When the Jaws of Life Have You

May 7, 2014 David Hunte 4 Comments

So on my way to work today, I saw this accident on the side of the road. There were police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances and first responders everywhere. I was able to take this picture while moving at a very slow crawl past the scene of the crime.

What I could notice, was that the top of the car was totally off the car – The Jaws Of Life had been used! The Jaws Of Life, as they are commonly called in rescue operations, usually refer to specialized Hydraulic Shears that are designed to cut through metal. That’s why they’re so useful in rescuing people who have been trapped in their cars.

This picture which was taken from the Wikipedia’s Hydraulic Rescue Tools website, shows the Hydraulic Shears commonly known as the Jaws of Life!

The Jaws Of Life can take unexpected turns in so many ways, and when they have you it could feel like everything will be OK! Or that everything is going completely awry! It all depends on your perspective. How you react is determines whether you gave a Glass Half Full or Glass Half Empty experience! For Example:

Glass Half Full – Yay! I’m saved!
Glass Half Empty – Oh no! My car is ruined!

There’s only one way that I hope to be in IF the Jaws of Life make an appearance in my life. And that’s with a smile, because I know that if I’m alive and kicking will enjoy my family and friends as we get together to Play It By Ear!

Music

The Math of Music – #ItsANumbersGame

May 6, 2014 David Hunte 7 Comments

It’s a numbers game?
Playing it by the numbers?
What ever are you talking about?

I’m talking about the major/minor scales and how they relate to each other and to the tonic note or KEY Note. It is important to NOTE (see what I did there) that the KEY note is the note from which the scale gets its name and because of the name it would have certain features or characteristics. The numbers are number from 1 to 7 and represent all the notes of the scale. You could see this in the diagram that I had for my recent post – I Need My Keys!

Each note in a scale is assigned a number. For example, in the major scale there are 8 notes, with the 8th ascending note being exactly the same but exactly one octave (8) higher. (It is also exactly double the frequency in Hertz (Hz – but I will talk about that in a later post). The main note of a scale is given the number 1. Each consecutive note as the scale gets higher and higher is assigned the next number until the 8th note which becomes 1 again.

So using the scale of C-Major we find the following:
C-1, D-2, E-3, F-4, G-5, A-6, B-7 and back to C, which becomes 1 again and it goes on and on. These numbers become important because they form the framework by which different musicians can play a song and know what to do based on the number that corresponds to the chord being played at that particular time.

So take time to explore the Math of Music and as always keep a smile going as you Play It By Ear!!!

Life, Music

To Teach or Not To Teach – Revisited

May 5, 2014 David Hunte 5 Comments

This is a re-post of a blog that I had earlier this year called – To Teach or not to Teach. I felt that it is worth mentioning again. There is even an update. So here it is:

To Teach or Not To Teach? That is the question. Well for some teachers its not even a question. It’s anathema to them. What am I talking about? Playing Music By Ear. It just is not done. I have had people come to me and tell me that they started experimenting with playing by ear and their music teacher forbade them from doing so. And so it is now that they “THINK” that they can’t play by ear so they don’t try.

I’ve wondered to myself, “Self! What is the reason for this kind of thinking by music teachers who insist on teaching ‘By The Book’?” And the answer is a simple “Lack of Understanding.” In my humble opinion and experience, people fear what they don’t understand and they can sometimes pass that fear on to their students. It is also true that you can’t effectively teach something that you don’t intimately know. Music is a performing art, and you have to be able to demonstrate the lesson as it happens.

One of the most important things that we use as music teachers, students, and fans is the art of creative listening. Music is an auditory experience. We ‘hear’ music with our ears so we have to listen. As music teachers this is sometimes missed in the teaching. We don’t teach our students to listen critically to themselves, other artists and also to what the audience is saying. Always. Always. LISTEN.

