Choral Director Simon Halsey explains why Beethoven's Ninth is not supposed to be comfortable for the chorus.

How ratios can be used to calculate musical intervals

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...

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...

How good are you at reading notes in the alto clef? You may play an instrument that never needs to use the alto clef but you might want to grasp the essentials of reading notes in the alto clef. You might play with other instrumentalists...

There are two main kinds of chord voicing. Open chords and close chords. We talk about how to identify each kind of chord and how to write open and close chords. This is the first video in introducing chord voicing. Thanks for watching!

How all the different types of chords can be inverted

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

Solfege and Tonic Sol Fa. What is it, and how is it used? Many musicians use sol fa. Others have heard about it but are not sure how it works. In this music performance lesson, we explain the sol fa system and how it can transfer from...

Today we look at the quality of intervals. How can we determine the interval? Is it a major, minor, or perfect?

A look at general intervals

Learn all about the alto and tenor clef, how to draw them and how to read the notes. Instruments such as the viola read music in the alto clef. Other instruments, such as the trombone, also use the alto clef some of the time. The tenor...

Classifying intervals as Perfect, Major, Minor, etc.

The basics of sound creation

We introduce you to Reckless Eric. Who is Reckless Eric? He’s the guy who helps you remember to which notes stringed instruments are tuned. Do you ever have trouble remembering which notes the strings are tuned to on the guitar, the bass...

Classical voice types and vocal categories. This music theory lesson explains the various voice parts and clarifies vocal ranges. In the standard four-part choir we expect to find Sopranos, Altos, Tenors, and Basses. The Tenors generally...

So far we have talked about how to build triads and seventh chords but today we are going to talk about how to voice those chords. There are two main kinds of chord voicing. Open chords and close chords. We talk about how to identify...

How to read and identify the pitch of the notes in the treble clef. Some people rely on reading the patterns of notes ascending or descending and on reading notes that are next to each other or leaping.This video explains how to read the...