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:

D’you Want Some Music Tips and Tricks I’ve Learned Over the Years?

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

Back to the Successful Music Student blogs page

What Should I Look for in a “Piano Teacher Near Me”?

All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics / By Geoff / Instrument, Keyboard, Piano

“What should I look for in a ‘piano teacher near me’?” Most parents start by doing a web search for a “piano teacher near me” or for “piano lessons near me.” But how do you choose a teacher? Piano lessons cost a lot of money, so finding the right teacher is important. Getting it right can mean the difference between getting a good lesson experience and wasting your money. Read more to learn what you should look for in a “piano teacher near me.” Estimated reading time 4 minutes.

Making Sense of Why Treble and Bass Clef Are So Different

All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics / By Geoff / Guitar, Instrument, Keyboard, Piano

“How do I make any sense of the treble and bass clefs? Why are they so different?” To answer this question, you need to understand the grand staff, the pattern of the clefs, and middle C. Keep reading “Making Sense of Why Treble and Bass Clef Are So Different” to learn how the clefs work. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

BPM (Using the Metronome to Get the Music Beat)

All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics / By Geoff / Guitar, Instrument, Keyboard, Piano

Do you want to know the purpose of a metronome and how to read it? A metronome helps you find the tempo of a song in beats per minute (bpm). Also, it helps you practice by clicking at a (user adjustable) speed. So, that way you can play along with (for example) the tempo moderato on the metronome. Keep reading “BPM (Using the Metronome to Get the Music Beat)” to learn the various ways it can help. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

How Can I Learn the Basics of Music Theory?

All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics / By Geoff / Guitar, Instrument, Keyboard, Music, Piano

Do you want to understand how music works? Studying music theory is a worthwhile experience that’ll deepen your understanding of music and enhance your creativity. Where should you begin? In this post, you’ll learn what the basics of music theory are and be given the resources to learn them. Keep reading “How Can I Learn the Basics of Music Theory” to start your musical journey today. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.

Chord Progression (Including the 12 Bar Blues)

All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics / By Geoff / Guitar, Instrument, Keyboard, Piano

What’s a chord progression? It’s when you have a sequence of successive harmonies. In this post, we’ll look at common chord progressions, including rock n roll, the 12 bar blues, and jazz chord progressions. These can work as either piano chord progressions or guitar chord progressions. Read “Chord Progression (Including the 12 Bar Blues)” to learn the harmonic structure for these three styles of music. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.

Reading Music (A Quick Guide to How to Read Music)

All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics / By Geoff / Guitar, Instrument, Keyboard, Piano

Do you want to know how to read sheet music? It doesn’t matter whether you’re talking vocal sight reading, reading classical music, or understanding guitar tab, basic music reading will remain mostly the same. In some way, shape, or form all music notations track notes and rhythms, but how they do so will sometimes be different. Read more of “Reading Music (A Quick Guide to How to Read Music)” to get an overview of how to read sheet music. Estimated reading time 5 minutes.

Piano Major Scales (Basic Fingering Concepts)

All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics / By Geoff / Instrument, Keyboard, Piano

Do you want to understand piano scale fingering concepts better? At their core, all piano scales are based upon a central concept that helps simplify the fingering. Keep reading for piano major scales – basic fingering concepts. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.

What Is Your Definition of a Good Musician?

All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics / By Geoff / Guitar, Instrument, Keyboard, Piano

“What is your definition of a good musician?” Being a good musician means much more than just playing and singing. It’s also about how they affect those around them. Read more to find out what makes a good musician. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

12 Easy Piano Songs (Including Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)

All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics / By Geoff / Instrument, Keyboard, Piano

Are you looking for easy songs to play on piano? This post has videos of 12 easy piano songs for young beginners, including “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” This will be a good first introduction to playing keyboard instruments, so you can find out if your child likes playing music. Keep reading to learn these 12 basic piano songs. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.

The C Major Scale (Including the C Major Chord Scale)

All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics / By Geoff / Guitar, Instrument, Keyboard, Piano

Do you want to understand the notes, chords, and patterns in the C scale better? Figuring out how scales and chords work together will unlock your ability to improvise, compose, and play music. Keep reading to learn how the C major scale (including the C major chord scale) works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.

Guitar • Bass • Banjo • Ukulele • Mandolin • Autoharp • Keyboard • Piano | Voice #: 978-440-9966 | Text #: 508-561-9724

geoff@successmusicstudio.com

All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics