# Mike Verta - Playing by Eye Mastercalss feedback



## Maximvs (Nov 17, 2022)

Hello all,

I would kindly like to ask if anyone who has gone through the latest Mike Verta's masterclass 'Playing by Eye' can give me any feedback/thoughts.

Thanks a lot in advance and best regards,

Maximus


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## ka00 (Nov 18, 2022)

I too am curious.


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## d.healey (Nov 18, 2022)

I think it's one of the best classes, especially if you've taken his other classes because it kind of brings them all together nicely.

The class is a mix of composition, orchestration, piano technique, voice leading, and development.

As usual the main content of the class is in the first two hours and then it goes into more general topics and Q&A, there isn't a rant section in this one though.


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## Maximvs (Nov 18, 2022)

d.healey said:


> I think it's one of the best classes, especially if you've taken his other classes because it kind of brings them all together nicely.
> 
> The class is a mix of composition, orchestration, piano technique, voice leading, and development.
> 
> As usual the main content of the class is in the first two hours and then it goes into more general topics and Q&A, there isn't a rant section in this one though.


Thanks a lot David for your kind reply and feedback, much appreciated!

All the very best,

Maximus


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## Henu (Nov 18, 2022)

d.healey said:


> there isn't a rant section in this one though.


Ok guys, I have clear proof that @d.healey didn't actually watch the masterclass. This has to be impossible!


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## ALittleNightMusic (Nov 19, 2022)

Wait for the 40% off Black Friday sale later this week if you want to buy any of his classes.


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## Maximvs (Nov 20, 2022)

ALittleNightMusic said:


> Wait for the 40% off Black Friday sale later this week if you want to buy any of his classes.


Thanks for point this out... I was just thinking about it 

Cheers,

Maximus


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## Maximvs (Nov 21, 2022)

Mike Verta's Black Friday sale is on right now until December 3rd.

Cheers,

Mx


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## Markrs (Nov 21, 2022)

Maximvs said:


> Mike Verta's Black Friday sale is on right now until December 3rd.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Mx


I think the code is: black22


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## dyvoid (Nov 21, 2022)

Markrs said:


> I think the code is: black22


Yep, looks like that coupon makes a course $18 instead of $30. Thanks for the heads up!


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## Maximvs (Nov 23, 2022)

To answer to my initial question, after purchasing Mike's masterclass Play by Eye during this Black Friday sale, I can say that it is a great masterclass and totally worth it... His approach is very refreshing and can honestly recommend it, I am going to get stock into it very soon.

Best to all,

Maximus


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## Gingerbread (Nov 23, 2022)

Maximvs said:


> To answer to my initial question, after purchasing Mike's masterclass Play by Eye during this Black Friday sale, I can say that it is a great masterclass and totally worth it... His approach is very refreshing and can honestly recommend it, I am going to get stock into it very soon.
> 
> Best to all,
> 
> Maximus


Could you generally describe the concept he covers? What does “playing by eye” refer to?

Definitely not asking to give away the content for free, just wanting a decent overview of what’s covered, and how it’s useful.


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## Markrs (Nov 23, 2022)

Maximvs said:


> To answer to my initial question, after purchasing Mike's masterclass Play by Eye during this Black Friday sale, I can say that it is a great masterclass and totally worth it... His approach is very refreshing and can honestly recommend it, I am going to get stock into it very soon.
> 
> Best to all,
> 
> Maximus


That is good to hear. I found some of his videos a bit hit and miss (personally I think they can often lack focus), but his music and composition knowledge is very substantial.


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## tmhuud (Nov 23, 2022)

But the R2D2. It’s worth it for that alone.


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## handz (Nov 23, 2022)

for 30 bucks all of his stuff is worthy. And Mike is quite a cool guy, I miss his 8 hours long youtube live streams where he gradually get more and more drunk and off topic )


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## Markrs (Nov 23, 2022)

handz said:


> for 30 bucks all of his stuff is worthy. And Mike is quite a cool guy, I miss his 8 hours long youtube live streams where he gradually get more and more drunk and off topic )


He still does that once a year, where he review other people‘s music.


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## Maximvs (Nov 24, 2022)

Gingerbread said:


> Could you generally describe the concept he covers? What does “playing by eye” refer to?
> 
> Definitely not asking to give away the content for free, just wanting a decent overview of what’s covered, and how it’s useful.


If you are interested in developing your keyboard harmony skills and being able to voice lead any chord as well as develop a new sense of harmony, this is for you... This is what I was looking for and for 18$ is a no-brainer.

Cheers,

Maximus


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## Tanarri (Nov 24, 2022)

d.healey said:


> there isn't a rant section in this one though.


Deal breaker!


