Music Theory: Does It Still Matter?

Guest post by Ian Temple. This article originally appearedon Soundfly’s Flypaper

Last year, Rihanna’s hit single “Work” started an argument here at Soundfly. We come from an array of different musical backgrounds, styles, training, and instruments, and the question that kicked us off was:

What key is “Work” actually in?

It’s got that super repetitive synth bass line that returns to C# every time, giving the impression we’re in C# Dorian mode, but the key signature is B major, or G# natural minor. The melody floats around a C# note a lot, but it still sounds unresolved, except in a few moments where it lands on G#. There are even a couple moments that sound a little more major and could lead one to hear the B as an unplayed tonic (or “home base”).

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Making Sense Of A Song By Richard Strauss Via Botany

Guest post by Erica Ann Sipes. This article originally appeared on Soundfly’s Flypaper

Yes, you read that correctly. In the course of this one blog post, I am going to attempt to use a brief study in botany to unravel an issue I am having in the accompaniment to a song by Richard Strauss.

Ready?

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Light Thrown On Different Ways Of Taking Piano Lessons

The benefits of learning piano are numerous and far reaching for any person. Piano when invented in 1700 was a great revolution in the world of music. Any composer when sits down to play a tune, he tries it on piano. Reason being Piano is really easy to play and moreover it is a gateway to other musical instruments.

Learning piano can help you relieve stress in any situation and one can improve his cognitive skills to a great extent. Many parents keenly find the best piano workshop in their nearby areas so that their children do well in academics. Surprisingly learning piano helps one to focus better on studies.

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Master The Fundamentals Of Mixing With Top Sound Engineers

The Soundfly team is really excited to announce the arrival of our most ambitious course to date: Faders Up: Modern Mix Techniques. This course features interviews with nine of the top sound engineers working today, teaching the ins and outs of creating top-quality DIY mixes of your music — engineers who’ve worked with the likes of Beyoncé, D’Angelo, Solange, Sia, Mark Ronson, the New York Philharmonic, the Dirty Projectors, and tons more!

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Top Tips To Teach Piano Lessons To Kids

We all believe that music is an essential factor in our lives. It adds immense pleasure and de-stresses the mind from the daily chaos. Music helps to connect us through a lifetime of experiences. Being a universal language, it unites the people all over the world. Also, science has proven that learning music from an early age, will enhance the kids’ ability to learn other things and grow steadily. 

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How After-School Music Programs Help Keep Kids Out Of Trouble

Quality afterschool programs, particularly music programs, are on the rise. Parents and teachers who traditionally thought that academics was the most essential part of a school program now appreciate that learners need to develop emotionally and socially, just in the same way they grow academically. Different credible studies have shown that when school-going kids take part in singing or dancing after school, their chances of landing in trouble are significantly reduced. On top of that, the kids can develop positive attitudes towards academics, and as a consequence of it, their school performance relatively goes up.

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What's The Appeal For Children's Music

Something I’ve noticed getting older is how many of my favorite musicians growing up have found a new home in children’s music. They haven’t discontinued their projects to sound differently, of course, but a plethora of side projects seem to have come out of newer times in their lives. With so many of them making this transition, or at least trying it out, I have to at least wonder if I’m missing something. Or will I become like them?

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Music Is A Universal Language But Songs Are An Agony To Translate

It is often said that music is a universal language and that may be true. However, a translator tasked with translating English songs into any target language will tell you what an agony it is to translate a song’s lyrics into another language, because it involves a lot of trade-offs. The translator has to decide if accuracy is needed or to make the song “singable” by sacrificing its original structure, rhythm and references.

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Top 10 Best Musician Documentaries

Since the influence of digital streaming, we are now able to stream endless documentaries from the tips of our fingers. From hometown heroes to arena sellouts, here’s a personal collection of the top 10 musician documentaries.

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My Favorite Free Resources For Drum Teachers

Giving drum lessons is an exciting and rewarding activity, whether you’re teaching professionally, just earning a little extra cash on the side, or simply trying to inspire the next generation of drummers.

It can also be a difficult task. Knowing how to play the drums yourself is obviously essential to being able to teach them, but it’s certainly not the only requirement. Learn how to go from excellent drummer to awesome drum teacher with a little help from great resources all over the internet.

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Ukulele Basics For Beginners

Learn the basics of the ukulele. Don’t know where to begin? This article will walk you through everything you need to know before getting started.

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Music Education: Why It Is Important To The Industry

Music is a product of many factors. The more avenues an artist can draw upon, the more original their music will tend to sound. For many aspiring musicians, there exists a notion that being self-taught, often in a rather unorthodox fashion, is what being a successful musician is all about. Although it is true that some rare musicians will thrive with this philosophy, the reality is that these individuals are quite rare.

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What A Master's Degree In Music Can Do For Your Teaching Career

Being the top of any given field can be hugely advantageous for people who are looking to build a serious career. This applies to every field, but it is especially important when it comes to music education. If you are someone who has finished an undergraduate music program and are considering whether or not to try for a master’s degree, there are a number of reasons why you should.

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Bad Students: Do They Make The Best Stars?

Why is it  that so many of the successful artists see to be loud, outspoken, rebellious people when it’s this same kind of attitude that gets students kicked out of school? That somehow breaking the rules leads to more success than sticking to them.

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