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
“I’m having a hard time keeping a steady beat.” One of the best things you can do is get a teacher who can help you learn how to keep a steady beat. Also, I have specific strategies that you can use with or without a teacher. Keep reading to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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.
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.
“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.
“What advice do you have for a pianist in jazz band?” Piano in middle school and high school jazz band can be challenging. Jazz is chromatic and modulates often. This means that piano teachers will have to have a plan of attack. Click if you need advice for teaching a first year high school jazz pianist. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Do you want to move your audience to tears as you perform? Do you need suggestions for how to interpret your songs? Interpretation is when you put your personal stamp on a song. Today’s interpretation tip can help you craft powerful performances. Click to answer the question, “What do people mean by the term interpretation in classical music?” Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Teachers, do you have students who can’t use a metronome and can’t keep a steady beat? We all know how valuable metronome practice can be. However, it can be tricky for students to sync with a metronome, and many students flat out refuse to work with them. Click to answer the question, “What’s a good alternative to a metronome for practice sessions?” Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Does your playing lack emotion? Do you want tips on how to interpret music? Many musicians struggle with interpretation. However, I can show you powerful strategies for tapping into the emotion in your playing. Click to answer the question, “What does it mean for me to interpret a piece of music?” Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Do you get confused about the ways improvisation and composition differ? Would you like to be better at both? Then, you’ve found the right post. Click to learn about improvising vs composing music. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Do you worry about making mistakes when you perform? Do you want to be able to fix errors quickly during your practice time? Everyone slips up, at least occasionally. Don’t worry about it. Errors have an important role to play in the process of learning. Click to answer the question, “How common are mistakes while practicing and playing guitar?” Estimated reading time 3 minutes.