Music Learning Benefits, Beatles Isolated Vocals and More

The Many Benefits to Learning Music

I just came across this great article, reconfirming many of the things I had written about myself in past blog posts.
Some of these blog posts:

The Positive Influence of Music Study on Your Life.

The Life Enhancing Benefits You Get From Music Study

It’s always fun to read up on the science behind why people who learn music, generally are happier, more successful, and more intelligent as a result of the effect music studies have on the brain.

Here’s the article.

Music Lessons Are The Best Present You Can Give Yourself for Later Success In Life

The Beatles “Something” Isolated Vocals

As most of you know, The Beatles are one of my all-time favorite bands.
Probably not a coincidence that my other favorite band, calls The Beatles one of their biggest influences: Queen

One of the things that are always very informative, is hearing the isolated tracks of iconic recordings.
There is so much you can learn from hearing the individual parts of a production, really clearly, separate from all other parts.

I thought you might get a kick out of hearing the isolated vocal tracks to “Something”.

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/beatles-isolated-vocals-paul-mccartney-george-harrison-something/?fbclid=IwAR36-bX2DpTUp95SJEI-jFXTYdribnoOIXwwgLdkV5Xx33ZwlVrr09P2qxA

Picking & Strumming

I often get asked about the main differences between picking and strumming.
Quite often, students confuse the skills that set those 2 right-hand techniques (“Left hand” for lefties) apart.

Here’s a quick general outline.

Short of tapping or finger picking, the hand that holds the pick, deals with 2 techniques for the most part:

Picking
1. This is the technique you use when you play less than 3 strings.
2. Used for single note lines, guitar solos
3. Hand/wrist rests on the guitar body (and/or on the strings)
4. It’s a wrist motion
5. Move small
Strumming
1. This is the technique you use when you play more than 3 strings. (also called: “chords”)
2. This is rhythm guitar. You don’t strum solos, you strum rhythms
3. Elbow/arm rests on the guitar body
4. It’s an arm motion
5. Move big (if you move small, then your rhythm is going to suck)

Here are some songs that combine both techniques: great resources to learn and practice how to switch effortlessly between the 2 techniques without missing a beat.

Custard Pie (Led Zeppelin the main riff)
1. The first 7 notes are picked (hand should rest on the guitar body)
2. The last 3 hits: A chord, G bass note, A chord, are strummed (3 down strokes, big arm motions)
Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd)
1. The melody on the bass strings is picked
2. The in-between chords are strummed
Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin)
1. The first 4 bass notes (B D B D) are picked
2. The E power chord following those 4 notes, is strummed (with downstrokes only in this case)

Conclusion

Hit me up anytime at vreny@zotzinmusic.com if you have any questions, or if you would like to book a lesson.

These free lessons are cool, but you will never experience the progress, joy, and results that my students experience in lessons when you’re learning by yourself from blogs and videos.

That is why people take lessons: way better results and progress, much more complete information, exposed to way more creative ideas than you can get from a blog or YouTube video.
There is only so much that self-study can accomplish.

If you want to see amazing results and progress in your guitar playing, buy your first lesson here and get started ASAP.