Introduction to SongwritingBy Henry Bahrou – Guitarist, Music Theorist, Music Academy Director Songwriting is an activity that musicians of all ages and skill levels can explore. While it certainly helps to have experience and practice on your instrument, learning the art of songwriting can begin at any time — even with just a basic understanding […]
Music Theory
What makes instruments sound different from one another?
Why Instruments Sound Different: A Look at HarmonicsBy Henry Bahrou – Guitarist, Music Theorist, Music Academy Director When you listen to a song, it’s common to hear multiple instruments playing together, either during certain sections or throughout the entire piece. Sometimes, two different instruments — like a piano and a guitar — might even play […]
Temperament: Information for real musical nerds
Understanding Piano Tuning SystemsBy Henry Bahrou – Guitarist, Music Theorist, Music Academy Director When it comes to tuning a piano, you might think that the perfect approach would be to tune every consonant interval — like fifths and thirds — so that no “beating” or wavering in the sound can be heard. While this might […]
Songwriting Workshop
Songwriting Classes at Grosse Pointe Music AcademyAt some point in every musician’s development, the desire to create original music — to write songs — becomes a natural next step. Thanks to modern technology, songwriting has never been more accessible. Today, people can compose full songs with just the tools available on their smartphones. Compared to […]
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 […]
Tablature
One of the most common questions I hear from students is whether or not they should learn to read tablature for guitar or bass. There’s a common misconception that tablature is a recent shortcut developed by modern guitarists to bypass learning standard notation. In reality, tablature has been around for centuries—long before the electric guitar […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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: […]
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 […]
Master Guitar Chord Inversions on Three Strings
Whether you’re a beginner picking up the guitar for the first time or an experienced player looking to expand your skills, learning to play chord inversions on just three strings can open up a whole new world of sound and understanding. In most beginner guitar lessons, students first learn chords using four, five, or six […]