Blues music has many defining characteristics such as song structure, rhythm, chord progressions, scales, as well as the blues turnaround. The turnaround is most commonly used in the final two bars of a 12-bar blues, but it can also be used as an intro and in other structures such as the 8-bar and 16-bar blues. …
I began studying music theory alongside the guitar because it seemed like the right thing to do. That if you want to become a musician, you should also learn the theory behind it. I’m glad I studied music theory, but as you’ll see in the music theory tips for guitar players below, I didn’t learn it in the most efficient way possible. The following music theory tips are aimed at correcting misconceptions I had, and ineffective methods I used when I started playing 28 years ago, as well as those I frequently notice in new students. “Why should I learn to read notes when I can use guitar tabs?” I’m sometimes asked when introducing music theory to guitar students. While the answer to this question deserves …
Punk Rock was my gateway to songwriting. It’s easy to write a Punk song on the guitar. Easier than most Heavy Metal and most Blues. It’s certainly easier than Jazz. But as I began improving on the instrument I started dismissing Punk as too simple. I thought that there’s so much you can do with …
The minor pentatonic blues scale is commonly referred to as “the blues scale” because it is a very popular scale for blues guitar players and contains all of the blue notes, as explained below. However, this is not the only scale used by blues guitarists. Blues guitarists use a variety of scales, including combinations of …
7 Scales for Blues Guitar Players (with example guitar licks) Read More »
Tonality in music refers to melodies and harmonies that revolve around a single note known as the tonic note. As soon as a song begins, our brain starts to figure out which note is the tonic. The tonic note is the melody’s most important note, representing home, certainty, and resolution. Every other note in the …
I was surprised to realize how frequently the question “How do you write a song from the heart?” is asked in songwriting forums. Music expresses emotions. And when people talk of the heart, they are referring to emotions. How can a song NOT come from the heart unless you purposely try not to express your …
The dynamic accent, despite being the most common, is only one of four types of accents used in music. In this lesson, we’ll define accents in music before delving into the four main types of musical accents. Definition of accents in music In music, an accent is when a note (or a chord) is given more emphasis or stress than the notes around it. We create emphasis in the written word by using bold, italics, commas, and other symbols to indicate …
The 4 Types of Accents In Music (with melodic examples) Read More »
In this lesson, I walk you through the steps of writing a song. This is not the only method that can be used, and songwriters can begin writing their songs in a variety of ways. In today’s lesson, we’ll look at five different ways you can start writing songs. We won’t go through the entire …
Do you want to write songs but are afraid your lack of creativity will prevent you from ever writing a hit? Do you believe that creative songwriters are born with the creative gene and that you are not one of them? If you answered yes to any of these questions, I have good news. Creativity is already within you, and it can be strengthened through practice, just like a physical muscle. You already use creativity when you solve a problem, tell a lie, play a sport, plan your day, take an exam or drive a car, among many other things. You’re not a creative songwriter because you haven’t yet put in the time to train your creative muscle to make music. In this article, I’ll show you the four things you need …
This lesson contains ten acoustic guitar riffs that begin simple and progress in melodic, rhythmic, and technical complexity. Each of these riffs is accompanied by a brief explanation of the musical elements being used. These should give you an idea of some of the skills and techniques you’ll need to practice in order to learn …
