Handy tools for you panflute experience.

Is there any piece of software of special tool that you use for your practice?

or maybe you love a program that is so handy and great and want to share with us? feel free to let know then

There are loads of pieces of software out there which can help you musically in many ways, not all of them are good and handy, in fact the majority are a piece of junk I have found myself.

I always used the computer and still use every time I practice or play or try to create a melody with the panflute, the sole reason is because, first when I practice I always record myself, so I can play back what I have been playing and then whatever the result I will get an idea of what I am doing at the moment.

I stumbled some good handy tools and programs I use every now and then with my panflute playing experience, there are the basics ones, like a metronome and recording software. I used to use a mechanical classic metronome, which, if you prefer to stick to the classic, go for it, in fact the one I had was good and did the job , however , it lacked of the technology and the practical use that you can only find in computer software.

So then I started to use a metronome program, not only you can customize in a second, you can change the sounds played for the beat, and the sub beats to the sounds you like so it’s easier for you to feel at ease as well as  following the beat and timing.

Then I always wanted to have a backtrack along my playing, playing solos is great and it really enhances your abilities to create a melody but it can get really dull after a while, don’t you think?

I came upon another good piece of software which makes it all easy and automatic for you, including the harmony and instruments, and apparently it’s used by many professionals, I don’t play a keyboard, but the program comes with los of styles and substyles so you don’t have to worry about creating your own stuff from scratch though you can I am sure and that it must be a nice creative experience.

To record my clips, and practice I use Sonic Foundry SoundForge, this program is a recording, multi-track professional software, if you have a decent microphone, you don’t have to spend millions of pounds actually to get a decent one, you can record your stuff at a really good quality so you can listen to it and improve your ear too. Then if you think you succeeded this time, you can play with the effects, like adding reverb, equalization and even master it to create a clip or a track.

One other cool and extremely useful and customizable app I use is this one:

Fine Metronome, it’s a metronome with customizable beats, you can choose what sound to play for the bear and sub beats, you can play at any meter and up to a tempo of 250!, it also comes with a flash animation with a number for every beat, a visual metronome so you can look how your timing is while you hear the clicks of the beat.

And finally, this is one of my favourites, you probably heard of it, as it is quite popular among both Mac users and Windows users, Band in a Box 2009, it’s multi-track amazingly complete piece of software, the program basically allows you and gives you all you need to create backtracks and whole songs, starting by inputting the chord progressions to edit the melody in real time, along with music notation and much more, the version comes with tons of different styles and substyles, and there is loads of resources and tutorials out there and in the main homepage so if you get stuck and confused by the so many features you can always ask and read the documentation.

One of my favourite ways to spend my time after some practice is to choose a song, most of the time a jazz song, and either improvise something or play-along the melody while I have the backtrack playing in the background, it displays any score,it’s one of those elemental handy apps you can’t miss in any musician’s repertoire, I would give it a five-star.

I use sometimes other apps, mainly music notation editors, I never liked to have a sheet music in front of me and I always try to save paper in any possible way, so instead of getting the score off a book or bought from somewhere I try to get the midi file, or create one myself or get on a pdf.

I use Sibelius as my main preference, Finale the main competitor is quite good too, but I find Sibelius much handier and well designed than the last one.

Here are some links that you can check and you may find some handy applications to suit your needs.

If you think this post added a value to yourself and/or  your panflute music experience , make sure you subscribe to RSS, what is it RSS? you can do it by clicking  the link at the bottom of the page or just here, anytime a new update or new post is post you will be automatically notfied, either by e-mail, or by just clicking at the bookmark on the toolbar in the explorer.

http://www.finemetronome.com/download.html

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/soundforgesoftware

http://www.pgmusic.com

Understand Scales in a different way

Almost anyone who plays music or is involved with it in any form have heard or know about scales, we all know what they are and probably everyone has learnt to construct them in the same way, or by memorizing.

While I was reading about jazz theory, chords and harmony, I had the chance to come to a better understanding with how scales are constructed and the relation to the songs, then I thought about jazz musicians and the so many hours they must have spent practicing them on their instruments or just studying all the theory behind.

I only play panpipes, I can’t play keyboard or drums or anything other instrument apart from the woodwind bay, however I love reading about how songs are done and theory and interesting things to know, that you never know when they may be useful to you.

I think scales are useful to know, specially when improvising or composing your own melodies, but please don’t think that knowing and mastering the art of scales is going to make you compose great melodies straight away, that’s nonsense.

My point is, that know how the notes relate to each other and most important how the intervals sequence to each other will help you have a deeper understanding and meaning of what you’re doing when you’re playing. Be it performing a common song or something you’ve written for yourself, also this is good for generating ideas and gives them a concrete form.

To understand and deal with scales, myself I have found that the best approach is to think of them not in a memorized sequence of notes, but in intervals.

