Looking for Great Guitar Sheet Music? If you’ve landed here searching for downloadable guitar ensemble arrangements or solo/duet sheet music, you may have been redirected from an old post referencing the now-defunct website writtenforguitar.com. While that specific site is no longer available, we’re happy to help guide you toward quality music resources and share how […]
Guitar Lessons
West Park Farmers Market and Music on the Plaza
All summer long Grosse Pointe Music Academy will have a tent set up at the Village Associations Music on the Plaza events and also the West Park Farmers Market in Grosse Pointe Park. During each event we will have games, prizes, and other chances to win. Stop by to get information on our programs or […]
Grosse Pointe Music Academy Spring Recital 2012
Grosse Pointe Music Academy Spring Recital 2012 and non-perishable food drive to help feed the hungry. Location: Grosse Pointe Unitarian Church 17150 Maumee, Grosse Pointe City Time: Session 1: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm Session 2: 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm Date: Friday June 8th, 2012 Please be generous and bring your non-perishable food items […]
Powerful Music Quote
A Thought on Music and EducationBy Henry Bahrou “I always loved music; whoso has skill in this art is of good temperament, fitted for all things. We must teach music in schools; a schoolmaster ought to have skills in music, otherwise I would not regard him.”—Attributed to Martin Luther (1483–1546) This quote reflects Martin Luther’s […]
Can Playing Guitar Help You Keep Your Hair?
Can Playing Guitar Help You Keep Your Hair? According to an article from the Times of India, pop icon Prince once claimed that a lifetime of playing electric guitar helped him avoid going bald. Prince, who was known for his musical genius across 27 different instruments, believed that the constant flow of electricity through his […]
Young Guitar Players and the Power of Practice
It’s always impressive to see young children excel at playing instruments like electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, or others with high levels of skill and control. Witnessing the discipline and focus it takes to perform challenging music at fast tempos reminds us that musical ability is a combination of natural inclination and dedicated hard work. […]
Releasing tight or stuck bridge pins
Often times a player will go to restring their guitar, and discover that the bridge pins wont budge. This can be a frustrating experience, and can turn a simple procedure into a struggle. Luckily, there are a few tricks that can be used to make bridge pin extraction as painless as possible. The first thing […]
What Is Tablature, and Should Guitar Students Learn It?
Tablature—often called “tab”—is a system of music notation specifically designed for fretted string instruments like guitar, bass, banjo, and lute. It’s a visual representation of where to place your fingers on the instrument’s fretboard, making it a popular tool for beginners and experienced players alike. Unlike standard notation, which uses a five-line staff to represent […]
Grosse Pointe Music Academy Helps Crossroads Reach New High
2011 Crossroads East Giving Reaches New HighBy Janet and Larry Peplin for Crossroads East Outreach We’re proud to share that in 2011, we reached a new milestone by donating 13,044 pounds of food to Crossroads East—surpassing our 2010 total by 2,840 pounds! A few highlights from the year: We’re filled with hope and enthusiasm for […]
Is it too late for me to take music lessons?
Many people have preconceived ideas about the “right” age to begin learning an instrument—whether it’s guitar, piano, voice, or something else. While minimum age guidelines exist based on general developmental readiness (and should usually be followed), there is no maximum age for learning music. If you have the interest and a bit of time to […]
Playing by ear
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]