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 […]
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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: […]
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 […]
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. […]
Art and Lutherie Ami Guitar
Never judge a book by its cover!The A&L Ami guitars may look small — modeled after the dimensions of early 1900s parlor guitars — but they deliver a tone that punches well above their size. Despite their compact stature, Ami guitars are surprisingly powerful where it counts most: tone and projection. The Ami’s sound is […]
THE JAZZ THEORY BOOK
by Mark Levine Commentary by Henry Bahrou – Guitarist, Music Theorist, Music Academy Director Anyone studying Jazz should read The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine.Mark delivers a brilliant and comprehensive guide covering Theory and Scales, Improvisation, Reharmonization, Playing Tunes, and much more. With over 500 pages of text and more than 750 musical examples, […]
Get your child a full size guitar so they can grow into it…
Wait! The title idea for this post is completely wrong. Buying a full-size guitar for a beginning student so they can “grow into it” is one of the absolute worst things you could do for their musical future. If you subscribe to this philosophy, you may as well start buying clothes four sizes too big […]
Practice, Practice, Practice
Grosse Pointe Music Academy Consistent practice is essential for learning any musical instrument. It helps build muscle memory, improves technique, and deepens your understanding of music. Even short daily sessions can lead to noticeable progress and greater confidence in your playing.