Your Marvelous Modulations

[Rudolf Wagner]

Thank You, Brian ♥ We love subtle key changes, especially when you almost can’t notice them because they flow so naturally with the melody. Like you said, the Beach Boys were masters in that and it’s something we try to incorporate whenever we can. It can be super tricky to make it work. There is always a lot of trial and error involved but we’re glad you notice and appreciate whenever we do get it right 🙂
Modulations and key shifts are a lot easier for us to “imagine” first so when we write songs we usually start with some idea of a melody and then imagine the chords and sounds around it. That’s when the big hunt begins of trying to find the right chords and chord progressions to match the notes and colours in our brains 🙂

I hope that makes any sense!

Best,
Lisa

[Kenneth Emmons]

Yea Lisa, I try to listen to many types of songs that have clever and beautiful modulations/ particular progressions, and then as the years have gone by, I have made new songs that reflect what I have learned from that. It is still challenging for me to find the right chord structures to fit the melody line for my originals. And especially to imitate/ discover the arrangements of the songs I have listened to for 52 years. One could always cheat by buying into a service that provides all the chord nuances,… Nah!

And just for the fun of it;

To look up the older classic and (“movie track”?)

called “Exodus” — I’m still finding all it’s right chords for a well-written piece.

[Jung Roe]

Brian, Lisa, I love this discussion, not only because I think Brian Wilson is one of the greatest music legends of all time, but also because I’ve started learning more about music structure with my piano lessons now, learning the scales and the different keys, chords, and started chord progressions too.  The youtube music instructor makes it all look so easy to do, those rapid chord progressions, but it is a little overwhelming right now for me.  At this point modulations between keys sound like light years ahead in my piano lessons, but when I get to it, I will be especially happy!  🙂

[Kenneth Emmons]

Brian, Lisa and myself,… to Hey Jung Roe, it took me many years and then more, to hear and just do chord progressions well and then later with some theory to back me up. I had an ear and could harmonize, but I did not understand what and how I was doing it. So theory helped me some, even after I was making my own melodies.

[Jacki Hopper]

I just wish I could understand the tech and theory aspects, etc of making music, I’ll just stick to singing, singing in whatever key it is that suits, if I do play a harmonica , tambourine, I go by playing by ear,  I seem to have à natural sense of rhythm  I’ve been told by others who sing, and local bands I know of when I’ve done karaoke and open mic jams…??????

[Jung Roe]

Hi Kenneth.  Thanks for the perspective, I feel better now.  I’m just learning the ABCs of basic piano and music right now, and I’m light years away from being even close to proficient.  I took a few years of piano lessons in my early 30s, and trying to pick it up again some 25 years later, inspired by MLT to get back at it.  But man I feel good doing music again!

[Kenneth Emmons]

Hi Jacki Hopper and Jung Roe,…

If either of you come to a point where you want to try guitar. go further with piano, then I offer this;

For every left hand chord, there’s a rhythm to be applied on your right hand. And for each progressive chord, there will be rhythm’s that require you to make transitions between measures. Meanwhile, your left hand must change from chord to chord smoothly. This idea could also be applied for each hand with piano.

The point is that to put these two elements together, I suggest you slow down the speed of the song your mastering and better arrive at putting together the (difficult) coordination of the left and right hand movements.

Hope I didn’t overwhelm you, but it could be for inspiration and of a practical insight.

If nothing else, just remember your controlling of speed and the training of your left right hand, which reprograms your brain in a unique way.

[Brian St. August]

Thanks so much, Lisa, for your very thoughtful response. I write my material and modulations similarly. The modulatons are part of the composition and not the production.

[Jung Roe]

Thanks Kenneth for the advice.  Yes as a beginner musician I am finding getting that left and right hand coordination the most challenging.  Slowing down to get the left and right hand to cooperate sounds like sound advice.  I’m learning the chords now, and will take what you said to heart.

I can really appreciate more than ever the hard work that goes into honing ones skills to do what professional musicians like MLT can do that seemingly look so effortless and graceful.  Those stellar Duo Sessions are the culmination of years of practice, incredible hard work and effort, and very special talent indeed.

[Kenneth Emmons]

I’m  glad that I could help, Jung Roe,…. am essentially a teacher of many subjects, except I never got a certification of teaching, because I didn’t believe I would be able to one day organize such (practical) depth and would mature one’s understanding on various subjects.
It has felt much better whenever I can help and give these gifts away.

