When you begin piano lessons for the first time, chances are good that you’re wondering how long it will take before you can consider yourself a piano player. The reality is that there is no hard-and-fast answer to this question. In fact, many wise music instructors caution that playing the piano is more about the … Read more
When someone learns how to read music, they can develop the ability to pick up a piece of sheet music and immediately begin singing or playing. If you haven’t learned how to read music yet, then this might seem like an almost-magical ability. In reality, the person who can read music probably spent years developing … Read more
Practice creates exceptional musicians. While most people know that practice is necessary to achieve expertise, it’s very easy to assume that our natural talent and passion will fill in the gaps. The reality is that even the best musicians in the world practice for hours daily after reaching their career peaks. No musician is excused … Read more
The highest learning outcome you can achieve from music theory is being able to compose pieces or scores that other musicians can read and perform. If you want to pursue music education at its highest levels, you can study theory, composition, or the science of music at universities that offer such graduate programs. Reading music … Read more
Have you ever seen a musician pick up a new piece of sheet music and immediately begin playing it on the piano or another instrument? If you are not a musician yourself, then it might seem like that individual had some kind of magical abilities. The reality is that they have simply learned how to … Read more
The goals of learning music theory do not have to be confined to mastering instrumental performance. No matter what role music plays in your life, learning music theory will make things clearer, more understandable, and enjoyable. Music theory and notation form the basis of composition; there are several types of musical styles and many more … Read more
New music students frequently are confused when their instructors use terms like “sharp” and “flat.” What exactly are they talking about? To put it simply, sharp notes and flat notes are opposites. While the sharp note goes up, the flat note goes down. Accordingly, when a note is sharpened, it is raised by a half-step, … Read more
In early childhood education, the alphabet is the “code” that makes words and concepts come alive. Learning the alphabet is the stepping stone to self-expression, comprehension of ideas and meaningful communication. The alphabet unlocks language. The same concept is true in music education. This is why the musical alphabet is a cornerstone of music education. … Read more
Melanie Faye is one of the most promising guitar players we have heard of in recent years. The Alabama native was born in the late 1990s, and her big break came after she posted a video showcasing her skills on the Instagram social network. That video went viral as soon as she posted it in … Read more
Learning to play the piano can be a daunting task, whether you’re a child or an adult learner. But even though there’s a lot of technique to keep in mind, it should also be fun! One of the most important aspects of learning to play an instrument is balancing the vital technical lessons with a … Read more
Music is everywhere, so much so that we forget how complex it really is. Normally, these complexities aren’t too important for folks outside the music industry, but those who want to write or create wonderful music need a better understanding. Those complexities become vital for people within the industry, and musical texture is one of … Read more
The word dissonance comes down to us from the Late Middle English period (1300 to 1500). It means “to disagree in sound.” That, in turn, comes from the original Latin verb dissonare. Dissonance is most associated with music because it describes notes that “disagree” with one another to create a harsh, abrupt, or even jarring … Read more
Did you know that music is a language? Just like English and many others, music has its own set of rules, like grammar and syntax. It is rules like these that make music more interesting to listen to. They also make music easier to understand and follow. When talking about a written or spoken language, … Read more
One of the most important aspects of learning to play the piano is learning to read notes. Not only must you understand which note is on the staff, but you must know how it corresponds to the keys. Fortunately, there are many ways that you can easily teach a child how to recognize piano notes. … Read more
What is music theory? If you are not a musician or have never really studied music, then it may be rather a mystery. Basically, music theory is considered a practice that is used by musicians to help them understand and communicate with music. Also included in music theory are the fundamentals of music. At the … Read more
Tempo is one of music’s basic building blocks, but what is it exactly? By definition, the tempo of a piece is the speed at which it is meant to be played. Classical music pieces usually have a tempo indicated at the beginning of the sheet music. Traditionally, tempo is measured in beats per minute. If … Read more
Have you ever noticed that some music is quite loud and aggressive while other pieces are soft and dreamy? Unless you’re an experienced musician, you might not realize that the different ways that music sounds can be referred to as dynamics. In fact, dynamics can be used by musicians to make the same piece of … Read more
One of the fundamental building blocks of all music is known as the interval. What are intervals, and how can they help you better understand music? It turns out that intervals are critically important, but the good news is that understanding them isn’t too difficult. Why is it important to learn about music intervals? What … Read more
The ukulele is one of the instruments selected by designers of the Prodigies Music curriculum as being ideal for early learners. This string instrument is a cousin of the guitar; it is regarded as being an important part of traditional Hawaiian music, but it should be noted that it is not ancient. Portuguese sailors who … Read more
Many of the terms used in music theory come from the Italian language because musicians from various regions in Italy were among the first to confer an academic approach to music education; this is similar to the reason why so many culinary terms come from the French language. Tempo should literally translate to “timing” in … Read more
Music theory can be both simple and complex; it is not hard to learn, but it can difficult to thoroughly master because it presents intellectual challenges from time to time. Even though music is not an abstract concept, it can sometimes seem like it for students who start learning theory. At Prodigies, our curriculum and … Read more