Music Theory Archives - Piano Parent Podcast

28Aug 2023 by Shelly Davis

PPP 348: Find the ‘1’ – Helping students feel the steady beat and find the downbeat in music

Today's episode offers help for those piano kids who have a difficult time feeling the steady beat of music. Some children can feel the beat but they aren't yet able to discern the downbeat, the start of a new measure.If a child has trouble feeling the steady pulse of music they listen to, they will have even more trouble trying to reproduce a steady beat in the music they play. Listen to the full episode here Resources mentioned in today's show iReal Pro App - "Master your art by practicing with the world’s most versatile virtual band, tirelessly accompanying you in any style, tempo or key."From the PPP Archives:Episode 029: Steady Beat vs RhythmPPP269: Music Maker – RhythmPPP212: The Importance of Note Values – Musical Speech Patterns Social Sharables Click…

08May 2023 by Shelly Davis

PPP 332: Leveling Up from Accidentals to Key Signatures

Music Theory, Podcast

Making the jump from accidentals which mark each note that needs to be altered to key signatures placed at the beginning of each staff can be difficult for some students.Learn how you can help your piano kid level up on today's show. Listen to the full episode here Resources mentioned in today's show To find previous episodes about key signatures click here.PPP 249: Music Maker - ScalesPPP 162: Enharmonics - the There, Their, They're of Music Notation Social Sharables Click an image to share directly to your pinterest account. Download an image to share in your social circles. If the image isn't branded, please link back to this page and help us spread the word about all the great resources at Piano Parent Podcast. Thank you! Thanks for listening! To…

27Feb 2023 by Shelly Davis

PPP 322: The Grand Staff and a Ta11 Tale

Music Theory, Podcast

Once upon a time, I read or heard a story about the grand staff. I share it with my students and today I'll share it with you. Listen to the full episode here Resources mentioned in today's show Clefs in Gregorian ChantOrigin Tales about the Grand StaffPPP 004: Understanding the Grand Staff Social Sharables Click an image to share directly to your pinterest account. Download an image to share in your social circles. If the image isn't branded, please link back to this page and help us spread the word about all the great resources at Piano Parent Podcast. Thank you! Thanks for listening! To share your thoughts:Leave a note in the comment section belowAsk a question at pianoparentpodcast@gmail.comShare this show on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and PinterestTo help out the show:leave an honest review on Apple…

10Oct 2022 by Shelly Davis

PPP 312: Music Alphabet – Counting by 1s, 3s, and 5s

Music Theory, Podcast

Everything your piano kid has to do with music: reading music, finding the correct piano keys, eventually building scales and chords, and putting chords together in a sequence, all of that stems from understanding the basic seven notes of the music alphabet.Learn some fun activities you can do with your piano kid to help them master this concept. Listen to the full episode here From the PPP Archives PPP 003: Piano Geography (aka Do not, under any circumstances, buy those cheesy music alphabet stickers!)PPP 004: Understanding the Grand StaffPPP 013: Magic Wand Part 1 (a much better name than "Linear Circle of 5ths")PPP 132: How to Build Chords and InversionsPPP 172: Scale Degree Names Social Sharables Click an image to share directly to your pinterest account. Download an image to…

13Jun 2022 by Shelly Davis

PPP 295: Why Should Your Piano Kid Get SMART With Their Music?

Music Theory, Podcast

My teaching method of getting SMART with your music is a nice middle ground between being fully committed to the written score and trying to create music from scratch. In this episode, you will hear how other piano kids are getting SMART with their music. Listen to the full episode here Resources mentioned in today's show Texas Music Teachers Association Blackwell House Museum Get SMART Chart From the PPP Arvhives: PPP 036: Getting SMART with Your Music PPP 039: Getting SMART with Your Music...Again Social Sharables Click an image to share directly to your pinterest account. Download an image to share in your social circles. If the image isn't branded, please link back to this page and help us spread the word about all the great resources at Piano…