There are people who say that playing by ear is just memorization of songs. And to a certain extent that is true. Playing by ear is more a matter of a coming together of a working knowledge of music theory, chord progressions, bass line movement, alternate harmonic anticipation and melodic interpretation. For some who have more experience playing by ear, you can utilize structures and chord progressions that may come from other songs and intersperse them into what they are playing as they are playing it. This is often seen in Jazz, Gospel, Country and other popular music genres of modern times.

So if you want to learn to play by ear does that mean you shouldn’t learn to read music as well? I answer that with an emphatic, “NO!” Learning to read music opens up a whole new world to the music performer and rounds out his or her education. It enables a musician to be more marketable and versatile when they can do both – Read Music and Play By Ear!!! Its quite interesting to note that musicians who can only read music look up to musicians who just play by ear. And musicians who only play by ear look up to musicians who only read music.

Oh for the day when musicians can be equally proficient in reading music and are also able to Play It By Ear!!

Music

Sometimes I Feel…

May 4, 2014 David Hunte 6 Comments

Sometimes I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing.
Sometimes I feel Inadequate.
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child.
Sometimes I feel like I feel like I’m floundering.
Going to and fro. Go to work. Go home. Go to the supermarket. Go Eat. Go to Sleep. Go to the gym. Always on the GO! When does it end? Why does it have to be this way? Is there something else out there? For me? For my family? For the world?

I say Yes! Emphatically Yes!

The answer is simply to stop and smell the roses. Yes! Smell the Roses! Take some time to just enjoy nature! Make time to tell your loved ones how much they mean to you. Send a text to a friend just because! Focus on someone else! There is a God who cares! You may not believe it, but its true.

I find that when I’m feeling down, I just have to sing a simple song and I feel a whole lot better. There is something about that sweet, simple song that just soothes the soul. There’s the old negro spiritual that says, “Sometimes I feel like a motherless child, a long way from home.” If you ever feel that way just remember there’s some One who cares. Take the time to day to tell someone you love them.

I Know I Will and I know I’ll also take the time to Play It (Music) By Ear!!!

Health, Life, Music

Get Some Rest!!!

May 3, 2014 David Hunte 5 Comments

RESET!!! Start Over!!! STOP!!! It can wait till tomorrow!!!

These are all words and phrases that I need to listen to. Why? Because it lengthens your life and contributes to overall health and general well being as reported in a recent article in Time Magazine. In this article it is refers to SLEEP as the new Health Frontier! Here’s an excerpt from the article that really struck home to me:

Researchers have known for some time that sleep is critical for weight maintenance and hormone balance. And too little sleep is linked to everything from diabetes to heart disease to depression. Recently, the research on sleep has been overwhelming, with mounting evidence that it plays a role in nearly every aspect of health. Beyond chronic illnesses, a child’s behavioral problems at school could be rooted in mild sleep apnea. And studies have shown children with ADHD are more likely to get insufficient sleep. A recent study published in the journal SLEEP found a link between older men with poor sleep quality and cognitive decline. Another study out this week shows sleep is essential in early childhood for development, learning, and the formation and retention of memories. Dr. Allan Rechtschaffen, a pioneer of sleep research at the University of Chicago, once said, “If sleep does not serve an absolutely vital function, then it is the biggest mistake the evolutionary process ever made.”

WOW! Too little sleep is linked to Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Depression, as well as ADHD in children. I know that when I get a good night’s sleep, I feel like I can conquer the world. It feels like there is nothing that I cannot do that day. And it is all because I had enough sleep the night before.

So my advice to you? Get Some Rest!!! I know I will and I know that I will also find the time to Play It By Ear!!!

Music

I Need My Keys…

May 2, 2014 David Hunte 4 Comments

One of my piano students recently asked me, “How do you find the key of a song?” I looked at her and said, “That’s a very good question.” The answer is not that easy to find as well as not that easy to figure out unless you have more information about the song and the documentation surrounding it. But there are quick things that you can do to figure out what key a song is in or what key a song should be in.

The first method may be kinda silly but if you don’t know then ASK someone who does. Maybe someone has already played that song and you can ask them. This is especially true in a Band Setting, where you have to depend on the other people in the band in the first place.

