In the past year, we’ve made history by releasing several breakthrough tools specifically for “ear-musicians.”

While technology is no replacement for good old practicing, it undoubtedly makes the job infinitely easier.

For example, Song Robot was released around this time last year and totally revolutionized how musicians learn their favorite songs.

It essentially makes the internet one’s playground by accepting special files called “midi.” And it just so happens, there are tens of millions of free midi files spread across the internet.

Song Robot was so instrumental in changing the way musicians started learning songs because for the first time ever, one had every song learning feature in a single application.

-Every note played in the song lights up on a keyboard.

-Notes in the song can be slowed down to as low as 10% of actual speed.

-The left hand can be separated from the right. Left in blue, right hand in red.

-Any section of the song can be looped to focus on the exact chords and progressions of choice.

-The key of the song can be changed at any time. If it’s originally in C major, it can be moved to F major with the click of a button.

-It can show flat or sharp names only or simply default to the key of the song.

-And a host of other features.

(If you don’t have this tool, you owe it to yourself to at least check out the website.)

Visit: http://www.hearandplay.com/2012robot

The next tool we released finally allowed musicians to start practicing with a real-sounding band… in any key… at any tempo.

After years of hearing from frustrated musicians who had access to the knowledge but couldn’t find practical ways to apply it, we stepped to the plate.

The end result: “Back Pocket Band.”

It features over 300 tracks spread across several styles, tempos, and even major keys.

And it’s the perfect complement to Song Robot because after the notes and chords have been revealed, one can simply open BPB and find the right drum or bass track to practice with.

-Access to over 350 real-sounding backing tracks.

-Practice and live performance files are played in all 12 keys.

-Choice between multiple speeds: slow, medium, and fast.

-3 different sections, 9 styles of music, & drums-only option.

-Instant streaming playback and automatic downloading to computer for burning to cd, transfer to ipod, and editing.

For more information on this tool, visit:

http://www.hearandplay.com/2012band

Lastly, we released a tool that finally made it practical to learn and document things in all 12 keys.

Prior to this software, I would recommend that musicians buy notebooks and come up with a way to organize chords in all 12 keys by pages, sections, tabs, etc.

Instant Transposer not only takes a single chord and transposes it to every key (in any color combination chosen), but it allows saving, opening of past files, and sharing with others.

It allows one to punch in a number of chords (say 3 chords from a progression recently learned) and with the click of a single button, it displays those chords in all 12 keys. (In this case, a total of 36 chords in a single click).

From there, the session can be saved, printed, exported, and even copied to desired word processor to create workbooks or simply kept for records.

It’s perfect for the organized student and a game-changing tool for teachers.

For more information, check out:

http://www.hearandplay.com/2012transposer

As you can see, 2011 was the “Year of Innovation” for us and I appreciate all our “Early Adopters” for embracing these tools.

Thousands have been helped by one or two of these tools and hundreds have sent in messages reporting the benefits of having ALL THREE in their arsenal.

Whether you need one or two, or all three, I recommend watching the videos and seeing how these tools can be put to work for you this year.

Gone are the days where you ‘must’ take the long road. Technology has connected the world, made life easier and more enjoyable… and there’s no reason it shouldn’t help your music playing.

Here are the links for all three again:

Song Robot – http://www.hearandplay.com/2012robot

Back Pocket Band – http://www.hearandplay.com/2012band

Instant Transposer – http://www.hearandplay.com/2012transposer

Everyone talks about how important it is to learn all 12 keys as a musician.

Not only does it give you the flexibility and fluidity to play any song you hear on the radio (as you’ll find songs spread across all 12 keys), but it ensures you’re never caught in a situation where you’re dumbfounded because you can’t follow along in the unfamiliar key.

This tool does for music what the calculator does for math — plain and simple.

It makes playing in all 12 keys a breeze. Before this tool, playing songs in all 12 keys was reserved for the most serious… the most dedicated musicians. But now, NO ONE has any excuses anymore because playing in all 12 keys is easier than ever before.