23May 2022 by Shelly Davis

PPP 292: Three Ways to Use the Circle of Fifths

Music Theory, Podcast

The Circle of Fifths is a valuable tool for musicians. If you aren't familiar with it; however, it can look very overwhelming.On today's show, I will share three basic ways you can use the Circle of Fifths. Listen to the full episode here Three Ways to Use the Circle of Fifths Primary TriadsLocate any letter on the circle. That is your tonic (I chord)The letter to the right is the dominant (V chord)The letter to the left is the subdominant (IV chord)Many tunes can be harmonized with only these three chords. Secondary TriadsLocate the letter under each primary triad.These are relative minor chords.Minor chords are a fun way to substitute harmonies for melody notes.These six chords are the most often used chords in most popular music.Outside of the three primary…

24Jan 2022 by Shelly Davis

PPP275: Cameron Dennis talks about Ear Training

Music Theory, Podcast, Teacher Interviews

Cameron Dennis is an amazing fusion of music and technology. While continuing to pursue graduate degrees in performance and music theory he is combining his musical knowledge with his skills in technology to create wonderful online resources for music students of any skill level.On today's show, Cameron shares his new Ear Trainer. This resource is extremely valuable to help piano kids learn to identify and notate the sounds they hear. Listen to the full episode here Resources Mentioned in this Episode Listen to Cameron's first appearance on the podcast: PPP208Check out Cameron Dennis' online theory platform - Lion TheoryThe newest iteration of Lion Theory's Ear Trainer can be found here.Cameron would love to book a one-on-one call with you. Click here to schedule a time to visit. Social Shareables Click…

29Nov 2021 by Shelly Davis

PPP269: Music Maker – Rhythm

Music Theory, Podcast

Music Maker series Trying to decipher all the unusual symbols and find their matching sound on the piano is a complex endeavor, especially if you are 5-6 years old and simultaneously learning the symbols of the alphabet and trying to read books. Because of the vast amount of information, mistakes are common, which leads to missed notes, terrible sounds, and frustrated piano kids. What if we reverse engineer the process? What if children are guided through a process of writing the notes themselves so they can begin to notice the direction and distance from one note to the next? What if, instead of trying to be instant music interpreters they are able to become music MAKERS? That is the goal of today’s show and the free download you can snag…

20Sep 2021 by Shelly Davis

PPP259: Music Maker – Harmony

Music Theory, Podcast

Continuing our sessions on music making, today we will talk about adding harmony to melodies. I will teach you a simple formula to follow to help you know which scale notes will likely sound good with the melody notes you are playing. I believe learning to read music is a very challenging task, for anyone, but especially for children. My Music Maker series is designed to help piano kids solve puzzles which ultimately creates music for them to play. In a way, we are reverse engineering music to help young musicians gain a clearer understanding of how music is built. Listen to the full episode here Listen to previous Music Maker topics PPP239: Music Maker - Intervals PPP249: Music Maker - Scales Get your Music Maker Sampler today! Yes! Send…

12Jul 2021 by Shelly Davis

PPP249: Music Maker – Scales

Music Theory, Podcast

Does your piano teacher assign scales for you to practice? Is playing major scales part of your piano kid's practice routine? I remember playing scales as part of my homework assignment at times but I never really connected them to the pieces I was playing. In my mind, they were a separate chore. I wonder if your piano kid sees the value of learning and playing scales as part of their musical abilities. Listen to the full episode here According to Brenden Hogan, founder of Musiah, here are some reasons for practicing scales: scales develop your awareness of tonality and knowledge of the keys scales help you develop fast fingers playing scales helps you learn to move your thumb under your hand scales improve keyboard geography playing scales helps coordinate…

31May 2021 by Shelly Davis

PPP243: Why does music use so many Italian terms?

