When you begin learning about music, you want to jump right in and begin playing. Maybe you have a favorite song you love. Or maybe you want to be able to show your friends and family what you can do. And, while playing music is the overall goal, learning how to read music is a…

When playing the guitar, it is rather easy to learn how to play chords. It doesn’t take long before even the freshest beginner knows how to achieve guitar chord changing. The problem comes after learning a few chords – and that is putting them all together.

The Circle of Fifths has, many times over, been told it looks like a clock. This all-important foundational clock of music has been around since the 17th century. Believe it or not, some of the most famous musicians have composed music using the Circle of Fifths as their guide, including Beethoven, Bach, Schubert, Lin-Manuel Miranda,…

Have you ever watched someone play a piece of music solely by memory? Depending on the musical performance, there may or may not be a music stand with sheet music upon it. For instance, if you have ever gone to a rock concert, no one will be looking at music. How silly would that look?

When that last bell rings on the last day of the school year, kids have a sense of freedom and joy that has been building all year. It is summertime! That means no rigid structures or schedules, homework, or studying. No more math equations, literature books, or last-minute science fair projects. Instead, it is all…

All singers, seasoned or not, have a vocal range. Singers tend to stay within the range that sounds good — and let the rest go. You know, those high notes (and low notes) that just don’t sound as ear-pleasing as the rest of the notes they can sing. Does that mean singers are stuck with…

As a new musician, there is so much to learn about an instrument. This means learning how to care for it, how to play notes, basic music theory and reading sheet music, and so much more. Yet, despite the long list of to-dos on the checklist, it is so common for new musicians to jump…

Being able to improvise on your string instrument is a level that most musicians – even those just starting out – hope to achieve. It is impressive. It is jaw-dropping. And it can be life-changing.

  Knowing your scales is important for being able to gain a deeper understanding of music theory – and becoming more comfortable in your overall musical playing ability. In fact, scales are part of the foundation of becoming a musician.

If there is one sound that makes people holler “Harry Potter!,” it is Hedwig’s Theme. In other words, if your TV was on and you were in another room when you heard this music, you would know – without a doubt – that a Harry Potter movie was playing on your TV. It is that…