Secondly you could use the key signature of the song or look on a repository like Ultimate Guitar and look for the chord chart. This most likely will have the key on it, and you could identify the key that way.

The third method is using the Major Chord Method. Each song will have 3 major chords in it. The 1, 4 and 5 chords are always MAJOR chords, while the 2, 3 and 6 chords are ALWAYS MINOR chords. If you can identify these 3 major chords, you can infer the KEY from that. For example if your song has A, D, and E as the major chords, then the song MUST be in A. And so on. Here’s a chart from Ultimate Guitar that shows this information:

Key  1   2   3   4   5   6    7     
C    C   Dm  Em  F   G   Am   B-dim 
D    D   Em  F#m G   A   Bm   C#-dim
E    E   F#m G#m A   B   C#m  D#-dim
F    F   Gm  Am  Bb  C   Dm   E-dim 
G    G   Am  Bm  C   D   Em   F#-dim
A    A   Bm  C#m D   E   F#m  G#-dim
B    B   C#m D#m E   F#  G#m  A#-dim

This chart is very helpful in determining the key of the song. Now I’ve mentioned Major and Minor chords, which I’ve discussed in a previous post. I’ll have to come back to it soon. But needless to say this chart needs to be looked at and memorized as it would help in easily identifying the key. I’ll revisit the differences in a Major and Minor Chord in a later post or see my recent post. Now when you find your key, just keep on playing and working it as you Play It By Ear!

Music

Back In The Saddle – Again!!!

May 1, 2014 David Hunte 9 Comments

So I’m Back in the Saddle Again!!! It’s been a while since I posted something up to this blog. It’s not that I didn’t have anything to write about. I did. But I didn’t do anything about it. So recently my friend Robert Kennedy issued a challenge to me to start writing again for the month of May 2014.

So I took up the challenge to right about what’s going on in my life. A lot of it will deal with music, and more specifically Playing Music By Ear. Some of it will deal with health and fitness. I will let you know how I’m doing with 31 posts in 31 days. I’ve started this a few times and I’ve never quite finished the race. But this time I will complete this task.

There’s a lot that can be said about starting something new and sustaining it. The question remains how do you go about doing this? The answer? You COMMIT to it! No matter what it is, you have to stay committed to your task. You have to move forward in your endeavor and never waver. If you look at the lives of successful people you find that there’s a common thread in all their lives. They have a tenacious spirit that won’t quit. Even in the face of great obstacles they find a way to get it done.

So I’m back in the saddle again and I won’t give up! I won’t quit! Recently a friend of mine started on his journey to wellness and health. He has a mantra that I’ve come to adopt as well and it is: I Can, I Will, I Must! (#iCaniWilliMust) There is no other option!

Yesterday you said Tomorrow. Today – What’s Your Excuse?

So I’m back in the saddle again, and I’m ready to:
Play It By Ear!!!

Music

Play It For Language – Part 3

January 17, 2014 David Hunte 3 Comments

Language is so important for communicating different things at different times. It is a very important thing that helps people interact with each other through life. Music as a language is such a powerful medium of communicating, because for a lot times there are no words, and you still have to have something to say.

In my recent Blog Post on Play It For Language – Part 2, there was a Ted Talk Educational video that talked about Music As A Language by Victor Wooten, renowned Bass Guitar player. In that YouTube Video, he espoused the fact that children who grow up in a house full of musicians, tend to learn to jam and play by ear a lot faster than children who do not.

I thought about it, and I had started to do this very thing a few months back. I must say that my kids with this method of music instruction, namely just jamming with them and imparting my musical knowledge as organically as I can. It has been surprisingly satisfying. I don’t know if I had shown this video to you yet, but here is a little sample of me and my son just jamming to Chick Corea’s SPAIN! This clip is only a minute long.

