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
Are you a guitarist who wants to try playing the lute? Do you want to know how difficult it is compared to guitar? The Renaissance lute is a pear-shaped instrument with a swept back headstock that harkens back to another age. Keep reading “How Easy Is It to Play Renaissance Lute?” to learn more. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
How Easy Is It to Play Renaissance Lute? Read More »
Do you need to know what reverb is? Want to know how to use it in a mix? Understanding what reverb is and how to use it effectively is critical for creating a good mix. Keep reading “How to Master Reverb (3 Tips to Tweak Your Mix)” to learn what it is and how it works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
How to Master Reverb (3 Tips to Tweak Your Mix) Read More »
Want to learn how to play bass? In today’s post we’ll talk about some basic skills. Also, we’ll break down more advanced skills (including additional resources) by musical style. Keep reading “A Quick Guide to How to Play the Bass” to learn more about this fun instrument. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
A Quick Guide to How to Play the Bass Read More »
Do you want to know how to read the notes in your piano music? Are you confused about why the right hand and left hand play different musical notes? Reading sheet music for piano is more difficult than for other instruments. Why? Because piano music uses two different clefs. Keep reading “Learn How to Read Piano Notes (Free Resource)” to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Learn How to Read Piano Notes (Free Resource) Read More »
Do you need to know what the word decibel (dB) means? Do you want a decibel chart so that you can know what noise levels are safe? Decibels are used in sound recording, radio, and live concert reinforcement. Keep reading “What Does Decibel Mean? (In Less than 3 Minutes)” to learn what it is and how it works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
What Does Decibel Mean? (In Less than 3 Minutes) Read More »
“What on earth exactly is vibrato?” It’s a pulsating sound that musicians use to make their music more engaging. Views on vibrato have varied through the centuries. However, currently it’s felt that it adds warmth to the notes, and by extension, it adds more emotion to your playing. Keep reading to learn what it is and how it works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
What on Earth Exactly Is Vibrato? Read More »
Do you want to know what the difference is between a trill and tremolo in music? The two terms sound alike, and superficially they have some things in common. However, they produce very different results. This is particularly true when you consider that tremolo picking on guitar and orchestral tremolo are two different things. Keep reading “What’s the Key Difference Between Trills and Tremolo” to learn how they’re similar and how they differ. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
What’s the Key Difference Between Trills and Tremolo Read More »
Are you confused about what all the conductor’s hand gestures mean? Do you want to learn how to conduct a musical ensemble? Conducting isn’t just brandishing a stick. The conductor is the coach of an ensemble. Also, they interpret the musical score, making it so that each ensemble has its own unique sound. Keep reading “A How to Guide to Learning Conducting with Musicality” to learn what it is and how it works. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
A How to Guide to Learning Conducting with Musicality Read More »
Do you want to know the meaning of the word crescendo? Do you want to know how to play crescendo and decrescendo? Dynamics (like crescendo and diminuendo) are an important part of musical expression and interpretation. Keep reading “What Is the Essential Meaning of Crescendo in Music” to learn what it is and how it works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
What Is the Essential Meaning of Crescendo in Music? Read More »
Want to know what the word transpose means in music? Do you need to know how to change the key of a song? There are a bunch of reasons you might need to change the music’s key: 1) it’s the wrong range for your voice, 2) you need to make it fit your instrument’s range, 3) or you may play a transposing instrument (such as Bb trumpet) but need to read some music written at concert pitch. Keep reading “How to Effectively Use Music Theory to Transpose Music” to learn how to do it. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
How to Effectively Use Music Theory to Transpose Music Read More »