Tag Archives: music theory

AC #60 A Happy Holiday / New Year wish for you! (2016-17)

Just a quick post to say I wish nothing but the best for you in 2017 and thereafter.

I’ve been staying fairly busy lately which means I’m finding I have less time to post in this blog. However, if you’re a beginner or an intermediate student, of any age, I can always make time and room for you. I love teaching and coaching and I’d love an opportunity to work with you.

Please visit my website frequently to check out and share the videos that I post in the “Spotlight Feature” section on the site’s front page: artmatthewsonlinepianolessons.com.

In the meantime, keep practicing and making great music.

Stay safe and be well.

More later!

AC #59 Website Update August 2016

Hey! I gotta get right back to work so this blog post is a really quick-note!

Matthews Music Mall will be receiving significant updates in 2016 August.

It’s time to practice!

August 1st – 5th, virtual accompaniment tracks for select piano exercises and etudes, from Hanon, Czerny Op.261, and Czerny Op.821, have been added to the Gym. BYOB. (Buy here.)

Throughout the month, and frequently henceforth, the Gym will be receiving more items and other stores in the mall will have practice material added to their “shelves” too!.

Stay tuned!

As I said, you’ll have to Bring Your Own Books as I did not include any standard sheet music pages with the accompaniment tracks. However, I did include a video chord sheet so that, after you’ve stated the theme, you’ll have a schematic on which to build your variations… (your solo!)

I made each book’s main page default-scroll down to an optional loop utility–instructions for which are on-board. Otherwise, scroll back up to the area where you can make your selections.

More later!

Practice well and have fun!

AC #58 Website Update March 2016

Hello everybody!

It’s been a while since my previous post and the main reason for that is simply “there aren’t enough hours in a day“. I’m sure the thrust of that familiar expression impacts many of your lives in the same way it impacts mine–and probably more so for some of you.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that the busier I get in working with and having fun with my students and my other music service customers, the less time I have to spend blogging and making “ed-vlogs” for my website–which is fine on one hand because I love teaching… but on the other hand, I thoroughly enjoy all of my website extracurricular activities too!… I’m torn!!

By the same token however I must say, “I’d rather wear-out than rust-out”! I’m just glad the key phrase is “less time” in stead of “no time“! Even though my posting pace is slower than I’d like, things are definitely continuing to develop and move forward on the extracurricular activities front.

With all of that being said, here is a synopsis of the website updates as of this post:

Website Update March 2016

In addition to the updated page and post header images, there are three new items to which I’d like to draw your attention.

1 – The Bulletin Board
2 – Matthews Music Mall
3 – Spotlight Feature

1. The Bulletin Board: Bulletin boards are pretty much self explanatory and I’ve placed an auto-scrolling board in the sidebar of my site’s front page. A mouse-over stops the scrolling and a mouse click on any of the board links will take you to that item’s notice page. Although I’m not sure how or whether this will work out, but I’m going to try to make some sort of tie or link between all three new features and the Art’s Corner Blog.

2. Matthews Music Mall: is a virtual 5-store strip mall of stores which offer practice items that often feature a virtual bass and drum rhythm section playing accompaniment tracks against which you can practice various rudiments.

As I write this post, the stores in the mall are under construction but most of them are open with only a few practice items. The store’s item population will be increasing over time. Your visits are welcome and this link takes you to the mall’s parking lot. where you may select a store by clicking its logo title. I ask that you please pardon the construction signs and any other inconveniences you might experience because, at the time of this post, the stores are still unfinished. These stores and the other website expansion projects are all works in progress.

3. Spotlight Feature: The front page now displays an area titled “Spotlight Feature”. The idea for this comes from WGBH radio host Eric Jackson’s “Monday Night Spotlight” where he turns a figurative spotlight on a featured artist or topic.

As I write this post, the spotlight is focused on Joey Alexander. (A fantastic 12-year old musician).

A couple of my students introduced me to his music and expressed an interest in taking a closer look at some of his work. So, following their cue, I transcribed “My Favorite Things” and “I Mean You” for my students and me to analyze and study. You can get both of them free of charge in my store under the “Study Materials” category. Once you’re there, scroll down to the “Transcriptions / Adaptations” area where you’ll find the Download buttons.

I plan to post mostly music-related features in the spotlight but you never know what might be presented because I won’t know either! I’ll be taking ideas from my students, customers, and you, if you’d like to chime in, so, again, stay tuned!

At the end of 2015, I closed my downtown brick-and-mortar office. Now, all of my teaching and music services are conducted online exclusively (100%). Since that happened, a couple of alter egos have developed themselves in my consciousness.

When you see them, those of you who know and/or follow me will immediately recognize the radically different character traits they display. In fact, some parts of their persona are about as far away from mine as one can get! However, like me, they love to work hard, practice well, and have fun while doing it. They’ll make periodic cameo appearances in various pages and posts in the MATRA-sphere starting in the very near future. So watch out for them!

More soon!

Cheers!

AC #57 A Happy Holiday/New Year wish for you! (2015-16)

We extend our warmest wishes to you for 2016

We hope your 2015 holiday season sparkled with love, laughter, and goodwill.

