Success Music Studio

All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics

 

 

All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics

 

Introduction

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.

 

Music Teacher Tips

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.

 

Music Theory and Other Music Topics

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

 

What's the Deal with These I-VII-VI-V and iv-V-VII Chords and Stuff - Musical Coffee Mug

What’s the Deal with These i-VII-VI-V and iv-V-VII Chords and Stuff? (Part 4)

Do your eyes cross when you try to figure out Roman Numeral analysis? Roman numerals are broadly used to analyze chords in songs. However, you’ll use some Roman numerals to specifically describe harmonies in minor keys. Read more to find out the answer to, “What’s the deal with these i-VII-VI-V and iv-V-VII chords and stuff?” Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

What’s the Deal with These i-VII-VI-V and iv-V-VII Chords and Stuff? (Part 4) Read More »

How Do I Find the Key of a Song with Accidentals - Sheet Music and Accordion Key Chain - Song Structure, Musical Phrases, Musical Structures and Forms

How Do I Find the Key of a Song with Accidentals?

Do you need to figure out the key for a song? Whether you have sheet music or figure out a song by ear, it’ll be useful to know the key of a song. This will help when adding harmonies, improvising, memorizing, or for just generally understanding the music. Plus, you can find out if the music changes keys during the song. Keep reading to answer the question, “How do I find the key of a song with accidentals?” Estimated reading time 2 minutes.

How Do I Find the Key of a Song with Accidentals? Read More »

Can I Become a Music Teacher if I Have Special Needs - Teacher Teaching Young Guitar Student - What’s the Best Lesson You’ve Had with Your Music Teacher? - What Is the Precise Meaning of Scaffolding in Teaching - Meet Special Needs Music Expert Geoff Keith at Lexsepta 2025 - What’s Pervasive Developmental Disorder and Its Impact on Music?

What’s the Best Lesson You’ve Had with Your Music Teacher?

What’s the best lesson you’ve had with your music teacher? The answer to this can take many forms. However, one of the most powerful and important experiences you can have in a music lesson revolves around a concept called ignition. What is ignition and how does it work? Keep reading to find out. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.

What’s the Best Lesson You’ve Had with Your Music Teacher? Read More »

How Long Do You Take to Memorize a Piece of Piano Music - a Rose on Sheet Music - Singing Shape Notes Solfege Lydian Melodies - How to Play Your $@?% Clarinet in Tune

How Long Do You Take to Memorize a Piece of Piano Music?

“How long do you take to memorize a piece of piano music?” It’ll vary from person to person how long it’ll take. I’ve known musicians who can memorize a piece of music after just one listening. For most of my students, it takes a half-dozen to a dozen listenings to just start learning a piece, much less memorize it. This means that for most musicians, memorizing a piece of music will be a process. Keep reading to get tips to help you memorize your music better and more quickly. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.

How Long Do You Take to Memorize a Piece of Piano Music? Read More »

How to Overcome the Fear of Performing in Front of an Audience - Concert Pianist - Tips for Playing a Different Dynamic in Each Hand on Piano - What Are Some Elegant Examples of Polyphony?

Tips for Playing a Different Dynamic in Each Hand on Piano

Does playing a different dynamic in each hand on piano seem like it’d be impossible to do? Would you like help figuring out how it works? A lot of people have trouble playing a different dynamic in each hand. However, the trick is to treat as them connected – not as separate dynamics. Read more to learn the tips for playing a different dynamic in each hand on piano. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

Tips for Playing a Different Dynamic in Each Hand on Piano Read More »

Do You Want Cool Chords for Your Song - Sheet Music with Chords - after they can sight-read what’s left for musicians to learn - Can I Become a Music Teacher if I Have Special Needs - Need Advice for Teaching a First Year High School Jazz Pianist - Tonic vs. Root in Music Theory - What Exactly Does I7-vi7-V7, I-iii-IV-I, and IV-V-I-V Mean - Chord Progression (Including the 12 Bar Blues) - What Is the Precise Meaning of Scaffolding in Teaching - An Easy How to Guide to Understanding Triads - Why Is EADGBE the Unquestioned Standard Guitar Tuning?

What Exactly Does I7-vi7-V7, I-iii-IV-I, and IV-V-I-V Mean? (Part 3)

Do the Roman numerals used to analyze music make your eyes cross? Do you want someone to explain how it works? Roman numeral analysis might seem a bit cryptic. However, it can be really useful once you understand it. Read more answer the question, “What exactly does I7-vi7-V7, I-iii-IV-I, and IV-V-I-V mean?” Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

What Exactly Does I7-vi7-V7, I-iii-IV-I, and IV-V-I-V Mean? (Part 3) Read More »

Help Me! How Do I Improve My Touch on Piano?

Help Me! How Do I Improve My Touch on Piano? Part 4

Do you want to be better at piano touch? Do you need help learning how to interpret a piece of music? The term piano touch covers the different ways you strike the key to get certain effects. Carl Seashore, in Piano Touch, states, “The pianist has at his direct control only two of four factors in music: namely intensity and time” (360). Read more to answer the question, “How do I improve my touch on piano?” Estimated reading time 2 minutes.

Help Me! How Do I Improve My Touch on Piano? Part 4 Read More »

Why is Classical Music Interpreted Differently from Pop Music - Ludwig van Beethoven Bust - Beethoven (Why Did He Keep Composing After Deafness) - Singing Beethoven’s Beautiful Ode to Joy - Learn How to Play Beethoven’s Beautiful Fur Elise

Why is Classical Music Interpreted Differently from Pop Music? Part 3

“Why is classical music interpreted differently from pop music?” Interpretation has a very important role in performing classical music. This doesn’t mean that interpretation can’t be important in pop music. However, classical artists seem to be very aware of the process of how to interpret a piece of music. You can be too. Read more to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.

Why is Classical Music Interpreted Differently from Pop Music? Part 3 Read More »

Tonic vs. Root in Music Theory: Are They the Same Thing? (Part 2) - Sheet Music and Pencil - How to Graduate from Color Coded Music Symbols - Musical Talent and Giftedness

Tonic vs. Root in Music Theory: Are They the Same Thing? (Part 2)

Are you confused about the difference between the root and the tonic in music theory? Some musicians treat the terms root and tonic as if they were interchangeable. However, they have different, but equally important roles in music theory. Click to learn the difference between the tonic vs. root in music theory. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

Tonic vs. Root in Music Theory: Are They the Same Thing? (Part 2) Read More »