Music Theory, Podcast

Why are so many Italian terms used in music?Three big musical things happened in Italy which influenced how music is performed, heard, and notated. Listen to today's show to learn more. Listen to the full episode here Three big musical things happened in Italy Guido d'Arezzo (1st century) established an organized way of reading the writing musical notation on a staff of five lines with four spaces in between.Toward the end of the 16th century, a new form of entertainment was originated in Italy. This new form of entertainment, opera, combined the storytelling of Greek drama with music and visual arts.Most importantly for us as pianists, the piano was invented in Italy in the early 1700's.It makes sense that with so many musical innovations coming from Italy that the earliest…

24May 2021 by Shelly Davis

PPP242: Why sing if you’re a piano player?

Music Theory, Podcast

A few weeks ago, in episode 239, we talked about using your eyes to visualize how notes of the melodic line move on the staff. It is important to involve your eyes when playing the piano. Equally important, if not more so, is to involve your ears. Pianists need to be able to use their internal mechanism to imagine what the notes will sound like, even without physical sound to help them. That is the topic of today's show. Listen to the full episode here Pianists have it easier than other instrumentalists Pianists have it easier than other instrumentalists when it comes to playing in tune. Though, I suppose you could say the opposite is true. If a piano is in tune, all a pianist has to do is find…

03May 2021 by Shelly Davis

PPP239: Music Maker – Intervals

Music Theory, Podcast

Learning to read music and play music fluently is hard. Plain and simple.Trying to decipher all those unusual symbols and find their matching sound on the piano is a complex endeavor, especially if you are 5-6 years old and simultaneously learning the symbols of the alphabet and trying to read books.Because of the vast amount of information, mistakes are common, which leads to missed notes, terrible sounds, and frustrated piano kids.What if we reverse engineer the process? What if children are guided through a process of writing the notes themselves so they can begin to notice the direction and distance from one note to the next?What if, instead of trying to be instant music interpreters they are able to become music MAKERS?That is the goal of today's show and the…

08Mar 2021 by Shelly Davis

PPP231: Learn How to Make Sight Reading More Fluent with Note Quest App Developer, Grace Lee

Music Theory, Podcast, Teacher Interviews

Grace Lee is a piano teacher from California who noticed a gap between traditional note naming using music flashcards or flashcard apps and fluent sight reading. In order to close that gap and help students become more secure in their sight reading abilities, Grace developed one of the fastest-growing apps focused on note reading and sight reading music - Note Quest. In today's interview, Grace shares her personal piano story as well as the process of developing Note Quest. Listen to the full episode here Grace's Piano Story Grace's family wasn't innately musical but they enjoyed classical music and church music. Grace remembers watching PBS Great Performances as a child and her parents noticed how much she enjoyed this music. Soon, they enrolled her in formal music lessons.A combination of a…

26Oct 2020 by Shelly Davis

PPP214: LSSL – The Key to Unlocking Key Signatures

Music Theory, Podcast

Over the last few weeks, I've been preparing my students for the Texas Music Teachers Association written theory exam. One of the key concepts that has been difficult for me to teach has been drawing key signatures. I finally discovered a little secret that has been a game-changer for my studio. I thought you might like to hear about it too. Listen to the full episode here Catch the podcast on video https://youtu.be/uGOXHyrKq5U Resources mentioned in today's show Texas Music Teachers Association From the PPP Arvhives: PPP013: Magic Wand, Part 1 PPP023: Magic Wand, Part 2 PPP033: Magic Wand, Part 3 Social Sharables Click an image to share directly to your pinterest account. Download an image to share in your social circles. If the image isn't branded, please link back…

12Oct 2020 by Shelly Davis

PPP212: The Importance of Note Values – Musical Speech Patterns

Music Theory, Podcast

You may have heard the expression that music is the universal language. I agree. There is an article on Psychologytoday.com that goes into greater detail about what comprises language. I'll link it in the show notes for you. Listen to the full episode here I often equate music reading to reading a book; young students learning to read music is similar to learning to read words. Music is called a language, rightly so. It uses all the elements of language We first become acquainted with the alphabet and what the letters look like. We start to associate a sound with the symbol we see. Early childhood books use simple words in short sentences to help students learn to connect letters into words. Over time, children add more words and sounds…

