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 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

Welcome to part two in this series “Music Theory for Singers.” In this article we’ll cover how to read pitches. In part one of this series we learned how to read rhythms. Rhythm is how long or short you sustain a note. Pitches are how high or low the note you are singing will sound.  In music there are 7 natural notes (pitch names) and 5 accidental notes (pitch names). The musical alphabet goes from A to G, and then just repeats after G, back to A. It looks like this. A B C D E F

Have you ever seen a 12 string acoustic guitar in a music shop and felt intimidated? Well, great news! If you can play a 6-string guitar, you can play a 12-string. I don’t mean eventually, I mean right now. Let’s take a closer look at what all those extra strings are, why they’re there, and what they can (and can’t) do. First of All, How is a 12-String Acoustic Guitar Tuned? The answer is, exactly like a 6-string but with each string doubled. So, going from bottom to top (pitch wise),

What are the "keys" to identifying different key signatures? Read on for some great tips from Tucson, AZ teacher Lourdes C... Even if you’re a beginner, understanding key signatures is a critical part of reading music. A key signature is a set of sharps or flats at the beginning of a song that appears after the clef and before the time signature.  This symbol indicates which piano keys will be sharp or flat for the rest of the song. In other words, the key signature determines the home

Are you looking to learn non-traditional techniques on the violin? Wondering how far you can take this instrument? The violin is one of the most versatile instruments in the world.  It can accommodate a seemingly infinite amount of styles, sounds, and ensembles. The violin has 2 octaves of range in first position, making a wide amount of notes available to players of all levels. And you can use the violin to play almost any technique; making it possible to play an incredible number of sounds

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

Throughout history, plucked instruments have evolved and changed their string amounts and the way they are tuned. The guitar we know and love today evolved from the lutes of the Renaissance and Baroque Era, which had multiple pairs of strings as well as moveable frets made out of cattle gut. It wasn’t until the 1800’s when the Romantic Guitar decided on using only six strings, which allowed the guitarist to play melodic lines and chords more easily. The Romantic Guitar and Classical G

Have you ever wanted to learn how to play the piano, but felt intimidated by all of those black and white keys? You're not alone! The piano keyboard layout can be tricky for beginners to understand. Fortunately, this helpful guide will make learning the basics a breeze. By understanding the layout of the keyboard, you'll be able to start playing simple songs in no time. So what are you waiting for? Let's get started! Did you know that understanding the full piano keyboard layout is not