[Jacki Hopper]

I just can’t  get my brain, fingers to come together in any aspect when it comes to stringed instruments, first  off, my hands are wee and short arms and fingers, secondly, my coordination  of hand and eye not the best, thirdly, I can read know how and look at visual references, as I’m better as a visual person to grasp things as opposed to just straight instructions, no visuals to accompany,  but for whatever the reasons, I just cannot see/hear what to do on playing guitar, uke, banjo, etc, that is to replicate what I learn and apply …it just does not fly with me, the connection to grasp in my brain, what I see/hear and then apply in coordination, is lost, yet I can air guitar no problem…lol…I’m better off to playing a tambourine, drums, cowbell, etc, I’d love to do piano, but same issue as guitar  /stringed instruments, I can sing, not great, but have no clue what key I sing in…I go by what sounds right, that is, okay by ear, sing by ear. I can’t barely read or understand music sheets… I guess , I’m a music person that plays by heart and ear rather than by music notes, etc, the gift of playing instrument with learning how and applying…it makes me sad that I can’t  enjoy and learn to play the way most do,  I have tried, even  with a children ‘s skill level to learn, I just cannot take/physically grasp the concepts  to what it said to do and what I see and duplicate it to apply to have success…but give me drums, percussion type  instruments, harmonica, I have an innate sense of rhythm,  I’ve been told that, and I know it….maybe it’s a lifelong learning disability or brain malfunction I was born with, at 3 pounds 3 ounces, something had not to have been quite right with me ….lol…I survived but perhaps  that is a ramification or souvenir of sorts that I was left with as a result…?…But I do enjoy doing my best with what sense and skills I do have to the best of my abilities?

[Kenneth Emmons]

Well this is tough, but let’s try one other thing;

Sit down with your guitar.*

With left hand on the upper neck, hold a pretend chord and tap the strings at an even pace, or tempo,…. for a minute..* After a minute, continue the same doing, and…

While warming into this motion, place your right hand near the open guitar hole and pretend to strum the strings at the same pace as your left hand. *

IF you touch the strings, fine**,.. as long as the sound does not trip you up.

Sooo…

*If your left hand is tapping at 1-2-3-4, then try to make your (right hand’s) vertical motion at 1-2-3-4.*

I’ll give you slight variations later after you achieve this first step.

Later, as you warm-up, try to be or become relaxed and also focused at the same time. Chil!…breath, etc.

It could take a month to encourage your brain to rewire together, perhaps but a small degree of progress. We don’t know,… YET

And yes, this is repetitive, and no fun until later, but there is a similarity between these two motions and the drumming with your left and right hand, on a percussion instrument.           [This is called rote learning, like when you learned basic math in Elementary school.]

Write to me if you have anything that you need to fill in.

And yes, I also had a degree of brain damage, due to too many mercury fillings in my teeth, starting age 16,…long story* — it affected the organizing of my short term memories.

Kenneth

[Jacki Hopper]

Hi, Kenneth, Thankyou for advice but perhaps let me try to explain what I said previous  in another way to help you understand more what I was trying to convey, my not being able to master playing guitar, or any stringed instrument guitar like…

I don’t own a guitar, only borrowed one and a banjo from the public library with their instrument loaning program they offer…

My hands are arthritic, especially in knuckles and fingers, my hands are the size of a child  who could be aged 4-8 yrs old and have short stubby like fingers which makes it near impossible for me to hold guitar properly and trying to do the chords things you mention, I tried, following YouTube   how to videos, listening to how to CDs and watching  how to DVDs, reading and looking at visual how to books, all came with same failing conclusion…I just can’t  correlate my brain to do with my hands what I see /hear and with my short stubby arthritic fingers, the  requirement to be able to stretch and move fingers and trying to do two different things at same time, not able to. I can only do one thing at a time. I like tambourine, percussion type instruments better and have better success with those  and harmonica too, I seem to grasp easily, just not guitar or guitar related instruments…No amount of advice, practice is ever  going to accomplish what I know I can’t  physically do. It’s a coordination   finger manipulation disability….It is a fact. It saddens me but that’s  the reality.  I’m just meant  Not to play any guitar or guitar like instrument properly, even with a kid size one or a uke, the same dilemma arises… I hope this alternate  explanation conveyed to you better why I can never master the stringed stuff…I’m sticking to singing, percussion, harmonica stuff…at least I know I’m able to do somewhat successfully without  physical issues.

[Kenneth Emmons]

Now I get it, it’s a literal physical matter interfering with those kinds of instruments, And I know something of your dilemma, in a different area of life.

So do enjoy playing the instruments that do work for you, it is something to appreciate on behalf of your own interests, as you go on in life.

Kenneth

[Jung Roe]

Jacki, harmonica sounds like a great instrument to get into if you like it.  I remember years back my dad had an album of a trio band that just did harmonicas, and on the cover of the album they used harmonicas of many different sizes that looked so interesting.  I just can’t remember the name of the group for the life of me!  It’s one of the easiest instruments to have on you all the time, so it sounds like an ideal instrument.  We’ve all witnessed the music joy Mona can create with it.  In high school I took band for a year in grade 8 and the trumpet was the instrument of choice that I struggled with all year.  I was horrible, and ended up not caring for it at all (blue painful lips) but with piano, I don’t know if I’m any good, but I love learning to play on it.  I am sure there is a right instrument for all of us with our varying preferences and capabilities.

[Jacki Hopper]

Well said Jung, and agreed, there is a musical instrument that is meant for us all to enjoy… Harmonica, tambourine, percussions stuff and singing are mine….. While I’ll just stick to air Guitaring, though I would love to tackle a harp… I could  have better chances to play that because it stands upright, doesn’t move, I can use both hands at same time to do one task, plucking the harp strings… Not like guitar playing at all, well, the mechanics tech of guitar playing that I struggle so with…. I’ve played harp online,… Didn’t sound too shabby…. ?