07Sep 2020 by Shelly Davis

PPP208: The Perfect Blend of Music and Technology with “Lion Theory” creator, Cameron Dennis

Music Theory, Podcast

On today's show, Cameron Dennis shares his exciting online resource, Lion Theory, which helps students prep for written theory exams. You will also learn about another way your piano kid can use their musical training, blended with technology, to create a valuable career path. Listen to the full episode here Resources mentioned in today's show Lion Theory.com Music Teachers Association of California Florida Music Teachers Texas Music Teachers From the PPP Arvhives: PPP200: Ten Common Reasons Students Quit Piano Lessons Social Sharables Click an image to share directly to your pinterest account. Download an image to share in your social circles. If the image isn't branded, please link back to this page and help us spread the word about all the great resources at Piano Parent Podcast. Thank you! Thanks…

31Aug 2020 by Shelly Davis

PPP207: Teacher Chat About Church Modes with Jeremy Duck and Travis Lohmann

Music Theory, Podcast, Teacher Chat

Just when you thought you had mastered Major and minor scales, you hear the infomercial announcer say, "What, there's more!" With a collection of 12 tones, you would think the Major and minor scales would have all the bases covered. Today's show shares just a few of the other sounds and possibilities that can come from playing various combinations of those 12 tones. On today's teacher chat, Jeremy Duck and Travis Lohmann share both the historical significance and current practical use of Church Modes, or Gregorian Modes. Click here to find other teacher chats. Listen to the full episode here. Jeremy Duck Jeremy Duck is currently pursuing the Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in piano at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His research interests generally center around music composed after World…

10Aug 2020 by Shelly Davis

PPP205: Marvin Blickenstaff talks about Shaping the Sound

Music Theory, Podcast, Teacher Interviews

Marvin Blickenstaff rightly says, "Music is a lot more than playing the right notes and playing the right rhythm. Music is basically expressive sound. The reason for music's existence is to express who we are as human beings and the feelings that we have as we go through life's journey." Listen to the full episode here Shaping the Sound With all the information composers and publishers place on the music score, there is still much more that goes into shaping the sound to create beautiful, expressive music.Here are a few of the Shaping the Sound Rules of Thumb Marvin mentions on the show.No two notes in a row may sound exactly alike, because if they're alike, they're not doing anything. Students are so focused on playing the correct note at the…

20Jul 2020 by Shelly Davis

PPP202: Let’s Talk About Lead Sheets

Music Theory, Podcast

Summer time is one of my favorite times with students. I still get to see them regularly but our schedule is much more relaxed. We're not aiming for a challenging goal like spring recital or piano festivals and auditions so we can slow down and just enjoy playing the piano. Summer is when students have a little more time to play the music THEY want to play. With the current pandemic, your piano kid may have a little more time on their hands and they may not have been able to see their piano teacher as much as you would like. Getting new music to play can be tricky when you, the parent, aren't sure what to buy and you aren't able to hop in your car and drive to the…

11May 2020 by Shelly Davis

PPP192: These are Difficult Time(Signatures)

Music Theory, Podcast

Time Signature or Meter is a way of measuring time in music. Located at the top left of the music you may be reading, the bottom number indicates the type of note that gets the beat. The top number indicates how many beats are contained in each measure. If you view the time signature like a fraction, the 4/4 time can be considered four quarters; there is the value of four quarter notes in each measure. If only it were as simple as that.... Listen to the full episode here Resources mentioned in today's episode Super Metronome Groovebox Pro Metronome Famous Songs in Slightly Odd Time Signatures Spotify Playlists: Songs in 2/4 time Songs in 3/4 or 6/8 time Piano Parent Podcast Episodes: PPP029: Rhythm vs Steady Beat PPP013: Magic…

