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 need to know what family chords are and how they work? It doesn’t matter if you’re writing songs, or playing piano, guitar, or accordion, understanding how harmonies relate to each other within a key is your first step toward unlocking the secret of how music works. Click to learn how to best use family chords to expand your mastery of music. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
How to Best Use Family Chords Read More »
Do you want to play Fur Elise? Do you need help with fingering? If you’re going to learn any classical piano piece, this is the one. It’s a crowd pleaser that’s a lot of fun to play. Click to learn how to play Beethoven’s beautiful Fur Elise. Estimated reading time 5 minutes.
Learn How to Play Beethoven’s Beautiful Fur Elise Read More »
Is English a second language for you? Do you want advice on how to write songs in English? Are you a world music artist and want to transition into a pop music career? If you want to write Western pop, you must understand pop music styles and have good English vocabulary and grammar skills. Click to learn how to write beautiful songs in English. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
How to Write Beautiful Songs in English Read More »
Do you need to find music that will help your student relax and calm down? Do you want to find compositions that will help focus your child’s attention so that homework can get done? Music can be a tremendous help for ADHD children, but not all styles work equally well. Click to find out what genres get the job done and to learn the 10 best calm relaxing music selections for ADHD kids. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
10 Best Calm Relaxing Music Selections for ADHD Kids Read More »
Do you want to know what that funny looking thing is to the left side of the music staff? Do you need to know how clefs work when reading music? When a singer or instrumentalist sees a clef, it helps them find the notes on the staff. Therefore, it’s an essential symbol for interpreting the score. Click on “What’s a Clef and How to Use It?” to understand what it is and how it works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
What’s a Clef and How to Use It? Read More »
Do you need to memorize your music? Do you want help understanding the different ways to effectively memorize pieces? Not everyone thinks the same way, so the trick is to learn the best way for *you* to memorize your music. Click to learn how to best memorize your music. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
How to Best Memorize Your Music Read More »
Do you want to know how to write poignant sad songs? Sad song lyrics have an unrivalled ability to affect our emotions, stirring our hearts and offering comfort when times are tough. Click to learn how to write beautiful sad songs. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
How to Write Beautiful Sad Songs Read More »
Do you want to sing opera arias? Do you need help with your vocal technique and diction? To be an opera singer, you’ll need a blend of talent and technical skill. Click to learn how to sing elegant opera arias. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
How to Sing Elegant Opera Arias Read More »
Do you want to learn reggae chord progressions? Reggae is known for interesting, laid-back rhythms. We’ll look at easy chords for beginners and regular opens chords for experienced guitarists. Click to discover how to quickly learn reggae guitar chords. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
How to Quickly Learn Reggae Guitar Chords Read More »
Do you need advice on how to get your viola to sound good? Traditional strings (e.g., violin, viola, etc.) have an edge on fretted strings (e.g., guitar, banjo, etc.), because they have flexible pitch and so can get their harmonies gorgeously in tune. However, this is only true if you have solid intonation skills. Click to learn how to play your viola in tune. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
How to Play Your $@*% Viola in Tune Read More »