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Articles by Damian Erskine - Page 38


ChordBot: A Look at the Songwriting and Accompaniment Tool for iOS and Android
Apps

ChordBot: A Look at the Songwriting and Accompaniment Tool for iOS and Android

ChordBot is a wonderful, easy to use app which is equally powerful for songwriting as it is for accompaniment. The app allows you to develop and play chord progressions in a number of styles. ChordBot features 60 different chord types (including slash chords), 50+ comping styles, a song generator, as well as the ability to export your files as midi,...

On Improvising: Modal vs. Chordal Approaches
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On Improvising: Modal vs. Chordal Approaches

Q: I’ve been playing for a little bit now and would consider myself a solid player, but I’m looking to really up my level of expression. There seems to be a dichotomy on modal vs. chordal approaches to theory, I figured I’d ask you where the break is. Both seem necessary, but some seem to think the modal stuff is...

Location, Location, Location. Does it Matter for a Pro Musician?
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Location, Location, Location. Does it Matter for a Pro Musician?

Q: Having read previous columns, I noticed that you’ve lived all over the US. I was wondering if you’d found that developing a music career was any more beneficial in one place than another. I live in Edinburgh, Scotland, and get the impression from a lot of musicians and friends that Glasgow, Scotland or London, England would be a better...

Reading Requirements: Bass and Treble Clef?
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Reading Requirements: Bass and Treble Clef?

Q: I can already read treble clef fairly instinctively, having played the clarinet for years. I started playing jazz (on bass) a few months ago, and now can find my way around most lead sheets, but my question is: should I bother to learn bass clef, when treble clef feels more natural to me? I rarely have a need to...

Pay to Play?
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Pay to Play?

Q: Just recently a drummer friend of mine offered me a gig. It’s a little local bar gig, with a fixed payout (around $150 for the night, for the band). My friend suggested we hire a great piano player for the gig, but to get him on this trio, he said we’d have to give him the full payment. I...

Loopy: A Look at the Looper App for iOS
Apps

Loopy: A Look at the Looper App for iOS

I’ve discovered a great looper for the iPhone and iPad. Loopy (and Loopy HD) allows you to create and alter sophisticated loops without the need for a pedal or other hardware. Loopy’s interface presents a series of circles, which become circular waveforms once you’ve started recording. The app offers great features, like pan, volume, timing adjustments, track merging, tempo adjustments...

Improving Your Sight Reading: A Guide to Better Reading on the Bandstand
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Improving Your Sight Reading: A Guide to Better Reading on the Bandstand

Q: I’m at the point where I’m handling lead sheets better on gigs, but I sometimes get lost and/or second guess myself, usually resulting in me getting lost. Do you have any tips for becoming a good sight reader? A: Reading chord charts, and especially written notation, is one of the most useful tools you will develop as a working...

Useful Apps for the Traveling Bassist
Apps

Useful Apps for the Traveling Bassist

I’ve been traveling quite a bit this year, and I’ve come to rely heavily on a few different apps on my iPad and/or iPhone. I thought I’d share a few of my favorites that I haven’t touched on here already. (If you want to check out my previous recommendations, you can check them out here). You’ll notice these apps are...

Getting Started with a Looper: A How to Guide
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Getting Started with a Looper: A How to Guide

Q: I recently bought a looper after reading some of your columns. It’s for practicing, not for performing, but I’m stumped as to what I should actually do with it. Any thoughts on good (or bad) ways to use a looper for practicing? A: Good for you! Looping pedals are a wonderful tools for practice (or performance)! I’ll share some...

Playing As One
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Playing As One

I’m pushing the pause button on questions this week thanks to an experience I had just last night, which is a great lesson for all musicians. I’m traveling to Tokyo with the Jaco Pastorius Big Band at the moment. Last night, we had our warm up concert in Sunrise, FL. After the gig, I got into a conversation with fellow...

Symphony Pro: A Look at the Music Notation App for iPad
Apps

Symphony Pro: A Look at the Music Notation App for iPad

If you’ve been wishing for a music notation app for your iPad to make quick sketches or exercises, or any other simple notation and charts, Symphony Pro by Xenon Labs might just be what you’ve been waiting for in an app. While Symphony Pro can’t match up feature-for-feature with desktop apps like Sibelius or Finale, it is a terrific notation...

A Guide to Memorizing Tunes
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A Guide to Memorizing Tunes

Q: Do you have any tips on how to memorize tunes? I have the hardest time remembering tunes! A: I’ve been there. But a few years ago, I discovered the key: repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition… For years, I’ve always been a chart reader on gigs. I never understood how people could memorize so much music. Then one day...