Hear it from pop star & Musicology founder, Anurag Dixit (Excerpts from interview featured in Zee5, Jio news, ED times)
Looking for best online music lessons? Well, it’s not easy to find out the right ones. Online space is flooded with online music lessons. And there are all types of lessons-pre recorded, live and hybrid. This makes it even more difficult to choose the right kind of lessons for you. In this interview, pop star & founder Musicology Anurag Dixit tells us the most important question you should ask before zeroing in on the best online music classes:
What does the music course offer other than ‘playing music’?
Well, it may sound strange but the best courses in music don’t focus on ‘playing music’. Or to be precise they don’t just focus on ‘playing songs!’ Following are the topics which should be offered in the best online music classes:
(1) Developing good technique: “Having a great technique is what makes great musicians different from average musicians”. By technique, we mean the ‘physical aspects’ of performance. For a guitarist or pianist it means which fingers to use for certain keys / frets and how exactly to use them. For a singer, developing good technique means developing power & strength in voice, breathing techniques and effective use of vocal bridges. A great technique makes your performance fluent & expressive. The best online music schools cover this aspect in detail. Best online music teachers are able to help you develop good techniques for your instrument or voice.
(2) Improving range: ‘Range’ means to be able to play or sing through a broad range of notes. For singers it means they can sing high or low notes with the same ease. For guitarists or other instrumentalists, it means to play a wide range of notes across their instrument. Very often music teachers teach songs within a limited range of notes. They are not able to teach how to develop range using correct technique. Using incorrect methods may seriously affect your overall technique. And when you develop incorrect technique it’s not easy to reverse or unlearn the process. As a result your progress is compromised for good. On the other hand, the best online music lessons include techniques to improve range. Best online music teachers should be able to help develop a good range.
(3) Developing an understanding of theory, scale shapes & chord voicing:
There are several scales & Raags that can be sung or played. But the ability to sing or play scales, Raags and chords in different ways makes your performance really powerful & versatile. This is the most important music technique which most of the music coaches are not aware of. Or they simply don’t talk about it. The best online music courses must cover the theoretical concepts behind music and your music coach should be able to help develop a good understanding of how scales, Raags etc. can be performed in different ways that enhance your performance.
(4) Developing your unique music style:
This is the second most important aspect after the ‘Theory, scales & chord shapes techniques’. Most of the musicians merely copy established artists. But copying can never take you far. All great musicians have a ‘signature’ performance style. Best online music coaches are able to teach you ‘improvising’ in different keys & genres. They give you clear guidelines on how to develop your own unique ‘signature music style’.
(5) Ear training & sight reading skills
Music is an ‘aural’ art i.e. it’s related to ‘hearing’ skills. Great musicians are able to figure out notes and chords by simply ‘hearing’ them. This ‘aural’ skill is developed through a step by step ‘ear training method’. Unfortunately most of the music teachers don’t include ear training in their teaching. Even if they do, it’s done superficially. So if you really want to become good at your instrument, make sure your online music classes cover ‘ear training’ as an essential topic. Similarly, the best online music schools also offer ‘sight reading’ lessons. Sight reading means to be able to read standard musical notations.
In a nutshell, the best online music lessons should be able to help you:
· Sound like a professional musician
· Perform effectively under challenging conditions – live performances, auditions & competitions
· Develop your technique, ready for professional use
· Take your music playing, music technique & style to the ‘Pro’ level
· Master scale & chord techniques
· Express & communicate better with your instrument
· Master techniques for live performances & auditions
· Use effective improvisation
· Understand the basics of recording & cutting your EP/albums
· equip yourself with the best & latest in music industry
In my next article, I will talk about 5 additional guidelines to help you choose the best online music training courses for you. Stay tuned.
Anurag Dixit is an internationally acclaimed singer-musician. He is an award winning educator and the founder director of Musicology. An internationally renowned music institute, Musicology offers online certificate courses in music, music production, song-writing & composition. Since 2003, Musicology has trained over 30,000 students through its award winning program - Anurag Dixit's Musicology Lessons. Students from USA, Europe, UAE, Australia and all across India are learning with Musicology's online courses. Through his Master-class, Anurag also helps professional artists find their voice, craft their style and create successful music careers.
Website link https://www.musicology.net.in
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