If you want to improve as a composer, you must write more music. Here’s why, and how.
This series on music theory wouldn’t be complete without a brief exploration of its history. This is not exactly the same as the history of music itself, a subject that is dealt with in countless volumes of books. What we are looking at here is a side of history that is somewhat overlooked: the history of what musicians, philosophers, and scholars thought of (and wrote about) music throughout the centuries.
Music theory is necessary for certain musicians, depending on their musical goals. A good theoretical understanding is important for aspiring composers, orchestral musicians, conductors, and teachers. Music theory is less important for casual players or singers, and hobby songwriters.
When we hear the term music theory, it can bring to mind a frazzled scientist working feverishly over bubbling beakers and piles of messy charts. Using the word theory is the culprit here, as it hints at scientific theory. While it’s true that musicians can look a bit like mad scientists when they’re explaining the …
In the age of the internet, you can find nearly anything you need online. That includes lessons and tutorials on every subject. But how does that work for something as special as music? Do online music lessons work? Yes, online music lessons work very well. A lot of information for learning music is visual, so …
Do Online Music Lessons Actually Work? [Spoiler: Yes!] Read More »
You are never too old to learn and create music. You can learn piano, guitar, violin, songwriting, or composition at any age. Science has proven time and time again that the human brain is capable of learning music and retaining new information anytime, no matter how old or young you are.
Long, graceful fingers seem to be what most people imagine when you talk about being a pianist. Unfortunately, that leaves those with smaller hands or shorter fingers wondering if they’ll ever match up. It’s true that playing the piano can be easier if you were blessed with long fingers and larger hands, but what does …
Can You Play Piano with Small Hands and Short Fingers? (With Exercises) Read More »
Sampling can be a form of plagiarism, but it is not always. Sampling (using parts, bits, or portions of prior recordings to be incorporated into a new song) without permission is a violation of United States copyright law. With permission, however, sampling is not considered plagiarism.
Absolutely anyone can learn to read music with the right approach and some practice. Learning to read music is not hard – anyone who can read the alphabet of everyday language or read numbers already has the tools to learn how to read music.
You can have a piano in an apartment as long as your landlord has given the okay to have the piano, you have the room to keep it and don’t bother your neighbours with it. There are a few things to keep in mind before you have yours delivered, however. Make sure you take these important points into consideration before you select, purchase, and move your piano into your home.
Homeschooling parents have a lot on their plates. From following the laws of their state to planning curriculum, from buying supplies to actually teaching their children; it’s a lot to take on. One subject in particular has caused plenty of doubt and concern, and that is teaching music to homeschoolers. I’m here to tell you that it’s not as hard as you may think!
The cost of sheet music and music books can be a surprise to new musicians. Not only do we have to save up for instruments, equipment, lessons and other devices but we also need to factor in the cost of books – especially sheet music. So why is sheet music so expensive? Sheet music is …
There’s a common assumption about music that major is happy and minor is sad. In today’s lesson we look at what this statement really means and perhaps more importantly, we examine how much of it is true and where it goes wrong. To help us along the way we have some great song examples – …
Cadences are where the harmony, rhythm, melody and other musical aspects come together to produce a sense of arrival in the music. The arrival can be a dramatic moment, a simple end of phrase and anything in between. Whether big or small, the cadence is a sense that the music reached its destination.
To add bar lines, count the note values (aka. time values) and organize them into bars according to the given time signature. When counting a rhythm always double check the details such as any dotted notes, rests, tied notes and triplets.
The short answer is simply “practice”. Just like anything else, the more you do it the better you become. That’s just how our brains and bodies work. But of course, there is more and it’s the combination of several musical activities and exercises working together.
Traditionally, composers stuck to 2 ways of naming a piece of music. The first is by describing an element of the music itself such as its form and key (for example, ‘Sonata in A major’). The second is by an extramusical suggestion of a mood, an inspiration, a dedication, and so on.
Harmonic rhythm is the rate at which chords change. It is the duration of the chords within a chord progression.
In today’s lesson we’re looking at Bach’s Invention no. 1, the first out of a collection of 15 written in 1720. We’ll be looking at the full piece: the subject, the motifs, the rhythm, the harmony and the structure because there is so much to learn!
The riff is a short and catchy melodic idea and it recurs so often that it gives character and structure to a song. The hook is any part of a song that is meant to grab the listener’s attention. The hook is also catchy but it doesn’t recur as often so that it makes a greater impact when it turns up.