Writing Music Without Music Theory: Is It Possible?
Every other week or so I will get a comment on one of my articles or pages that argues that players do not require music theory in order to write music. And honestly, I do agree with this statement to a certain extent, but without any further explanation, it can be quite misleading. It may…
Before What Age Should You Begin To Learn Music Theory?
Is theory practice really something that you should be including in your daily practice? If you’ve already been playing the guitar for a little while, its easy to think that theory won’t do anything but slow you down. Or that perhaps you are too set in your ways to learn anything new. Lately I have…
How Much Do I Have To Play Before I Start Learning Theory?
How many chords does a musician need to learn before they are ready to jump into the world of music theory? Is there a way to know when the right time is? Or is any time the right time when it comes to theory? Many beginner musicians get this idea in their head that there…
Are Your Hands Too Small To Play Guitar?
Have you ever felt your hands do not stretch enough to play guitar the way you want? Maybe you are even thinking that your hands are too small to play properly. If this is the case, keep reading. Don’t think for a moment that you are alone in this. In my experience as teacher, "my…
4 Unusual Ways To Arrange A Tune
Have you completely run out of ideas for new ways to arrange a tune? Sounds like you got to start thinking outside of the box. There is so much more to music than simple melodies and rhythms. If you allow yourself to, you can start hearing musical ideas in unusual places. There are a lot…
Four Avoidable Music Theory Mistakes You Could Be Making
A quick google search on music theory will give you pages upon pages of information, but how much of it really applies to you as a player? Which rules are meant to be followed, and which are meant to be broken? Learning music theory can often leave beginners with many questions that I am going…
Finding A Cool Guitar Riff And Going Somewhere With It
Once you have created an interesting guitar riff that you like, what should you do next? Just repeat it over and over until the listener can’t take it anymore? Probably not. What I would suggest is taking that initial idea and developing it into something a little more dynamic. But how is that done? Many…
How To Take Care Of Yourself And End Your Writers Block
Are you a songwriter who never once had a problem with their writing? Are you someone who has never had trouble thinking of what to write next and/or someone whose creative juices are constantly flowing? Then this article is not for you. Writers block is something that songwriters (and creative people in general) know all…
The Instruments A Songwriter Should Know How To Play
How many instruments does a songwriter need to know how to play, if any? Are you an aspiring composer who has yet to pick an instrument to learn? This can be a bit of a stressful decision to make, but hopefully after reading this article you will find some clarity. I’ve heard many questions asked…
Expanding On Simple Repetition In Your Lyric Writing
A lot of people make lyric writing out to be harder than it really needs to be. The key to writing a good tune is not as complicated as you might think and I am going to equip you with the tools to do so. Before a person writes their first song, chances are that…
Tips On How Musician Can Begin Learning Theory
Learning music theory can be fun, interesting, and hugely beneficial to your playing. That is, if done correctly. With so much to learn, starting the process can feel a little overwhelming. However, there are a few things you can do to simplify the whole experience. One of the first steps to learning music theory is…
7 Writing Methods To End Your Songwriters Block
Sometimes when you’ve been writing songs for a while, everything you come up with can begin to seem a little boring. Sometimes when you have never written a song before, the task can seem near impossible. In either case, often times all you need is to learn a few new song writing techniques, and that…
Why Repetition Is Your Friend When Writing Lyrics
Are you a musician looking to try their hand at writing lyrics? Or perhaps someone with experience looking to add a new flavour to their writing? Whatever it may be, you have probably come to this article searching for a way to improve your writing, and I am going to share with you a super…
What You Need To Know As An Intermediate Guitar Player
Playing the guitar for first time can be a fun and exciting new challenge. The sky’s the limit when it comes to the amount of things you can learn. This can potentially pose a problem for some people, however. Once you feel confident in your basic abilities as a guitar player, what actions should you…
Taking The Idea In Your Head And Turning It Into A Song
What did you do last time a cool idea for a song started playing in your head? Be honest with yourself here. Was that song then perfectly transcribed and professionally recorded note for note? Or did the melody fade away with all the others potential songs that came before it? Now that’s the big question,…
