Music Matters
How to use Neapolitan Chords in Major Keys - Music Composition
How do you use Neapolitan chords? How does a Neapolitan sixth chord resolve? What are the best approach chords to use before a Neapolitan? This music composition lesson explains the best ways to write approach chords to Neapolitan chords...
Music Matters
Combining Harmonic and Melodic Minor Scales - Inside the Mind of Bach
How do you know when to use the harmonic or the melodic minor scale? Let's take a look at how Bach combines them in one of his chorale harmonization. We examine the choice of harmony and modulation, the part writing, the use of accented...
Music Matters
True or False Quiz - Music Theory
Test your knowledge by answering true or false to these random musical questions and see how many you can get right. This light-hearted musical quiz poses 10 questions covering a range of musical issues. Some of the questions are theory...
Music Matters
Using Sequence when Composing Music - Music Composition
How to use sequence as a compositional tool to expand a musical idea. This music composition begins with a simple four note idea. It then shows you how to build these four notes into a 16 bar piece using melodic and harmonic sequence....
Music Matters
How to use Neapolitan Chords in Minor Keys - Music Composition
How do you use Neapolitan chords in? How does a Neapolitan sixth chord resolve? What are the best approach chords to use before a Neapolitan? This music composition lesson explains the best ways to write approach chords to Neapolitan...
Music Matters
Modulation using the Neapolitan Chord - Music Theory
Learn how to modulate using the Neapolitan chord, a more advanced modulation technique that allows you to move keys quite dramatically. In this music theory lesson we explain how to use the Neapolitan Chord as a means of modulating to a...
Music Matters
Classical Style - Composing for the Piano
In this episode of composing for the piano we talk about writing in a classical style. We take the music matters theme and arrange it into a classical style, discussing music composition techniques and tips when composing for the piano...
Music Matters
How to Realize Simple Figured Bass - Music Theory
How to realize and read diatonic chords in figured bass and how to play a short passage from a figured bass. This music theory lesson explains the figured bass system in relation to all the diatonic chords in root position, first...
Music Matters
Why Should You Practice Scales & Arpeggios?
Learning and practising scales and arpeggios can seem like a waste of time to many students. In this video, we explore the why spending time practising scales and arpeggios can really help improve your playing technique. “Oh no, not...
Music Matters
How Motifs are Used in Baroque Style - Music Composition
This music composition lesson unpacks Bach’s Sinfonia in B minor, drawing attention to the three motifs used to compose this piece. The three motifs are unpacked and we explore both the differences and the common ground between them. We...
Music Matters
Escape Notes (Non-Harmonic Tones) - Music Theory
This music theory lesson explains escape notes, what they are and how to use them. When it comes to inessential notes many musicians understand passing notes, understand auxiliary notes, and are happy about anticipatory notes. But what...
Music Matters
How to use Augmented 6th Chord in Major Keys - Music Composition
Learn how do to construct and use augmented 6th chords in major keys. This music composition lesson explains the best ways to write approach chords to Augmented 6th chords and the best ways to resolve them. After explaining how to form...
Music Matters
10,000 Hours to Master the Piano? - Music Performance
Does it really take 10,000 hours to master the piano? This music performance lesson explores the theory that 10,000 hours is what is needed to produce a great pianist. The idea comes from Malcolm Gladwell, that it takes about 10000 hours...
Music Matters
Can You Name the Key of this Piece of Music? - Music Theory
Can you name the key this piece of music is in? This music theory lesson explains how to look at a short extract of music and figure out the key without hearing it. This types of exercises are often met in theory exams, where you are...
Music Matters
An Introduction to Bach's Prelude & Fugue in F# Minor (BWV859)
An introduction to the 48 Preludes & Fugues and Bach's Prelude & Fugue in F# Minor (BWV859). This music analysis video provides a simple examination of the work. Through this study one begins to understand the structure and musical...
Music Matters
Twelve Tone Technique - Music Composition
How does serialism work? We look at writing a piece of music using the twelve tone technique, creating a note row, exploring different ways to treat it and explore the fundamentals of the 12 note Serial technique devised and adopted by...
Music Matters
How to Build Major and Minor Chords - Music Theory
Learn how to build and recognise major and minor chords. This music theory lesson teaches you how to construct major and minor chords above any given note. Two techniques are explained, one based on intervals and the other based on...
Music Matters
Writing BAD Four-Part Harmony?! - Music Composition
Writing bad four part harmony?! Lots of people manage part of the journey with four-part harmony then get stuck or struggle to develop an outcome that is musically satisfying. This music composition lesson starts with a piece of...
Music Matters
How to Realize More Advanced Figured Bass - Music Theory
How to go about realizing more advanced figured bass, including how to read diatonic chords and seventh chords in figured bass and how to play a short passage from a figured bass. In this music theory lesson the figured bass system is...
Music Matters
What Might an Accidental Be Telling Us in a Piece of Music? - Music Theory
We often see accidentals in music but they have different significance depending on the context. Accidentals might be flagging up a key change, or they might be decorative chromatic notes, or they might be signifying a minor key, or they...
Music Matters
Baroque Style - Composing for the Piano
In this episode of composing for the piano we talk about writing in a baroque style. We take the music matters theme and arrange it into a baroque fugue style, discussing music composition techniques and tips when composing for the piano...
Music Matters
Elaborating Harmony - Inside the Mind of Bach
A look at how Bach elaborates a chord progression in one of his chorale harmonizations. We examine the choice of harmony, chromatic chords, secondary dominants, borrowed chords. and modulation, the part writing, the use of inessential...
Music Matters
What's the Key of this Piece? - Music Theory
When you look at a melody how do you know in which key it is composed? This music theory lesson presents a short piece and explains how to determine the key of a given melody. It also talks about modulation to a different key. How good...
Music Matters
Diminished 7th Chords - Music Theory
What makes a diminished 7th chord and how do we use it best? In this music theory lesson you will discover exactly what a diminished 7th chord is, how to construct a diminished 7th, and how to locate a diminished 7th in the context of a...