I don’t know if I mentioned this, but my son heard me playing this tune and wanted to learn it, so he just started to play it. So I stopped by and started working with him on it. We worked on the phrasing, and different things over time, like adding the bass note in the left hand, among other things

I recommend this method to everyone who is thinking of learning or teaching music. Find a mentor/teacher if you can. And remember that your attitude determines your outcome. So remember:
1. You have to enjoy it.
2. You have to embrace it.
3. You have to Be PERSISTENT!
4. You have to BE
5. You have to have SOMETHING to say!!!

So do as I do! Just pick up your instrument and PLAY IT BY EAR!!!

Music

Play It For Language (part 2)

January 16, 2014 David Hunte Leave a comment

Victor Wooten Playing The Bass - Music As A Language! — Victor Wooten Playing The Bass – Music As A Language!

Just recently I posted an article on language – You Talk Before You Can Speak! In that article I basically acknowledged how music can be learned in the same way that we learned the language that we speak, that we communicate with. This post is simply a follow up on that concept and is in the form of a YouTube video from Ted Talks by the Extremely Talented Bassist – Victor Wooten! He talks about Music As A Language – The Way All Musician’s Should Learn Music. Take a listen and let me know what you think:

Let’s Jam! That’s right! Just Pick Up Your Instrument and
Play It By Ear!!!

Music

Play It For Juicing

January 15, 2014 David Hunte Leave a comment

A few years ago I saw a movie called Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead. It put me on a path of wellness that I haven’t looked back from since. The movie chronicled the health of an Australian business man, Joe Cross, who was 100 pounds overweight and also had a debilitating autoimmune disease that affected his skin. In addition to his skin condition, he had high cholesterol and other conditions all of which required medications to mitigate the symptoms.

He took a journey across the US, and traveled for 60 days. He was able to cure his disease and get off ALL his medications just by drinking fruit juices of all types for 60 days. Yes. Only juice for 60 days.

It was at a truck stop in Arizona that Joe met a truck driver, Phil Staples, that had the same disease and he also changes his life and he also goes on a journey to wellness using the same principles that Joe used.

I am amazed that so many people are on a fast track to sickness and they don’t know it. Get in touch with a medical professional and seek help. I did. I juice every few weeks to reboot my system as I also haven’t about 35 pounds and dropping.

Joe Cross has put together a great resource called Reboot With Joe that is phenomenal and very comprehensive. Everyone should check it out.

I have done my share of juicing and a few of the recipes are listed here. Mostly I just juice what I have at the time I’m juicing. But I feel great, the best I’ve felt in years. It should be noted that juicing is medicinal in nature, meaning that this is NOT meant as a permanent replacement for food, but should be used as a way to promote healing and well being for a period of time until you are well again enough to PLAY IT BY EAR!

Computers, Guitar, Health, Life, Music, Piano, Technology

18 Blogs In 8 Days!!!

January 14, 2014 David Hunte 2 Comments

On top of all the challenges that I have for the new year 2014, I just gave myself a new one – 18 Blogs In 8 Days!!! It is a challenge that I think will be accomplished. Here’s why I think so. I have a lot of subject matter still to cover with my health, my love of music and technology (PCs, Tablets, and Smart Phones) and the sports teams in the best region of United States – Boston and New England!!!

One of the challenges that I have are the creation of graphics for these blogs. I recently turned to the internet for answers and found this blog by Ryan Hanley: http://www.ryanhanley.com/free-blog-graphics/ that shows how to create really cool graphics using the free web resources of http://www.studiopress.com and also the free graphic editor by http://www.picmonkey.com. These websites are phenomenal to say the least. If there are other viable alternatives to these websites please let me know so that I could pass them along.

Health is very important for happiness and all around well being. Most people don’t pay enough attention to their health until it is almost too late. In a lot of cases, the diseases are treatable if caught early enough. You can’t mess with your health. I’ve got a challenge with a group of friends who are in different parts of the globe. It’s called Focus T25 and it just uses 25 mins a day for your work out and then 3 mins of streching. It’s been going great. I Love This!

Then there’s my love of music and technology. They make a very good way to spend time and money to get back to the rest of civilization and the billions of people who use music and technology in their daily lives.