Click here to watch my newest video presentation

Let’s just say if anyone had this tool when they were first coming up, they’d be miles ahead.

This video presentation won’t be up for long so I recommend you watch it. I’m doing something VERY special that I can’t keep going for too long so check it out.

Click here to watch my newest video presentation

What if you could learn virtually any song you wanted? A childhood or pastime favorite?

Sounds too good to be true right?

Well, it’s now a reality with our new Song Robot software we released earlier this year.

http://www.hearandplay.com/learnanysong

Here’s how it works:

Song Robot accepts a file type called “midi.”

If you google “midi,” you’ll find 384 million results. (To get through all those results in a year, you’d have to visit 1+ million pages per day).

But this file is different from any other typical audio file because it actually carries information… not just sound.

And what we did was hire a team of developers to build the best program on the planet for “reading” this information and giving it to you in a simple interface that teaches you unlimited songs by:

-lighting up the notes of the piano in red and blue
-slowing down the song to as low as 10% of actual speed
-changing to any key you want, no matter how far
-looping certain parts repeatedly
-displaying only sharps or only flats or both
-allowing full rewind, fast-forward, & pause controls
-accepting up to 16 instruments at one time
-and much more…

For more details, visit: http://www.hearandplay.com/384million

So essentially, when you make a one-time investment in Song Robot, you get an evergreen system where the sky’s the limit.

If you can find the song you want out of 384 million “midi” search results (and most likely you WILL), Song Robot does the rest!

It’s never been easier than this.

To see it in action, visit: http://www.hearandplay.com/384million

(And just to let you know, I’ve never failed at finding the midi file of a song online. In fact, my blog features videos of me finding files to “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” “The Entertainer,” “Hero,” and more).

Why do so many midi files exist online why are they easily accessible on google?

Simple.

Other common folk put out midi files to show off their playing, just for fun, to share with fellow musicians, to allow conversion to sheet music, and simply because they can. Think 384 million web pages. That’s a lot.

I’ve created a full-length video presentation detailing everything. Check it out at:

http://www.hearandplay.com/384million

As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reply.

Talk soon.

I’m so excited to announce the first Back Pocket Band Update… over 60 professional bonus drum machine loops added to the software! (see video).

If you’ve already invested in Back Pocket Band, simply open your software and a new folder called “Free Drum Machine Loops (Bonus)” will automatically appear. From there, you’ll see 60 new files (20 loops at 3 tempos each).

Watch my video below for details and click here to check out Back Pocket Band (if you haven’t invested yet).

Also, I received an e-mail and video success story from Mike Deiure over at RockGuitarPower.com who’s been using Back Pocket Band with the guitar. Check him out jamming with BPB!

What if you could turn your computer into a complete practicing machine?

What if you could pull a real-sounding band out your “back pocket?” (…so to speak).

Sounds crazy but with the power of technology, I’m going to show you how to finally make practicing fun, productive, and effective.

Click here to watch a new video presentation

(I only wish I had this little magic tool when I was young!)

I call it “Back Pocket Band” because it literally puts a band at your fingertips.

I’ve put together a full video demonstration at: https://www.hearandplaymedia.com/backpocketband

Here’s what it does:

* It gives you access to over 350 real-sounding backing tracks.

* Practice and live performance files are played in all 12 keys.

* You can choose between multiple speeds: slow, medium, and fast.

* 3 different sections, 9 styles of music, & drums-only option.

* Instant streaming playback and automatic downloading to your system for burning to cd, transfer to ipod, and editing.

* And much more…

Visit: https://www.hearandplaymedia.com/backpocketband

For a limited time, I’m making you an unbeatable deal on everything.

Once you get your hands on this, you’ll see why so many are excited about it.

Visit: https://www.hearandplaymedia.com/backpocketband

We’ve made many updates to our all-new Song Robot Music Learning software. So I thought I’d show you how to find a song on google (like “Take The A Train”) and play it in Song Robot, taking advantage of all its song-learning features. Enjoy!

