Christian music has come a long way from the church-sanctioned melancholy chants of centuries gone by. It has rich history going back several hundred years. In fact, the earliest music manuscripts were of church origin.
Continue reading →A music scale usually refers to a progression of single notes upwards or downwards in steps. The word “scale” comes from the Latin “la scala” which means “ladder”, so a musical scale is a ladder of notes that runs from the root note to the octave note (octave means “eight”, as in octopus, octagon, etc., so eight notes.) Most beginners in music are introduced to the concept of scales very early in their training. Despite this, it sometimes takes a few years of training to get good understanding of how scales work.
Continue reading →New pianists learn notes first. An understanding of musical notes and their values is the foundation for learning any instrument. That includes the piano. The values of the notes are easy to remember because their names denote their values.
Continue reading →Even the most avid of piano players sometimes dread practicing. Sometimes that dread can sabotage your practice time. Don’t sit down at the piano feeling negative before you even begin.
Continue reading →There are literally millions of adults today who took piano lessons when they were growing up, but at some point along the way gave them up. Some couldn’t care less, but many have an urge down deep to take up piano playing again someday.
Continue reading →If you’re a music lover looking for a career that is completely off the beaten path, music therapy just might be right for you. Music therapy, a relatively new method of therapy in the eyes of modern medicine, is an ancient practice. Since 1944, it has gradually been practiced more extensively in the United States. In the United Kingdom, music therapy was used in hospitals during both world wars.
Continue reading →Piano players who desire to learn the foundations of purely American music should start with the 12-bar blues. This music form began over a century ago. Today’s jazz, hip-hop, rock-and-roll and rhythm and blues owes a debt to it.
Continue reading →Musical harmony is a simple concept, yet it contains so many variations that it is inexhaustible. With these simple rules, anyone can learn the basics of harmonization and be on their way to composing the next great song.
Continue reading →Most modern musicians take sheet music for granted. Sheet music abounds in printed form and can even be downloaded from the Internet. It’s a far cry from the days of oral tradition. Centuries ago, there were few ways to pass on music other than to “hum a few bars” until the listener caught on.
Continue reading →Hymns are some of the most beloved songs of all time. Hymnals contain hundreds of songs, and no two hymnals are alike. Anyone looking to learn the most popular hymns needs to know where to start. The following is a list of 10 of the most popular hymns, but of course your list will no doubt vary from mine.
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