Being a good musician is not only about playing your instrument, you must also know the theory of music. How does music work? To study music theory is to understand the structure or “grammar” of music. This will include how music is notated, the structure of the staff, note reading, intervals, scales, chords and harmony, and, most important, how to read and count the rhythm of music. Through the Schur Method books, you will be taught all these aspects of music and more.
Ear training is just what it sounds like. A good musician must train his ears to hear more than just the melody. The study of ear training includes pitch recognition and voice training, finding the pitches you hear with your voice and singing the pitches in tune. In order to speak the language of music, one must be able to sing pitches and intervals, recognize major and minor tonalities, and understand and hear chord progressions.
Dictation is the process of writing down what you hear. Simple one line, melodic dictation will be a focus in every class.
Taking a class with others can be lots of fun. Understanding the structure of the music gives you a better appreciation of the music and actually makes learning the music easier. Most of the local High School band and orchestra programs expect students to be knowledgeable in theory, often making it part of the graded material. Taking the classes will give you an edge on the theory tests at school and allow me to concentrate on the playing aspect of your studies during your private lesson. If interested in classes please contact me so I can put the classes together.
I offer small group classes in theory and ear training.
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