A Valuable Lesson

In Jerming's car on the way to airport. Thursday.

J: Jer Ming
W: Me
Poom: Bass drum
Pa: Snare drum

J: So do you still use that beat?
W: What beat?
J: The one that I told you not to use.
W: Oh..The 'Poom Pa Poom Poom Poom Pa?
J: Ah yes that's the one. Don't use it. There's too much bass in it. Just stick to simple beats. Like 'Poom Pa Poom Poom Pa' or something like that. Too much bass drum makes it sound unnatural.
J: You see..the guitar follows what you play. And so, if you add too much bass, it doesn't flow well.
W: Ok.
J: If you noticed in many christian songs, most of the drum beats are simple, yet impacting.
J: I let you listen to some songs. Hear their drum beats.
*J plays a song on the car's mp3 player.*
J: Listen to the drum beats. They are simple aren't they? (Poom Pa Poom Poom Pa)
J: Next, listen carefully to the bass guitar.
*W listens carefully*
J: Notice what the bass does. The bass always co-ordinates with the bass drum.
*J switches songs*
J: Now listen to what the guitar does.
W: Ok.
J: Yup. So a good drummer, or every other good musician, listen to what each and every other musicians do.
J: What does each musician contribute? How does each musician play a part? What are they playing to make the song more powerful?
W: Ok.

(The post below is for all musicians who are learning basics)

W: Jer Ming, what is the difference between a chord and a key?
J: Hmm. Let's start with the basics.
J: You know how to play a guitar?
W: A bit.
J: Ok. Every string on a guitar produces a sound. That sound is called a note. Or in musical terms, we call it a pitch, which states how high or how low the sound is.
W: Oh ok.
J: Now lets state an example. I play a 'D' on the guitar. I strum every guitar string together. The sound produced is what you call a chord. They sound pleasant to the ear. All 6 notes on the string produces the chord.
W: Oh I see.
J: Now lets go to keys.
J: 'Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do'
J: I just sang you a scale.
J: *Sings a higher scale and a lower scale*
J: You notice the difference?
W: Yah.
J: So this difference is scale is what you call a change in key.
W: Oh.....

After he finished that sentence, the car arrived at the airport. And so it continues from the previous post...