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
“What’s the secret of practicing arpeggios?” Arpeggios are both an important playing technique and a useful compositional device. They can add a flowing grace to your playing. Keep reading to learn more. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
“What exactly do I do with the circle of fifths?” The circle of fifths chart organizes musical keys and modes. Also, it helps you understand the relationships in music, making various tasks easier. Keep reading to learn more. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Do you want to know Mozart and his music but not take a ton of time? Mozart, along with Bach and Beethoven, is in an elite category of classical composers. If your average person on the street knowns any name in classical music, it’s probably one of those three. Keep reading to explore Mozart’s enchanting music in less than four minutes. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Are you unclear about what harmony is? Do you want to know how it works? Harmony is a major subcategory of music theory that helps musicians to understand how notes should go together. This in turn impacts how they arrange their music. Keep reading “What Exactly Is a Chord and What Does the Term Harmony Mean?” to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
![Requiem Meaning - Music, Memorial, and Mourning [Video] - Mozart Choral Music - Perfect Pitch: Discover the Truth [Plus Absolute Pitch Test] - Explore Mozart's Enchanting Music in Less Than Four Minutes - What Makes a Barbershop Quartet a Special A Cappella Group?](https://successmusicstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Requiem-Meaning-Music-Memorial-and-Mourning-Video-Mozart-Choral-Music-1024x675.jpg)
Do you want to understand the astonishing beauty and heartbreak of a requiem? Do you need to know which famous composers have written them? A requiem is a major musical art form and a solemn ceremony both at the same time. Famous composers such as Mozart, Verdi, and Berlioz have written them. Keep reading “What Is the Meaning of the Death Requiem?” to learn more. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Do you want to know what motivated Ludwig van Beethoven to push through adversity to create some of the best and most influential classical music ever? By the time he turned fifty, he was considered by many to be the world’s best living composer. His funeral was attended by 10,000 people. However, to achieve this level of fame he literally had to suffer for his art. That begs the question, why did Beethoven keep composing after suffering deafness? Keep reading to learn the answer to this and more. Estimated reading time 5 minutes.
Do you want to know the symphony definition and meaning? Would you like a quick guide on where to start listening? The orchestra has a rich history spanning hundreds of years with tons of fun pieces to listen to and enjoy. Keep reading “Symphony Meaning: Definition, Videos, and a Quick Guide” to dip your toes in the orchestral waters. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
![I’d Like to Know the Meaning of the Word Cadence [Video] - Triangle](https://successmusicstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Id-Like-to-Know-the-Meaning-of-the-Word-Cadence-Video-Triangle-1024x576.jpg)
“I’d like to know the meaning of the word cadence. How does it differ in language vs music?” Candence in music and language both have to do with regulating the flow of sound. However, even though the definitions are related, they’re not the same. Keep reading to learn more. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Do you love the “Star Wars” soundtrack and want to understand it better? Are you a budding composer and want to understand leitmotifs and how to write them? It doesn’t matter if you’re a composer or just a fan, exploring the music themes and leitmotifs of “Star Wars” will be a rewarding experience. Read more to understand themes and leitmotifs, and to get indexed lists of each theme and where it occurs within the film. Estimated reading time 5 minutes.
Do you want to know how song structure, musical phrases, musical structures and forms work? Musical structures and forms in instrumental music works differently than popular song structure. However, motifs and musical phrases works pretty much the same in either type of writing. In this post, we’ll talk about all that plus the difference between motifs and leitmotifs. Read more to get music structure examples for both songwriting and instrumental music. Estimated reading time 5 minutes.