Category Archives: How to Study-Practice
Blues School: The Major Blues Scale, Theory & Ear Training
The Major Blues Scale is the lesser known cousin of the minor blues scale. Sometimes called the Jazz Blues Scale, it has a more majorish, jazzier quality than the minor blues. Check it out… Advertisements
Blues School: The Minor Blues Scale, Theory & Ear Training
The Minor Blues Scale is the blues scale that most people are familiar with, so much so that it usually just called the Blues Scale.
Piano Technique: Mental or Physical?
Practice and Exercise are two different behaviors with two very different goals:
Chord Progressions: i-V7-i Theory & Ear Training
Study the i-V7-i Chord Progression (the minor counterpart of the major I-V-I) and you will understand the harmonic tension and release formula that makes an incredible amount of music tick…
Chord Progressions: I-V7-I Theory & Ear Training
Study the I-V7-I Chord Progression and you will understand the harmonic tension and release formula that makes an incredible amount of music tick…
Chord Progressions: Roman Numeral Analysis
Harmonic literacy goes beyond knowing the letter name and type of chord being played to understanding how a chord functions in a particulate context. To that end, a common practice for describing chords in functional harmonic terms is to use … Continue reading
Chord Progressions: Why Study Chord Progressions?
A Chord Progression is a sequence of chords that achieve a larger-scale harmonic purpose than can be achieved by a single chord alone. These purposes include establishing a key center and tonality, building harmonic tension, releasing harmonic tension, creating a sense … Continue reading
Chords: Melody & Harmony
In order to illustrate how critically-important chords are in music-making, consider this gallery of famous pieces (with chord tones circled)… and notice two things:
Chords: Why Study Chords?
Chord study, done right, is essential to understanding how an enormous amount of music works. If you study-practice chords the right way, you will…
Scales: C Japanese Scale
Compare the Japanese Scale to the C Middle Eastern Scale. Notice the dramatic effect of removing two notes: E (Mi) and B (Ti), creating a whole new flavor that is instantly recognized as Japanese!