Click here for more information on Song Robot (free video presentation)

I’m so excited to be making another huge update to Song Robot!

Now the keys are in HD and can be expanded as big as you want! If you have double monitors, they can span the whole length. Even if you connect to a 50″ plasma tv, it will have the same, crisp, sharp hd look!

Watch this video for the details.

Update: We made a small update since this video. Now, there is only ONE window even though the keys separate from the main control panel area. Even better!

Check out this 5 minute video of me detailing the latest changes to Song Robot. And remember, if you’ve already invested in it, you get lifetime updates for free. Just open the program and it should say a new update is available. If not, then you need to log into the digital center with your e-mail and dob to pick up latest update (then after that point, the software will look for updates every time you run it).

If you haven’t joined the group of proud Song Robot users, what are you waiting for? :-) Click here for more information.

After so many replies and interest in the new Song Robot software I recently announced, I’ve decided to do yet another quick demonstration that shows how the software can be used to learn virtually any song you can find (and there’s a good chance you can find ANY song you want on google).

In this video, I show you in just a few minutes how to find over 4 versions of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” (and that’s just because I stopped looking… there are literally dozens, if not hundreds, out there). I then open them in Song Robot.

At the end, I let the entire song play through (giving you the opportunity to pick up as many chords and progressions as you want — but you’ll want to get Song Robot so you can have full control to slow it down, change the key, loop certain parts back and forth, and more!)

For more information on Song Robot, click here.

Since the release of my Song Robot software, people have absolutely been going nuts over it.

So I’ve decided to create a full 30-minute video of Song Robot walking you through the hit song, “Hero” in slow motion.

The first part of the video shows most of the song played at normal speed. The next part shows it slowed down to 50% of the regular speed. The last part (which takes up the most time) shows it at a mere 10% of actual speed.

If you don’t have the actual software, this is the next best thing. Of course you don’t have full control but my video captures everything you’d see if you actually had the software.

So enjoy this video and if you really like what you see, why not give the Song Robot a try? Click here for details about it.

Click here for a free video demonstration of Song Robot.

After so many replies and interest in the new Song Robot software I recently announced, I’ve decided to do another quick demonstration that shows how to use the software to learn practically any genre out there.

In this video, I show you in just a few minutes how to find a famous jazz song and open it in the robot software. Then at the end, I let the entire song play through (giving you the opportunity to pick up some of the licks in there — but you’ll want to get Song Robot so you can have full control.)

For more information on the Song Robot, click here.

Today’s post is about a little magic tool I only wish I had growing up.

I call it the “Song Robot” and it does just that — you load files into it and it shows you, on demand, how to play them:

1) Slowed down to “Turtle Speed”
2) In all 12 keys
3) With your choice of red colored notes or real 3d notes being pressed down
4) With ability to stop, pause, rewind, fast forward
5) And lots more.

After years of searching for the right tool to recommend to my students’, I went ahead and invested a boatload of money to have this one built from scratch a few years back. And up until now, I’ve only shared it with inner circle students. It’s never been offered to the public.

I’ve created a video demonstrating all the details of the tool, how it works, and why you must have it in your arsenal.

Click here to visit the site and watch the demonstration video.

I been working hard for ya’ll!

I’ve always wanted to include pictures of keys in my blog posts but it’s just too hard to create them each and every time, so I resorted to just plain text…

…Until had this cool idea…

What if I could have someone build me a tool that basically generates piano images with highlighted notes on the fly? All I have to tell it is what notes I want, what color to shade them, and how big to make the image.

Well, that’s what I did! I posted it to one of my programmers and 3 weeks later, it’s a reality!

