Music Matters
Can You Name the Interval? - Music Theory
Can you name these intervals? In this music theory lesson you will have an opportunity to discover how accurate you are at identifying intervals. Do you know your major intervals from your minor intervals or your augmented intervals from...
Music Matters
Orchestration & Writing for Brass - The Trumpet
All you need to know in order to begin composing for the trumpet. This orchestration video explores the Trumpet as a solo instrument and in the context of playing as part of an ensemble of Trumpets or wider Brass, and explains the rather...
Music Matters
Decorating Straightforward Harmony - Inside the Mind of Bach
Find out how Bach goes about decorating a straightforward chord progression and use multiple harmonic devices to create a really moving piece of music. We examine the choice of harmony and modulation, the part writing, the use of...
Two Minute Music Theory
What Is The Dorian Mode - TWO MINUTE MUSIC THEORY #30
On our tour of the Modes, we come today to the Dorian Mode. We'll look at how to build it, some things we can do with it, and some music that uses the mode. Season 3, Episode 10
Music Matters
What is a Cadential 6-4? - Music Theory
What is a cadential 6-4? What does it sound like? How does it function? What do we mean by “cadential” and 6-4? This music theory lesson explains the cadential 6-4 and answers all those questions. The melodic, as well as the harmonic...
Music Matters
Intervals Quiz - Music Theory
How good is your ability to work out the interval between two notes? In this music theory lesson we practice working out intervals. Do you know your Major intervals from your Minor intervals or your Augmented intervals from your...
Music Matters
Consecutive Fifths and Consecutive Octaves - Music Theory
Consecutive fifths and consecutive octaves. This music theory lesson presents a short passage of four-part harmony that is filled with consecutive fifths and consecutive octaves (also known as parallel fifths and parallel octaves)....
Music Matters
Reading Changing Time Signatures - Music Performance
Discover how to read and play a piece of music that contains changing time signatures. Have you ever struggled to read a piece that switches between time signatures such as 2/4 4/4 3/8 5/8? This music performance lesson takes such a...
Two Minute Music Theory
FAQ #1: How Did The Notes Get Their Names?
I've gotten a lot of questions over the last 5 years. Some of them more than others, so today I'm starting an FAQ series. The note names in Western Music seem to be a little off? Why is the key with no sharps or flats C major and not A...
Two Minute Music Theory
Chords: Augmented and Diminished - TWO MINUTE MUSIC THEORY #40
The Second installment in our Building Chords Series. Today we look at the Augmented and Diminished Chords, and how they related to the Major and Minor Chords.
Two Minute Music Theory
Building Seventh Chords - TWO MINUTE MUSIC THEORY #41
Season 3, Episode 21 - Two Minute Music Theory The third installment in our Building Chords Series. Today we look at building all types of Seventh Chords, which are extensions of the basic triad.
Two Minute Music Theory
Building Chords: Chord Inversions - TWO MINUTE MUSIC THEORY #42
Season 3, Episode 22 - Two Minute Music Theory The third installment in our Building Chords Series. Today we look at what happens when the chord isn't stacked like it normally is. When notes aren't in their normal position, we call that...
Music Matters
Transposing a Melody into Another Key - Music Theory
How to transpose a melody from one key to another. Suitable for students preparing for Grade 5 theory exams. Are you confused about transposition? Do you need to transpose some music by playing or writing out music in a different key? Do...
Music Matters
Passing Notes (Non-Harmonic Tones) - Music Theory
What are passing notes? Find out how they work and how best to use them. Melodic notes must either belong to the prevailing chord or should be inessential notes. The most common inessential note is the passing note, which moves by step....
Music Matters
How to Play Ornaments on the Piano - Music Performance
How to play ornaments on the piano. We take a melody and fill it with the most commonly used ornaments, explaining what all the different signs for musical ornaments are and how each should be played. The lesson covers the Trill, the...
Music Matters
Enharmonic Equivalents - Music Theory
What is Enharmonic equivalent in music? Why is the same note sometimes called A# and sometimes Bb? Why is F sometimes known as E#? Why do we have double sharps and double flats? This music theory lesson explains the matter of...
Two Minute Music Theory
Chords in Major and Minor Keys - TWO MINUTE MUSIC THEORY #47
As we continue our Chords series, today we look at the chords that can be made using the major and minor keys - which are called Diatonic Chords.
Music Matters
The Picardy Third (Tierce de Picardie) - Music Composition
Learn all about the Picardy Third and Picardy Cadence, otherwise known as the Tierce de Picarde. The Tierce da Picardie is a musical device often used by composers to provide an optimistic finish to a piece in a minor key. The Tierce da...
Music Matters
Piano Accompaniment Styles - Music Performance
Always wanted to compose or improvise a professional accompaniment to a melody on the piano? In this music performance lesson we consider not only how to fit chords to a melody but also how to come up with a really effective...
Music Matters
Is this the Greatest English Work of the 17th Century? - Composer Insights
The famous Dido’s Lament from ‘Dido and Aeneas’ by Henry Purcell. Features of Purcell’s style are unpacked and the word painting & emotional life of the music are explored. A Ground Bass is repeated 11 times, while the melodic line and...
Two Minute Music Theory
How China Calculated Equal Temperament
As far back as the 7th Century BC, Chinese music theorists and mathematicians realized that the Octave wasn't quite even. So, for the next 2100 years they tried various things before eventually coming to a conclusion in 1584. Today, we...
Music Matters
The Difference Between 2:2 and 4:4 Time Signatures - Music Theory
What is the difference between 3/4 and 6/8 time signatures? Mathematically it appears that 3/4 and 6/8 are two versions of the same thing. On the face of it, there may appear to be little difference between music in 3/4 time or music in...
Odd Quartet
Music Theory - What Is A Deceptive Cadence?
So far we have only looked at cadences that end back on the tonic. Today we are going to look at a cadence that goes in a completely DIFFERENT direction - the deceptive cadence. Instead of ending on the tonic, this cadence starts on the...
Two Minute Music Theory
The Major Scale Formula - TWO MINUTE MUSIC THEORY #25
What are major scales? How do we build them? Why should you never use E# Major? Is there a Formula for Major Scales? All this and more today on Two Minute Music Theory! Season 3, Episode 3