “ride” cymbal. By the early 1950s, cymbals were available in diameters up to 26 inches, with thicknesses ranging from paper-thin to heavy. At the same time, hi-hat cymbals grew to diameters of 13 to 15 inches.

When rock music emerged in the mid-1960s, rock drummers initially used the same cymbals that were produced for jazz, even though those cymbals weren’t intended for this new style of hard playing. Manufacturers responded with cymbals that were louder, heavier and larger than their predecessors, and the assortment of cymbals available today is mind-boggling.

The three main types of cymbals are ride, crash and hi-hat. Ride cymbals range in diameter from 18 to 24 inches, while crash cymbal sizes run from 14 to 22 inches. Hi-hats vary in size from 12 to 16 inches, with 13 and 14 inches being the most popular. There are also a wide range of “special effect” splash, China, trash and stacked cymbals.

In general, larger diameter cymbals produce a lower pitch, more sustain and louder volume, but pitch and volume are also affected by weight and thickness — thicker and heavier cymbals produce more volume and have a higher pitch. Thinner cymbals respond faster, decay more quickly and tend to have a lower pitch.

The one thing they all have in common is that they need hardware for support.

My Arms Are Tired

When the drum set was developing in the early 1900s, cymbals were usually supported by L-shaped arms attached to the bass drum, but there were problems with this type of mounting system. For instance, the range of height and adjustment angles were limited, plus there were only so many cymbals that a bass drum could support.

Cymbal stands started to appear in the 1920s, and initially, they were lightweight devices, adequate for casual playing. But as jazz and swing became popular and drummers played harder and louder, it became apparent that these stands weren’t up to the task. Manufacturers began building heavier bases and adding support struts — though even that couldn’t prepare them for the beating that Who drummer Keith Moon would unleash on his drum sets in the mid-to-late 1960s.

Brace Yourself

Modern drum hardware comes in a wide variety of weights and configurations appropriate for any style of playing. Single-braced legs used in Yamaha HW-3 Crosstown, HW-680 and HW-780 hardware are durable, lightweight and provide stable support for all sizes and weights of cymbals and snare drums — plus they’re easy to transport at the end of a long gig!

Compact Channel legs for HW-3 hardware.
Yamaha HW-3 hardware features Compact Channel legs for durability and reduced weight.

If you’re an aggressive player, or if your taste leans toward large and heavy cymbals, you may need the extra support of double-braced legs like those found on Yamaha HW-680W or HW-880 Series stands.

Heavy-duty, double-braced legs on Yamaha HW680.
Yamaha HW-680 stands feature heavy-duty, double-braced legs.

Cymbal Stands

Cymbal stands come in two basic types: straight and boom. Smaller setups can usually accommodate straight stands, but as you add more drums and cymbals, boom stands become useful because they can reach locations that a straight stand can’t. Some cymbal stands are convertible and can be configured as either boom or straight stands. For example, the boom on Yamaha CS-665A and CS-655A cymbal stands can be telescoped into the top tube, turning them into straight stands and making them easier to pack. If you need a weighted boom for supporting heavy cymbals, the Yamaha CS-BW can be integrated with Yamaha CS-755, CS-865 and CS-965 stands. The CS-755 even has a retracting hideaway boom arm — a feature first developed by Yamaha.

Features to look for when choosing a cymbal stand include non-slip rubber feet, a plastic cymbal seat that reduces noise by preventing metal-on-metal contact and plastic plugs in the vertical tubes to prevent rattling. In addition, an infinite adjustment tilter like the one found on the Yamaha CS-850, CS-865 and CS-965 models allow virtually any angle, so you can place your cymbals exactly where you want them.

Infinite adjustment tilter on cymbal stand.
Yamaha infinite adjustment tilter.

Flexibility is also important. For example, an attachment clamp such as the Yamaha CSAT-924AW can be used to add a Yamaha CH-755 cymbal holder to any existing stand, while the Yamaha CSAT-940W allows a pair of closed hi-hat cymbals to be added.

Tom Stands

As we discussed in Part 2 of this series, toms can be mounted using a bracket on the bass drum. Many drummers, however, prefer to get their toms off the bass drum for versatile positioning and to ensure that the bass drum has maximum resonance. One way to do that is by using a tom stand. Yamaha offers a variety of single and double tom models. The WS-860A features double-braced legs for stability and a ball clamp system that rotates 360 degrees, so you can easily position two toms (or one tom and an additional snare drum) wherever you like.

