{"id":112113101,"date":"2023-04-08T02:15:23","date_gmt":"2023-04-08T02:15:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dheerajchand.com\/wordpress\/tools-for-learning\/"},"modified":"2023-04-08T02:15:23","modified_gmt":"2023-04-08T02:15:23","slug":"tools-for-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/dheerajchand.com\/wordpress\/tools-for-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"Tools For Learning"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The working tools of a guy learning jazz are&#8230;<\/h2><div class=\"captioned-button-wrap\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/substack.com\/refer\/dheerajchand?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_context=post&amp;utm_content=undefined&amp;utm_campaign=writer_referral_button&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Start a Substack&quot;}\" data-component-name=\"CaptionedButtonToDOM\"><div class=\"preamble\"><p class=\"cta-caption\">Start writing today. Use the button below to create your Substack and connect your publication with Learning Jazz From The Masters<\/p><\/div><p class=\"button-wrapper\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/substack.com\/refer\/dheerajchand?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_context=post&amp;utm_content=undefined&amp;utm_campaign=writer_referral_button&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Start a Substack&quot;,&quot;hasDynamicSubstitutions&quot;:false}\" data-component-name=\"ButtonCreateButton\"><a class=\"button primary\" href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/refer\/dheerajchand?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_context=post&amp;utm_content=undefined&amp;utm_campaign=writer_referral_button\"><span>Start a Substack<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div><p>Learning is hard, but it doesn\u2019t need to be as hard as it is, and it doesn\u2019t need to be hard in all the ways that it\u2019s hard.  One of the big problems with learning music is figuring out what tools to use. It\u2019s not just a question of what to learn, which is already hard, and how to learn, which is another problem, but what you use to learn what you learn.  There are so many choices, so many approaches, so many opinions.  My view on this is that you should just pick something and go with it. These days, most of what you find online is good information. Choosing between things is a matter of taste, more than substance.  So, here are the tools that I have found helpful.<\/p><p>Also, always practice with a metronome. Even if it\u2019s on your phone, practice with a metronome.<\/p><div class=\"subscription-widget-wrap-editor\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/learningjazzguitar.substack.com\/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}\" data-component-name=\"SubscribeWidgetToDOM\"><div class=\"subscription-widget show-subscribe\"><div class=\"preamble\"><p class=\"cta-caption\">Thanks for reading Learning Jazz From The Masters! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.<\/p><\/div><form class=\"subscription-widget-subscribe\"><input type=\"email\" class=\"email-input\" name=\"email\" placeholder=\"Type your email\u2026\" tabindex=\"-1\"\/><input type=\"submit\" class=\"button primary\" value=\"Subscribe\"\/><div class=\"fake-input-wrapper\"><div class=\"fake-input\"\/><div class=\"fake-button\"\/><\/div><\/form><\/div><\/div><p><em>Guitar<\/em><\/p><p>With luck, you\u2019ve already decided on a guitar and setup. I hope it makes you happy. If you haven\u2019t, then go find one. Go visit an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;q=indepdent+guitar+stores&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;oe=UTF-8\">independent guitar store<\/a> and get some advice on what to try out.<\/p><p><em>Electronics<\/em><\/p><p>I use a few pieces of technology to help, all made by Apple.  They are <\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><p>MacBook (laptop) <\/p><ul><li><p> Create and edit charts<\/p><\/li><li><p>Create and edit backing track files<\/p><\/li><li><p>Write about practice here<\/p><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><p>iPad (tablet)<\/p><ul><li><p>View charts for practice<\/p><\/li><li><p>Play backing tracks<\/p><\/li><li><p>Metronome<\/p><\/li><li><p>Practice scheduling app<\/p><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><p>iPhone (smart phone)<\/p><ul><li><p>Practice scheduling app<\/p><\/li><li><p>Tuner<\/p><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><p><em>Software<\/em><\/p><p>This is where things get a little crazy. I have a lot of software that I\u2019ve bought over the years for different reasons, but here\u2019s what I intend to use, and to what end.<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.modacity.co\">Modacity<\/a> &#8211; This is a very cool piece of software that allows to define practice routines by assembling items, giving them durations, etc., and then creating schedules. It keeps track of what you\u2019ve practiced, for how long, etc. and it has a simple metronome built in.  Very cool software.<\/p><\/li><li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fender.com\/pages\/tune-app-guitar-tuner\">Fender Tune<\/a> &#8211; I bought this because it seemed like a good idea at the time, and while it was and is a good idea, it hasn\u2019t remained as good an idea as I\u2019d thought it to be. This app is on both iPhone and iPad.  <\/p><ol><li><p>Pros <\/p><ol><li><p>Cheap, around five bucks<\/p><\/li><li><p>Lots of built in drum patterns and highly configurable metronome<\/p><ol><li><p>Traditional metronome sounds<\/p><\/li><li><p>Drummer sounds<\/p><\/li><\/ol><\/li><\/ol><\/li><li><p>Cons<\/p><ol><li><p>It\u2019s a paid app<\/p><\/li><li><p>For some reason, it has trouble detecting <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Scientific_pitch_notation\">A2<\/a>  as a guitar string. This matters if you use a seven string guitar in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jazzguitar.be\/forum\/players\/28442-george-van-eps-tuning-strings.html\">Van Eps Tunings<\/a>.