Brad Harrison Music

The new Modes video is live!
https://youtu.be/WPe7SidC9Bg
It's much more detailed than my original one and has a ton of audio demonstrations, as well as me improvising on each mode to show the sound and character of each one.


I also upload a document with all modes, in all keys & clefs, both relative and parallel, for all my channel members and patrons on Patreon. It could be a really good practice resource if you want to get these things under your fingers and do well with visual learning. www.pateron.com/bradharrison

The next video I'm hoping to release is "Every Chord and Chord Symbol Explained". Maybe by new Years? Let me know if you have any questions about that topic and I'll try to fit them in!

1 week ago | [YT] | 54

Brad Harrison Music

Days away from releasing the next video! 

I decided to do an updated version of my video on Modes. The original was just theory but this new one has a bunch of audio demonstrations and of course new jokes, examples, and metaphors.

If you'd like your name onscreen at the end, join the channel here on Youtube or my Patreon.
youtube.com/channel/UC5EEcOixvGwVFVsHXWYehHg/join
www.patreon.com/bradharrison

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2 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 92

Brad Harrison Music

So, I just realized the intro to the X-Men cartoon is basically a blues. 12 bar form, goes to the iv chord on bar 5, back to i on bar 7, then something different in bar 9 before turning around back to the top of the form. Sounds pretty bluesy to me!

(Also, classic Batman and Spider-Man themes are the blues too!)

More info on the blues here!
https://youtu.be/BI8HpvkXWeM

3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 27

Brad Harrison Music

I just uploaded a preview of my next video for channel members. It will be released to the public later this week, probably Friday. If you'd like to become a member here on Youtube or on Patreon, this is your chance to get your name on the final thank-you screen! youtube.com/channel/UC5EEcOixvGwVFVsHXWYehHg/join
patreon.com/bradharrison?utm_medium=unknown&utm_so…

2 months ago | [YT] | 57

Brad Harrison Music

A viewer came up with this analogy explaining how the Circle of Fifths is also the Circle of Fourths.

People get really confused thinking about the intervals of C to G and C to F; it's important to know that they're both fifths and they're both fourths; it just depends if you're going up or down.

More info here: 
The Circle of Fifths vs Fourths
https://youtu.be/gT0Fawqrs8w

3 months ago | [YT] | 42

Brad Harrison Music

I've uploaded a new resource for modes to my music resources folder which is available to members of this channel and paid members of my Patreon.

It has all modes in all keys, both relative modes and parallel modes, in treble, bass, and alto clef. I hope you find it to be a really useful resource!

The new modes video should be done in a couple weeks or so. Sorry it's taken so long! Gigs and lesson have been taking up a lot of my time. If you want to watch the original video, that's here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFguF...

p.s. If you want to see some of the gigs that are delaying video production, I'm on instagram at www.instagram.com/bradharrison.ca/
p.p.s. If *you* want to be one of the people slowing video production by taking private lessons with me, visit www.bradharrison.ca/lessons

Happy Saturday!

6 months ago | [YT] | 32

Brad Harrison Music

I'm planning to revisit my video on modes soon. I'm going to add a number of playing examples including what familiar melodies sound like in different modes and how modes work for improvisation.

Any other questions or topics related to modes I should be covering?

7 months ago | [YT] | 53

Brad Harrison Music

Use Your Pencil! Tip #9(25:34) of my Sight Reading Guide.

There is a spectrum from true sight reading to reading music you know well.

Sometimes you have one or two rehearsals before a performance, and you're still basically sight reading on the gig. This preparation time is a great opportunity to use your pencil to make sure you avoid errors.

I don't know why, but students are always to hesitant to use the pencil to mark up their music. But it's such an important tool!

Write in that # or b. Add the counting.Circle the key signature, repeat, dynamics, or rest.


Don't let little errors haunt you. Mark up your music, fix the easy stuff, and you'll effortlessly get it right the next time!

7 months ago | [YT] | 68

Brad Harrison Music

Make your warm-up even more valuable and productive!

You've got to warm-up, otherwise you'll probably sound bad and play poorly. But warmup can be a lot of things depending on your needs and instrument. Play long tones, scales, exercises...but whatever you do, don't just jump into music/songs/pieces. That's not a warmup! That's just playing!

Pay attention to how you sound and how you feel and get ready to play well and sound great.

But you can make your warmup even more valuable by adding techniques you're working on into your warmup. Maybe a new awkward scale, but slow with the metronome to practice the scale and practice counting. Or play long tones with dynamics. Or arpeggios with different kinds of articulation. Or some sort of awkward fingering in various rhythmic densities.

You can practice two or three things at once this way. It was a huge efficiency upgrade for my practice routines. Whatever I was working on(scales, lip slurs, multiple tonguing), I would add that into my warmup and do it for 5-10 minutes every day. 

Check out this video for some more ideas.

8 months ago | [YT] | 68

Brad Harrison Music

Thinking of my recent video on Blues Improvisation and I'm wondering if a better title is "The Six Levels of Blues Improvisation" or "Why Learning the Blues is Like Learning Chess" to highlight what I thought was a really useful metaphor. Thoughts?

Also, how did we like this video? I'm thinking of doing a bunch more jazz and improvisation videos if people are interested. Let me know what you think!

8 months ago | [YT] | 33