Tag: music
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Modal Notes
The distinction between modes like G major and A Dorian lies in a singular modal note, which defines their sound. Each mode differs from its parent scale by one specific note that gives it identity. To achieve a modal feel in music, prominently using this note in compositions is essential for conveying the mode’s unique…
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Learn the Difference Between 3/4 and 6/8 Time
The article explains the differences between 3/4 and 6/8 time signatures, emphasizing the importance of listening to the accents. While both can be written similarly, the placement of accents distinguishes them. Exercises using a metronome are suggested to internalize their distinct feels. The concept of hemiola is introduced, showcasing its presence in various musical styles.
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Three Minor Scales, One Minor Key
Natural, harmonic, and melodic minor aren’t three separate scales. They’re three solutions to the same problem.
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The Dominant Seventh Wants to Go Somewhere
Guitarists learn the dominant 7th as a chord shape. It’s actually an engine.
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CAGED Is a Starting Point
The CAGED system is a useful way to organize the fretboard. The mistake is treating it like music theory.
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Voice Leading on Guitar
Guitarists learn chord shapes. Pianists learn how notes move between chords. This gap explains more than you’d think.
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Learn to Hear the Melody
A lead sheet tells you what the melody is. Your ear is what makes it yours.
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Intervals Are Sounds, Not Fret Distances
Ask a guitarist what a minor third is, and you will most likely hear: three frets. That’s correct in the same way that “turn left at the stop sign” is a correct description of where your house is. It tells you how to get there, but it doesn’t tell you what’s there when you arrive.…
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G Major vs A Dorian: Same Notes, Different Music
Two scales can be identical in construction yet different in musical behavior. Why modes aren’t just rotations of a major scale.
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What is a capo (and why do you need one)?
A capo is a small device that clamps across the guitar’s neck. It presses down all six strings at once, just like your index finger would in a bar chord (they do make partial capos, but that’s for another post). By doing this, it raises the pitch of the open strings. Another way to think…