<\/p><\/li><\/ol><\/li><\/ol><\/li><li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.apple.com\/mac\/garageband\/\">GarageBand<\/a> &#8211;  This is a very cool piece of software. It\u2019s better than what digital audio workstations were in the nineties, when I first started playing, were. You can make backing tracks on here pretty easily. I don\u2019t really use it, but it\u2019s cool to have. You can add lots of instruments and play through something, but it requires a lot of work to make a track.<\/p><ol><li><p>Pros <\/p><ol><li><p>Free with your Apple device, built in<\/p><\/li><li><p>Lots of sounds<\/p><\/li><li><p>Highly configurable drum patterns and metronomes <\/p><\/li><li><p>Constantly updating with new sounds and packs<\/p><\/li><li><p>Opens and writes lots of formats<\/p><\/li><\/ol><\/li><li><p>Cons<\/p><ol><li><p>Very difficult learning curve<\/p><\/li><li><p>Laborious to create tracks<\/p><\/li><li><p>Doesn\u2019t make lead sheets easily<\/p><\/li><\/ol><\/li><\/ol><\/li><li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irealpro.com\">iReal Pro<\/a> &#8211; iReal Pro was a tip from a friend. You can copyright a melody, but you can\u2019t copywriter a chord sequence.  That\u2019s where iReal Pro steps in. The software allows you enter sequences of chords, which it can then play back to you in a few different styles, so that you can play melodies over them. <\/p><ol><li><p>Pros<\/p><ol><li><p>Very straightforward to use<\/p><\/li><li><p>Huge library of songs available<\/p><\/li><li><p>Easy ability to share charts<\/p><\/li><li><p>Very impressive playback styles, you can really hear the differences and they do motivate you to play differently<\/p><\/li><li><p>Very fast customer support by email <\/p><\/li><\/ol><\/li><li><p>Cons<\/p><ol><li><p>Paid software, around twenty bucks<\/p><\/li><li><p>Charts are ugly and not easily configurable<\/p><\/li><li><p>You can\u2019t add new playback styles easily<\/p><\/li><li><p>Separate licenses for laptop and iPhone\/iPad, which is a real bummer. I paid for both.<\/p><\/li><\/ol><\/li><\/ol><\/li><li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitar-pro.com\">GuitarPro 8<\/a> &#8211; I am honestly not sure why I bought this, but I am glad I did. You can make some very cool charts in GP, with multiple lines, and the output is very, very configurable. You can also create, read, update and delete (CRUD) charts using programming languages, which is cool.   <\/p><ol><li><p>Pros<\/p><ol><li><p>Highly configurable and designable output<\/p><\/li><li><p>Easy ability to share outputs<\/p><\/li><li><p>Usable with programming languages<\/p><\/li><li><p>Highly configurable instrument sounds<\/p><\/li><li><p>Multiple instrument lines<\/p><\/li><li><p>Large chord libary<\/p><\/li><\/ol><\/li><li><p>Cons<\/p><ol><li><p>Paid software, around eighty bucks<\/p><\/li><li><p>Sounds are not extensible, you can\u2019t add sounds for instruments you\u2019d want<\/p><\/li><li><p>No easy way to have it play through a lead sheet with a realized harmony and melody<\/p><\/li><li><p>Chord charts don\u2019t support <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tedgreene.com\/images\/lessons\/students\/paulvachon\/howtoreadtedgreenechorddiagrams.pdf\">Ted Green style charts<\/a> <\/p><\/li><li><p>You can\u2019t easily compute things like inverses, retrogrades, etc., if, at all, frankly.<\/p><\/li><\/ol><\/li><\/ol><\/li><li><p>MuseScore &#8211; This is software that I really want to like but I haven\u2019t figured out how to use, yet. My friend and advisor, <a href=\"https:\/\/trevorhanson.com\">Trevor Hanson<\/a>, swears by it, though, and it does support Ted Greene style chords.  <\/p><ol><li><p>Pros<\/p><ol><li><p>Highly configurable and designable output<\/p><\/li><li><p>Easy to share outputs<\/p><\/li><li><p>Usable with programming languages<\/p><\/li><li><p>Huge chord library<\/p><\/li><li><p>Supports <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tedgreene.com\/images\/lessons\/students\/paulvachon\/howtoreadtedgreenechorddiagrams.pdf\">Ted Green style charts<\/a> <\/p><\/li><li><p>Plugins market that allows extra functionality, like computing retrogrades and inverses<\/p><\/li><\/ol><\/li><li><p>Cons<\/p><ol><li><p>I haven\u2019t figured it out, yet.<\/p><\/li><li><p>They charge a monthly subscription fee, which is guaranteed to raise my ire. There\u2019s nothing I loathe more than subscriptions.<\/p><\/li><\/ol><\/li><\/ol><\/li><\/ol><p>This is what I have in mind. Let\u2019s see how it works out in practice.<\/p><div class=\"subscription-widget-wrap-editor\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/learningjazzguitar.substack.com\/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}\" data-component-name=\"SubscribeWidgetToDOM\"><div class=\"subscription-widget show-subscribe\"><div class=\"preamble\"><p class=\"cta-caption\">Thanks for reading Learning Jazz From The Masters! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.<\/p><\/div><form class=\"subscription-widget-subscribe\"><input type=\"email\" class=\"email-input\" name=\"email\" placeholder=\"Type your email\u2026\" tabindex=\"-1\"\/><input type=\"submit\" class=\"button primary\" value=\"Subscribe\"\/><div class=\"fake-input-wrapper\"><div class=\"fake-input\"\/><div class=\"fake-button\"\/><\/div><\/form><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The working tools of a guy learning jazz are&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-112113101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/dheerajchand.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112113101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/dheerajchand.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/dheerajchand.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dheerajchand.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dheerajchand.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112113101"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/dheerajchand.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112113101\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/dheerajchand.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112113101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dheerajchand.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112113101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dheerajchand.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112113101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}