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This is a discussion of basic music harmony. It includes scale structure, intervals, chord structure and chord progressions. I am hoping to provide a foundation for discussion of some more complex musical topics in the future. Watch it on
Dad just posted another video on YouTube. This one talks about syncopation and using rubato in Travis picking. There are other good tips on how to make Wabash Cannonball and City of New Orleans interesting.
There are a lot of books out there about music. Most of them have made students of music wish there was one that just explained things more simply and directly. That is the aim of this book. You will learn the foundations of music, and this book will provide a guide toward learning more complex concepts, but in a way that is straightforward, logical and digestible. Music can be simple and fun and if it is presented in a logical way. It is easy to learn.
This book will take you in a gentle manner from the absolute basics all the way up to jazz chords and song structure. You will learn terminology along the way, and you will have the opportunity to see it done by way of YouTube videos. by the time you finish reading, you should have a pretty thorough understanding of how music operates. This should get you on the road to playing better, and you will benefit when you get together with others. You will know the language of music as well as the language of musicians, and you will have the confidence to get together with others to jam. Learning new pieces of music will make much more sense and be faster and easier because you will know the underlying concepts.
I love the Beatles classic, Yesterday. It is a very sophisticated song, sweetened by a string section and arranged by the talented George Martin. There is syncopation, as in most Beatles songs, a suspended chord for interest, and Martin uses counterpoint to bring out the melody of the song and to provide a nostalgic feeling…
Sugar is a great way to learn some jazz chord structure.
Don’t just play a song. Make it memorable by creating a performance. Here are some of the elements you might use.