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
After they can sight-read what’s left for musicians to learn? Lots of thing spring to mind, such as: repertoire, memorized repertoire, interpretation, performance practice, improvisation, composition, music theory, and music history. Click to find out about what’s left for musicians to learn after they can sight-read. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Have you ever asked, “What are the small “>” signs above or below the notes?” We call them and other signs like them articulations of force. Read on to learn what they tell us to do when we see them in sheet music. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Are you confused by the squiggly lines in the score? Have you ever wondered, “Why do pianists occasionally play their hands at different times as they perform?” Answer: because it makes the music sound sophisticated and plays an important stylistic role in piano music. Click if you’d like to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Do you want to give up on learning music theory? Does it seem pointless to you? Music theory can help with sight reading skills on the piano. It’ll be useful for improvisation and composition. It even helps with performance practice. If you still have an open mind, read “Do I Really Have to Learn Music Theory to Learn How to Play Piano?” to understand the ways it can help you to better play the instrument. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Have you ever wondered, “Why do minor keys sound sad and major keys sound happy?” Has this phenomenon been hardwired into us, or does culture impact how we perceive scales? In fact, it’s a little bit of both. Read more to learn how this works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Do you want to learn how to read music, but just can’t? Are you a teacher that has students with good ears who struggle with reading? Having a good ear can be a two-edged sword. The student can pick up music quickly by ear. However, the same strength can create challenges for score reading. Read more to learn why it’s so hard for someone with a good ear to learn to read sheet music. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Do you feel terrified about playing for people? Do you want to know how to overcome the fear of performing in front of an audience? We know from psychology that our fears can be blown out of proportion through self-talk. However, a simple mental exercise can short circuit self-talk. Read more to find out how to defeat self-defeatism. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
So, are there really ways around the difficulty of playing the piano due to short fingers and small hands? Yes, it can be done. This post will help musicians, music students, and music teachers alike. Read more to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
How does your brain learn to play the piano with two hands? Daniel Coyle, in “The Talent Code,” tells us generally how the brain acquires skill, and I’ll give you specific tips for two-handed playing. Read more to find out how it works. Estimated reading time 4 minutes