Yamaha WS-860A double tom stand.
Yamaha WS-860A double tom stand.

Toms, as well as cymbals, can also be supported using a rack. Drum racks have been around almost as long as the modern drum set; initially they were used for holding cymbals and cowbells. They lost popularity in the mid-1900s, but came back in a big way (figuratively and literally) during the mid-1980s when a drummer’s kit was almost as big as their hair!

A basic rack consists of two legs and a horizontal pipe — a configuration that easily supports two toms and two cymbals while taking up less space than individual stands, and getting rid of the clutter and extra weight. The Yamaha Hexrack II is an example of a modular rack system that can be expanded if necessary by adding pipes and legs. The Hexrack II employs a unique cross-section that prevents twisting or slipping and utilizes the same pipe diameter for both tom and cymbal holders, so a Yamaha HXTCII Tom/Cymbal Clamp can accept either one, as well as a tension- and angle-adjustable Yamaha CHH-930 closed hi-hat holder.

Cross-section of the Yamaha Hexrack.
Yamaha Hexrack II cross-section.

Creating a rack requires a bit of planning, but once you’ve designed it, your setup will be repeatable and easier to build than if you used individual stands. (Check out this video to explore the limitless possibilities the Hexrack II has to offer!)

The Yamaha Hexrack II mounting system.
The Yamaha Hexrack II is a sturdy and versatile mounting system.

Snare Stands

The snare drum is probably the drum you play most, so keeping it stable and secure is a must.
Features to look for in a snare stand include a compact yet sturdy base, non-slip feet and a basket that securely clamps snare drums of different diameters. It’s also important to make sure the stand can position deep drums low enough, so the top head is at a comfortable playing height. The Yamaha SS-950 snare drum stand has a basket design that enables it to sit two inches lower than previous models, so you won’t have any trouble with an 8-inch deep snare drum. The SS-950 also has double-braced legs and a centered ball-and-socket tilter that stays put under heavy playing and allows wide ranges of adjustment.

Rubber feet on the Yamaha SS-950 snare drum stand.
The rubber feet on the Yamaha SS-950 snare drum stand have adjustable spikes to prevent movement.

Best Seat in the House

The drum “throne” (the seat you sit upon, as is befitting a king) is a very important component in your drum set for one simple reason: If you’re not comfortable, you won’t have any fun playing. Thrones come in three basic varieties: round, bicycle-style and bench seats. Picking the right one is a very personal decision, so try all of them to see which one is right for you!

Regardless of which style you choose, make sure there’s plenty of padding for comfort during long gigs. Seat height is usually adjusted via a smooth or threaded rod like the one used on the Yamaha DS-840 round throne. A wide base prevents the seat from rocking back and forth, and a memory clamp allows for repeatability, while also serving as a safety feature.

Small, round drum throne with threaded post for height adjustment.
The Yamaha DS-840 drum throne uses a threaded post for height adjustment.

Drum hardware is what makes a drum set uniquely yours. If chosen carefully, it will support your drums and cymbals safely for many years to come.

 

Check out the other installments in this series:

Click here for Part 1: The snare drum.

Click here for Part 2: The bass drum.

Click here for Part 3: Toms.

Click here for Part 4: Foot pedals.

 

Click here for more information about Yamaha acoustic drum sets.

Sun shining in beautiful blue sky with light clouds.

A Musical Message of Healing

Written by Rich Tozzoli on . Posted in Creativity.

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” —
Pablo Picasso

For me, this simple but profound statement has never rung more true than it does today.

But how could I apply this sage advice to my own work? At first I wasn’t quite sure. I talked it over with my longtime co-composer and close friend Hernan Romero. He and I are both guitarists, and this common bond has brought us together for many years and gotten us through both good times and bad. “Music is a vibration and that vibration is a physical reaction that the notes create in your body,” Romero has told me, revealing the depths of his feelings. “When I hold and play a guitar, it is right next to my heart and it literally resonates inside of me.”

After some discussion, he and I came to the realization that, just as music is what unites the two of us, so too does music unite us all, as the recent scenes of people in Italy singing and playing to one another clearly shows. That lead us to the decision to create a series of pieces — a musical dialog between two guitars — to help others, as well as ourselves, heal in a time of need.

