Here is something every musician should know, or at least have an idea about it! It helps to understand music and to communicate with other musicians:

Elements of Music

Rhythm: The organization of musical events in time.

Beat – a rhythmic pulse of approximately uniform length

Accent – a stronger than usual Beat

Metered music – music with a repeated, regular pattern of beats or meter

Unmetered Music – music without a regular pattern of beats

Tempo – the speed of a piece

Melody: A meaningful succession of musical pitches (TONES).

Pitch – the sound of vibrations at a given speed, classified as high or low

Interval – the musical distance between two pitches

Octave – the interval between two pieces of the same name

Step – the interval between two close notes

Skip – any interval larger than a step

Scale – the organization of one octave of pitches in rising or descending stepwise order

Contour – the shape of a melody

Harmony: The organization of simultaneously sounding pitches.

Chord – any group of simultaneously sounding notes

Progression – the order of successive chords

Consonance – harmony with a pleasing sound

Dissonance – harmony with a clashing sound

Texture: The combination of chords, melodies or notes.

Monophonic – music with one melody alone

Heterophonic – music with one melody played simultaneously in several different versions

Homophonic – music with one main melody accompanied by other notes

Polyphonic – music which the harmonies arise from several equal interlocking melodies, or voices, also called COUNTERPOINT

Timbre: The quality or tone color of a musical sound – It’s flavor.

Voicing – the distribution (high vs low) of the notes of a chord

Instrumentation or orchestration – the choice of instruments

Dynamics – The loudness (forte) or softness (piano) of music

Text setting: The relationship of words to music, in vocal music.

Syllabic – roughly one note per syllable

Melismatic – many notes per syllable

Word painting – music that reflects the meaning of the lyrics

Form:  The total shape of piece of music as organized through time – common ones.

Binary – 2 part, for example AB

Ternary – 3 part, for example ABA

Through- composed – newly- composed throughout, non-sectional, and/or non-repetitive.

Rod Ferreira

Teaching online for the first time is like entering a whole new universe. You are excited to discover the endless possibilities, but at the same time, you don’t know where to start. That’s how I felt when Covid-19 hit, and I had to convert my entire roster to online lessons. Like many other instructors, I did not have much experience with online teaching. I was worried that I could not deliver the same lesson quality through a computer screen. But I was lucky to have students that were patient enough to help me make that transition.

No matter your instrument(s), teaching online can be challenging at first. I came up with these tips that made all the difference in bringing my lesson experience from good to great.

1 – Make it interactive

How interactive can online lessons get? A lot more than you might think! With all the technological tools at our disposal today, there are countless ways to update your teaching style. By being interactive, you allow your students to engage in the lesson on a deeper level. You get to learn more about them, and what they like. This way, you can adjust your approach depending on their needs. No one likes a one-way conversation, no matter how interesting you might be!

2 – Use visual examples

Did you know that more than 60% of the population are visual learners? Reach out to most of your students by using visual content like images, videos, and even games. It will make your lessons more memorable. It will be easier for them to understand the learning material. You can also write down notes on your visual content. This way, your student can look those over outside their lesson time.

3 – An efficient note system

I had a teacher in college that never remembered my name or the music I learned. It was very frustrating to have to deal with this inconsistency. It tempered with my lesson appreciation. Having an efficient note system allows you to keep track of your students progress, goals, and even their names! This way, you can avoid those awkward moments I had to experience in college with your students.

4 – Listen to your students

Teaching is about far more than educating people. You are a mentor, an adviser, and a guide to your students. Keeping an open mind to create long-lasting trust relationships is what it is all about. Ask your students what are their goals, dreams, and even what they like to do outside their lessons. Use examples and metaphors that talk to them to explain the lesson material.

5 – Think ahead of time

Being late for a lesson because of technical issues is like having your flight delayed. Even though people act like no one is at fault, no one likes it. By troubleshooting all your gear ahead of time, you can avoid unwanted delays. Make sure that your internet connection is working. Make a video and audio test on your video conferencing app. Make sure that you have all your material for the lesson ready to open. If you don’t like waiting for other people, be on top of your game and be punctual.

6 – Offer A Unique Experience

Finally, if you want your teaching to be memorable, you have to create something notable. You want your students to look forward to their lesson every week. Let them know who you are, talk about your unique personal experience and how you learned from them. Your students will talk about how great you are with their friends and family. If you want to create an experience that people will not forget, you have to be bold, creative, and, most of all, be yourself.

Playing Music is like time-traveling across the world. You get to experience diverse cultures through history from anywhere at any time. This is how I felt when I discovered my passion for music. I was amazed that wherever you are from, your cultural background or native speech, people all have the astounding ability to understand each other through music.

Whether you’re new to music or want to get better at it, learning an instrument can be daunting. This is why I came up with some of the most astonishing reasons why you should learn music. (more…)