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: […]
Grosse Pointe
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 […]
Play Chopsticks while eating sushi
Chopsticks is the most popular piano song of all time. Some would make the argument for Heart and Soul or Beethoven’s Fur Elise. They’d be wrong. It’s Chopsticks. More people play Chopsticks than any other song when they come across an open piano. Why? Because it can actually be played with a pair of chopsticks. […]
Google Doodle Guitar Songwriting Contest
Looking for a fun and easy way to test your songwriting skills? The Google Doodle Guitar is a great tool to spark your creativity! Originally featured on Google’s homepage, this interactive digital guitar lets you create simple melodies using either your mouse or your computer’s number keys. The Doodle Guitar is tuned to the key […]
Musical Boxing – Success vs. Excellence
by Grosse Pointe Music Academy Staff Recently, I was reflecting on a memory from my childhood—my dream to become a professional boxer. My father had a heavyweight prizefighter as a friend, and after watching him perform live, I was completely hooked. I begged my parents to help me get into boxing, but they always gave […]
Why Guitarists Should Learn to Read Music
During my first year studying guitar in college, I remember seeing a comic pinned to my instructor’s wall. It showed a frazzled conductor, baton in hand, standing amid flames, surrounded by a disorganized group of guitarists and banjo players. The caption read: “Conductor’s Hell.” It was funny—but also revealing. The joke lands because there’s a […]
Pave the way with music
This past July, I attended the The Guild of American Luthiers’ Twentieth National Convention/Exhibition in Tacoma, Washington. Beyond learning a plethora of new and interesting information, I discovered something very simple that I keep thinking about. The convention was held on the campus of Pacific Lutheran University (for that week it became Pacific Luthier University), […]
Group Piano Classes for Young Children
At Grosse Pointe Music Academy, we offer group piano classes specially designed for young children ages 4–6 who are just beginning in music.Our goal is to introduce children to the fundamentals of music and piano in a fun, exploratory, and age-appropriate environment. Children at this age learn best through play, movement, creativity, and hands-on discovery, […]
Join the Guitar Ensemble at Grosse Pointe Music Academy
Metro Detroit guitarists now have the opportunity to play in a group with other six-stringers!Just like middle and high school band or orchestra students benefit from group experiences, guitar players can now enjoy the same advantages through our Guitar Ensemble class. The Guitar Ensemble is designed to supplement — not replace — private instruction. It […]
Social Network for written music
Discover Noteflight – An Essential Tool for Musicians of All LevelsEndorsed by Grosse Pointe Music Academy Staff If you’re looking for an easy and powerful way to write, share, and collaborate on music online, we highly recommend checking out Noteflight. Noteflight is a versatile, web-based music notation software that empowers musicians, composers, and educators to […]