For example, to make the image above, I don’t have to open one single graphics program. I just copy and paste this code:

<img src='http://www.hearandplaymusic.com/dynamicimage/pianokeys.php?first_octave=C,E,Gs,G&second_octave=C,E,Ab,G&color=99CCFF&size=2' />

*Yes, I know it’s a little techy … but it’s really not that hard! I just ignore everything until I get to “first_octave.” That’s when I type the letters I want in the first octave, separated by commas. I use ‘b’ for flat and ‘s’ for sharp but it comes out as the regular b and #. I do the same for the “second_octave.” Then I pick the color using the 6 digit color code of my choice. Finally, I can choose either small (1), medium (2), or big (3). You’re seeing the medium size above.

I’m excited! You guys don’t know what this will do for my music explanations! If you’ve enjoyed plain text so far (which a lot of you have), then imagine having images too!

The reason I’m telling you all these details about how it works is because YOU can use it too! If you have a blog or you’re ever trying to explain something to someone else via e-mail or on a forum, just come to this page, copy my code, change it, and paste it wherever you want! You’ll be good to go! I’m working on a little wizard that will make it easy for anyone to do.

For now, I’ll be the first one to use my little “dynamic piano key” invention!

Here are some cool chords I’ve made with the tool:

F aug 7 (b9)

Here’s the code I used to make it:

<img src='http://www.hearandplaymusic.com/dynamicimage/pianokeys.php?first_octave=F,A&second_octave=Cs,Eb,Gb&color=99CCFF&size=2' /><br />

Here’s one of those “stupid” (that’s good) Jason White / Mike Bereal-sounding chords…

And the code I used…

<img src='http://www.hearandplaymusic.com/dynamicimage/pianokeys.php?first_octave=F,Ab,B&second_octave=D,E,G&color=CCFF99&size=2' />

Here’s the small version…

<img src='http://www.hearandplaymusic.com/dynamicimage/pianokeys.php?first_octave=F,Ab,B&second_octave=D,E,G&color=CCFF99&size=1' />

Look out for these images in future blog posts. I may even go back to the drawing board and make it 3 or 4 octaves. We’ll see!

Copy this code and change it to the notes you want (use small “b” for flat and “s” for sharp… see sample below):

Ab = Ab
G# = Gs (Use s instead of #)

<img src='http://www.hearandplaymusic.com/dynamicimage/pianokeys.php?first_octave=C,E,Gs&second_octave=C,Bb&color=CCFF99&size=1' />

*Be careful with octaves. It tricked me a few times, too! Sometimes, you won’t realize that one of the notes should be in the first octave rather than the second. Then it shows up way at the end and you’re like, “huh?” So make sure you put the right notes in the correct octave.

Until next time—

My good friend, Khaliq Glover, a Grammy Award-Winning Sound Engineer, is giving away his online course to 79 deserving Hear and Play Students for free (a $29 value)! No Strings Attached.

Yes I’m serious!

I’m talking about a guy who has worked with such "A-listers" as Prince, Herbie Hancock, Michael Jackson, and Lionel Richie (in fact, he was one of the engineers on the hit song, "We Are the World"). He sent me an e-mail saying he wanted to do something very special for my students.

He has this downloadable course called "Piano Recording Secrets" that normally sells for $29.00. It teaches you how to put everything you learn from me to work —- how to record your music and how to make it sound good!

Get this… he teaches you how to record like a professional without the need for expensive equipment either! He’s made it so easy that anyone can do it.

Now here’s the best part…

Instead of charging $29.00 for this course, he’s offered to give it away for free to our students. He loves what we’re doing over here and wants to do his part to help. (You can watch the video he made just for hearandplay students by clicking here.)

If you’ve ever wanted to record your playing (even if you’re a beginner and want to document your progress), you must take advantage of this free offer! Please don’t miss out. There are no strings attached.

Well, I take that back. The only thing is that he can’t give this away to the whole world so he’s limiting it to about 79 students. If you miss out, I apologize on behalf of Khaliq in advance. Here’s what you have to do to get it:

Just go to his order form and enter this coupon code: PRS4H&P

This will take $29 off the order, making it 100% free! In no time, you’ll be learning how to start recording professionally in the comfort of your own home! Oh, it’s downloadable so you’ll start learning right away!

