(thank you Andrew Huang)

• PRACTICE:
• writing melodies with pentatonic scale (all scale degrees except for 4 and 7) over various chord progressions. Use midi if possible.
• look up chords to songs and figure out what key it's in
• incorporating NCTS (non-chord tones) like passing tones, appogiaturas, escape tones, suspensions into your melodies. Also remember usually have no ncts in beginning and end of song (usually)
• use the 16th note rhythm dictation to practice figuring out what the rhythm of songs are.
• using chord inversions to making chord progressions more smooth aka. less jumpy around keyboard and more using keys that are closer together (piano keys i mean)
• training the ear: listen for intervals, harmonic progressions, melodic/rhythmic dictation
• texas drizzle, baby!