Learn Music Theory your way with a TakeLessons expert

Sure, music theory is complex -- but there's no need to fear it! Here, Jamaica Plain, MA teacher Noaa R. shares four steps to get you started...   Many students tend to avoid studying music theory and harmony. This can stem from a fear of compromising one’s creativity with rules and numbers, a failure to connect concepts with application, or from feeling overwhelmed by the perceived volume of material to be learned. However, when you approach theory as an exploratory process that helps

The circle of fifths is an extremely helpful diagram. It is used to understand how keys, scales, and chords relate to one another. Sometime I refer to the circle of  fifths as “the mother ship” with my students, because the diagram really encompasses all of the basic elements of western harmony.   As a side note for more advanced readers, jazz players typically rearrange the  circle of fifths to a circle of fourths. They like the circle to move from C major (no  sharps or flats) to F

Mention the subject of improvisation around a pianist, and you’ll get a mixture of intrigue, excitement, and exasperation. Some pianists love the idea. Others are terrified of the idea of playing notes that are not on the page. If you’re intrigued, you may be wondering how to improvise on the piano.  The amazing thing is that improvisation is no different than learning to speak a language. However, pianists sometimes get frustrated because they think that this specific language is so

In order to be a successful musician, you’ve got to have a strong understanding of music theory.  While there are many different aspects to music theory, one of the most important is being able to read sheet music. Sheet music provides musicians with the musical notation needed to play a piece of music.  Without sheet music, it would be very difficult for musicians to play songs that they haven't written themselves or memorized. In addition, learning how to read sheet music can help

One of the most common weaknesses for amateur musicians is a lack of music theory knowledge. Many people assume that learning theory is difficult (it isn’t) that it has no practical purpose (it does), or even that it will actively make them worse at making music (quite the opposite). I’m here to convince you that learning a little about how music works is one of the most important skills you can develop and should absolutely be part of your daily practice routine. Here are five reasons w

As children, we learn to identify letters followed by simple words. We then gradually progress to reading a full sentence. The next step is learning how to read multiple clauses. Eventually, this turns into reading complex paragraphs, whole chapters, and more. We learn musical notation in similar stages, and our musical literacy becomes defined by our understanding of music theory. Like any language, it’s not enough to just read the words and symbols on the page. You have to understand what it

Test your knowledge of music with this innovative music theory quiz - and then keep reading to find even more fun quizzes you can take! A knowledge of music theory is absolutely indispensable to musicians. For beginners, it can seem intimidating, but experienced musicians will attest that theory is well worth the effort needed to master it. While you can certainly acquire proficiency on an instrument without a knowledge of theory, you’ll miss out on the depth of understanding that

The late Yehudi Menuhin once said, “The genuine Scottish fiddler has an infallible sense of rhythm, never plays out of tune, and is master of his distinctive and inimitable style”. Well, as a Scot myself, I certainly subscribe to that idea, although I can’t give absolute assurance that my own intonation is that infallible.  Where Does Good Intonation Begin? Well, before we start slapping fingers down on the fingerboard we need to know that the violin itself must be in tune. Traditional

Have you ever been singing and suddenly realized your tongue hurt? Felt a tinge or soreness? Sometimes, that means your jaw is tight, often, it means that your tongue is tense. It’s a muscle, it’s natural for that to happen. However, it’s not something you can ignore. When you’re doing an exercise, you want to make sure you have correct form in order to get the most out of it. Same concept with singing. However, in singing, you don’t want to keep working the muscles to the point of pai

Nervous about the sight reading portion of an upcoming audition? Find out how to work sight reading practice into your routine in this guest post by Saddle Brook, NJ teacher Christian D...   “Be prepared to sight read.” That dreaded requirement on all auditions that makes us all nervous. But the fact is, you shouldn’t be! Sight reading is a learned skill, just like everything else in music. Think of it as sight reading a passage from a book in front of an audience. With so man