Howcast - Learn how to play a romantic song on accordion from musician / Broadway actress Katrina Yaukey in this Howcast video.

Many people are comfortable working in the harmonic and melodic keys when harmonising a melodic line but feel less assured doing the same in the natural minor. In this music theory lesson we explore which chords are major, which are...

Which are the most common approach chords? Learn how to form a diminished 7th chord, how to key reference a diminished 7th, and how to locate inversions of diminished 7ths. This music composition lesson then explores the most commonly...

How to extend basic triads into chords using added 7ths, 9ths, 11ths and 13ths. Having considered how to construct these chords we explore how to use extended chords in four part harmony, discovering which notes we can omit from each...

Resolving Neapolitan flat II chords? It's all about chord progression. This music theory lesson explains why the choice of resolution chords are limited, essentially because the chord functions as a pre dominant. We consider matters of...

This music composition lesson begins with a reminder of how to form an augmented 6th chord with its three variants, the Italian French and German 6ths. The video goes on to explain which are the most common resolution chords,...

This lesson begins by working through each of the chords in major and minor keys explaining which are major, which are minor and which are augmented or diminished. The video moves on to explore how to hear the difference between major...

This music theory lesson summarises the rule of the octave and explains how it offers insight into harmonic thinking and into Baroque harmony in particular. The rule of the octave begins with the notion of harmonising an octave of the...

Learn about the most commonly used borrowed chords and chromatically altered chords. Many composers and arrangers find themselves limited to diatonic chords and lack the confidence to use borrowed and chromatically altered chords. Yet...

Which are the most common approach chords? We consider the reasons why these chords work better than other options, examining voice leading, the smooth progression of parts, and the avoidance of parallels & false relations. This music...

We consider the possibilities for using chord V as either a major or a minor chord. In the harmonic minor context used by most composers since 1600 chord V is always major but in the context of the descending melodic minor scale and in...

Some examples of chords that would work well approaching a Neapolitan flat two chord. This music composition lesson begins with a reminder of how to form a major chord on the flattened supertonic, otherwise known as a Neapolitan chord....

In this music theory lesson we look at the circle of fifths. It can seem complicated at first, but the circle of fifths can be a really useful tool when learning music theory. It organizes key signatures, and it can tell you what kinds...

How well do you know the circle of fifths? Test your knowledge with this short quiz. The Circle of Fifths tells you everything you need to know about major keys, minor keys, and key signatures. This music theory lesson presents a...

Harmonizing a melody using chromatic chords and advanced harmonic techniques to effect modulation to extreme keys. The melody to be harmonized includes an extreme modulation from Eb to B major before travelling back to Eb major. This...

Can you answer all the questions in this Circle of Fifths quiz? The Circle of Fifths tells you everything you need to know about major keys, minor keys, and key signatures. This music theory lesson presents a light-hearted quiz that is...

Test your knowledge of The Circle of Fifths! Can you answer these questions? The Circle of Fifths tells you everything you need to know about major keys, minor keys, and key signatures. This music theory lesson presents a light-hearted...

Minor key harmony can be very complicated. Many people are reasonably happy about choosing chords to harmonize a melody in a major key but minor keys present particular challenges, especially when trying to figure out your way around the...

Are you struggling to get started in writing a chord progression? If you want to use chord III what are the best options for chords to follow? This music composition lesson gives you plenty of options for chords that progress well from...

How do we go about choosing chords and how can you be sure if you've got the right for a given situation? A lot of people are happier doing this in major keys than they are in minor keys so in this music composition lesson we're going to...

Learn about the two systems for labelling chords in the Roman Numeral system, namely Basic Roman and Extended Roman. In this music theory lesson the construction of diatonic chords is explained, followed by the labelling of those chords....

Are you struggling to get started in writing a chord progression? If you want to use chord V what are the best options for chords to follow? This music composition lesson gives you plenty of options for chords that progress well from...

How do you know which chord you could use next? We share our very own minor chord progression chart that will help get you started in figuring out which chord comes next. Musicians often wonder which is the best way to progress from one...

Composing music in different styles using the same chord progression. Have you ever experienced the frustration of finding a sequence of chords you really like the sound of but have been unsure about how to compose a melody to fit those...