I’m counting on you all to help me get there: 18 Blogs in 8 Days? It can be done; It will be done. How? Just relax, enjoy and…

Play It By Ear!!!

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Life, Music

Play It For Business

January 13, 2014 David Hunte 2 Comments

These 4 things – Music, Life, Business, & Marketing, have one thing in common. They are all sound and flow better if you have the ability to Play It By Ear.

Playing by ear involves the ability to take input or circumstances and create something beautiful and lasting. In Business it may mean being able to think fast on your feet and to make fast critical decisions. This may mean the difference between a successful performance and dismal failure (epic).

I remember one occasion where a young man was singing a song using a backing track on CD. Suddenly the CD stopped playing. As he kept on singing someone ran to the piano and started to play the song by ear. It saved the performance and everyone remembered it for a long time afterwards.

There is a method to the madness of playing by ear. It’s called PREPARATION. Yes PREPARATION. An accomplished musician has spent considerable time and effort playing different progressions and scales so that it becomes second nature. Similarly a small business owner can get a sale or create a networking opportunity by having his/her business cards or business product samples readily available when they meet someone looking for their product.

As a musician I think about this a lot. People have come up to me asked me, “I love your piano playing. How can I learn to play by ear like you?” At those times I wish I had my book on playing by ear already written so that I could give it to them to read. I would also point them to my blog on playing by ear.

The next key to playing by ear is to be DECISIVE. In life sometimes you have to take things as they are, but when you make a decision based on the facts, then you go with the decision that made and stick with it. It helps to know your market and products and try to anticipate what you would face in each situation.

The next thing to remember is to be FLEXIBLE. You can’t play by ear if you are inflexible. That’s called playing by the book. For some people if it’s not in the book, it cannot be done. This will kill a business so fast your head will spin. There are some business models that will not utilize social media to promote their products and services. But if you want to do business in this modern age, you have to use social media to promote and grow your business. It is one of the reasons why I’ve decided to take up blogging and my blog is now listed on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Path. More will be added later.

So just remember that Playing By Ear does not just involve music but it also can be applicable to life, business and marketing. You just have to be Prepared, Decisive and Flexible as you meet each challenge that you face. Just Keep Smiling and Play It By Ear.

Life

A King’s Legacy

January 12, 2014 David Hunte Leave a comment

I have often wondered what it would be like to have no rights or less rights than my fellow man. It must have been tough. It must have been rough. I’ve heard story after story of discrimination and inequality, and that always amazes me.

Why am I amazed? Well, I never had to experience any of it. The legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr is such that I did NOT have to experience the things that he and his contemporaries had to go through. I heard the story of a negro soldier in uniform who was told, “We don’t serve your kind around here!”, when he asked for a sandwich and a coke at a restaurant in Columbus, GA.

Its good to know that the Legacy includes the fact that my children will NOT be judged by the color of their skin, but the the CONTENT of their CHARACTER, and where I am also judged by the Content of my Character.

It’s good to know that I have a Dream, and that dream can be realized and brought to fruition, because of Dr. King. A man of God, that made a difference in his world, Rev. King was such a man.

I. Have. A. Dream. Today!

And I have more than a dream. I have A King’s Legacy to turn that Dream into Reality as I continue to:
Play It By Ear

Life

Life – Enjoy It

January 11, 2014 David Hunte 2 Comments

I. Love. Life. I really enjoy it. I live with a clear vision for my life. There is an ultimate destination in mind for my life, and I have determined that nothing is going to keep me down this year. I’m Moving Forward!

#ForwardEver #BackwardNever

Sometimes though, life throws you curve balls that are devastating beyond belief and you wonder how you are going to make it through. For me? I look to God Who Give Me Strength!!!

I keep a positive attitude and I’ve learned along the way to enjoy the life that I’ve been given. I’m occasionally happy, but I always have JOY! I also love seeing other people smile because of my antics. So I will fly my helicopter and I will keep on smiling and as always, Play It By Ear as I ENJOY LIFE!

PLAY IT BY EAR

A Blog That Talks about Music and Life