Category: Music Theory
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Music Anatomy | chords, scales, and keys
Feel unsure or intimidated by keys, chords, or scales? Wish you knew which scale to play and when? Want to learn songs by ear? Need a better sense of how to write songs? Learn music theory fundamentals from an experienced musician and teacher. I understand how music works…but more importantly I know how to explain…
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Twelve Bar Blues
Each genre of music has certain characteristics that distinguish it from other musical styles. These familiar attributes can be found in the rhythms, chords, and notes. Blues music is based on a common song form with three basic chords. This form is commonly called the twelve bar blues because it contains 12 measures. Typically contains…
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Common Blues Rhythms
After learning the common cowboy chords and strumming patterns many guitar players are unsure how to develop their rhythmic approach to get variety in their sound. Studying the common blues rhythms can add interest and style to your playing no matter what kind of music you play. In this lesson guitarist and composer Michael George…
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Music Lesson Forum
I’m excited to announce the new Music Lessons Forum hosted on my website. Register for Free to join the conversation. Post your own topic ideas or questions and Michael will reply with unique insights and ideas to help you learn. It’s in the beginning stages but in the future will have posts geared to musicians…
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Build Chords from Scales
Have you ever heard musicians explain the chords to a song with numbers? A guitar player might say something like, “This song is just one, four and five chords in G.” This number system applies to the chords in a given key (or family). Once it’s understood it’s a great tool for learning and memorizing…
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Major Scale [part 2]
Introduction: Part 1 Scale Steps: Part 2 In the previous lesson we played the C Major Scale for one octave. In order to play only white keys we must skip over some notes on black keys. If two notes are separated by a note they are said to be a Whole Step apart. To play…
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Chromatic Scale
Before we explore music concepts (ie: harmony, melody, theory) we must understand how music scales are built and used. A Scale organizes pitches (or notes) in a given range from lowest to highest frequency. The range depends on the musical instrument’s playing range. In Western music there are twelve different pitches (or notes). If we…
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