For example: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 any note following this pattern will form a major scale always.  (The b indicates a flat)

1 2 3b 4 5 6b 7b any note following this pattern will form a natural minor scale

1 2 3 5 6 any note following this pattern of intervals will form a major pentatonic

1 2 3b 4 5 7b this is the one which makes a minor pentatonic.

1 2 3b 4 5 5b 7b This is the same pattern like the minor pentatonic, however, notice one note added, a flattened fifth, or the so called blue note, this is the blues scale.

1 2 3b 4 5 6b 7 # In here the natural minor becomes harmonic minor by raising the seventh step

Now, thinking of scales with this approach makes it much easier for you to construct and know the scale instead of memorizing it like a mindless moron and believe it just like you saw it on a book don’t you think?.

You can look for other complete different scales from all around the world, but as long as you use the creative approach of knowing the interval pattern they follow, you will quickly learn them and know them when to use.

This is true if you’re thinking to move to jazz or blue or any other modern genre, also to play modally.

Experimenting with your panpipe is great fun.
If you are looking for some panflutes for your experience check the link below, well worth it.

If you think this post added a value to yourself and/or  your panflute music experience , make sure you subscribe to RSS, what is it RSS? you can do it by clicking  the link at the bottom of the page or just here, anytime a new update or new post is post you will be automatically notfied, either by e-mail, or by just clicking at the bookmark on the toolbar in the explorer.

panflute in different sizes

I wanted to create this post to share the stuff about a good tone on the panflute, also breathing in an easy proper manner.
At first in my early twenties when I began to practice, I would run out of breath as quick as if I was smoking a cigar at the same time, it was frustrating at times I must admit, I knew I was doing something wrong!.
Then I noticed the same feeling when you get nervous or worried about something, your stomach contracting and your breathing blocked, I think this is exactly what it happens when you practice and you don’t realize it.
That’s why there is always been methods and teachings about how to breathe for all woodwinds.
First of all, when we normally breath, we breath in we exhale out, ok, but when you’re playing a woodwind instrument you do exactly the opposite and this is where the learning comes, you draw air in, and you blow it pushing the muscles of your diaphagram out, so as to force the airstream to resonate, like a jet of air, in this way, the instrument gets the proper vibration because pipes are tubes, and the sound is produced when the vibration resonates along the hollowness of the walls inside, for that, you need to give the right amount of air to every pipe, so the vibrations runs all along, this is applied in the same way to flute, clarinet, sax, any woodwind, specially the big ones where big amounts of air are needed for a rich deep bass sound.
I want to share some tips I have collected, not only about breathing, but about how to shape the back of your throat to play in a more relaxed way, and the tone of if you get, it’s far more pleasant and smooth than the one you do without a cushion of air.

1. 1. There’s the timing in the music score, and there’s the timing for breathing as well, this two should work together, that’s why you can see commas at the end of some bars sometimes. It’s a good idea too, to mark down where you draw air in at the end of the phrase so you can work ahead.
2. 2. Don’t breath in the middle of a phrase or at the end of certain bars if that means altering the overall rhythm, remember in every song there are times where you naturally breathe without upsetting the flow of the rhythm.
3. 3. Doing Yoga breathing exercises, it’s not only healthy and great but extremely helpful to this, it’s called pranayama
4. 4. Shaping your mouth and throat as open as you can while you blow will help to achieve a round good tone, the sound starts in the pipe, but it is in the mouth when the articulation comes and that’s reflected in your music.
5. 5. Practice long sustained notes and slurred intervals before any playing, it’s a good warm up and it doesn’t take long.
6. 6. And finally if you include dynamics (dynamics is the name to refer to the technique involved in the volume of the notes, sometimes you play soft and sweet, sometimes you play loud and bold, sometimes you gradually go softer or louder… these are indicated by text in the music score)to your playing you’re not only practicing your breathing patterns but also adding expression and grace to your overall playing which will make you sound beautiful

Practice this, play note starting as normal, either saying ta or pa, the tongue touching the gum or the back of the front teeth and then move the tongue backwards and feel the roof of your mouth and the cavity opening, imagine it’s a big cave and a massive current of air is blowing through..
Think of hot air, like when you warm up your hands, so you kind of say “haaaaa”, for playing soft you leave your oral cavity too, but just a little push from the abdominal muscles.

Now back to the breathing topic, I always take a big amount of air be it in a fast gasp or a slow one, but coming from a yoga background allows me a good knowledge about this,

-When you take air in , open your mouth cavity as if imitating a snore, and feel your lungs filling like a ballon, you actually feel filled.

Then blow, blow slowly, and pushing with the muscles of your stomach, try to push as slow as you can while retaining the flow.

With practice and including THIS in your daily practice, you will definitely see a huge progress in your overall panflute experience.