[The tune I play at the beginning of this Quick Tip is called “Angeline the Baker“].
Hi, I’m Vi Wickam with a myTalentForge.com Quick Tip of the Week!
What we’re going to talk about today is drones. Drones- not just as something we play in a song, like I did right there in Angeline the Baker.
I’m talking about drones as a practice tip. So if I want to drone […], I can use an open string drone […] to play my scales, and it will give me a reference point, or a reference note, to adjust my intonation to.
Drones, in general, are a great way to practice your intonation. I have an app called iTablaPro. Tablas are an Indian kind of drone.
But the Tabla program also has a drone that you can play along to, so you can have a rhythm and a drone to play along with.
Darol Anger has also recently released a drones album that he has available on Band Camp, if you’re interested in it. It’s a really useful tool.
If I’m in the key of D and I’m playing a song in the key of D, I might want a drone that’s a D note. And maybe I want a drone that’s an A note. So I can also play along with the 5th of the chord. Either of those are acceptable.
I would recommend starting with the drone of the key you’re playing in. So play a song in the key of D. And play a drone that’s a D note using either one of these apps.
You could also record a drone to play along with. Or you could download the drones that Darol Anger has recorded that you could play along with!
So there’s a lot of flexible options in the realm of drones, but I highly recommend you make use of them!
Drones are a great tool for improving your intonation.
And that’s your Quick Tip of the Week for myTalentForge.com. I’m Vi Wickam, and I’ll see you next time!
Geez! This is the first time I had no idea what the Quick Tip was talking about.
Hi Joyce, Start by practicing your scales with open string drones along with the note you are fingering. The open string will give you a reference pitch that will help you recognize when you are a little bit out of tune, and adjust the note you are playing until it sounds right. You can do this with songs as well. Does this make more sense?
Thanks,
Vi