Music Basics

The reason there are only seven letters, A through G, in our musical alphabet is because our music is based on a diatonic, or seven note scale.

You don't need to be born with perfect pitch to hear music notes. Learning to hear notes and recognize the names of those notes takes time and practice. It may be that you never develop perfect...

I learned how to perform this guitar technique years ago, and it is always nice to be able to do these on the fly when jamming with friends. If you have learned just one scale, then this...

I have been playing bass for several years now primarily sticking to rock and alternative genres but sometimes I like to get into a little funk or jazz. Many bassists, and I am guilty of this as...

Playing the c scale is one of the basic things you learn when first playing a keyboard. Because the c scale is the first and the easiest scale to know on the keyboard. This is one of the only...

Making a pentatonic scale with water bottles is a great project to try with kids or other beginning musicians. The pentatonic scale is especially suitable for this project because so many of the...

Chords are the building blocks of music, but there are hundreds of possible chord combinations available. One look at a chord dictionary for piano and organ can be overwhelming. You might think it...

Guitarists like you and me enjoy strumming along with our major and minor chords. But if we'd like to build our chord pile, 7ths are the place to start. Let's do this...

Learning to make chords on the piano is one of the fundamental skills needed to play piano well. Knowing how to play chords will allow you to be able to read chord charts and play just about any...

The cool thing about guitars is that the scales are the same, no matter where you are on the guitar. Guitar scales use octaves on the strings preceding each other to keep the shapes the same and...

"Three's Company", "Three's a crowd", "A natural number can be divided by three if the sum of its digits is divisible by three." Yup, three is even the number of...

There are several methods available to learn how to play the piano, and how to approach learning chords. This is one method that will help get you started.

There are many ways to go about songwriting and just as many ways to go about teaching it. Here is one strategy that worked well for me with helping to teach a children's group about songwriting.

The piano is one of the most complex musical instruments on the planet, capable of all manner of musical intricacy and depth. But it can also be simple. With a little guidance, you can create...

Fingering is key to playing any basic scale on the piano. Follow the correct form for the right and left hands provided in this article, and you are on your way to playing a smooth C major scale.

This is the second in my series of articles on chord construction. Here, I've outlined the basics of the minor chords.

Playing the alto saxophone is not a difficult task. It is one of the easiest woodwinds to pick up and, due to its relatively small size, is comfortable to play. There are some basic fundamentals...

The chromatic scale is the foundation of all music based on the the Western (European) system of music. Also referred to as the equal temperment system, as the notes are all equally spaced apart.

If the major chord is the sound of happy music, then the minor chord is the sound of sadness, angst, or anger. Think of the power of the organ, played by someone in a a state of inner turmoil...

The B Aeolian mode is the sixth mode of D major, and it contains a flat 3, a flat 6 and a flat 7. Discover how this mode is a basic minor with a flat 6 included with help from a jazz composer in...

The B Locrian mode can create a dark sound because it contains so many flat notes, specifically everything except the one and four. Find out how B is the 7th note out of C major with help from a...

The B Phrygian mode scale is a scale that creates a minor sound, although it gets a nice addition from a flat 2 and a flat 6. Learn about utilizing the Phrygian mode melodically with help from a...

The B Lydian mode is the fourth mode of D flat major, and it is a major scale that contains a nice sharp 4 and a kind of floating sound. Find out how to use the Lydian mode to solo over B major...

The B Mixolydian mode scale comes out of E major, and it starts on the fifth note of the B major scale. Learn about the flat 7 included in this jazz scale with help from a jazz composer in this...

The B whole tone scale starts off on B and goes up by a whole step throughout the entire pattern, resulting in a very open sound. Find out more about this symmetrical scale with help from a jazz...

The B Dorian mode is the second mode of the B major scale, so it has to start a step above the A major scale. Discover how the Dorian mode is used with minor chords with help from a jazz composer...

In jazz music, the B hexatonic scale adds a basic B black chord, as well as a sharp three, sharp four and a flat six. Find out how to obtain the richness of the B hexatonic scale with help from a...

In jazz music, the B diminished scale has a repetitious pattern that alternates between a half step and a whole step. Discover the notes involves in the B diminished scale with help from a jazz...

The B harmonic minor scale gets its strength from the gap between the six and the seven, as well as the contrast between the minor 3rd and major 7th. Get a melody out of a B harmonic minor scale...

The B altered scale starts with a diminished pattern before moving on into whole tones. Learn about the pattern used in the B altered scale with help from a jazz composer in this free video on the...

In jazz music, the B blues scale uses the minor third and minor seventh, although major chords can be used beneath it. Learn about the notes played in the B blues scale with help from a jazz...

Bebop musicians need to know how to play a lot of 16th notes and 32nd notes, as well as chromatic notes outside of the scale. Discover the basic philosophy behind playing bebop runs in B with help...

The B pentatonic scale takes five notes from the B major scale, and is a great scale for making chords. Learn how to leave out the root when playing a pentatonic scale with help from a jazz...

In this article you'll learn the basics on how to play a flute. It'll tell you how to properly hold it, the proper embouchure, and how to play the B flat scale, which is one if the first scales...

A chord is composed of two or more notes. A chord can be played in unison, with all of the notes played at once, or it can be played one note at a time, which is called a broken chord. A...

Almost every piece of music ever written works by organizing chords into groups called chord progressions. As a chord is any group of three or more tones played simultaneously, a chord progression...

The discipline of studying scales is great for developing the mind as well as for building the foundation of a well-rounded musical education. Scales form the basis of the composition of most...

Music keys, also known as key signatures, are noted at the beginning of a piece of music. The keys are written directly after the treble or bass clef sign and are used to designate sharp and flat...

Beginners on guitar have a hard time staying interested because they don't know where to start and are easily frustrated. Too many guitar teachers make the mistake of trying to teach technique...

I have used the Nashville Number System for many years in Nashville in the studio and working with artists in concert situations. Music theory can be very complicated and overwhelming, especially...

In saxophone playing, the F scale includes a B flat note. Play an F scale on the saxophone with tips from a music theory teacher in this free video on woodwind instruments.

When playing a B flat scale on saxophone, an E flat note is added in place of E natural. Play a B flat scale on the saxophone with tips from a music theory teacher in this free video on woodwind...

The E flat scale on saxophone includes playing an A flat, which is also a G sharp. Play an E flat scale on the saxophone with tips from a music theory teacher in this free video on woodwind...

When playing saxophone scales, remember that A flat is the same as G sharp. Play an A flat scale on the saxophone with tips from a music theory teacher in this free video on woodwind instruments.

In saxophone playing, the G minor scale is extracted from the B flat major scale. Play a G minor scale on saxophone with lessons from a music theory teacher in this free video on woodwind instruments.

On the saxophone, the D minor scale is extracted from the F major scale, and everything is natural except for B. Play a D minor scale on saxophone with lessons from a music theory teacher in this...

For an A minor scale on the saxophone, all of the notes are natural. Play an A minor scale on saxophone with lessons from a music theory teacher in this free video on woodwind instruments.

When playing an E minor scale on saxophone, remember that the E is not sharp or flat. Play an E minor scale on saxophone with lessons from a music theory teacher in this free video on woodwind...

On the saxophone, the B minor scale is a very popular minor scale for concerts. Play a B minor scale on saxophone with lessons from a music theory teacher in this free video on woodwind instruments.