1) Piano Olympics–As many were asking how I create a Piano Olympics Camp, you can find the full scoop by clicking here

2) Let’s Make a Melody: offering students the chance to create an original composition

3) Off the Printed Page: encouraging improvisation by mastering chords and creating with “back-pocket” patterns

Just in case those aren’t enough, here’s a few more. I know, I got a little carried away.

“Unlocking the Secrets of Lead Sheets”

Summary: Lessons will focus on reading “simple” lead sheets with basic tunes and ecourage students to pick out tunes by ear. As they build their skills, pianists will choose from a selection of pop favorites and work on “faking” their way through a lead sheet.

Format: Pianists will spend 30 minutes with me at the bench and then another 30 minutes at the computer with various exercises to improve listening skills.

Resources:

1) Books:

• Pattern Play–explained more in the last blog, this series of books by Forrest Kinney is a bundle FULL of fantastic ideas to encourage improvisatory skills of any pianist at any level.
• Chord Play–this newly released series by Kinney will be a perfect fit for lead sheet lessons as it provides a step-by-step explanation of how to add chords to a melody and make beautiful arrangements in classical, jazz and pop styles.
• Pop Improv–for elementary students looking to play in pop styles, this book/CD set offers hip styles and sounds with minimal technical requirements.

2) Helpful Advice

• Wendy Stevens is a composer and teacher who continually provides guidance for creativity (and so much more) at ComposeCreate.com. I will be assigning her helpful steps to harmonizing ”Twinkle Twinkle” as part of the lesson assignments.
• Bradley Sowash has a very helpful article entitled the Mystery of Playing by Ear. I will definitely be following his lead for these lessons.

3) Software/Website Programs:

• Auralia–the most comprehensive ear training software I know or can imagine
• Theta Music Trainer–a web-based program specifically geared towards developing playing by ear skills.
• MusicLearningCommunity–another excellent website hosting exercises to train the ear

4) iPad Apps:

• Ear Trainer–terrific app for developing the musical ear for scales, chords, intervals.
• ReadRhythm–excellent source for refining rhythmic playback skills.
• AuralBook by PlayNote: Although the exercises correlate with the ABRSM Syllabai, the powereful interactive capabilities of this app are useful for any teachers and students.

“That’s Jazz”

Summary: Most high school students will be asked or may be interested in playing in the local high school jazz band, so it’s essential to get them well-equipped for the experience. Bradley Sowash is not only an amazing jazz pianist, he is also a fine educator who has a unique knack for creating pedagogically sound  jazz “tools” for classically trained teachers (like me.) I value visuals and step-by-step instructions and feel confident , with the guidance of Sowash’s books to play,  improvise and even teach jazz.

Format: Pianists will spend 30 minutes with me at the bench moving through the series as fast as possible and then another 30 minutes at the computer with various exercises to improve listening skills. Most of the assignments will focus on ear training as listed above.

Resources:

1) Books:

• That’s Jazz Books 1-3–here’s a past blog that provides more details on these fine books.
• Additional books or assignments will come from books listed above–Pattern Play and Chord Play.
• Books that include terrific jazz solos found in Sowash’s That’s Jazz Performance Series or those in Martha Mier’s series, Jazz, Rags and Blues.
• A visit to the standard 12-bar blues framework will also be planned. Click here for more ideas.

10. When they walk in the door of your studio, they can’t look you in the eye.  Most of my students are pretty fun, engaging people.  And they almost all greet with me a warm hello and a great big smile… unless they haven’t made it to the piano all week.  And then they might not make eye contact, or they might just mumble hello.  I know it’s because they don’t want to disappoint, so I just double my efforts to smile and make them feel welcome.

9.  They can’t seem to find the piano in the room.  A student that has practiced and learned their lesson well usually makes a bee-line for those precious ivories.  But if a student hasn’t practiced, it’s usually the opposite.  Suddenly, the pictures on the walls, the waiting chairs, and the area rug become very very interesting.  And I just smile and tell them how much I’m looking forward to hearing them play.