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## Gingerbread (Nov 24, 2022)

Maximvs said:


> If you are interested in developing your keyboard harmony skills and being able to voice lead any chord as well as develop a new sense of harmony, this is for you... This is what I was looking for and for 18$ is a no-brainer.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Maximus


Ah got it. Thank you!


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## ALittleNightMusic (Nov 24, 2022)

Thought about it - decided none of his “courses” were worth the $18. Tried one a couple of years ago - so many other much more valuable educational resources out there.


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## ka00 (Nov 24, 2022)

ALittleNightMusic said:


> Thought about it - decided none of his “courses” were worth the $18. Tried one a couple of years ago - so many other much more valuable educational resources out there.


In the world of education, $18 is nothing. I’ve found at least that amount of value. To each their own though.


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## jbuhler (Nov 24, 2022)

ka00 said:


> In the world of education, $18 is nothing. I’ve found at least that amount of value. To each their own though.


For many the price of the rants is far too much to be worth whatever educational content that might be on offer. But, sure, support the man and his crap, hurtful politics if that is how you want to spend your money.


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## ALittleNightMusic (Nov 24, 2022)

ka00 said:


> In the world of education, $18 is nothing. I’ve found at least that amount of value. To each their own though.


Would rather put the $18 towards more deserving educators. Leaving aside his ranting and lunacy, his teaching is pretty subpar.


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## ka00 (Nov 24, 2022)

Sorry, American politics is a topic for Americans to resolve for themselves. The rest of the world doesn’t want to be stuck in your crossfire. 

As far as music education — the topic at hand — some of Mike’s classes (including this one) are worth $18 to me.


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## jbuhler (Nov 24, 2022)

ALittleNightMusic said:


> Would rather put the $18 towards more deserving educators. Leaving aside his ranting and lunacy, his teaching is pretty subpar.


Yes, as an instructor he's most disorganized, often doesn't get to the content that he promised, etc, etc. A typical video has maybe ten minutes of content spread across an hour or more of video. It's also a very piano-centric pedagogy. And if his one useful bit of teaching can be stated as "transcribe," his insistence on reducing everything to what works first on the piano has significant drawbacks for orchestral composition. Then, too, he has a very narrow aesthetic base, which is increasingly out of step with mainstream, non-retro media composition. He offers even less for those interested in more classical training. He's very opinionated, of course, but also musically incurious, and he's actually not very knowledgeable about music outside a very narrow repertory of music he knows well and the music he knows well is increasingly inconsequential for contemporary media music production. 



ka00 said:


> As far as music education — the topic at hand — some of Mike’s classes (including this one) are worth $18 to me.


As I said, if you want to support the man and manage to extract something useful from his videos, bully for you.


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## Henrik B. Jensen (Nov 24, 2022)

ALittleNightMusic said:


> Would rather put the $18 towards more deserving educators. Leaving aside his ranting and lunacy, his teaching is pretty subpar.


He definitely comes off as un-organized in the stuff I have seen so far. Basically it seems like he's had some thoughts in his head about a certain subject and then he sits down and starts talking about it, probably keeping track in his mind about what he'd like to remember to say.

That said, it's not without value what he says, not at all. I just wish there was a clear "roadmap" for each Master Class with time stamps in the videos etc.


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## ka00 (Nov 24, 2022)

Henrik B. Jensen said:


> He definitely comes off as un-organized in the stuff I have seen so far. Basically it seems like he's had some thoughts in his head about a certain subject and then he sits down and starts talking about it, probably keeping track in his mind about what he'd like to remember to say.
> 
> That said, it's not without value what he says, not at all. I just wish there was a clear "roadmap" for each Master Class with time stamps in the videos etc.


I sort of look at his classes as if I had shown up at the house of a guy with 30 years of music experience, brought him an $18 bottle of wine with the understanding that he would spend the next few hours talking my ear off about music. And I have a recording for future reference to boot.

Yes, if his courses are your sole form of music education, it would indeed be limiting. Just as it would be if the only music you ever listened to in the world was composed by John Williams. Although, there is still a boatload you can learn from that too. As you would with any teacher. But as just one part of an education cobbled from various sources, an $18 class is worth more to me than some $18 VST on 80% discount or some deeply-discounted Waves plugin that my Mac won't be able to run in a year's time.


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## ThomasNL (Nov 24, 2022)

Dropping this sheet here. Most classes aren't done but for the ones that are done it really helps as a roadmap for where the valuable stuff is in each class:



Feel free to contribute!


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## Jeremy Spencer (Nov 24, 2022)

ka00 said:


> Sorry, American politics is a topic for Americans to resolve for themselves. The rest of the world doesn’t want to be stuck in your crossfire.


Ironically, this is exactly why I'll never watch any more of his videos.


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