Musical intervals can be thought of like basic measurements we learn early in life—such as inches, feet, or yards. In music, intervals refer to the space or distance between two notes. Just as we measure physical distance, musicians measure pitch distance with intervals. In the most fundamental sense, an interval is the distance between two […]
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Gift Certificates for Music Lessons
Give the Gift of Music This Holiday Season Music lessons make a thoughtful and lasting gift for anyone with even a spark of musical interest. It’s common to hear people say things like, “I’ve always wanted to learn guitar,” or “I wish I had time to play piano.” The truth is, most people can make […]
The Beatles Complete Chord Songbook
If you’re a guitarist and a Beatles enthusiast, The Beatles Complete Chord Songbook is an indispensable addition to your collection. This comprehensive compilation features chord symbols, guitar chord boxes, and complete lyrics for 194 songs written and performed by The Beatles, all transcribed in their original keys. It’s tailored for strumming guitarists, making it ideal […]
How to write creative music
Creative writing in music can begin in many different ways, depending on the musician’s background and approach. If you’re a singer—or simply someone who comes up with songs and melodies—you might find it helpful to learn guitar or piano to accompany your voice. In this case, the creative process often starts with a melody, with […]
The Theory of Jazz Music
In The Jazz Theory Book, acclaimed jazz pianist and educator Mark Levine delivers a masterclass in understanding the building blocks of jazz harmony and improvisation. Levine famously states that a great jazz solo is “1% magic and 99% stuff that is explainable, analyzable, categorizable, and doable.” This book is all about that 99%. From the […]
Spelling your scales
A scale is a series of notes used as the foundation for melodies, harmonies, and chords. When musicians begin learning scales, there are several angles to approach the concept: recognizing notes on the staff, playing scales on an instrument, identifying them by ear, and spelling them out note by note. Spelling a scale means naming […]
Do I need to bother learning modes?
Understanding Modes in Music Theory If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Do I need to bother learning modes?”—you’re not alone. Many musicians, especially beginners, feel overwhelmed by the concept. But understanding modes doesn’t have to be confusing, and yes, learning them can be worth your time—especially once you have a solid grasp of your major and […]
What is Tonic, Supertonic, Mediant, etc.?
If you’ve ever picked up a music theory book, you’ve probably encountered terms like Tonic, Supertonic, Mediant, Subdominant, Dominant, Submediant, and Leading Tone. These may sound overly technical at first, but they serve an important role in understanding how music works. Let’s take the C Major scale as an example. This scale contains the notes: […]
Is it ok to start on bass guitar?
There are many who still confuse the six-string guitar with its lower-register cousin—the bass guitar, which typically comes in four-, five-, or six-string versions. But for those familiar with both, the differences in role and function are significant. The bass guitar forms the bridge between rhythm and harmony, laying the foundation that guitars often follow […]
What’s your favorite guitar solo?
Knowing a wide variety of chords and scales is an essential part of any musician’s growth—but understanding how those elements function together is what empowers creativity. When you play a note over a chord, that note will generally fall into one of three categories: a chord tone, a diatonic scale tone, or a chromatic tone. […]
Tertian Chord Harmony
By Henry Bahrou – Guitarist, Music Theorist, Music Academy Director At first glance, the term tertian chords might sound like something out of science fiction—perhaps music from a distant planet. In reality, tertian harmony is one of the most fundamental and widely used systems in Western music. It’s so common that many musicians don’t even […]
Do I have to learn scales on the guitar?
By Henry Bahrou, Grosse Pointe Music Academy Staff Practicing scales may not seem exciting, especially for beginner guitarists, but it’s one of the most valuable habits a musician can develop. While the guitar is often associated with pop and contemporary music—and sometimes treated as a more “casual” instrument—it still requires a strong foundation in musical […]
How many guitar chords are there?
By Henry Bahrou, Grosse Pointe Music Academy Staff Chords are simply groups of notes played together to create either consonant or dissonant harmonies. One of the most common questions I hear from beginning guitar students is: How many guitar chords are there?The answer isn’t infinity, but it’s still far too many to count — and […]
Can I start my lessons on a keyboard rather than a piano?
Grosse Pointe Music Academy Staff Modern technology has made it remarkably affordable to own a full 88-key digital piano. Many of today’s models feature hammer-action keys that closely simulate the feel of an acoustic piano. For anyone who has compared non-weighted keyboards to traditional pianos, the difference in touch and responsiveness is significant. Even between […]
Don’t you cry I’ll be back again someday
By Grosse Pointe Music Academy Staff After waving farewell to the children, Frosty the Snowman famously promises that he will “be back again someday.” But did Frosty ever return? Some have found the original phrasing too vague and have altered the lyrics to “I’ll be back again on Christmas Day,” offering a more definitive timeline […]
The Impact and Importance of Christmas Music
Music is one of the few truly universal languages, present in every culture and corner of the world. From the earliest days of striking objects together to create rhythm, humans have turned to music for connection and expression. Among all musical traditions, few have had the global reach and cultural impact quite like Christmas music. […]
They tell me to start on acoustic but I’ve decided to start with electric guitar
Yesterday, I shared some thoughts on whether beginning guitar players should start on an acoustic or electric instrument. While I recommended acoustic guitar for most beginners, many will still choose to start with electric — and that’s perfectly fine. If you’ve decided to begin with electric guitar, here are a few important points to keep […]
Acoustic or Electric. What should beginners play?
By Grosse Pointe Music Academy Staff Beginning guitar students are often faced with an important decision: Should they start on an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar? It’s a common debate. Some have heard that everyone should begin with acoustic guitar, while others argue that starting with electric is easier because the string tension is […]
Winter Recital Grosse Pointe Music Academy 2011
Grosse Pointe Music Academy Winter Recital AnnouncementSaturday, December 10, 2011Session 1: 6:00 PM | Session 2: 8:00 PMGrosse Pointe Unitarian Church17150 Maumee Ave., at the corner of St. Clare, Grosse Pointe City We are excited to invite you to the Grosse Pointe Music Academy Winter Recital! This special event is open to all family and […]
Stocking stuffers for that special guitar player
With Christmas fast approaching, I am having more and more people ask what my suggestions for “stocking stuffers” are. Most people are already aware of the standard small gifts to get for that special guitar player in your life such as picks, and strings, but there are some other gift ideas that they might not […]