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 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 »
Do you want to know how to write heavenly worship songs? Do you need help learning how to craft both good lyrics and music? Writing praise and worship songs that have uplifting music and lyrics is both an art and a ministry. Click to learn how to strike that balance. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
How to Write Heavenly Worship Songs Read More »
Do you need to know what kinesthetic learning is? Do you want to be able to integrate it into your music lessons? Kinesthetic learning uses physical activity to improve the learning experience. When done right, it’ll make your lessons more fun, engaging, and effective. Click to learn how to use kinesthetic learning in music lessons. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
How to Use Kinesthetic Learning in Music Lessons Read More »
Do you want to know how to record using a digital audio workstation? When I was a teen, and recording my band, all we had was two mics, two mic stands, and a dinky little four-track tape recorder, which had severely limited audio quality. However, today’s modern DAW software can get you pro quality results without having to buy a whole recording studio. Click to learn how to record using a DAW (digital audio workstation). Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
How to Record Using a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) Read More »
Do you need help learning open A? There’s more than one way to finger the chord. So, we’ll talk about how the context makes a difference and best practices for each fingering. Click to learn how to play a guitar A chord. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Best Practices: How to Play a Guitar A Chord Read More »