Creating Our First Musical Message

We came up with a plan to work independently in our respective home studios, and began by using the voice memo function on our phones to sketch out the framework of the first piece. From there, we further discussed the idea and rehearsed it using our phone’s video conferencing capabilities. This allowed us to understand what each of us was going to play, and we made sure to leave a lot of musical space for one another. By doing so we were making a conscious decision to let the chords and production “breathe” in order to create more of an open, calming sound.

Once the initial idea was agreed upon, we decided that I would record the first pass and have Romero perform the “answering” overdub. I decided to use my Yamaha FG-TA TransAcoustic guitar not only because it was comfortable and familiar to me, but also because I felt the built-in reverb and chorus effects bought additional depth and dimension that enhanced the overall spacious feel of the piece. I positioned a high-quality omnidirectional mic near the sound hole and connected the guitar’s direct output (coming from its piezo pickup) into a tube preamp, which gave me two tracks to play with. The track was recorded without a click; I decided to instead rely only on the instinctive flow of time to guide me.

Once that was done, I sent the file to Romero so he could get to work. He had also decided to use a Yamaha TransAcoustic guitar for the track — a nylon-string CG-TA model. Using just a touch of the built-in reverb for additional sonic depth, he captured his performance using the same type of omni microphone that I had used, and then sent me the file for final mixing.

All that was required was some balancing, a slight touch of EQ and a little extra reverb, and the track was ready to go. We then added some simple graphics (including a brief glimpse of my home studio) and uploaded the song — which we call “Towards the Sun” — to YouTube. Here it is:

Ever since posting this video, we’ve been touched by the deep, heartfelt reactions of those who have viewed it. The entire experience reaffirmed our belief that music truly helps heal and that the guitar in particular is a voice that speaks without words. We’re planning on continuing the series, and intend to release more musical messages of healing on Romero’s YouTube channel in the near future. Hope you can join us there!

 

Check out Rich’s other postings.

What Does the Phase Button Do?

Written by Steve La Cerra on . Posted in Live Sound. 1 Comment on What Does the Phase Button Do?

One of the most misunderstood of all the channel input controls on a mixing console is a button called “phase reverse,” often labeled with the symbol Ø. In this installment of Tools of the Trade, we’ll take a close look at what it does, and how it should be used.

It’s Just a Phase You’re Going Through

Audio waveforms repeat in a cycle of 360 degrees. The word “phase” refers to the position of the wave in that cycle:

Graph of an audio waveform
An audio waveform has a cycle of 360 degrees.

When you’re listening to one audio waveform, it’s very difficult to hear changes in phase. However, phase differences between two similar waveforms can have a major impact on the way certain instruments sound in your mix.

Phase problems can occur in many ways. A common example is what happens when you place microphones on both the top and bottom of a snare drum, because those microphones will likely be pointing in different directions:

Top and bottom snare microphones.
Top and bottom snare microphones.

As a result, the waveforms produced by the mics are almost like mirror images — in other words, they are out of phase with one another: When the top snare wave (blue in the illustration below) moves in a positive direction, the bottom snare wave (red) moves in a negative direction:

Diagram of out of phase waveforms from top and bottom snare microphones.
Out of phase waveforms.

If you listen only to the top snare microphone, it will sound fine, but when you add the bottom snare microphone to your mix, the low-mids of the snare drum may disappear. This problem (which is more audible at low and low-mid frequencies) is called phase cancellation. In severe cases, phase cancellation can even cause the level of an instrument to decrease drastically when the two channels are mixed together.

Here’s where the phase reverse switch comes to the rescue. You’ll find phase reverse on input channels of all Yamaha TF Series digital mixers. Pressing the phase button on a channel reverses the polarity of the signal from plus to minus, and vice versa:

Yamaha TF Series mixer input channel phase reverse button.
Yamaha TF Series mixer input channel phase reverse button.

If you reverse the polarity on one of the snare drum mics (not both of them!), the two waveforms will rise and fall at the same time. The proper phase relationship between the two signals is restored, so that when you add the mics together you don’t lose the low-mids:

Diagram of the phase wavelength of snare channel reversed.
The phase of the snare bottom channel has been reversed.

Notice that there’s still a slight difference in timing between the two signals, as phase is related to time. A phase reverse switch cannot correct this — it can only reverse the polarity of the signal.

