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 want to learn how to write a melody? A melody is a series of notes that sound in rhythmic sequence. In a song, it’s the musical part that the lead vocalist sings. It’s the main focus of the music, because it’s what sells the song. Keep reading “What’s a Melody (and How to Write Strong Ones)” to learn what it is and how it works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
What’s a Melody (and How to Write Strong Ones) Read More »
Have you ever seen a crazy chromatic scale or chord and wondered why it works? Do you want to understand how to write them? Chromatic notes and harmonies are effective because they take bad sounding dissonance and resolve it to good sounding consonance. Keep reading “Why Do Crazy Chromatic Notes and Chords Work?” to learn how chromatic harmony functions. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Why Do Crazy Chromatic Notes and Chords Work? Read More »
Have you been looking at gear and want to know whether tube amps or amp modelers are the better option for your guitar sound? Tube amps are old school and amp modelers are state of the art. However, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Keep reading “Hot Tube Amps Versus Cool Recording Studio Modelers” to learn the benefits of each. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Hot Tube Amps Versus Cool Recording Studio Modelers Read More »
Do you want to know how easy it is to play accordion? The accordion is a versatile instrument that’s a dominant force in folk and ethnic music around the world. However, the playing difficulty depends on which type of instrument you’re talking about. Keep reading “How Easy (or Difficult) Is it to Play Accordion?” to learn more. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
How Easy (or Difficult) Is it to Play Accordion? Read More »
Are you confused about how dissonant seventh chords work? Do you want to know how to make them sound incredibly good? Have you ever looked in a chord dictionary, seen a diagram of a crazy seventh chord, played it, and then wondered: “How am I going to use that thing?” That’s because dissonant harmony sounds tense and unstable. Keep reading “What Does Dissonance Mean for Basic Seventh Chords?” to learn how to make them sound smooth and satisfying. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
What Does Dissonance Mean for Basic Seventh Chords? Read More »
Are you passionate about playing guitar? Do you want to turbo charge your learning using guitar tab? Guitar tab is a popular music notation that can help you master guitar songs quickly and easily. Keep reading “How to Read Basic Guitar Tab for Beginners” to learn what it is and how it works. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
How to Read Basic Guitar Tab for Beginners Read More »
Do you want to know what the word equalization means? Do you want to know how to EQ your song mix? Equalization (EQ) is a potent means for creatively sculpting the sound of your song’s mix. However, if you want to be really good at applying EQ to a mix, you need to train your ears to hear what the mix needs. Keep reading “How to Employ Effective Equalization on Your Song” to improve your listening skills. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
How to Employ Effective Equalization on Your Song Read More »
Do you want to learn the secret of how to play guitar trills? Trills add excitement and flash to your playing. However, if you want to know how to master guitar trills, you must first become proficient at two other guitar techniques. Keep reading to learn what these techniques are and how to best perform them. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Learn the Secret of How to Play Guitar Trills Read More »
Do you want to know how to play the open D minor guitar chord? Do you want to know why it sounds sad? Minor chords have a sweet, haunting sound. Open D minor has medium difficulty, but with the right fingering strategies, it’s not that hard to play. Keep reading “How to Play the Sad Sounding D Minor Chord” to find out how to best play open D minor. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
How to Play the Sad Sounding D Minor Chord Read More »
Have you heard about MIDI and need to know what it is? Do you want to know how it can help you create music? MIDI is short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It’s an industry-wide open-source keyboard design protocol proposed by Sequential Circuits in the 1980s, and it’s still relevant today. Keep reading “Powerful Popular MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)” to find out what it is, and what it can do for you. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Powerful Popular MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) Read More »