musician

A collection of 73 posts

Quiz

Test Yourself and See If You Have Perfect Pitch

If you aren’t familiar with the concept of “perfect pitch,” it is the ability to recognize the pitch of a note or to produce any given note without the benefit of a reference tone. As a very rare skill among musicians, it’s often referred to as a gift

tips

Use Active Listening Techniques To Learn Music Faster

How much have you listened to the music you are currently learning? The answer to this can vary quite a bit. Maybe it’s your favorite song and you listen to it every day. Maybe it’s music you’ve heard throughout your whole life. Or, maybe you’ve never

tips

How to Prepare and Adjust for Different Types of Pianos

As pianists, we can’t take our piano with us when we have to perform outside of our homes or practice rooms. Most instrumentalists practice on their own instruments, get to know it’s quirks, then pack it up and take it with them whenever they have an opportunity to play in public. Since we can’t pac

tips

6 Reasons Why You Need a Piano Teacher

We’re fortunate to live in a time where we have access to information that is literally at our fingertips any time we need it. With many excellent online resources for learning the piano available to us, it may seem like paying for and carving out the time for in-person piano lessons isn’t really ne

tips

How to Write a Song: An Introduction to Songwriting

Want to learn how to write a song? In this introductory guide, we’ll help you unpack the basics including song form, chord progression, melody, and more!

OMG

15 Magical Christmas Piano Arrangements

Whether you start listening to Christmas music on November 1st, the day after Thanksgiving, or just weeks before the holiday, it’s hard to deny the joy it brings! But sometimes we long for a fresh perspective on our favorite Christmas tunes, and what could be better than an imaginative

OMG

The Weirdest Album Covers of All Time

In the heyday of vinyl, followed by CDs, album cover art was just that: an art form. Musicians used the images on their albums to express their personalities and capture the themes of that collection of their songs. Other artists have used weird album covers to push the boundaries of social norms. .

OMG

The Basics of Adaptive Video Game Music Scoring

It’s no secret that video games have been responsible for some of the most iconic melodies of the past few decades. Koji Kondo and Nintendo are responsible for so many synth earworms, and Martin O’Donnell’s Halo Theme has spawned an endless stream of YouTube videos. But video

tips

Enhance Your Songwriting with These Rhyming Schemes

When it comes to songwriting, rhymes are an essential part of the formula. Rhymes create structure within songs, place emphasis on specific thoughts, and are incredibly pleasing to the ear. However, trying to think of the perfect rhyme can lead to some serious writer’s block. To some, transforming thoughts

memes

The Best Music Memes for Classical Musicians

If you’re a classically trained musician, your brain is probably full of endless music knowledge. Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from crazy music theory methods and random composer facts and look at a music meme or two. Here are the best music memes for classical musicians!

tips

Preparing to Be a Music Major: 6 Things You Should Expect

Pursuing a major in music? We give you six things to expect and how you can be ready for them. Sometimes all you need is a little preparation to excel.

tips

Music Directors: How To Lead Your Worship Team Effectively with These 10 Tips

Learn how to lead worship effectively with these tips. Whether you’re new or seasoned, whether in a big church or small, it always takes learning new things.

Musical Theater

50 Best Songs for Vocal Auditions with 16 and 32 Bar Audition Cuts

Choosing the perfect audition piece can be pretty overwhelming. We're here to help!

tips

Enhance Your Voice with These Vocal Warm-Ups and Breathing Exercises

Just like you would warm-up your muscles before exercise, you should always warm-up your vocal chords before singing! Stretching and relaxing your vocal chords will ensure a healthier voice, and when put into a good routine, will increase your vocal range and abilities. We are going to share with you

News

25 Motivational Quotes from Musicians for Musicians

Who better to receive musical inspiration and advice than from the musicians themselves? Here are 25 motivational quotes from musicians for musicians. “Works of art make rules; rules do not make works of art.” – Claude Debussy “Mournful and yet grand is the destiny of the artist.” – Franz Liszt “There was

tips

5 Piano Warm-Ups That Will Help You Become a Better Pianist

Piano warm-ups can seem monotonous at times, but the benefits are invaluable!

tips

Basics of Musical Instrument Care and Maintenance

Musicians, we know how it goes: countless hours of playing your favorite instrument, in different environments, sometimes with sweaty palms, and the realization when you get home and open your case that, “I really should take care of this thing, before firing up Netflix or Hulu.” Well, kudos for keeping

tips

10 Essential Stretching Exercises for Musicians

Many people may not understand how physically demanding playing music can be, especially for those of us who have to hold the weight of an instrument through a long performance (we’re looking at you, marching euphoniums), or who often play lengthy, complex works solo (hello, concert pianists and strings

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10 Telltale Signs You Might Be a Band Geek

10 Telltale Signs You Might Be a Band Geek You may roll your eyes at the words “Band Geek,” but for those that beat the sun for morning rehearsals and tighten their chinstraps every afternoon, it’s a proud title! If you’re not quite sure that title belongs to you, here are 10 Telltale Signs You […]

tips

How to Book Your First Gig: 10 Do’s and Don’ts

How exactly do you take the leap from creating for personal enjoyment to getting ready to book your first gig? Musicnotes is here to help with 10 do’s and don’ts for booking your first gig!

tips

The 3 Best Hands-Free Page Turners

We all know the stress of timing the perfect page turns in the middle of a 12-page piece, hearing the deafening SWOOSH of paper as we panic to quickly find our spot on the next page. Over the years, this task has become significantly easier thanks to having sheet music available on an iPad.

Signature Artist

How HDpiano Built A Business Through YouTube

Two guys, a piano, and a YouTube channel may sound like the start to an iffy joke, but HDpiano’s business success is far from a punchline. Sean Lee and Dan Collins have turned their 2008 YouTube piano channel called HDpiano into a blockbuster business!

Song Spotlight

“Trust in You” by Lauren Daigle: Musicnotes Song Spotlight

Lauren Daigle has taken the world by storm with songs like “Trust in You,” “You Say,” “Look Up Child,” and “Love Like This.” Though she started out in the Christian music genre, her music has now reached to mainstream pop radio stations and found its way into Spotify playlists everywhere! We were lu