Magic Tone Network Exercise Block 01: Introduction (15 Videos / 47 mins)

Contents

This 100 percent FREE video tutorial series starts here.

Contents of this exercise block:

Magic Tone Network Pad Layout Explained On Launchpad

Video Tutorial Setup Overview

Note Range Of The Magic Tone Network

The Chromatic Scale On The Magic Tone Network

The 12-Note Block

The C Major Scale On The Magic Tone Network

Major Chords On The Magic Tone Network

Inversions – There’s A Glitch In Every System

Summary Of What You Have Learned So Far

Line Breaks In The Magic Tone Network

The Two Scale Sets On The Magic Tone Network

The Inverted Chromatic Scale

Inverted Chords And Octaves

Magic Tone Network And The Circle Of Fifths

OMG! The 1st Magic Tone Network Chord Progression

Magic Tone Network Pad Layout Explained On Launchpad

– benefits of the Magic Tone Network Technique
– identical chord finger sets placed on the pad grid
– challenges playing chords on a keyboard
– ease of creating chord progressions
– Novation Automap display of notes
– semi tone distance from pad to pad (bottom to top / left to right)

Video Tutorial Setup Overview

– centerpiece: Novation Launchpad with MTN preset loaded
– where to download the Magic Tone Network preset
– additional controls (Mod Wheel / Pitch / Volume / Sustain Pedal)
– concepts to be explained on a 4×4 pad controller
– Novation Launchpad Mini being used as a display
– MIDI keyboard to explain some concepts of the MTN

Note Range Of The Magic Tone Network

– two pages cover more than four octaves
– pages on the Novation Automap GUI

The Chromatic Scale On The Magic Tone Network

– chromatic scale finger patterns
– finding the right semi tone steps
– chormatic scale explained on the keyboard
– differnce when playing semi tone steps on the MTN
– repetitive pattern going upards on the pad grid
– repetitive pattern going from left to right on the pad grid
– suggestions how to play the chromatic scale

The 12-Note Block

– the 12-note block concept explained
– unique 12 notes in any area of 3 x 4 pads
– using stickers as visual anchor points for the 12-note blocks

12-note block - note structure overall view

12-note block - note structure small

 

The C Major Scale On The Magic Tone Network

– major scale finger pattern
– moving the major scale finger pattern to a different “starting position” on the pad grid lets you play the major scale in a different key
– tip: memorize the 12-note block!

Major Chords On The Magic Tone Network

– what a chord is
– concept of building a major chord on the MTN
– using the chromatic scale to find the right intervals that build a chord
– chord building for major chords: major third plus minor third
– major chord building on the MIDI keyboard
– shifting the major chord finger pattern around on the pad grid

Inversions – There’s A Glitch In Every System

– demonstration of inverted scales
– the two different scale sets that need to be learned
– the inverted major scale
– demonstration of standard and inverted chords
– the core principle of inversions on the MTN
– pros and cons of inversions
– chord inversions

Summary Of What You Have Learned So Far

– take a break!
– repeat and practice the concepts you’ve learned so far
– introduction of the split grid concept
– offset pad columns
– even and uneven pad columns

split grid concept

Line Breaks In The Magic Tone Network

– the line break concept
– ergonomic benefits when moving the hand upwards
– repetitive patterns when considering line breaks
– disadvantages when moving the hand from left to right
– four pad columns – four fingers

The Two-Scale Sets On The Magic Tone Network

– even and uneven pad column numbers
– requirement to learn two separate scale sets
– deeper understanding of the split grid’s relation to scales
– demonstration of the standard and inverted scale on the split grid
– learning 2 scales per scale type instead of 12 (like on the piano)

The Inverted Chromatic Scale

– standard scale vs. inverted scale
– needs to be learned for each and every scale type (major, minor, etc.)
– deeper understanding even and uneven pad columns
– finger pattern for the inverted major scale

Inverted Chords And Octaves

– deeper understanding of chord inversions
– turning inverted chords into regular chords
– practicing chord changes from pad column to pad column

Magic Tone Network And The Circle Of Fifths

– Circle Of Fifths demonstration
– relation between the Magic Tone Network and the Circle Of Fifths
– introduction to chord functions and chord numerals

Circle Of Fifths excerpt - Note Names

Circle Of Fifths - Note Names

OMG! The 1st Magic Tone Network Chord Progression

– 1st chord progression played as a whole
– turning chords into progressions, songs, and song fragments
– explanation of the chords used in the video

Go to exercise block 02: basic scale drills.

 

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