Welcome to the All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics blog category page. For this category I’ve scoured social media to find the questions that people have been asking the most. It functions as a catch-all covering a wide range of music topics.
It might be a student practice tip one post, while it could be a music instructor teaching tip the next post. Or perhaps it will be a music theory or other general music topic.
Sometimes it’ll apply to typical leaners. Other times, it’ll be geared toward special needs students. However, the posts will usually be helpful for all students. In any case, these are the topics that you, the people, have been asking about.
Everything that doesn’t have a home in another blog category will land here. Thus, the “All-Purpose” part of the title. The “Tips and Topics” part hints at the practice tips, teaching tips, and other topics we’ll cover in this blog category. For example:
Practice and Playing Tips
Do you have a hard time playing with both hands? The All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics category has a post that deals with that.
Are you terrified of playing in front of an audience? I’ve got you covered.
Or does your student have small hands and needs to play pieces of music that have fast octaves and other wide stretches. It’ll be in The All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics category.
Do you have a student who plays by ear, but wants to learn how to read music? We’ll definitely deal with that.
Have you ever wondered why minor scales sound sad? I’ll discuss the theory and science behind why this happens.
Want to know what’s left to study after you’ve learned to sight read music? The All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics category will cover that too.
As you can see, we’ve got a lot of fun posts. I hope you’ll join me for the ride.
The Cornerstone Post:
The Posts:
The previous topic lists will be updated periodically. See the post grid below for the full list and full descriptions with featured images.
– Geoffrey Keith
© 2022 Geoffrey Keith
Back to the Successful Music Student blogs page
Do you have a tough time playing the B minor guitar chord? Are you frustrated and need some help? B minor is one of the most awkward guitar chords to play. However, there are some tricks that can help you master it. Keep reading “How to Play the Frustrating B Minor Guitar Chord” to learn how to best play the three most popular versions. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Curious to learn about Chopin’s music? Frederic Chopin (1810 – 1849) was a classical composer who wrote during the Romantic period (1820 – 1910). He’s best known for his hypnotic piano music. Keep reading to learn about and listen to the top 10 best enchanting Chopin masterpieces. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Do you want to know the best way to practice with a metronome? Do you want to know what a metronome even is? A metronome is one of the best practice tools invented for musicians, because it helps you play with a steady beat. Nothing will make you sound like a professional faster than playing with a steady beat, and nothing will make you sound terrible faster than playing with a choppy beat. Keep reading “The 5 Best Effortlessly Easy Metronome Practice Tips” to learn how to play with a steady beat. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Are you confused about what an octave is? Or are you a music teacher with a student that doesn’t understand how they work? Octaves are one of the most fundamental music theory concepts. When teaching music students, it helps to demonstrate them on a keyboard instrument, so I’ve created a keyboard diagram you can reference. Keep reading “How to Explain an Octave to an Absolute Beginner Musician?” to dive into the theory. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Do you want to learn the easiest beginner guitar chords? Once we’ve talked about what makes a chord simple to play, you’ll learn them in progressively more challenging stages. In each stage, you’ll have links to songs that you can play using the easy versions. Keep reading “What Are the Best Easy Guitar Chords for Beginners to Learn?” to start mastering guitars chords. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Do you want to hear the top classical music pieces? Western classical music has become an international music resource enjoyed by millions around the world. However, your average person on the street may only know the names of a few composers and just a handful of compositions. Keep reading “The Top 10 Best Iconic Classical Music Compositions” to introduce yourself to the world of classical music. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Do you want to know what are the best free music notations apps? In our modern web-based world, there are many software options to choose from. They can help both novices and experts create professional looking scores. Keep reading “The 5 Best Free Music Notation Apps” to help you choose from the wide variety of free music notation software. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Would you like to know more about Beethoven’s music but are a busy person? Ludwig van Beethoven is a titanic figure in classical music. Along with Bach and Mozart, Beethoven is one of the composers you’re really going to want to check out. Keep reading to explore Beethoven’s beautiful music in less than four minutes. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Do you want to play guitar? According to “The Talent Code,” an important aspect of learning an instrument is called “ignition.” What’s ignition? It’s a crystalizing experience where a person hears a song or sees someone playing and says, “I want to do that!” There are many great riffs out there, but I have selected seven of the best, most iconic, riffs spanning five decades. I hope one of them inspires you to play guitar. To learn more, keep reading “The 7 Best Iconic Riffs That Make People Want to Play Guitar.” Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
“What’s a virtuoso?” It’s a guitarist that’s scary good. I’ve compiled a list of 10 guitarists that are all in the conversation for “the best guitarist in the world.” Keep reading “10 Amazing Elite Virtuoso Guitarists” to see who made the cut.