Music Matters
How to Realize Simple Figured Bass - Music Theory
How to realize and read diatonic chords in figured bass and how to play a short passage from a figured bass. This music theory lesson explains the figured bass system in relation to all the diatonic chords in root position, first...
Music Matters
Why Should You Practice Scales & Arpeggios?
Learning and practising scales and arpeggios can seem like a waste of time to many students. In this video, we explore the why spending time practising scales and arpeggios can really help improve your playing technique. “Oh no, not...
Music Matters
Escape Notes (Non-Harmonic Tones) - Music Theory
This music theory lesson explains escape notes, what they are and how to use them. When it comes to inessential notes many musicians understand passing notes, understand auxiliary notes, and are happy about anticipatory notes. But what...
Music Matters
How to use Augmented 6th Chord in Major Keys - Music Composition
Learn how do to construct and use augmented 6th chords in major keys. This music composition lesson explains the best ways to write approach chords to Augmented 6th chords and the best ways to resolve them. After explaining how to form...
Music Matters
10,000 Hours to Master the Piano? - Music Performance
Does it really take 10,000 hours to master the piano? This music performance lesson explores the theory that 10,000 hours is what is needed to produce a great pianist. The idea comes from Malcolm Gladwell, that it takes about 10000 hours...
Music Matters
Can You Name the Key of this Piece of Music? - Music Theory
Can you name the key this piece of music is in? This music theory lesson explains how to look at a short extract of music and figure out the key without hearing it. This types of exercises are often met in theory exams, where you are...
Music Matters
Twelve Tone Technique - Music Composition
How does serialism work? We look at writing a piece of music using the twelve tone technique, creating a note row, exploring different ways to treat it and explore the fundamentals of the 12 note Serial technique devised and adopted by...
Music Matters
How to Build Major and Minor Chords - Music Theory
Learn how to build and recognise major and minor chords. This music theory lesson teaches you how to construct major and minor chords above any given note. Two techniques are explained, one based on intervals and the other based on...
Music Matters
Writing BAD Four-Part Harmony?! - Music Composition
Writing bad four part harmony?! Lots of people manage part of the journey with four-part harmony then get stuck or struggle to develop an outcome that is musically satisfying. This music composition lesson starts with a piece of...
Music Matters
An Introduction to Bach's Prelude & Fugue in F# Minor (BWV859)
An introduction to the 48 Preludes & Fugues and Bach's Prelude & Fugue in F# Minor (BWV859). This music analysis video provides a simple examination of the work. Through this study one begins to understand the structure and musical...
Music Matters
How to Realize More Advanced Figured Bass - Music Theory
How to go about realizing more advanced figured bass, including how to read diatonic chords and seventh chords in figured bass and how to play a short passage from a figured bass. In this music theory lesson the figured bass system is...
Music Matters
What Might an Accidental Be Telling Us in a Piece of Music? - Music Theory
We often see accidentals in music but they have different significance depending on the context. Accidentals might be flagging up a key change, or they might be decorative chromatic notes, or they might be signifying a minor key, or they...
Music Matters
Baroque Style - Composing for the Piano
In this episode of composing for the piano we talk about writing in a baroque style. We take the music matters theme and arrange it into a baroque fugue style, discussing music composition techniques and tips when composing for the piano...
Music Matters
Elaborating Harmony - Inside the Mind of Bach
A look at how Bach elaborates a chord progression in one of his chorale harmonizations. We examine the choice of harmony, chromatic chords, secondary dominants, borrowed chords. and modulation, the part writing, the use of inessential...
Music Matters
What's the Key of this Piece? - Music Theory
When you look at a melody how do you know in which key it is composed? This music theory lesson presents a short piece and explains how to determine the key of a given melody. It also talks about modulation to a different key. How good...
Music Matters
Diminished 7th Chords - Music Theory
What makes a diminished 7th chord and how do we use it best? In this music theory lesson you will discover exactly what a diminished 7th chord is, how to construct a diminished 7th, and how to locate a diminished 7th in the context of a...
Music Matters
An Introduction to Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8, Op. 13 (Pathetique)
An overview of Beethoven's Pathetique Piano Sonata No. 8, Op. 13. This music analysis video provides a simple examination of the work. Through this study one begins to understand the structure and musical language of a famous piece, and...
Music Matters
Reading Notes in the Alto Clef - Music Theory
How good are you at reading notes in the alto clef? You may play an instrument that never needs to use the alto clef but you might want to grasp the essentials of reading notes in the alto clef. You might play with other instrumentalists...
Music Matters
The Plagal Cadence - Music Theory
Learn all about the plagal cadence, also known as the amen cadence, which chords it uses and how it sounds. Do you want to know about the plagal cadence? What is a plagal cadence? Where would you use a plagal cadence? How can you hear a...
Music Matters
How Did Brahms Compose - Composer Insights
How did Brahms go about composing music? Let's explore part of the opening section of the Intermezzo op118 no2 by Brahms as we try to answer that very question. We explain how Brahms handles the repetition of the opening phrase, which...
Music Matters
Modulation using Diminished 7ths - Music Theory
How to use a diminished 7th chord to modulate into a different key. Diminished 7ths are usually used as a means of adding harmonic colour and tension within the prevailing key. They can also be used as a means of modulation, which is...
Music Matters
Augmented 6th Chords - Music Theory
Understand augmented 6th chords, how to identify and use them in both major and minor keys. augmented 6ths fall into a category known as chromatic chords. They add colour, variety, an element of unpredictability, and tension to music. So...
Music Matters
How to Harmonize a Melody - Music Theory
How to easily choose chords and harmonize a melody on the piano. Have you got a melody that you want to harmonise i.e. find chords to fit with it? In this music theory lesson we take a melody and work out how to find the best chords to...
Music Matters
Why is Ear Training and Developing Aural Skills Important?
For a musician, ear training and aural skills are absolutely fundamental to what we're about and the ability to hear what we are doing is essential. The more we can develop our Aural skills the more refined our abilities will become....