8.  They talk… a lot.  I find that those students who are on the quieter side tend to get exceptionally talkative when they are less than well-prepared for their lesson.  I hear the most fascinating stories about everything from tripping up the school bus steps to the hot dog that the school cafeteria served for lunch.  And what their dog had for breakfast.  And what their little sister did to her hair… Sometimes i hard to get a student to stop talking, but the key is redirection.  “That’s great, now lets hear what you learned on page 7.”

7.  They’re a bit late.  Typically prompt students will suddenly be late, dawdling their way up the steps, slowly removing their jackets, and meandering to the piano.  A big shower of enthusiasm usually helps get the ball rolling and these uncertain ones back on track.

6. They say, “That was too hard.”  To which I reply, “That’s ok.  Show me what you’ve got and we can move forward from there.”

5.  They can’t find their music.  Anywhere.  What a surprise!  I have an extra copy in the bench, just for you.

4.  They can’t find the right page.  This is when you know it serious.  Check your records and gently help them find it.

3.  They don’t know their hand position.  You can be pretty sure they haven’t even opened their book if they can’t remember the hand position (although sometimes there are exceptions).  In this case, I usually ask them about their practice time for the week.  And then we start from scratch.  It’s ok.  Life happens to all of us sometimes.

2.  They practiced the wrong song, and it happens to be the same one from last week!   Well, I just let them play last week’s song for me again, and if it happens another time I have them show me their assignment sheets.  And then we start the new song again.

1.  Their music didn’t get any better from last week….  I have a few students whose sight reading skills are amazing for their skill level.  And they can be pretty convincing, even if they haven’t practiced.  I look for the subtle details, and gush about how amazing they would be if they would spend a little extra time at the piano.

My philosophy of private lesson teaching is not to turn out a plethora of concert pianists, although I would be thrilled if my students went on to have a music career.  My focus is to teach a love of music through piano playing.  I believe that if they love what they are doing, they will even want to practice.  I respect and cherish each one of my students, and although I do want them to practice, I really want them to love music.  What I find is that students go through phases of practicing a lot and phases of practicing a little.  I know they all have a lot going on, so I encourage them to be honest with me about their practice habits.  I keep it lighthearted, even when I need to remind them to keep practicing at home.  And then, together, we make a plan to help them accomplish their piano goals, become better players, and enjoy music.

• Name sites you use where students can find a teacher, and has been successful for you.
• Ways you market your studio for new students.
• Referral programs for your students.
• Media you use to promote your studio.
• Ideas on how we at Music Teacher;s Helper can help you market your studio.
• Creative ideas on gaining more students.

Success in teaching music is all about the personal touch.  Working one on one with a student is personal in and of itself, and a good teacher can also bring a personal touch to a group, whether large or small.  There are many aspect of connecting via internet that are actually fairly personal and not as anonymous as we often suppose the internet to be — whether emails, Facebook, or Music Teachers Helper (MTH).  And yet any of these interactions, even a private lesson, can feel impersonal if we take the wrong approach, and that’s when a student may start feeling less engaged.

Here are a few ideas for keeping the personal touch in your teaching studio:

~Notice your student’s emotional state; sometimes it’s best to focus on the music and allow your student to get away from daily concerns, but sometimes it’s nice to allow for a bit of personal conversation.  Yesterday I had an agitated student whose distraction was due to an impending divorce and not to real problems with her music.  One girl I’ve taught would well up with tears at odd times; I could have thought it had to do with my teaching or her frustration but instead I discovered she was missing her grandfather.

~Take time when reconciling lessons to write something direct and personal to help each student in the lessons notes, and check off the box to have it emailed to them.

~Don’t rely exclusively on emails or newsletters; sometimes pick up the phone.  Remember that these days people receive a lot of emails; many people are overscheduled and sometimes overwhelmed.  Once in a while, when you really want some answers to questions about scheduling, or registrations, or if you wish to bring a former student back into your schedule — give them a call, and talk to them personally.

