Category Archives: Theory
July 1 ~ Daily Listening Assignment
June 24 ~ Daily Listening Assignment
June 17 ~ Daily Listening Assignment
Music Theory – All you Need to Know!
As all my students know, I teach theory with all piano and organ lessons. Sometimes, it’s from a theory book that matches a lesson book, sometimes on the fly on an “as needed” basis.
This book looks like it would be interesting to use as a review or to look ahead and see what’s coming. I have just ordered a copy for the studio if you want to check it out at the next lesson.
From amazon.com:
If you wish there was a fun and engaging way to help you understand the fundamentals of music, then this is it. Whether it’s learning to read music, understanding chords and scales, musical forms, or improvising and composing, this enjoyable guide will help you to finally start understanding the structure and design of music.
This fun-filled, easy-to-use guide includes:
* Music notation
* Scales and modes
* Melody harmonization and counterpoint
* Chord progressions
* Song form and structureListen and learn with the CD that has 90 tracks, including over 50 popular songs such as:
* Beauty and the Beast
* Candle in the Wind
* Imagine
* In the Air Tonight
* Killing Me Softly with His Song
* Let It Be
* Message in a Bottle
* Misty
* Satin Doll
* Take the ‘A’ Train
* Unchained Melody
* What’d I Say
* and more!
Exercises – Scales and Arpeggios
PDF Article on Scales and Arpeggios
In music, a scale is any set of musical notes ordered by fundamental frequency or pitch.
An arpeggio (it. /arˈpeddʒo/) is a musical technique where notes in a chord are played or sung in sequence, one after the other, rather than being played together like a chord. This word comes from the Italian word “arpeggiare”, which means “to play on a harp”. An alternative translation of this term is “broken chord”.
‘Intervals Roasting’ – The Most Educational Christmas Carol Ever
Music theory has never sounded so catchy with this witty remake of the holiday classic The Christmas Song (with apologies to Mel Torme) Try not to laugh at the ending.
Though it is a bit humorous, this version titled ‘Intervals Roasting’, with lyrics by David Rakowski, attempts to encapsulate the fundamentals of music theory in just over two minutes.
It does a good job of explaining the intervals and harmonic structure of the song and also gives you an idea of how to use music theory to analyze or compose music.
The O’Connor Music Studio has a copy if anyone wants to learn this 🙂
Have a Merry Musical Christmas!
This fun activity will encourage good practicing skills as students count down the days until Christmas with a Christmas practicing activity each day of December. It includes a variety of activities to practice sight reading, performing, technique, theory and more. Merry Christmas!
Please let me know if you do not want your student to participate in Christmas activities and I will assign alternate activities.
How to Read Notes on the Treble Clef
This is the high notes’ answer to “All About That Bass (Clef)“. This video teaches the lines and space notes of the treble clef.
The Cool Bass Clef
An educational parody of Meghan Trainor’s music “All About That Bass” that teaches the notes of the bass clef.
Learn the notes of “The Cool Bass Clef” by watching this cool animated video. Music by Karl Hitzemann. Animation by Bill Belongia. The song originally appeared in Music K-8 magazine, Vol. 22, No. 3.
MaryO'Studio 