Many musicians like to define themselves in specific ways, often proudly claiming that they “play by ear.” While this phrase is commonly used, I’ve noticed it can sometimes be a defensive way of saying, “I don’t read music.” But it’s important to recognize that all musicians—whether they read music or not—must use their ears. Music […]
Music Lessons
Grosse Pointe Music Academy Teacher Spotlight
At Grosse Pointe Music Academy, we’re proud to offer comprehensive guitar instruction for students of all skill levels—from beginners picking up their first instrument to advanced players preparing for college auditions or public performance. Our instructors bring a wide range of musical backgrounds and specialties, including Jazz, Classical, Rock, Blues, Pop, Latin, and Country guitar […]
Who came up with the blues?
Blues music is unique in that it blends the structure of classical harmony with the expressive, raw tonality of altered melodic scales. Unlike traditional major or minor scales—where the harmony is built directly from the notes of the scale—the blues melody often includes variable third, sixth, and seventh degrees that bend between major and minor. […]
Meet Our Music Together Teachers
Meet Our Music Together TeachersBy Sarah Boyd, Director – Music Together of Grosse Pointe At Grosse Pointe Music Academy, we are proud to offer the internationally recognized Music Together® program led by highly qualified and passionate instructors. All of our teachers undergo comprehensive Music Together training and bring with them a wealth of musical experience, […]
The Value of a Great Music Teacher
When you sign up for music lessons at Grosse Pointe Music Academy, you’ll receive more than just quality information—you’ll gain access to dedicated educators with formal university training in music. Our instructors are not only knowledgeable, but committed to providing the most accurate and up-to-date instruction available. However, while information is important, it’s not the […]
Meet our Music Together Director!
It seems kind of funny to write a blog about myself, but I hope to share my passion and commitment to the Music Together program through what I write. I can remember making music as early as 3 years old, practicing my Suzuki violin lessons while my mom accompanied me on piano. Making music was […]
A MUSICAL CHEST OF DRAWERS
As a teacher myself, I relish those opportunities to talk with parents about what they see to be happening musically in their children. I have a fantastic class where most of the families have been attending the program since we began, for 5 consecutive semesters now. The growth I’ve seen in those continuing children and […]
Understanding Intervals on Guitar
It’s common for beginning guitar players to start with a basic chord chart, focusing on essential open-position chords that span 4, 5, or 6 strings. While this is a great entry point into playing, what’s often overlooked is the study of intervals—specifically simple melodic intervals on a single string and harmonic intervals on two adjacent […]
Happy New Year 2012
As we welcome 2012, many of us are taking this opportunity to reflect and reset. The new year often brings a fresh sense of purpose—whether it’s spending more time with family, improving health, reducing stress, or pursuing personal passions. One resolution we frequently hear is the desire to learn a musical instrument or to dedicate […]
What should I do about poor rhythm?
By Henry Bahrou – Guitarist, Music Theorist, Music Academy Director The key to understanding rhythm—especially for beginning musicians—is surprisingly simple: slow down. It’s one of the most overlooked but essential principles of learning music. Yet, time and again, students become frustrated, discouraged, or even give up altogether because they try to play too fast, too […]
Musical Intervals and their names
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 […]
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 […]