By Rob Cypher You are a busy person – family, friends, work, school, hobbies galore. Maybe you’re into fitness, or art, cooking or even knitting. Then someone says “you should pick up an instrument – it’s so good for you!” But what could possibly be the value of adding something…

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By Heather Taylor As you learn how to play an instrument, it’s exciting to show your progress to your friends. But you don’t need a Hollywood studio full of equipment to capture your best self. You can create a wonderful video with just your instrument and your phone. There…

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By Heather Taylor I didn’t intend to start a musical challenge. All I wanted to do was learn the ukulele. In the summer of 2015, I wandered into a music store to buy a uke, and a book to help me learn how to play. That’s when I found…

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Let’s learn this iconic classic! It was originally written and recorded by Carl Perkins in 1955, but it’s been performed by many others too, notably Elvis Presley. You can hear why it’s been such an influential song – it perfectly marries super-catchy musical hooks, the energy of rock n&…

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Let’s play this 70’s rock classic! This is one of those songs with all the elements that define the genre: awesome guitar riffs, a huge drum groove, an unforgettable chorus hook, and more. It also became a crossover hit when hip-hop artists Run-DMC collaborated with Aerosmith on a cover versio…

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Let’s learn this 80s classic! As you listen you’ll notice it has a unique blend of sounds, with elements of folk, pop, and rock coming through at different times. This is a great way of capturing your attention – hooking the listener into the song, and keeping you guessing. “Moonlight…

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Let’s learn this iconic classic rock song! While some of us feel “we don’t need no education”, this song is an incredible education in itself – by listening carefully, you can learn so much about groove, melody, layering sounds together, leaving musical space, and more. Try choosing a musical elemen…

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Let’s learn this classic tune you just can’t help singing along to! It’s one of the most-recorded songs of all time, but the most popular version was recorded by the Righteous Brothers, with a truly masterful vocal performance. It features an extremely popular chord progression (C-Am-F-G), which is…

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Rock on with this groovy song! During the early 90s Lenny Kravitz had a string of retro-inspired hits, managing to capture the awesome vibe of the 60s and 70s, but with a modern twist. This song is a great example: a great drum groove, funky bass, classic rock chord progression,…

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