Ignite a Passion for Practice
I have always struggled sight reading, I was better at technical exercises – like learning scales and arpeggios. So I decided I would document a sight reading challenge. My Motivation to Improve Sight Reading There are two motivators for this […]
As I prepared for college I knew I wanted to study piano. But was I good enough? Was I practicing enough? How many hours a day should I practice piano anyways? The short answer: depending on your skill level and […]
Comedian and pianist Victor Borge once said, “You know, some people have asked me why there are three pedals on these grand pianos. Well, the pedal in the middle is there to separate the two other pedals…which might be bad […]
I’ve played the piano for years, and dabbled with the guitar briefly. So when I first started crafting this article, my gut response was that guitar is easier. To make sure my biases weren’t getting in the way, I asked […]
“Diatonic chord progressions” – that may sound like an ugly theory term to you. Exploring this topic, however, leads to a deeper understanding of the larger musical phrases in your piano sheet music, and a more polished sound in your […]
I’ll admit that I don’t do nearly as much warming up as I should. So in preparation for this article I tried a lot of stretching and warm-up routines to see which ones stuck! I found two main reasons for […]
Chord inversions (not inverse chords) are helpful in learning to sight read better, and read chord sheets. In this article we will learn what chord inversions are, why they are useful and how beginners should practice them. What Are Inversions […]
Whether you are playing a cadenza in your upcoming clarinet concerto, slipping in a slick lick in your blues jam, or accompanying a music group on the piano, arpeggios are everywhere! Arpeggios are part of the fundamentals of any instrument […]
When I listen to “don’t worry, be happy” by Bobby McFerrin I can’t help but smile as I hear his expert whistling and light hearted “doot, doots.” When I listen to “Hello” by Adele I can’t help but feel the […]
A lead sheet is a concise form of music notation that includes only the melody line and chord progression of a piece. They are great for capturing jazz, pop, and folk tunes, and make it possible for beginner and advanced […]
Reading a lead sheet is a challenging, but useful exercise. It improves your knowledge of chords, and helps you to play more creatively. In addition, lead sheets often make familiar songs more approachable. If you are interested in learning how […]
What is a lead sheet?A lead sheet is a type of music notation that specifies only the most essential musical elements – melody, harmony, and rhythm. The melody is notated on the staff (typically the treble staff). The note duration […]
Beethoven wrote Für Elise in 1810, likely for one of his romantic interests Therese Malfatti. Many see Beethoven as the bridge between the classical and romantic eras. He wrote Für Elise as he was exploring elements that would become part […]
Für Elise is one of the most memorable melodies in classical music. It was written during the end of the classical era and beginning of the romantic era. During that time, the most common instrumental pieces were sonatas, so is […]
Beethoven’s Für Elise is one of his most famous compositions. Yet it wasn’t published until 40 years after his death when the German music scholar Ludwig Nohl discovered the manuscript, and published it in 1867. Let’s explore the meaning and […]
Compared to a treble clef, a bass clef is easier to draw. In this article, we will discuss how to draw a bass clef in 3 steps. We will then talk about drawing a more calligraphy style bass clef. How […]
A treble cleff is perhaps the most intricate music symbol. The first couple attempts at drawing a treble clef can turn out frightening, but with the right method it’s actually quite easy. In this post we explore: Quick and easy […]
A scale is a group of pitches organized in ascending or descending order. While technically this means there are an infinite number of scales, there are only a few commonly used in western music. The main types of scales in […]
Guitars are fun instruments and easy to pick up. But when a string snaps for the first time, the strings become discolored, or the guitar just doesn’t sound as good anymore you’ll need to restring it. But how much will […]