02Mar 2020 by Shelly Davis

PPP182: Playing Major Scales with One Hand

Music Theory, Practicing and Motivation

Identifying and playing major scales is a "major" part of playing the piano (pun intended). I tend to teach my students about Major Scales when I introduce the Linear Circle of Fifths. I call it a Magic Wand because of all the information it provides students in one easy to remember tool. You can listen to my teaching method of the Magic Wand in a three-part series starting with episode 013 Listen to the full episode here Another tool teachers use to teach Major scales is a formula using whole steps and half steps. A half step is moving from one piano key to the very next key. Starting on C and moving to the black key, C# is a half step. Moving from C# to the white key, D…

09Dec 2019 by Shelly Davis

PPP172: Scale Degree Names

Music Theory, Podcast

When students learn to play scales, they may associate them with the letters of that scale: CDEFGABC or DEF#GABC#D. Rather than limiting ourselves to a set of letters, pianists need to think in terms of location or functionality of the notes of the scale. They might do that by numbers, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. They might do that by using solfege, a series of syllables to help associate the sounds of the notes of the scale: do re mi fa sol la ti do. You may be familiar with "Do a deer, a female deer..." which Julie Andrews sang in the Sound of Music. As if that weren't enough, every note of the scale has its own name and that is the topic of our discussion…

30Sep 2019 by Shelly Davis

PPP162: Enharmonics – the There, Their, They’re of Music Notation

Music Theory, Podcast

https://www.pianoparentpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/162-enharmonics-the-there-their-theyre-of-music-notation.mp4We're going to have a little fun today and when we're done you can amaze your piano kid with your wealth of musical knowledge! Think of the word sale/sail. What comes to mind? Did you think of a special sale at your favorite store? Tyler just recently opened a Mardel Christian books and education supplies store. I was very excited to get a coupon postcard in the mail. Maybe you didn't think about a sale like a retail store. Maybe your mind went to the ocean where you could enjoy a beautiful day on a peaceful sailboat. Without proper context, and without being able to see these words, you don't know which type of sail/sale I'm talking about. Listen to the full episode here Words that sound the same but are spelled differently…

22Jul 2019 by Shelly Davis

PPP152: Repeat Signs Repeat Signs

Music Theory, Podcast

Repeat signs are common "road map" tools in music. Being able to repeat a section is much more user friendly than having pages and pages of music to read.Today, we're talking about three levels of repeat signs. Listen to the full episode here Basic Repeat Sign The first repeat sign students tend to be taught is the repeat sign at the end of a piece. This indicates to play the entire piece again. Sometimes there is a second repeat sign - a mirror image of the one at the end - that indicates to only go back to play that section again. Multiple Endings The next kind of repeat "road sign" is often called First and Second Ending. (Originally called prima volta and seconda volta. Volta is Italian for 'time'.) Used…

13May 2019 by Shelly Davis

PPP142: Intervals – Going beyond EGBDF

Music Theory

Today let’s talk about intervals. As with any musical topic, we could make this discussion very in depth and complicated. It seems like there is a never ending well of information we can learn with music theory. Today we are going to stay with the basic foundation of intervals; things your second or third year student will be learning. Hey! I just used some intervallic terms when I described the students. I mentioned second or third year students and this offers a reference point for the knowledge of those students. Intervals in music do the same thing; they offer a reference point when reading music or playing from one piano key to the next. When you read a book, you don’t read one letter at a time, you group letters…

04Mar 2019 by Shelly Davis

PPP132: How to Build Chords and Inversions

Music Theory, Podcast

In Episode 130 I gave you a list of ten songs that are perfect for playing along with YouTube videos (I've gotten a lot of positive feedback from that episode! Thanks for letting me know it was helpful for you). It occurred to me while recording that episode that I haven’t really talked about building chords and their inversions on the podcast. Build by counting piano keys Many piano kids may be familiar with chords that are grouped by their shape. Major Chords with all white keys: C, F, G. Chords with a black key in the middle: D, E, A. Chords with black keys on the top and bottom and a white key in the middle: Db, Eb, Ab. But what about chords that don’t fit in those groups?You can…

