This is a topic that can seem a little overwhelming to many musicians, including those that even play transposed instruments! The good news is that like most music theory, it’s not as hard as it initially appears. The bad news is that if you play a transposing instrument you are the one that will have to learn this, as a good portion of musicians these days play blissfully unaware in concert pitch. However, that’s not to say all students of music shouldn’t learn the basics of transposing. If you have any interest in composing music, even as a bedroom laptop music producer, knowing how to transpose will make your music sound that much better.
Piano
Learning Popular Chord Progressions
As we were studying intervals you may have noticed a lot of song examples for each particular ascending or descending step quantities. After the intervals, we started stacking notes on top of each other to get chords. Once again, we realized there are only so many ways to stack these notes before we start repeating them. Our next step is to put these chords together in ways that appeal to our ears and moods. We are going to learn chord progressions. In some cases, they follow very similar rules, just as the first or root and fifth note fit well when played together so do the first and fifth chord. And like intervals and chords, it isn’t an incredible amount to have to remember either.
Music Theory: Advanced Chords – Sixth, Ninth, Eleventh, Sus Chords
Advance Music Theory Chords
If you think back on what you have learned about chords from lesson 1 and lesson 2, so far everything is about the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th degree of the scale. We study these first because they are the most pleasing to the ear, and therefore most of the chords we hear. Chords are also built with every other degree of the scale and the same concepts and rules apply. Next we will take a look at some sixth chords; you should already know which notes will be flattened or raised.
Music Theory: Diminished/Augmented Triads and Seventh Chords
We last left off with major and minor triads, where the third was the deciding factor for the final chord. In both cases the root and the fifth remain the same. When we raise or lower the fifth, we get into augmented and diminished triads. Recall a major chord Is a stacked third, first a major third and then a minor. And a minor chord was the exact opposite, a minor third and then on top of that a major third. What happens when we stack two minor thirds on top of each other? We will get a diminished triad. In this lesson, we will talk about Diminished/ Augmented Triads and Seventh Chords
Music Theory: Introduction to Chords – Lesson 1
If you want to get a solid grasp of chord theory, you have to start from the beginning. A great starting point is with the Introduction to Chords. Chords are built on specific spaces or intervals in a musical scale. In Western music the smallest interval is the semitone, that is the same as one key distance on the piano or one fret on the guitar. Before we start analyzing multiple notes it is best to learn the basic sounds of each main interval in the chromatic scale.
How to Get Your First Music Gig
Although it takes time and effort, getting some solid skills on your instrument of choice is pretty satisfying. After a few years of constant practice and getting a solid repertoire, or even writing your very own music, you’re finally ready to share your skills with the rest of the world. It’s finally time to get your first music gig!
Top 10 Digital Pianos Under $500 in 2019
Buyer’s Guide of the Top 10 Best Digital Pianos Under $500.
When the first digital piano released to the public, they were heavy, expensive and lacked the realistic sound of an acoustic piano.
However, over the years digital pianos have evolved and reached a middle-ground between portability, quality, and price. Some even rivaling the sound of $10,000 grand pianos, at a fraction of the price.