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Category: Musical Arts

  • How I Learn Old Time Tunes – Learning to Play the Tune, Nancy, from a Recording by Jonas Friddle

    How I Learn Old Time Tunes – Learning to Play the Tune, Nancy, from a Recording by Jonas Friddle

    For someone who is relatively new at playing music, learning a new tune, or a bunch of new tunes can be overwhelming.

    Because of this, I thought I would share my process for learning tunes. Maybe you’ll find it helpful to see how I do it. In this video I learn the tune Nancy on my harmonica. I learn an arrangement from my good friend, Jonas Friddle. I highly recommend checking out more of his music at jonasfriddle.com

    Enter your email address here to receive a free .pdf that accompanies this video essay.

    Submit a form.
  • Rain, Rain Go Away – First Guitar Lesson

    Rain, Rain Go Away – First Guitar Lesson

    Here is a quick guitar lesson for total beginners. This is my usual first lesson for both youth and adult musicians. If you can do this, you can do anything on the guitar! This will get you started.

    If you do get started with this lesson and are looking for some more in depth study, let me know! I’ve moved all of my teaching online for the time being and would love to meet with you. We’ll have you playing in no time!

    Here’s the Rain, Rain Go Away video lesson and here is a free download of the lyric and melody sheet.

    Rain, Rain Go Away – a perfect first song for beginning guitar players.
    rain-rain-go-awayDownload
  • How to Find the Minor 2 (ii) Chord in a Major Scale – Video Lesson

    How to Find the Minor 2 (ii) Chord in a Major Scale – Video Lesson

    During this challenging time of life I’ve been inspired by the Marquette Makers’ Project to keep busy with some creative work.

    I’ve made a lot of lessons like this, but this is the first one where I used a virtual whiteboard and recorded my voice along with the drawings I made on the whiteboard.  It turned out pretty well and I learned a lot!

    In the video I mention two songs that use the minor 2 chord.  Here are lyric and chord sheet for those to songs

    Old Devil Time by Pete Seeger

    Hungry Heart by Bruce Springsteen

    [vimeo http://vimeo.com/400364601]

    Here is the weekly schedule for Marquette Makers’ Projects during the physical separation from our communities.  Cool stuff.  I’m excited to see what people are working on.

  • Music Video for “Juice Box” – a new song for youth musicians

    Music Video for “Juice Box” – a new song for youth musicians

    Thank you to Huxley and Theo for their help making this music video for my song, Juice Box!  This song was written with young students like them in mind.

    I you’d like to learn the song yourself, you can listen to just the audio recording and download a FREE handout to help you learn the song, here.

    The handout has the chords, standard notation, and harmonica notation.

    It also has the chords, standard notation and harmonica notation for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star!

    Now presenting JUICE BOX!

    [vimeo 392866503 w=640 h=360]

     

  • Recap: Family Harmonica at Winter Roots Festival

    Recap: Family Harmonica at Winter Roots Festival

    Wow! What great musicianship at the packed house for Family Harmonica Workshop at Saturday’s 2020 Winter Roots Folk Festival! Most of the attendees had never played the harmonica before and they plowed through ALL of my teaching material for the day. Three of the songs were the classics – Hot Cross Buns, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Boil ’em Cabbage Down. The last was an original song by me called Juice Box (which you can learn to play here.) We even had some juice boxes at the end to celebrate our music.
    Looking forward to another opportunity to play together!

    Photos and video by Susan Rutter Divine, Katy Divine and Sue Demel.

    [vimeo 392247139 w=640 h=1138]

     

  • Juice Box – A Harmonica Song for Youth Musicians – Notation Download a Audio Recording

    Hi everyone,

    Today I’m teaching my first workshop as part of Winter Roots Festival in Marquette, MI.  In honor of this big day I wrote a new song for you to learn on your harmonica!  It’s called Juice Box and it’s all about everyone’s favorite drink . . . a juice box!

    Here is some recordings of me singing and playing the song. The first recording is just the harmonica part.  The second is my harmonica, my guitar and my voice.

    You can download a FREE .pdf of the notation of this song.  Print it double-sided an cut the paper along the dotted line to make your own zine!  The zine also has the notation to another favorite song, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

     

  • Snowy Day – A Song for Young Musicians – Video and Zine

    Recently, it was a very snowy morning here in Marquette, MI.  I was waiting for some of my students to have their lesson and I wrote this song.

    I made a video of me playing the song, and there is a .pdf of a zine that you can print out to help you learn it.  Print it double-sided and then follow the instructions to make the zine!

    The zine contains the lyrics, standard music notation, and specialized notation for harmonica, guitar and ‘ukulele. 

    I was wondering, what would happen if we changed the lyrics from “snowy day” to “cloudy day” or “sunny day”.  What changes would you make in the rest of the lyrics so that the song is about your day?

    Download the Snowy Day Zine here. Be sure to print it double sided and then watch the short video below to learn how to fold your zine.

    Thanks to Ore Dock Brewing Company for letting me use their beautiful community space to make some music.

    Watch this short video to learn how to fold your zine.

  • Harmonica Orchestra in Cedar Lake, IN – January 2020 – Wrap Up

    Last Friday, the 3rd graders at Jane Ball Elementary in Cedar Lake, IN and I had a great time starting up our Harmonica Orchestra .  We got right down to business, learning how to hold it and learning how to play only one note.  Then we dove into some Hot Cross Buns and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

    Reports are that it went over very big with the students.  One grandmother wrote to me and said, “He’s played it every day since.  Thank you for inspiring him to enjoy music in a different way ”

     

    That is awesome to hear.

    Harmonica Orchestra at Cedar Lake Elementary

  • Teaching Station at Ore Dock Brewery

    Originally posted on Facebook, Jan. 11, 2020

    My teaching station this morning at Ore Dock Brewing. I have just a few lessons today, but I sure hope to do more here.

    It’s been a long time since I taught a chunk of lessons on a Saturday and I am feeling nostalgic and loved. Thanks to everyone who helped me get here. I’m thinking of you.
    #JAMuary2020
    #musicmakesmesmile

    Teaching Station at Ore Dock Brewing

  • Join the Band! – Music with Jason at Ore Dock Brewing

    Social media card jpgAward-winning music educator, Jason McInnes, will be leading youth, family or adult music lessons this January at Ore Dock Brewing. Sign up for a 30 minute lesson in:

    * Guitar
    * Harmonica
    * ‘Ukulele

    Beginning, intermediate and advanced students welcome.

    Jason has over 17 years of experience leading music lessons that empower students to find their own musical voice.

    Space is limited!

    Contact Jason at 773-369-8268 or jasonplaystunes@gmail.com
    for details, to schedule a Saturday lesson, or to find another time to make some music. More information at www.jasonmcinnesmusic.com