How to find and choose chords to fit a melody. Have you ever written a melody but didn’t really know how to find chords to fit it? If you have a melody and you’re searching for chords to harmonise with it this music composition lesson...

Learn from the master of harmony and find out how Bach uses suspensions to enrich the chords within this chorale. We examine the choice of harmony and modulation, the part writing, the use of inessential notes and suspensions, plus...

Part 2 of our Intro to Post-Tonal Music Theory (or, fourth semester theory). Today we look at base 12 counting, which is something we are already familiar with because of how we count time.<br/>

The Lombard rhythm or Scotch snap is a syncopated musical rhythm in which a short, accented note is followed by a longer one. Find out all about this syncopated musical rhythm, including how it's written and how it sounds in this music...

Halloween special of composing for the piano. In this episode, we look at how to present the Music Matters theme in a spooky style just for Halloween. This suitably spooky arrangement demonstrates how to use tritones and corruptions of...

Sometimes keeping things simple works. This Bach chorale is a great example of how Bach keeps things simple and still manages to demonstrate his artistic genius. We examine the choice of harmony and modulation, the part writing, the use...

How well do you know your classical composers? Find out with our name the composer quiz! We present ten facts about a random composer, see if you can guess the correct answer by the end of the video.

Today we begin looking at Post-Tonal Music Theory (or, fourth semester theory). Atonal music can be super confusing at first. Don't worry, we're starting off slow: we're just looking at Octave Equivalency and Pitch Class today.

Hey there! Looking for fun, awesome piano lessons for kids ages 6-10? Check out this video!

Music Matters demonstrates Interpreting a Lead Sheet with Style

How well do you know your classical composers? Find out with our name the composer quiz! We present ten facts about a random composer, see if you can guess the correct answer by the end of the video.

What is harmonic rhythm and what does it tell you about chord changes during a chord progression? Harmonic rhythm is all about when and how often chords change in a piece. Sometimes the harmonic rhythm is slow; at other times it moves...

How well do you know your classical composers? Find out with our name the composer quiz! We present ten facts about a random composer, see if you can guess the correct answer by the end of the video.

How well do you know your classical composers? Find out with our name the composer quiz! We present ten facts about a random composer, see if you can guess the correct answer by the end of the video.

Many musicians have received a grounding in writing harmony in four parts but very few have received help in relation to writing in five parts. This music theory lesson, as a first step, takes a passage of four part harmony and...

Are you able to identify these intervals? Do you know your major intervals from your minor intervals or your augmented intervals from your diminished intervals? Are you able to identify intervals accurately in different clefs? Here’s...

How well do you know your classical composers? Find out with our name the composer quiz! We present ten facts about a random composer, see if you can guess the correct answer by the end of the video.

How well do you know your classical composers? Find out with our name the composer quiz! We present ten facts about a random composer, see if you can guess the correct answer by the end of the video.

A detailed look at the cello and how best to write for it. The Cello is one of the most expressive and versatile instruments in the orchestra and this orchestration video illustrates the various dimensions of Cello capability across a...

How well do you know your classical composers? Find out with our name the composer quiz! We present ten facts about a random composer, see if you can guess the correct answer by the end of the video.

What does pandiatonicism mean in music? How did pandiatonicism come about and which composers used it? This music theory lesson explains pandiatonicism, ‘pan’ meaning ‘all’ and ‘diatonic’ meaning inside a key. Examples are explored which...

How to draw a piano keyboard. Who would want to know how to draw a piano keyboard? It’s more useful than you might realise. It helps musicians imagine how to play something or how something sounds. Being able to draw a keyboard quickly...

A clever tool was created in the 10th century to help musicians learn the notes of the scales - this came to be known as the Guidonian Hand!

The Alto Clef can be very foreign to musicians. Some might even call it scary. So, today let's try to unpack the Alto Clef and maybe Demystify it just a little.