Hey Friend,
Have you ever given any thought to how patterns shape our lives?
Nearly everything we do can be equated to a pattern: - The morning routine
- The daily commute
- The weekly meeting
Get up, go to work, come home, go to bed...
Your pattern might be a little different, but it’s still a routine that keeps you moving along in your day-to-day life.
What happens when something disrupts your pattern?
If you’re anything like me, a glitch in the routine can be a real pain in the ass if you can’t manage to keep the rest of the day from careening out of control (I know, I know, I can be a Drama Dad!).
Thankfully, in music, breaking away from a normal pattern can mean going from unknown, unheard and unappreciated, to an international phenomenon in what seems like overnight success.
Music is filled with patterns. Every musical principle is based on literal patterns. These patterns are the socially accepted sounds we hear every day in songs.
When we play a major scale but hit a minor fifth interval instead of the perfect fifth, we instantly know it’s a sour note (that’s instinctual - it’s been built into our awareness since there were cave babies).
But breaking patterns is a key to advancing ourselves and music.
If Elvis or the Beatles hadn’t pushed the envelope, we’d all still be listening to crooners and big bands (not that I have ANY problem with either).
Same with Rap.
I'm not personally a fan, but if Anthony “DJ Hollywood” Holloway hadn’t started talking over music instead of singing in NYC, the genre wouldn’t be as big as it is today.
Patterns are the foundation of music. Scales, chords, rhythms...
Most of what I teach focuses on helping you learn these patterns, and with them you can learn to play whatever music you want.
But don’t stop there. Once you know the patterns and how they interact, you then have the knowledge to break out of those patterns and create something different.
You have to know the rules in order to break them!
Think about the patterns in your life. If they’re working, great, but if you think there might be a better way, try breaking the routine and introducing something new to the mix. It could be the start of something awesome.
Come on, break the mold - Rock on!
Peace~
Dave
| 