See you next post… stay tuned!

AC #56 Tempus Fugit – This Is The Way We Roll – Old School

Tempus Fugit

In my previous post, (AC #55), I stated that “I’ve been super-busy”. Well, on that point and close to a year later, nothing has changed and that’s something about which I feel very good!

I love being busy because I’d much rather “wear-out” than “rust-out”–if you know what I mean!! Time seems to pass by so much faster when I’m happily engaged in something and having fun with it. Otherwise, time seems to be an endless super-slow drag!

So, even though I’ve been happily engaged in other aspects of my work and the year has flown by, the fact remains that this is my first post of 2015 and it comes out near the halfway point of the year’s 11th month, and that’s a point about which I’m considerably less happy!

Ultimately, I feel that all delays between posts, that are deviations from a regular release schedule–intended or unintended, short or extended–, are really just one type of “blog vérité”–if you will–which inevitably happens from time to time, whether you’re a one-man crew conducting nearly 100% of your business’ operations, like me, or a part of a staff. John Lennon sums it up like this, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans“! (“Beautiful Boy” )

As I organize the activities of my days, I give top priorities to my wife, my family, and my students, and most of the time, everything and everyone else, including myself, comes after them.

During my sabbatical from posting, the behind-the-scene logs of my website and social media properties all show that people were, and still are, reading and watching in increasing numbers. I want to thank my new students who’ve recently signed up and also acknowledge the people who decided to subscribe and follow me, despite the fact that I hadn’t posted any new material all year–until now of course! Thanks, guys! I’ve noticed all of you and I appreciate your visits.

I am very fortunate and blessed to be in the circles of some really great people and to be able to stay busy doing only the things I absolutely love to do–namely, learning and making music at home, teaching music in class, teaching music online, tinkering with computerized music technology, posting and blogging on my website, and helping people along the way.

“This Is The Way We Roll” – “Old School”

The video project, about which I spoke in AC #55, is finally posted. I emphasize the word “posted” because in no way do I consider it “finished“… although I’ll bet that overshooting my originally stated release date spread by 6 to 9 months, any possibilities of “project manager” jobs coming my way are probably very much “finished“! I just don’t know how the time disappeared so fast! In any case…

“This Is The Way We Roll” / “Old School“! is now viewable here and via the links on my website’s front page. It’ll go “public” on my YouTube channel on Friday the 13th!

The project was done for fun as part of our studies on improvisation. It is not for sale.

When I approached my students, I promised I would not do or include anything that would make them or their parents ashamed to say they know me. However, when I looked at some of the videos my students posted of their own on their website(s), I realized I had a WHOLE lot of room in which to roam!–like the whole state of Texas, which would only take up a fraction of the safe areas available to me! It was all done in a spirit of fun and I love it all!

Overall, I’m glad our project is finally released but I can’t believe I miscalculated the time it would take me to get it posted by a factor of at least two or three! There are more things I wanted to do and include and you’ll see lots of rough edges that I could have and should have corrected or fixed.

However, I really desired to get the project out before the end of the year, so I decided to “take a page” from the modern business practices handbook of the major software companies and release it now, in spite of its unresolved bugs, imperfections, and problems. You know how they do it! Maybe I’ll do some “point-upgrades” and releases as time goes on. I may include a few pop-ups here and there but I guarantee that I’ll never sink to sneaking in spyware! (Just kidding!)

In closing I want to say, “Thank you“, to the folks who made many behind-the-scenes contributions, and to my students who were brave enough to participate. We had some fun in the process of putting this thing together and I hope that everyone who views the video really enjoys it or can find at least a smile or two somewhere in the flick.

AC #54 Even though you’ve never done that! Why not try it‽

During the 1990s (ancient history now!) I had several experiences with making music for a few computer/video games and other less populated outlets such as music for an ice cream truck, live “muzak” in grocery and department stores. When the opportunities were offered to me, I thought, “I’ve never done that! Why not try it‽” So I did, and I had loads of fun. I learned a lot about those particular aspects of the music business and I got to work with some great people.

Many years later, when Jason Peter, one of my local students who does in-office and online lessons, first started asking me basic questions about MIDI, sequencing, and electronic music in general, I was more than happy to share with him my experiences and what I’d learned.

Jason, who’s an awesome drummer, is still studying music with me today and I’m very happy that he has continued his involvement with keyboards and sequencing in addition to his other musical interests. On any given lesson day, he’s apt to bring a project to class on which he’s working and whenever he does, we make his project the focus of that day’s lesson.

Check him out just below in the short video he made about a project for which he composed, played and produced the music.

Jason is testing his light show systems in this clip.

So even if you’ve never taken an on-line or in-office piano or music lesson before, why not try it‽ Like Jason, you may discover that they’re fun and who needs to have less fun in their life‽

See you next post.

AC #53 How To Use The Free Interval Study Script Utility

You’ll find this free utility inside of my store in the “Study Materials” section in the right sidebar. It is a script that can assist you in getting to know the functional names of most of the intervals contained within any give one-octave range. For anyone who may have questions about how to use the utility, here is a short video clip of me demonstrating a few examples of how I use it.

