This Candy Bar Will Improve Your Ears

My kids were on a very specific mission while trick-or-treating last night: to find me my favorite candy bar.

It's not Snickers, though that might take second place.

And it's definitely not 3 Musketeers because does anyone actually like 3 Musketeers?

No, my favorite candy bar is much less common than those generic, basic-b Mars bars.

I'm talkin' about Butterfinger, baby.

I agree, the new yellow wrapper introduced circa 2018 is awful, but Butterfinger is still the superior candy bar.

But that's not the point of this email.

The point is that, because my kids were seeking it out, they were able to find the two houses in the neighborhood that had Butterfinger bars in their candy baskets.

As I said, they were on a mission. They had an intention. They were actively looking for something – and they found it.

You can, and should, do the same with music.

When you're listening to a song, don't just listen – listen for something.

• Listen for what the hi-hat is doing.

• Listen for the pianist's left hand.

• Listen for what motifs the soloist is developing and for how long.

Get specific. And stay focused. Don't let your ears stray from the goal. Keep them trained on that rhythm guitar part the entire track.

In short, listen for the Butterfinger.

You'll be strengthening your ears. Your attention. Your focus. And you'll hear that song on a completely different level.

I'm going to try this exercise today on the bass in Jacob Collier's latest release: Wherever I Go (feat. Lawrence & Michael McDonald).

Check it out:

Happy shedding,

Jeff

P.S. Want to improve your solos? Check this out.

Want to play way better chords on the keys? Check this out.