Author: Soundfly Partners

  • The Basics of the Minor Pentatonic Scale for Guitar

    The Basics of the Minor Pentatonic Scale for Guitar

    By Kathy Dickson If you have been a guitarist for any length of time, you’ve no doubt heard about scales and how you need to know them. But let’s face it, the sheer number of scales to learn can be overwhelming. They smack of theory and are boring to play, right? In truth, scales are…

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  • Music Publishing News: Spotify’s Revenue Rises, Songwriters Win Big Globally

    Music Publishing News: Spotify’s Revenue Rises, Songwriters Win Big Globally

    By Songtrust We asked our friends over at Songtrust to compile a monthly round up of everything that happened in the wide world of music publishing. They are the experts in the subject — Songtrust works tirelessly to simplify royalty collection for artists — so it’s only best if you get it straight from the source! Without further…

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  • 5 Simple but Effective Arrangement Tricks That’ll Bring a Track to Life

    5 Simple but Effective Arrangement Tricks That’ll Bring a Track to Life

    Sometimes what makes a song really stand out isn’t so much the writing, per se — it’s the arrangement of the instruments on the recording or performance. The different combinations of sounds and varied dynamic ranges of certain instruments can change a cliché chord progression or melody line into a stand-out moment. When used as a…

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  • Enter the Realm of Live Coded Music

    Enter the Realm of Live Coded Music

    From fashion to music, the things you love can be created in code. Coding is a superpower that writes your ideas on a computer program and then gives them the breath of life, in bigger, brighter, and more creative ways. This superpower has mutated. It’s even more powerful and enrapturing with the emergence of Livecoding.tv.…

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  • Musicians’ Checklist: 23 Little Things That Will Help You Nail Your Next Gig

    Musicians’ Checklist: 23 Little Things That Will Help You Nail Your Next Gig

    Congrats on getting the big gig! Whether you’re preparing for your band’s first show or your album-release party, these tips will help you learn how to promote your band, make your best impression on stage, and get invited back to the venue to do it all again. At Least One Week Before Put up posters…

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  • 4 Secrets from the World’s Best Improvisers That Will Make You a Better Musician

    4 Secrets from the World’s Best Improvisers That Will Make You a Better Musician

    + Wanna learn how to turn the intersections between jazz and modern hip-hop into creative gold? Soundfly’s new course with jazz pianist and beat producer, Kiefer, on keys, beats, and chord changes, comes out this October! Hop on our mailing list now. When most people hear the word improvisation, they immediately think of jazz, but limiting improvisation to the…

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  • 6 Stage Hacks to Engage a Crowd

    6 Stage Hacks to Engage a Crowd

    During a live gig, the relationship between the artist and audience is beyond that of simply performer and observer. Physically and emotionally, there’s little separation between both parties and a huge deal of direct interaction, both explicit and subliminal. Self-assurance is essential and, as with so much in life, confidence is the key. If a…

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  • Get the Guitar Sound You Want: Cheat Sheet for EQs, Wahs, and Filter Effects

    Get the Guitar Sound You Want: Cheat Sheet for EQs, Wahs, and Filter Effects

    Now that we’ve covered dynamic– and distortion-based effects, it’s time to start playing with the actual shape of your sound. From subtle EQ tweaks to dramatic filters, this is where we start really delving into reshaping and altering your tone. These effects can be used to add expression and character to your playing, as well…

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  • 8 Ways to Improve Your Improvisational Skills Right Now

    8 Ways to Improve Your Improvisational Skills Right Now

    Improvisation is a complex beast to tackle. You can’t go about the process by just “making it up.” If it seems to you like that’s all Miles Davis is doing when he plays, keep in mind that the best improvisers are the ones who manage to create an illusion of effortlessness, but actually put meticulous…

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  • 5 Marketable Business Skills I’ve Learned as a Musician

    5 Marketable Business Skills I’ve Learned as a Musician

    After the breakup of seminal emo band, The Get Up Kids, frontman Matt Pryor said he found himself at a confusing spot within the work environment. Since he had been on tour for so many years, it seemed to be all he knew. He soon realized that being in a small but successful rock band taught…

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Unlocking the Emotional Power of Chords