Music, Unpacked
Reverb Mix and Reverb Decay Are Two Different Experiments
Separate the amount of reverberated sound from how long its tail lasts, using one short sound and a simple listening comparison.
Good sounds. Fresh ideas.
Music, Unpacked
Clear explanations of musical ideas, with room to try them for yourself.
Music, Unpacked
Choose a Title After Hearing a Sound Sketch
Explore how a title changes your interpretation by describing a brief sound sketch before and after giving it a name.
Music, Unpacked
When Two Instruments Share a Phrase, Listen for the Handoff
Follow a musical phrase as attention moves between instruments, using entrances and overlaps as listening clues without forcing exact instrument identifications.
Music, Unpacked
Draw the Shape of a Melody Before Naming Its Notes
Follow a short melody with a pencil line to notice rises, falls and repeated shapes without needing to identify pitches or read notation.
Music, Unpacked
Recognising a Song When the Voice Has Gone
Compare a song with an instrumental interpretation and identify which musical clues remain recognisable when lyrics and the original voice are absent.
Music, Unpacked
A High Sound Is Not Necessarily the Loudest Sound
Use a gentle listening exercise to separate the impression of a high or low sound from how loud, bright or prominent it seems in a recording.
Music, Unpacked
Why the return of a chorus can feel bigger
A chorus may return with the same melody and a different impact. Listen for changes in layers, register, rhythm and the space before it.
Music, Unpacked
Listen for the space between musical phrases
Pauses can shape expectation as clearly as notes. Explore the gaps between phrases without assuming that every silence means the same thing.