Don’t Be Phased

Another common cause of phase cancellation is the use of multiple microphones at different distances capturing the same source. For example, if you have a close mic on a hi-hat and the drum overhead mic also picks up the hi-hat, those signals may be out of phase. Fortunately, the distance between the overhead mic and the hi-hat usually means that the hi-hat won’t be as loud in the overhead mic, and that often solves the problem. Or try the phase reverse control!

A mis-wired cable can also be a source of phase cancellation. As discussed in our Interconnections 101 blog post, a balanced cable has a positive (+) wire and a negative (-) wire. If these wires are mistakenly swapped at one connector, signal passing through that cable is polarity-reversed.

Another very common cause of phase cancellation can occur when you use both a mic and a DI (Direct Inject) box for the same source, as is commonly done for electric bass, due to the difference in timing between the two signals. The signal from a bass (or other electronic instrument) through a DI to the input of a mixer is purely electrical and travels almost instantaneously. The signal going through the bass amp is relatively slow compared to the DI because it travels from the speaker through the air to the microphone. For most of us, this is plenty fast, but if you compare the waveforms from the DI and microphone you’ll see that the microphone lags behind a little bit:

Diagram showing the DI signal slightly ahead of the mic signal.
The DI signal is slightly ahead of the mic signal.

This phase cancellation is clearly audible: The bottom end of the bass gets weaker when you add the channels together. Reversing (that is, inverting) the polarity of one channel often (but not always) solves the problem. In situations where the phase reverse isn’t helpful, try moving the microphone closer to (or further away from) the amp. If you’re having trouble hearing whether or not the phase needs to be reversed, mute all of the instruments in the mix except for the bass mic and bass DI. Watch the left/right meters while switching the phase on one channel. When you see the level increase, the phase is correct.

Phase Reverse and Monitors

Phase reverse also comes in handy when dealing with stage monitors and feedback. Raising the volume of an acoustic guitar in a wedge monitor can sometimes cause feedback. This can be due to a resonance from the guitar body or possible interaction between the guitar, the monitor and the room. The typical solution is to use equalization to cut the frequency that’s ringing (see our How To Fight Feedback blog post for more information), but the problem is that EQ also changes the sound of the guitar. Reversing the phase on the guitar microphone can sometimes cure the problem without changing the tone of the instrument.

Similarly, reversing the phase a of a vocal microphone can sometimes reduce feedback between a vocal microphone and a monitor.

Phase-Out

Phase reverse on a mixer output such as an aux send can be helpful when setting up a system with a subwoofer that’s being fed from an aux send. Sometimes the phase of a subwoofer needs to be reversed relative to the main left and right speakers. If your mixer has phase reverse on the outputs or aux sends (as is the case some Yamaha mixers), you can flip the subwoofer’s phase while listening to the system from the mix position instead of having to use a switch on the sub’s rear panel. See our To Woof or Not to Woof blog post for more info.

 

As you can see, phase reverse is a valuable tool that can help you with a variety of audio problems. It only takes a few seconds to try, and the results can be ear-opening!

Photograph courtesy of the author.

 

Check out our other Tools of the Trade postings.

American football fans excited at a game.

Top 10 Sports Movies with Great Audio

Written by Joy Frye on . Posted in TV & Movies.

Live sports provide a great escape. Sports movies take you behind the scenes by exploring the humanity behind the heroes and putting you right in the driver’s seat, the huddle or the batter’s box. And if they’re movies with great sound, the experience is enhanced further still.

Here are our picks for 10 unforgettable sports movies that bring the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat right to your home theater.

Rudy

The original underdog, Rudy is a “five foot nothing, 100 and nothing” football player whose only dream is to play for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. It may not have been critically acclaimed, but this movie about how Rudy overcomes impossible odds through hard work and sheer determination is an enduring fan favorite. Don’t be embarrassed; everyone cries at the jersey scene. Available on YouTube™, Amazon Prime, Google Play™, Apple TV+® and Vudu®.

Rocky

There are underdogs, and then there are underdogs. A relatively unknown actor at the time, Sylvester Stallone wrote the Oscar®-nominated script and fought to star in this story of a small-time boxer who is given the chance of a lifetime to fight the heavyweight champion of the world. This Best Director and Best Picture winner inspired many a run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art! Number 2 on the American Film Institute (AFI)’s list of Top 10 Sports Films and available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV+ and Vudu. (Continue the story with Creed and Creed 2 on your favorite streaming services.)