~Customize your email templates in MTH so that if you were the one receiving your automatic reminder or payment receipt, you would like the way it reads, and not consider it robotic.  By editing the template you can soften the edges and personalize the message; it shows a bit of extra regard for your students.  See this older post for more about using MTH emails.

~When you send an email to a group, make use of MTH’s name variables.  It is much more personal to get an email addressed to your name than to get a group email sent to someone else but including you on a BCC.  However, make sure the content of the email actually applies to the people you send it to.  It’s easy to dash off a general email to a group and forget that parts of it won’t make sense to some individuals receiving it.  Put yourself in their place and imagine recieving your email, addressed to you, and see if it makes sense.  If it comes across that you blasted a general email to everyone while having it addressed to individuals, it could put some people off.

~In a group class of any size, be sure to take the time to watch individual faces and hands as they play, to notice if someone is puzzled and ask if they have a question, to answer questions without rushing and without cutting someone short.  In fact, taking a few minutes to help an individual in a class can help others who may have the same problem, or can be reassuring to others who don’t have the problem.  In any case, everyone will be watching how you treat that individual, and if you have a personal touch, they will feel it and appreciate it even if you’re not speaking directly to them.  They know you would speak personally with them if they need you to.

~Plan a few events a year that allow for students to play music together (a music party), or to socialize (an open house or reception).  Have some refreshments or real food, and make sure that you offer an event once in a while that’s personal — at your house, or somewhere friendly, where you do not saturate the area with flyers, registration forms and newsletters!

~When you get emails from students, consider answering them all, even if with a few brief words in reply.  Sometimes people don’t expect a response, but everybody appreciates getting one.  By contrast, if you only answer emails that are important to you and necessary to answer, you will come across (correctly) as cold and impersonal to the “less important” students who sent you a note or asked a question, even a silly or obvious one.

~When a student cancels or requests a schedule change, get into MTH and change it immediately.  If you forget or put it off too much, your teaching calendar will start to lose meaning to your students, and they will wonder whether you’re taking the time to keep them in mind.

~Enter payments promptly and accurately, and check off the box to have a receipt emailed.  Even though these procedures can seem mechanical to you, they feel quite personal to the student, who comes to rely on your record-keeping.  Same with the the Transaction Log — regularly check through and correct any errors or oversights.  Take the time to track down any problems rather than brush over them; that indicates a concern for accuracy that shows you care about each student.

Do you have other tips?  Please add them below!

Photo by Carol Lynn Fraser B Ed, Edmonton, Alberta

“Creativity is not a talent. It is a way of operating.” John Cleese

In a recent talk on creativity, John Cleese,  of Monty Python fame, took a look at research into the process of creativity done by Donald MacKinnon at Berkeley in the 70s, and delivered some striking points. In examining studies of creative people, he discovered that “the most creative had simply acquired a facility for getting themselves into a particular mood, a way of operating, which allowed their natural creativity to function…: An ability to play.”  In this paradigm, despite what we often are led to believe, people are not either creative or not creative, but simply more or less able to move into a creative mode.

So what is a creative mode? Cleese differentiated between what he called ‘open’ and ‘closed’ modes.  In the open mode, we are playful, childlike, curious. In the closed mode, we are singlemindedly focused on implementing.  Seen this way, neither way is good or bad, and they’re both useful ways of operating. We’ve all probably come across people who are in the open mode so much of the time that they never get anything done, although they’re great fun to be around. We’ve also definitely come across people who prefer the closed mode and do not identify as creative.

What Cleese suggested is that we learn to alternate between these two modes of operating– giving ourselves the opportunity to be creative, and then moving into a more focused way of operating to fulfill those ideas and bring them to completion.