10Feb 2019 by Shelly Davis

PPP129: “Lord of the Chords” Game Developer, Jonathan Ng

Music Theory, Podcast

A few weeks ago I got an email from Sanette Brems, a piano mom in my studio. Listen to Sanette's parent interview with me on Episode 019. In her email, Sanette said, "I saw this and immediately thought of you!" The link in the email took me to the Kickstarter page for a new music theory game called, "Lord of the Chords". Their website declares that they are the "geekiest, punniest music theory game in the world".Lord of the Chords Kickstarter Page - click hereI love puns and really love games that help my students learn and use music theory so I did a little research and was able to contact the developers of the game. Jonathan Ng, one member of the development team, responded to my email and we set up…

28Jan 2019 by Shelly Davis

PPP127: Teacher Chat: Popular Music Styles with Stephen Hughes and Tony Parlapiano

Music Theory, Podcast, Teacher Chat

In our third teacher chat, Stephen Hughes and Tony Parlapiano and I discuss popular music styles and the value of incorporating reading and listening when it comes to playing the piano. Listen to additional teacher chats here. At one time, pop music was considered an add-on to traditional, classical piano lessons; something students might do on their own but not something useful to be included in the lesson. Times have changed and teachers are finally noticing the value of including popular music styles in their curriculum. They now see the value of teaching from chord charts and lead sheets or without any music notation at all. Stephen Hughes Stephen is a fellow Texas piano teacher. His grandmother was his first piano teacher when he was four years old. His students…

29Oct 2018 by Shelly Davis

PPP116: How to Change Major to Minor

Music Theory, Podcast, Practice Challenge

Happy Halloween! No matter what you choose to do with this holiday, there is no denying that a lot of music we hear this time of year tends to have a more creepy, spooky spin on it and it seems like that’s what I enjoy talking about on the podcast. Last year I talked about how young children tend to respond to music in a minor key. Episode 066 was about the powerful effect music can have on our emotions.I also interviewed Marcia Vahl (like wall), president of the Minnesota Music Teachers Association, in episode 067. On the episode, Marcia talked about the three forms of minor scales. I encourage you to go back and listen to both those episodes.In the past I’ve also talked to you about how I…

20Aug 2018 by Shelly Davis

PPP106: How to Develop Fluency in Music Reading

Music Theory, Podcast

Today’s topic is specifically musical. The last several episodes have had to do with getting the new school year off to a strong start. We’ve talked about the non-musical benefits of studying piano, being careful not to overbook our child’s schedule, and last week was all about setting up routines. Today, let’s talk about the nuts and bolts of reading music.For a more detailed description of the staff and it’s history, listen to Episode 004. Listen to the full episode here Reading music is like reading any other language I’ve tried to learn Spanish here and there. I know a few words but I always associate them back to English. When I try to read something in Spanish, I’m looking for English clues or associations to help me understand. I…

19Mar 2018 by Shelly Davis

PPP084: The Power of Dynamics

Music Theory, Podcast

The Power of Dynamics In addition to all the other concepts your piano kid learns when they study piano - Piano Geography, Understanding the Grand Staff, and Rhythm Patterns - they must also learn how loudly and how quietly to play each note. (more…)

30Oct 2017 by Shelly Davis

PPP066: Major and Minor – The Powerful Effect Music has on Our Emotions

Music Theory, Podcast

Music is everywhere and it has a powerful affect on our emotions This time of year, unusual sounding music is all over shopping malls, television shows, and even commercials. Those sounds can be frightening for young children. While I am not a child psychologist, I do want to share, mom to mom, some of my experiences working with children and music. Parents are the filter for their children First of all, you must decide what types of music you allow your child to hear. Protect them from sounds and lyrics that will be too frightening for them. Even when you share music that you feel is safe for your child to hear, they may still shudder at eerie and unusual sounds. They will take their cues from you. If you…

