Estimated reading time 2 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
This month marks a special milestone for the Successful Music Student blog. As of October 5th, 2025, I’ve been writing and posting articles for five years. Read more to learn how the Successful Music Student helps you grow in your music.
Success Music Studio Blog Anniversary: Covering Six Main Topic Categories
With 428 posts spanning six categories, it’s been my goal to provide you with expert, reliable advice.
- All-Purpose Music Tips & Topics: Deals with a wide variety of topics including playing, reading, recording, and theory topics.
- Color Coding & More: Covers special needs instruction, especially color coding the adapted score. Also, discusses different learning styles in relation to learning how to read and play songs.
- Intonation & More: Gives information on tuning instruments, particularly guitar and keyboard, but also looks at playing orchestra, band, and ethnic instruments in tune. Explores common and off-the-beaten-path contemporary, historical, and ethnic tuning schemes.
- Singing in Tune & More: Discusses general singing advice with an emphasis on diction and singing in tune.
- Shape Notes & Solfege: Shows you how shape notes sight singing works. Includes songs transcribed into shape notes. It’s helpful for both special needs and typical learner singers.
- The Craft of Songwriting: Contains posts on songwriting, lyrics writing, composing, and recording.
The articles range from advice for beginners all the way up to advanced theoretical concepts. My aim is to help you mature in your knowledge and skill at reading, writing, playing, singing, and teaching.
Success Music Studio Blog Anniversary: Post Day and Time
You can read the articles that are posted every Monday at 7:00 am, or you can sign up for the Newsletter and get them straight to your inbox on the first Thursday of every month.
Success Music Studio Blog Anniversary: Thanks
I want to thank you for reading my posts. I’m grateful that you’ve given me the opportunity to help you grow in your music. Also, as we enter the sixth year of the Successful Music Student, I want to remind you that if there’s a topic you’re interested in, let me know. If it fits my website’s theme, I’ll be happy to write about it.
Final Thoughts
Thinking about the last five years, I’m proud of the unique, detailed information that you’ll find in the Successful Music Student blog. I’ve worked hard to bring you entertaining and informative posts that’re filled with colorful images and relevant videos. I plan to be here for many more years to come and enjoy sharing my love of music with you. Stay tuned for the exciting new articles that’ll be coming out soon!
– Geoffrey Keith
© 2025 Geoffrey Keith
Deck the Halls – A Jubilant Christmas Carol
Do you want to sing Deck the Halls? In this post, you’ll get the essentials: 1) a video of Deck the Halls, 2) the full lyrics, and 3) easy-to-read shape note sheet music with a sing along song track. Keep reading "Deck the Halls – A Jubilant Christmas Carol" to learn more. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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What’s the Catch with G Guitar Tuning? (Open G Tuning)
Do you want to try out open G tuning, but don’t know where to start? While G tuning has a wonderfully resonant quality, there are still some things you need to think about before you begin learning these alternate guitar tunings. Keep reading "What’s the Catch with G Guitar Tuning?" to find out what makes it both captivating and challenging at the same time. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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Sight Singing with Rhythmic Syllables
Do you wish you could read rhythm better? “Sight Singing with Rhythmic Syllables” looks at rhythm. Also, we have sung so far in the keys of C, Db, D, Eb, E, F, Gb, and G major. In today’s singing lesson you will learn the keys of Ab, A, Bb, and B. Once again, the more keys you know, the better your reading will become. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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Why Do Crazy Chromatic Notes and Chords Work?
Have you ever seen a crazy chromatic scale or chord and wondered why it works? Do you want to understand how to write them? Chromatic notes and harmonies are effective because they take bad sounding dissonance and resolve it to good sounding consonance. Keep reading “Why Do Crazy Chromatic Notes and Chords Work?” to learn how chromatic harmony functions. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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