He had specific recommendations on how to move effectively into the ‘open’ mode. Creativity works best when it is sealed off from our everyday lives, both in terms of space and of time. Space means giving ourselves a place where we can go and not be disturbed.  In terms of time, he suggested limiting it to 90 minutes maximum.  He also discussed another aspect of time–being willing to take time with a creative problem. The research showed that the most creative people always played with the problem longer before they tried to resolve it, because they were prepared to  tolerate that slight discomfort and anxiety that we all experience when we haven’t solved the problem.  Discomfort can  drive some people to make a premature decision. Wanting to look decisive and confident can strangle creativity at birth. He suggested giving oneself the maximum pondering time until it’s actually time to make the decision.

He did however talk about another kind of confidence–the openness to the possibility that anything may happen; the willingness to risk saying things that are silly (and we all know he’s a master at that)!

The final quality is humor–humor gets us into open mode quicker than anything else. And Cleese stressed that being around other people whom you like and trust, and being willing to give and take positive contributions and make crazy connections, are real bonuses.

How can we make the best use of this research, as teachers and as creative beings?  For me it begins with some questions. During a lesson how often am I in ‘open’ mode with my students, and how often in ‘closed’ mode?  When am I helping them to implement, and when am I playing and having fun? How can I most effectively move between those two modes?  One example would be to analyze a passage of 7th and 9th chords in Debussy’s First Arabesque with a piano student, and then to  encourage the student to create a chord sequence of their own.

How can I encourage my students to move between those two modes in their own practice time?  How can I teach them to tolerate the discomfort of the “not knowing” place that is such a powerful well of creativity?

What comes to me is that the most powerful thing I can do is to model the two modes.  And that means practicing them for myself. How can I make my own practice more creative? How can I make my own creative time more productive? Am I giving myself the time and space I need to move into’ open’ mode?  How about right now?

What I loved most about John Cleese’s talk were the light bulb jokes.  Let me explain. In between the nuggets of meaningful research, delivered with great seriousness, Cleese told light bulb jokes- a demonstration, I eventually realized, of alternating between open and closed modes on the spot. So in honor of this great creative master, I will end with a short selection of light bulb jokes.

Q:How many musicians does it take to change a light bulb?

A:Five. One to change the light bulb, and four to stand around and say, “Man, if I’d had his studio time, I could have done that.”

Q:How many clarinetists does it take to change a light bulb?

A:Only one, but he’ll go through a whole box of bulbs before he finds just the right one.

Q:How many sopranos does it take to change a light bulb?

A:Three. One to climb up the ladder, one to kick the ladder out from under her, and a third to say, “I knew that was too high for you, dear.”

That’s all, folks!

Do you identify as having ‘open’ and ‘closed’ modes? How do you move between them? Have you used them during your teaching, and if so, how? I’d love to know.

Last week I was able to get ten students in two hours. That’s right. Two hours. And I did not do anything but watch a few tv shows. How did I do this amazing feat? A school in the area was having a 150 year reunion which included a silent auction. I offered ten 2 lesson coupons (a value of $45 per coupon for two 30 minute lessons). Participants bid on the coupons, the school got the proceeds, and I got ten new students. The school is also sending me a letter giving me a tax deduction for the gift.

This same technique can be done with many venues, such as churches, organizations, and even music stores, who can give a two lesson certificate to customers purchasing an item for $X amount.  After the two free lessons, I have new paying students.

Other ways to find students is to sign up on some of the many free websites who solicit prospective students to signup and search for a teacher in their area.

• Betterfly
• Musical Advantage
• Find My Music Teacher
• Private Lessons
• Private Music Teaching
• MTNA-Find a Teacher
• Music Teacher Map
• Mel Bay’s Find a Teacher
• Bridge to Music
• Music Teachers UK
• Music Lessons Plus

Now, let’s see your ideas and success stories in the comment section, as music teachers helping music teachers. Also post your ideas and success stories on Facebook and Twitter.  Music Teacher’s Helper will continue to be proactive by providing you ideas and resources to increase your volume of students and building  your music studio business.