23Oct 2017 by Shelly Davis

PPP065: A Chat with Note Rush App Developer, Thomas Grayston

Music Theory, Podcast, Practicing and Motivation, Technology

[caption id="attachment_951" align="alignleft" width="660"] Graphic created by Dawn Ivers[/caption] Thomas Grayston is a software developer from Tasmania, Australia. He has produced an excellent app to help piano students learn to associate notes on the staff with specific keys on the piano. Tell us a bit about your background. Are you a musician or a teacher? Thomas plays piano and was a music director for church. His wife, Kylie, teaches piano and Thomas helps in her studio from time to time. (more…)

24Apr 2017 by Shelly Davis

PPP039: Get SMART with your Music…..Again

Music Theory, Podcast, Practicing and Motivation

This is a continuation of the get SMART project with my piano students. You can listen to the first part here. The idea for recording this project came from a wonderful listener in Australia. (more…)

13Mar 2017 by Shelly Davis

Episode 033: Magic Wand Part 3

Music Theory, Podcast

Part Three of the three-part series AKA "Linear Circle of 5ths" (Magic Wand is a much cooler name, don't you think?) My students take the annual theory exam offered by Texas Music Teachers Association. The information I describe in this podcast coincides with the concepts students need to know for the Level 7 through Level 12 theory exam. Listen to the full episode here: (more…)

13Feb 2017 by Shelly Davis

Episode 029: Steady Beat vs Rhythm

Music Theory, Podcast

Listen to the full episode here Internalizing a steady beat can be a very challenging concept for beginning piano students. This episode will offer some ways parents can help their piano kid. (more…)

02Jan 2017 by Shelly Davis

PPP023: Magic Wand Part 2 (A much better name than “Linear Circle of 5ths”)

Music Theory, Podcast

Listen to the full episode here: AKA "Linear Circle of 5ths" (Magic Wand is a much cooler name, don't you think?) My students take the annual theory exam offered by Texas Music Teachers Association. The information I describe in this podcast coincides with the concepts students need to know for the Level 5 and Level 6 theory exam. (more…)

24Oct 2016 by Shelly Davis

PPP013: Magic Wand Part 1 (a much better name than “Linear Circle of 5ths”)

Music Theory, Podcast

AKA "Linear Circle of 5ths" (Magic Wand is a much cooler name, don't you think?) My students take the annual theory exam offered by Texas Music Teachers Association. The information I describe in this podcast coincides with the concepts students need to know for the Level 3 and Level 4 theory exam. One of the primary concepts students need to know for this test, and musicians need to be familiar with in general, is key signatures. Listen to the full episode here: It all starts with a goofy sentence about a Fat Cat: Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Bacon Third Graders taking the TMTA theory test only need to know the first three letters: F, C, G. Students can remember: "F uses the Flat" meaning the F major scale uses a black…

22Aug 2016 by Shelly Davis

PPP004: Understanding the Grand Staff

Music Theory, Podcast

Links mentioned in this episode: Purchase Roth's Book: Do Re Mi: If You Can Read Music, Thank Guido D'Arezzo Grand Staff Information Sheet from Susan Paradis Listen to the full episode here Episode Highlights: Historically, until Guido d'Arezzo devised a form of written notation, music was passed orally from generation to generation. If a song was forgotten, it was lost forever. Today, part of a student's piano lesson is teaching them to read music notation. Music is a type of language and piano students truly learn to READ music. Every music symbol has meaning that must decoded to create beautiful music. Piano students in particular learn to read multiple notes on multiple staves. This makes piano an excellent beginning instrument because piano students are able to transition to band, orchestra, and choir…

15Aug 2016 by Shelly Davis

Episode 003: Piano Geography (aka Do not, under any circumstances, buy those cheesy music alphabet stickers!)

Music Theory, Podcast

Listen to the full episode here DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, BUY THOSE CHEESY MUSIC ALPHABET STICKERS!! You, as a Piano Parent Podcast listener, are too smart to fall for that retail trap! Helping your child learn the names of the piano keys is too easy and too essential for their piano proficiency to depend on stickers or any other external aid. (more…)