Whether your favorite band is One Direction or Slayer, you can probably tell tense chords from relaxed ones, but what exactly gives them those qualities?

What is a nota cambiata? What are the four steps involved? How do I use one or spot one in a piece of music? Can I see and hear an example? A nota cambiata is a cadence formula used in music of the Renaissance period and is a device that...

Sometimes keeping things simple works. This Bach chorale is a great example of how Bach keeps things simple and still manages to demonstrate his artistic genius. We examine the choice of harmony and modulation, the part writing, the use...

What does pandiatonicism mean in music? How did pandiatonicism come about and which composers used it? This music theory lesson explains pandiatonicism, ‘pan’ meaning ‘all’ and ‘diatonic’ meaning inside a key. Examples are explored which...

A closer look at the Diminished 5th

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...

What is the difference between a suspension and an appoggiatura? This music theory lesson explains how appoggiaturas are leaning notes and how to write them as dissonances moving by step to consonances It then explains the difference...

I've gotten a lot of questions over the last 5 years. Some of them more than others, so today I'm starting an FAQ series. Today, we'll look at how to listen for the intervals and hear them better.