Even with its limitations, which are documented in the script’s on-board instructions, I still like to use the script because it can be run off-line directly in your browser. It may be run manually or automatically, and it hardly takes up any hard drive real estate because of its very small file size which makes for a fast and easy download!

Download the script then “kick back” and use its hands-free mode to be quizzed on ascending and/or descending intervals within an octave.

See you next post

AC#47 Major Keys and Their Key Signatures

Key signatures are the group of sharps and/or flats written on the staff at the beginning of a piece. This convention gives musicians a convenient way to organize the sharps and/or flats of the predominant scale upon which a piece, or a section of a piece, is written.

Even though an octave contains only 12 different keys, there’s a total of 15 major key signatures that are officially recognized when you’re looking through the lenses of traditional music theory. In learning about key signatures and the cycle of keys, it helps to understand major scales.

To review and play the major scales via an onscreen piano, click this drop-down link.

The bone structure of a major scale is made from an 8-note string of major and minor 2nds, mostly whole steps between each note with the exceptions of steps 3 to 4, and 7 to 8. Scale Construction The numeric information gives you an outlined overview of the scale steps. Counting each step, as you move along (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8), helps with keeping you aware of exactly where you are at each scale step.

The intervalic information places the notes in order by measuring intervals: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. This tells you the exact spacing required between each scale step.
The construction crew discusses the major scale specifications

Legend
1-8 = scale steps
w = whole step (major 2nd)
_1/2= half step (minor 2nd)
1 _w 2 _w 3 _1/24 _w 5 _w 6_w 7 _1/28

Start with C and follow the schematic’s instructions step-by-step to play the C major scale.
Use this onscreen piano keyboard to play a major scale on each of the 12 keys!

Look at the chalkboard, memorize the 15 key signatures, then click here to take a pop-up quiz. Click each chalkboard key signature to hear its major scale harmonized and played “solo piano”. Click each sun glasses key signature to hear its major scale played with a virtual rhythm section. You can use this onscreen piano keyboard to play along with any of the accompaniment tracks.

I’ve been super-crazy-busy lately and I love it! That’s all for now. See you next post.

AC #44 Art’s Virtual Yard Sale

Hello, my virtual yard sale ended on December 14, 2016 with the sale of the last item.

A special “thank you” shout-out to everyone who purchased a Virtual Yard Sale item. Your business was greatly appreciated.

My general store is remains open where you may:

Purchase lessons and/or pay lesson tuition;

Purchase music study materials such as transcriptions;

Buy gifts;

Place special orders.

Please visit frequently and keep for in mind for online music lessons. All ages welcome.

AC #42 Intervalics 101 (8ths)

Okay! It’s time to take a look at the last interval of the series!

8ths – a.k.a. octaves. These intervals are easily identified because both notes share the same letter name. When written in standard music notation, the upper note will occupy a space if the lower note is on a line and vice versa, notwithstanding any accidentals which may be attached to either note.

Several perfect octaves are illustrated in the graphics just below.

On the piano keyboard, both notes of a perfect octave share the same letter name and they are 8 major scale steps apart (up or down).

Play some octaves starting on as many keys as you can with this playable onscreen piano keyboard.

Major Scale Legend
1-8 = scale steps
w = whole step (major 2nd)
_1/2= half step (minor 2nd)
1 _w 2 _w 3 _1/24 _w 5 _w 6_w 7 _1/28

The most commonly used accidentals are shown in the lineup just below followed by examples of the most common occurrences of 8ths in the key of C.

♮ = natural
♯ = sharp
X = double sharp
♭ = flat
♭♭ = double flat

Perfect 8th = C to C (The 8th note of a major scale remains unmodified)
Augmented 8th = C to C^♯ (The 8th note of a major scale is sharped once)
Minor 8th *(N/A)
*(Minor functionality isn’t allowed on any perfect interval.)
Diminished 8th = C to C^♭ **(The 8th note of a major scale is flatted once)
**(Perfect intervals become diminished with only one flat)

This link will open an Acrobat/Adobe flash type of applet where you’ll be asked to correctly match ten intervals via a drag-n-drop process. Doing the exercise at least 4 or 5 times will give you an introductory workout on identifying and matching the intervals in C and other keys.

After working with the “open-book” drag-and-drop drill exercises in this section, move on and dive into some deeper waters with the staff and keyboard exercises just below.

Dive into “deeper waters” with these staff and keyboard exercises

The blue staff 2 or 8 opens a page where only numeric values are required in your answer.

Clicking the treble staff or keyboard icon opens a respective interval ID page where numeric and quality values are required.

Since each exercise utility is never-ending and presents questions indefinitely, you may want to set some type of completion benchmark for yourself such as, answering 25 up to 100 questions correctly or using the timer, located at the top of each utility, to set a time limit, such as 5 to 10 minutes.

In any case, keep working until you have a success rate that’s between 90% and 100%.

Study well and have fun,

See you next post,