Glory Road

This dramatization of Texas Western’s (now University of Texas at El Paso) legendary win over University of Kentucky in the 1966 NCAA® National Men’s Basketball Championship eloquently captures that moment when the game transcends the sport. TW’s coach Don Haskins boldly started an all-African American lineup and beat Adolph Rupp’s Kentucky dynasty, changing college basketball forever. Available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV+ and Vudu.

Ford v Ferrari

Here’s a movie with award-winning sound to rev the heart of every surround sound lover. In a classic David versus Goliath showdown, American car designer Carroll Shelby and British driver Ken Miles team up for Ford Motors to take on perennial Italian powerhouse Ferrari in the 1966 Le Mans sports car race. This 2020 Oscar winner for Best Sound Editing will give your speakers a workout! Available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play and Vudu.

Hoosiers

Based on a true story, this classic about a small-town high school basketball team in Indiana (where basketball is king) earned Dennis Hopper both Academy Award® and Golden Globe® nominations for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of an alcoholic assistant coach given a last-minute shot at redemption. Gene Hackman is the head coach trying to overcome his own controversial past and lead the team to the state title. Number 4 on the AFI’s Top 10 Sports Films and available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV+ and Vudu.

Bull Durham

Writer, director and former minor league baseball player Ron Shelton’s tribute to baseball is a gritty, but often funny, portrayal of life in the minor leagues. Kevin Costner is Crash Davis, an aging catcher asked to school the latest rookie pitching sensation in a kind of A Star Is Born of sports. Amateur philosopher and unofficial team coach Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon) sprinkles pearls of wisdom throughout and helps show that baseball is, indeed, life. Number 5 on the AFI’s Top 10 Sports Films and available on Tubi, YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV+ and Vudu.

The Replacements

Sometimes you have to ignore the critics and listen to your inner fan. The Replacements is just plain fun to watch. With its catchy soundtrack and hard-hitting football action, the story of a ragtag gang of washed-up football misfits given one last chance at glory as replacement players during an NFL™ strike is an entertaining ride. It’s also eminently quotable: “Pain heals, chicks dig scars, glory lasts forever.” Available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV+ and Vudu.

Caddyshack

OK, this may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you’re thinking sports movie, but this film’s roster of comedy pros is definitely championship-level. Rodney Dangerfield, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray and Ted Knight bring their A-game to the hilarious antics of Bushwood Country Club’s golfing members and caddies. Number 7 on the AFI’s Top 10 Sports Films and available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV+ and Vudu.

A League of Their Own

This story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League® formed during World War II (when male professional players were off fighting the war) stands out as one of relatively few women’s sports movies. Tom Hanks plays Jimmy Dugan, an alcoholic ex-player asked to coach the hastily assembled team that includes two sisters — one beautiful and talented, the other doomed to live in her big sister’s shadow. After reprimanding one of his players, Hanks delivers the memorable line, “There’s no crying in baseball.” Available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play and Vudu.

Moneyball

Nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Brad Pitt) and Best Supporting Actor (Jonah Hill), this movie is based on the true story of how the Oakland Athletics™ baseball team’s general manager Billy Beane ignored traditional scouting methods and picked players almost entirely by their On-Base Percentage (OBP). Change is never easy, especially in a sport as deeply steeped in tradition as baseball, but Beane’s strategy is eventually shown to be a winner. Available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV+ and Vudu.

 

And we’re only scratching the surface! Honorable mentions include Field of Dreams, Seabiscuit and Miracle, all available on major streaming services.

While the quality of the audio may vary by film (or the quality of the streaming service), with the right tweaks and gear, you can be immersed in the action — whether via Yamaha Clear Voice technology in a sound bar to enhance the dialogue, or via a full discrete 5.1-ch. surround sound setup to hear the action all around you.

Looking for more content to enjoy at home? Check out our blog article Stream These 2020 Oscar Nominees in the Comfort of Your Home.

 

Related articles about home theater:

Home Theater Basics

Home Theater In Small Spaces

Home Theater on a Budget, Part 1: Starter System

Home Theater on a Budget, Part 2: Intermediate System

Home Theater on a Budget, Part 3: Advanced System

Home Theater on a Budget, Part 4: Luxury System