Exclusive in our newsletter this month is a Featured Teacher who is interviewed on his studio, techniques and his use of Music Teacher’s Helper. Who knows, you may be called on to be interviewed next.

Below are the bug fixes we made in April 2012. We appreciate the votes you have made on requested features, and continue to listen to your ideas and suggestions.

Go to mth.uservoice.com and submit your suggestions and vote on submitted features that you would like us to implement. You can also browse through our Knowledge Base for information and answers to commonly asked questions. If you have any questions of your own, Click on “Contact Us” on the Uservoice page and send your question to our Support Team for a quick answer.

Here are the latest Fixes made in April, 2012:

• Made the time format more clear in lists where dates and times are shown. It now reads 4:00 pm instead of 4:00Pm.
• When clicking an image in the photo area, the screen was darkening but the photo was not appearing. This is now fixed..
• The order of the items in submenus wasn’t specific to that menu. Now submenus have a unique display order for each one.
• Paypal variable was missing from the invoice notification email template. This is now fixed.

Every year it’s a good idea to check in with your students to make sure that you’re both on the same page.  Many teachers do this via written survey.  I prefer to take lesson time to discuss with my students how they feel the past year has gone.  Because it’s one-on-one, I start with basic questions and then elaborate according to the student.  My basic questions are as follows:

What are you doing better than last year?

How much progress, on a scale of 1-10, do you feel you have made over the past year?

Are you satisfied with that amount of progress?

If not: What do you feel has most impeded your progress?  How can I help you in removing this obstacle?

In the short-term, what do you want to be able to do?

In the long-term, what do you want to be able to do? (any specific songs, genre, career plans, etc)

How do you feel you are doing in lessons?

Do you have any specific frustrations?

What do you enjoy most in lessons?

Is there anything we’re not doing that you would like to focus on?

I find that I get a good response with the one-on-one approach.  It doesn’t include parents, but the students tend to be very honest and open with me, and it gives us a good chance to communicate and for me to hear student input.  Teaching is usually more strongly a one way flow, and I greatly enjoy giving the students direct input into their lessons in this way.

What do you do in your studio?  How do you make sure that you and your students are on the same page?

Creative Composition Toolbox by Wynn-Anne Rossi

This is hands-down THE BEST step-by-step guide for teaching and learning to compose!

I first came across Wynn-Anne Rossi’s music via her outstanding Surprising Solos series, and have always been impressed by her ability to capture the attention and imagination of young students. This new series is no exception. It contains 6 books, suitable for early beginners to late intermediate students. Each book contains 10 composition tools/ideas, and each tool is presented in a concise, two-page format.

On page 1, the tool/idea is introduced and explained in easy-to-follow language. This is followed by a sample composition that demonstrates the tool; the student learns the composition, thereby understanding how the specific tool/idea is used in a piece of music. On page 2, the student is asked to compose their own music – they are given two measures as a starting point, clear instructions as to what to include in the composition, a “Toolbox Tip” to remind them of previously learned tools/ideas that they may wish to incorporate, and a “Composer Connection” where they learn interesting facts about composers. I am especially impressed by the many different composers and musicians represented here – not just the famous Classical ones like Mozart and Beethoven, but also the less well known ones such as Perotin (c. 1200) and Charles Seeger (1886-1979), contemporary composers such as Philip Glass and John Williams, Jazz legends such as Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, and even household names like The Beatles and Captain Picard from Star Trek: Next Generation are mentioned!

The way Rossi explains the materials is engaging; it is as if though she is in the room talking to you and giving you a private lesson. The concepts are explained without fancy encyclopedic terms, but in simple words that students can easily understand and follow. For this reason, this series is also highly suitable for the self-motivated student who is perhaps at intermediate level and wishes to start embarking on the wonderful journey of composition – the student could work through the series in their own pace, and bring the completed assignments to lessons for the teacher to critique. On the other hand, the series is also suitable for beginners, as Book 1 starts “off staff”, and students can start composing after learning only two notes (C and D)!

