Timbre is that quality of sound that allows us to identify a sound source and distinguish it from any other. Unlike pitch and loudness, timbre cannot be measured on a scale and is difficult to define, so much so that people often resort to the even more confusing expression ‘colour of sound’. So let’s try…Continue readingTimbre and classification of musical instruments
From a scientific point of view, intensity can be measured precisely, but in music notation intensity does not have an absolute value but a relative one. That is why in music we do not speak of sound intensity but of dynamics. So let’s see how we move from the concept of sound intensity, or volume,…Continue readingLoudness and musical notation, how music dynamic works
The Jazzmaster Cookbook by Jim Grantham is a very comprehensive and ambitious book on jazz theory and improvisation. In this review I explain why I recommend reading and studying it, but also what are the limitations that can render even relatively simple concepts complicated and lead a beginner student to be even more confused than…Continue readingJim Grantham Jazzmaster Cookbook, a review and study guide
Learning chords on the piano is not difficult, but we can use different techniques and different ways of thinking. In this lesson I propose a simple and effective system for learning and remembering chords on the piano, we’ll call this system the photo negative technique. We will also see how to perform chord arpeggios and…Continue readingPiano chords, learn chords with a photo negative
How does music notation work? What are the five lines of which it is composed? In this lesson we will look at how the staff works and in particular how it is used to write down one of the main qualities of sound: pitch.Continue readingSound pitch and notation, how the staff works
What is a musical scale? Anyone playing an instrument is accustomed to practicing with scales, but the concept of a scale has much broader implications than just technique. In this lesson, we look at scales of five to eight sounds in general, in particular the major, minor and pentatonic scales.Continue readingMajor scale, pentatonic scale and other scales, what a musical scale is
To learn to play the piano, it is very important to practice regularly. It is not enough to devote time to music, but it will have to be quality time in which we can concentrate and study. In this article I will try to answer the question: how long does it take to start playing…Continue readingHow long does it take to start playing the piano?
In the Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization (1953) George Russell makes the Lydian scale the centre of the tonal system, instead of the traditional major scale. His system was a great inspiration to a whole generation of jazz musicians, who used it to try to expand the language of their improvisations. Let’s see how…Continue readingGeorge Russell and the Lydian Chromatic Concept
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Simple and compound time
What is the difference between simple and compound time? Often the beginner student is misled by the term “simple time” and thinks it is a synonym for “easy time”. This is why any tempo that is unusual and difficult can be misclassified as compound time.Continue readingSimple and compound time
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Chord symbols, how to read them
In this lesson, you will learn how to read chord symbols. In many theory books and online tutorials you will find charts that help you read chord symbols, but if you understand how chord symbols work, you will find it much easier to learn how to play chords. We will therefore see how the different…Continue readingChord symbols, how to read them