With how the web has evolved, there’s no reason why you can’t get your music out there for others to hear. Why not? Everyone else is!

Click here to get your free Piano Recording Secrets course now!

Note: You must enter coupon code to get the $29 off
 (which makes it 100% free): PRS4H&P

So you’ve heard them play on your favorite albums and covet their style.

But you have no idea how these top musicians get such a full, phat sound, outside of the brilliantly-voiced chords they concoct.

Well, here’s some tools that will get you one step closer.

1) Roland MKS-20 (more information)

Roland actually stopped producing this device in the 80′s or 90′s but it hasn’t stopped some of the world’s greatest musicians from grabbing one in the local pennysaver, recycler, craigslist, or on ebay.

You won’t always find them on ebay but here’s a trick to make sure you know when one is posted right away.

1) Search for “Roland MKS-20″

2) If you find results, great! If you get 0 results, don’t worry. Scroll down to the bottom and find the “RSS” button. This stands for “Really Simple Syndication.” It’s been the hottest thing for the past couple of years!

In fact, you can subscribe to your favorite blogs, podcasts, and online radios show via RSS. Of course, you should be subscribed to my blog … cough cough cough.

But what you do is either click RSS and subscribe via your browser or you can right-click on the RSS button and copy the link. This will enable you to add it to your favorite RSS reader (if you’re using one) or you can add it to your favorite online portal’s homepage like google, yahoo, msn, bloglines, etc. And whenever that search comes up in Ebay, you’ll be notified within seconds.

Basically, the idea with RSS is that you don’t have to remember to revisit some of your favorite sites that constantly post new information. You can subscribe and get their latest updates syndicated to you automatically. This has totally changed the web because search results (like on ebay or yahoo), breaking news, tips (like from this blog), audio shows, video shows, and just about anything you can think of, can now be subscribed to with a click of a button. I’m personally subscribed to over 100 different sites and services and get updates everyday, free of spam.

(Click here for 10 reasons to subscribe to this blog via RSS… my shameless plug).

3) Search for other things like “MKS-20″ or “Roland Module” and follow the same steps.

Other modules used by the pros:

Roland JV-1080 (more information)

Roland P-330 (little brother/sister to the MKS-20 / more information)

I hope you find this post helpful! Until next time.

Ok, so I’m on the net and I come across this post about a free program that visualizes your midi files in a whole new way.

You’re probably familiar with Van Basco Karaoke, which takes your midi file and displays it on a piano screen. It’s great for learning how to play any song, if there’s a midi file available for it on the net. You just load your midi program through Van Basco and voila, the notes are displayed on your screen in a little graphical piano. You can even slow stuff down and transpose to any key of your choice.

(screen shot of van basco karaoke’s virtual piano)

But what I want to talk about is MidiJam, which takes midi visualization to a whole new level! It actually takes the actual instruments that are in the midi file and shows them playing REAL notes.

So the piano plays the actual piano notes that are being heard in the midi file. If there is a bass present, you’ll see the bass plucking real notes too. Same with drums, horns, strings… ANYTHING!

Download the program and mess around with it. It’s a little old school and not as user-friendly as I’d like but it’s decent. Read the “readme.txt” file. I had a hard time figuring out how to bring a midi file of my choice into the program (…you just actually drag the midi file to the midijam.exe icon but the “readme.txt” file covers all that).

It’s cool! I was impressed.

Oops, one last thing. You can then go to Freemidi.org and download as many free midi files as you want (there’s other directories out there too, just google “midi directory”). Then you can open them in MidiJam and enjoy the midi visualization “on steroids.”

Meanwhile, check out some of these clips of midijam in action that people have posted on youtube.

(since these youtube clips were screen captured, the audio sync isn’t perfect but once you download midijam and run it from your own computer, it syncs perfectly)…

And Chris Pirillo, the guy who introduced me to MidiJam:

Download: MidiJam