Music and the Brain: A Look into Neuromusic with Daniel LevitinDaniel Levitin, a prominent researcher and author in the fields of psychology and neuroscience, has made major contributions to our understanding of how the brain processes music. As a professor at McGill University, his research has explored topics such as perfect pitch, musical memory, and […]
Novi
That’s what she said: Quotes from Famous Female Songwriters
Inspiration from Great Female Songwriters and Performers Collected by Henry Bahrou, Grosse Pointe Music Academy Staff Throughout history, female artists have shaped the world of music with bold creativity and honest expression. Their words not only reflect their craft but serve as a source of motivation and wisdom for anyone on a musical path. Here’s […]
Don’t let your children quit playing music
Don’t Let Your Child Quit Music LessonsBy Henry Bahrou Children often begin music lessons with big dreams of becoming skilled musicians or talented singers. The first few lessons are typically filled with excitement as they start learning the basics of their instrument or voice. In the beginning, it’s important to structure lessons so that students […]
Music makes things worthwhile
The Value of Music and Art EducationBy Henry Bahrou – Guitarist, Music Theorist, Music Academy Director A little over a week ago, I wrote about how music and art programs are often the first to be cut when public schools face financial challenges. On days like Super Bowl Sunday, I can’t help but think about […]
Songwriting classes at GPMA
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Drummers: The Unsung Athletes of the Music World
Drummers: The Unsung Athletes of the Music WorldBy Grosse Pointe Music Academy Staff It’s easy to associate rock musicians with the late nights and high-energy shows, but few people realize the extraordinary physical demands placed on drummers in particular. A recent long-term study has shown that professional drummers operate at fitness levels comparable to elite […]
Ukulele Christmas
Guitar Players, Piano Players, Violin players, and all instrumentalists have enjoyed picking up the Ukulele and learning to strum simple chord accompaniments. Relatively speaking, Ukulele is an easy instrument with only 4 strings. Everybody thinks that the ukulele came from Hawaii. Well, while it’s true that the word ukulele is a Hawaiian word (it means, […]
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 […]
Music Together Demo Classes in Canton
Grosse Pointe Music Academy in Canton Township is offering free early childhood music demo classes for families with young children. The upcoming sessions will be held on: These free demo classes are designed for children from birth through age five, along with their parents or caregivers. This is a great opportunity to experience the benefits […]
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 Beatles Complete Chord Songbook
If you’re a guitarist and a Beatles enthusiast, The Beatles Complete Chord Songbook is an indispensable addition to your collection. This comprehensive compilation features chord symbols, guitar chord boxes, and complete lyrics for 194 songs written and performed by The Beatles, all transcribed in their original keys. It’s tailored for strumming guitarists, making it ideal […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]