Knowing lot’s of chords and lot’s of scales is a good thing. Knowing how chords and scales interact functionally with one another is very empowering for the creative musician. The notes in a chord are a subset of a particular parent scale. The most common scale is the Major scale which contains 7 notes and […]
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Tertian Chord Harmony
Tertian chords sound like they might be chords that reside on an alien planet somewhere in the universe. While the word is not typically used, tertian chords are the fundamental chords that are used by all popular american music and most music from around the world. Tertian harmony is so common that most musicians assume […]
Do I have to learn scales on the guitar?
Many people don’t like the idea of having to practice their scales on any instrument. There seems to be this idea that because the guitar is a pop music instrument that you don’t have to learn any real fundamentals like scales to be a good player. It’s no surprise because beginning music players, regardless of […]
How many guitar chords are there?
Chords are groups of notes that when played together form some type of consonant or dissonant harmony. It’s typical for beginning guitar students to ask how many guitar chords exist. The answer is not infinity, but it’s still too many to bother counting. It’s much more productive to learn a few fundamental chords in depth […]
Can I start my lessons on a keyboard rather than a piano?
Modern technology has made it very inexpensive to get a full 88 key piano keyboard. These keyboards often have hammer-action keys which give it the feel of a real piano. Anyone who has compared keyboards without weighted keys to a real acoustic piano knows there is quite a difference. The feel from piano to the […]
Don’t you cry I’ll be back again someday
After waving goodbye to the children, Frosty the Snowman reassures them that he will be back again someday. Did Frosty ever return as he promised? Some people who are not satisfied with the ambiguity of “I’ll be back again someday” decided to change the lyrics to “I’ll be back again on Christmas Day”. Is it […]
The Impact and Importance of Christmas Music
Music can be found everywhere in the world. It is, after all, the universal language. Since humans learned that we could bang sticks against objects and create rhythms, we have had music. There is no form of music, though, that has been embraced across the globe quite like Christmas music. Likewise, the impact of Christmas […]
They tell me to start on acoustic but I’ve decided to start with electric guitar
Yesterday I gave you my thoughts on whether to start on acoustic or electric guitar as a beginning player. Instead of just saying you should start on acoustic, I rambled off 400 or more words so that my blog would be effective for online search engines. While I gave my opinion that I think everyone […]
Acoustic or Electric. What should beginners play?
Beginning guitar players are often faced with the dilemma of choosing the type of guitar to play first as they begin lessons. Many people love the looks of the electric guitar but heard somewhere that you should always start out playing the acoustic guitar. Other people have heard that you always want to start on […]
Winter Recital Grosse Pointe Music Academy 2011
The Grosse Pointe Music Academy Winter Recital will be held on Saturday, December 10th 2011 at 6pm for session 1 and 8pm for session 2. The recital will be held at the Grosse Pointe Unitarian Church located at 17150 Maumee at the corner of St. Clare in Grosse Pointe city. View Larger Map This is […]
Stocking stuffers for that special guitar player
With Christmas fast approaching, I am having more and more people ask what my suggestions for “stocking stuffers” are. Most people are already aware of the standard small gifts to get for that special guitar player in your life such as picks, and strings, but there are some other gift ideas that they might not […]
The Guitar: A Functional Sculpture
An instrument can be seen as an extension of one’s own self to many people. Guitar players are certainly no exception to this. Guitars are more than they appear to many players. The instrument is not only a tool by which a musician can create their music, but also an extension of their own bodies. […]
A song you can learn on any instrument with no training!
“Four Minutes-Thirty Three Seconds” is a three-movement composition by American Composer John Cage. This composition is composed entirely of 4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence. Yes that’s right, pure silence. John Cage (1912-1992) was labeled as an experimental composer. A piece of music that is nothing but silence is going to draw some controversy. […]
Play Chopsticks while eating sushi
Chopsticks is the most popular piano song of all time. Some would make the argument for Heart and Soul or Beethoven’s Fur Elise. They’d be wrong. It’s Chopsticks. More people play Chopsticks than any other song when they come across an open piano. Why? Because it can actually be played with a pair of chopsticks. […]
Mitch Albom: Music instructor’s life a beautiful melody
Here’s a Matt Michaels story. One day, years ago, he was lecturing at Wayne State University, a cigarette in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other. As he spoke about jazz theory, the ashes of his cigarette grew perilously long, and the students edged forward, wondering when they would drop. When Matt leaned […]
Google Doodle Guitar Songwriting Contest
Test your songwriting ability by using the Google Doodle Guitar. Record a song 30 seconds or less to win a free T-Shirt and 25 dollar cash prize! The Google Doodle Guitar appeared on Google’s homepage a while back and it’s pretty cool and easy to play. You can drag the mouse over the strings or […]
Take your guitar playing to new heights!
GPMA is now offering a class for guitarists of all ages and skill level known as the “Guitar Ensemble.” This group will perform at least twice each year at the recitals and will also be given the opportunity to record as a group with the intent of performing in public for other special events, concerts, […]
Musical Boxing – Success vs. Excellence
Recently, I was talking with someone about my desire to become a professional boxer as a child. My father had a heavyweight prizefighter as a friend, and after watching him live, followed by hounding my parents for tickets to fights and going to a few more, I was hooked. I asked my parents time and […]
Sight-reading isn’t for sissies!
In my first year of college at Wayne State University, I noticed a comic strip in my guitar instructor’s office. The drawing was of a conductor holding his baton in a room of flames, surrounded by a pitiful-looking bunch of guitarists and banjo players. The caption read, “Conductors Hell.” After mentioning this to friends for […]
Violin-t Behavior
History books will tell you that the violin is actually an Eastern European descendant of the Japanese Kyoto. They’ll say something about Marco Polo bringing the idea of the violin back to Eastern Europe after his highly publicized jaunt to the Far West in the 1200’s where he enjoyed a Kyoto concert with Kubla Khan. […]