The more I look through this series, the more possibilities I see. I can see it used in a group class setting where everyone is given the same composition tool per lesson, students work individually on the assignments, and play their finished compositions for one another. To sum up, the series can offer the following benefits for students:

1. reinforcing theory knowledge
2. enhancing sight reading skills (as students learn the sample pieces demonstrating various composition tools)
3. introducing music history facts, including composers’ lives and important works
4. exploring creative expression through the art of original composition

Grand One-Hand Solos for Piano by Melody Bober

Ever had a student come to lesson and say they injured one of their fingers/hands and can not play? Fear not! There is a growing trend of new compositions written for one hand, and they sound fantastic! At the MTNA Conference 2012 in New York, I was deeply moved by the Ingrid Clarfield story and her performance of one hand music specially written for her by Dennis Alexander and Ryan Brechmacher.

While the Grand One-Hand Solos are much easier and designed for early elementary to late elementary students, the principles of empowering one hand and writing artistic music for one hand is the same. The collection currently has 3 volumes, each containing music in a variety of keys, styles, meters and tempos. Students learn to “reverse read” – right hand reading bass clef and left hand reading treble clef, alternate quickly and frequently between treble and bass clefs, and focus on performance elements such as rhythm, dynamics, phrasing and articulation. Most of the elementary pieces contain teacher duet parts, which provide a unique harmonic perspective and make the experience of playing with one hand fun and interactive. The later elementary pieces explore the full range of the piano, and encourage fluidity of arm movement over the keyboard.

This collection is perfect for isolating and curing reading and technical weaknesses associated with a particular hand, as well as developing awareness that one hand is capable of voicing and artistic performance. I am hoping there will be 3 more volumes in the near future, to cover early intermediate to late intermediate levels.

Hanon for Students edited by Gayle Kowalchyk and E. L. Lancaster

If you do not believe in Hanon, think again! There are so many different versions and editions of The Virtuoso Pianist on the sheetmusic market, and there is a reason it is still around after first being published in 1873. I do agree that mindless, dry, machine-like Hanon practicing hurts the student’s ears as much as musicianship. This new series differs from others in that it encourages thoughtful and musical practicing.

Proper practicing of these time-tested finger exercises is “built-in” – students are required to do each exercise five times! Yes, five times, before they move on to the next exercise! That has been my biggest challenge in the past, to make students repeat an exercise – often students are in such a hurry to go on to the next page, and feel “defeated” when asked to repeat an exercise in different rhythm/articulation. Now with this new series, it is built-in that they repeat the exercise, as each exercise appears five times: 1. the original. 2. with varied articulation. 3. with varied dynamics. 4. with varied rhythm. 5. transposed. So, the student still gets the sense that they have advanced to the next page, their ego is not hurt, and the teacher can celebrate that the exercise rightfully deserves another week! This is particularly relevant in the more difficult exercises where the pattern of finger stretching or contracting can be tricky.

The editors have rewritten the exercises in eighth notes for one octave, so that the page does not look cluttered by thick black beams, and students may focus on really getting each pattern right. The editors have even gone so far as marking where the finger contracts and stretches, where the fingering changes right before the pattern goes descending, and where the ending pattern is so students may pay attention at the end and not get carried away  - these are all common areas of mistakes and by having them marked in the music really saves the teachers a lot of time and headaches!

Bonus: Book 2 has a glossary of all major scales and Book 3 harmonic minor scales, all with fingering written in, necessary sharp or flat right next to each note (as opposed to having them in the key signature and students inevitably forgetting), and words to remind students where to pass thumb under or cross over.

All of the above collections are designed to make our job easier as a teacher. You may view sample pages of each book by going to the Alfred website. I highly recommend them!

Highest Class Sound Engine Used

When you slow down a guitar solo or piece of music, this new version sounds the same quality-wise as the original and it makes it so much easier to hear and emulate what any player is doing. ANY player, ANY Style! For example, you can take a solo by any Speed by a  Guitarist and hear it as if he was sitting in front of you and playing it in slow motion.

It takes someone like Michael Angelo Batio, Gary Moore, Django Rheinhardt, Buckethead, The Hellecasters, Chet Atkins, Andy McKee, Eric Johnson, Guthrie Govan, Lee Ritenour, Steve Lukather, Neal Schon, Slash, The Edge (U2), Jonny Buckland (Coldplay) … even speed monster and maestro Paul Gilbert, and reduces their playing to a humble crawling speed!  You’ll hear every fine detail and it doesn’t matter what style of guitar you want to learn, or even master. Its a ‘No Holds Barred’ software learning tool.

My advice? Don’t get left behind by using Tab. Learn directly from the masters themselves. That is the key to becoming a seriously hot guitar teacher. You will have compliments coming from numerous parents and students that have learned their songs from you through Song Surgeon.

The Multi Style Uses of Song Surgeon 3

Because of its very nature, you can use it on any style of music. You can hear every little nuance of a player. Such as how does a Country guitarist make his guitar sound like a lap-steel. Where exactly does he put in the vibrato?, what string is he bending?

You can use it to easily learn Blues, Rock, Metal, Jazz, Pop, Grunge … ANY style, there are no restrictions. And the best thing? You will be learning it from the source. From the original recording. No more dodgy Tabs which are totally wrong anyway. Tab is not how to teach your students the guitar if you want them to become a great student and guitarist. You, as a violin teacher, can also teach your student soloing from a red hot violin? This is how to do it.

Snooper Technology

Also included in this software is a patch called ‘Sniffer Technology‘, which is personally one of my favorite parts of the software. This enables you to download and extract a music file from video sites such as Youtube and play them in Song Surgeon 3. I could not believe how well this worked!

Song Surgeon 3 Updates

The original version of Song Surgeon was to me, a touch of sheer genius in itself. But version 3 takes even that to newd limits. The main update concerning music teachers is the new sound engine. This latest update allows you to slow down any piece of music without degradation in sound. This makes a huge difference to make learning any particular guitar solo a LOT easier.

Insert Silences Anywhere

A brilliant innovation has been added to version 3. You add custom timed silences after every loop. This allows you to play the loop and then have your student play it on the guitar. This way,  you and your student can work on any tricky bit before the loop plays again. With this setup, you can work on any troublesome or difficult parts of the solo.

Easy Creation of Custom Audio Files

With Song Surgeon Pro version, you can easily create create multiple loops. For example, you could have a guitar solo playing at normal speed, then 70% speed, then 50%, right down to 10%. You can also put counts in at the start of each loop which is a very clever addition.

Export to Your Computer

When you have setup a loop in this way, you can export it as an mp3 sound file to play on your PC or Ipad. My advice? Build a collection.

EQ Sliders

Slowing down a solo without changing the key and having crystal clear sound at lower speeds is so powerful that I can’t emphasize that enough here. You can heavily adjust the EQ on any piece you are working on. This allows you to bring out the Guitar in a mix and highlight it so that it stands out from the rest of the mix. You’ll be amazed at easy it is to hear what a killer guitarist is doing on any solo.

Another essential extra is the inclusion of a Music Pad/Transcription Area. No more bits of paper lying around and getting lost. Think of it as a great time saver. Build a little collection and you won’t lose it. You can write out the music in notation or tab.

You can find out more at songsurgeon.com and download their FREE 4-hour demo.  Also, in conjunction with our review of this program, the folks at Song Surgeon offered to give away five free copies in a drawing.  You can register for that drawing here.

 I talked to the people at Song Surgeon, and they told me that they have more than 25 different instruments represented among users, and they have many instructors. They have sold me on the software. I give this software Five Stars!