Music Student 101
Episodes
58-Mode Mixture and Borrowed Chords
20 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We are bringing chromaticism to your doorstep! Today's special delivery? Mixed modes and borrowed chords! Learn how borrowing just two or three notes ...
57-Instrument Care Pt.1-Strings
05 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Stringed instruments have a number of environmental and conditioning considerations that we need to be familiar with, if we want them to have a long a...
56-Harmonic Progression Pt. 5 (V/V, V/II)
21 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing where episode 43 left off, this episode will review the previously discussed chords: I, II7, III, IV, V, VI and VII (in major and minor) an...
55-Secondary Leading Tone Chords
07 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Just as you can use secondary dominant chords to aid in the movement to any diatonic chord, you can also use secondary leading tone chords for the sam...
54-Chord Charts Pt.1
23 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The chord chart can be an essential tool for any musician, gigging or not. They allow you to get a lot more accomplished, in a lot less time, with you...
53-Form and Analysis Pt.2: Small Forms
09 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In part one of our "Form and Analysis" series, we familiarized ourselves with the building blocks of a form, such as motives, phrases and periods. Now...
52-7th Chords Pt.2: The Others
19 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
At this point, we've discussed the two most common diatonic 7th chords: V7 and II7. Now, we will discuss "The Others". These are the VII7, IV7, VI7, I...
51-Stage Production Tech (feat. Chris Knutson)
05 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Not every musician ends up on stage. One of our goals is to cover, in depth, the many career opportunities that can be available to a musician. In thi...
50-Modulation To Closely Related Keys Pt.1
22 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We celebrate our 50th episode by breaking the ice on the much anticipated topic of modulation. This discussion will include an introduction to the co...
49-Secondary Dominants Pt.2: V/ii, V/vi, V/iii
08 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Join us, as we continue to venture toward the coming mountain of chromaticism. We will approach the foothills as we resume our discussion of secondary...
48-Sight Reading
24 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What exactly is sight reading? What is the difference between reading music and sight reading music? What are some factors that contribute to good sig...
47-Songwriting (feat. Colin Soniat)
10 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Song writing is different for everybody. Sometimes we can be inspired by the experiences of others. We will talk all about it with our friend and coll...
46-The Overtone Series
28 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The overtone series is alive and well in every note you hear. Within the vibrations of a tone, or a note, there are other smaller vibrations that are ...
45-Secondary Dominants Pt.1: V/V, V/IV
07 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Join us as we venture toward chromaticism with this discussion of secondary dominants. We will talk about how these chords can be used in the toniciza...
44-Transposition
22 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Transposition, the act of changing a piece of music to a different key or mode, can be one of the most useful tools any musician can have in their kit...
43-Harmonic Progression Pt.4: III, VI
08 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing where episode 39 left off, this episode will review the previously discussed chords: I, II7, IV, V7 and VII (in major and minor) and their ...
42-The Guitar (feat. Carlos Pino)
25 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The guitar is an extraordinarily expressive and versatile instrument. From it's roots in 15th Century Spain to it's current prominence in jazz, rock, ...
41-The Big Recap Pt.2
11 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As we near the end of the theory 101 sequence, we decided to dedicate a couple of episodes to the purpose of reviewing all of the topics we've covered...
40-The Big Recap Pt.1
26 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As we near the end of the theory 101 sequence, we decided to dedicate a couple of episodes to the purpose of reviewing all of the topics we've covered...
39-Harmonic Progression Pt.3: VII
15 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing where episode 31 left off, this episode will cover the previously discussed chords: I, II7, IV and V7 (in major and minor) and their invers...
38-Pentatonic Scales
28 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Pentatonic scales are five note scales that span the length of an octave. Major and minor scales, along with their respective modes, are all considere...
37-Counterpoint Pt.3
14 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing our discussion from episode 35-Counterpoint Pt.2, it's time to tackle 3rd and 4th species counterpoint! We have already built our cantus fi...
36-The Jury (Stage Fright)
31 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In the school of music, we have the "Jury". This terrifying moment occurs at the end of the semester when the student must display their progress, on ...
35-Counterpoint Pt.2
03 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing our discussion from episode 34-Counterpoint Pt.1, we will now discuss species counterpoint. We have already built our cantus firmus. Now, w...
34-Counterpoint Pt.1
19 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Counterpoint, the art of combining two or more independent melodic lines, is a practice that has been around for hundreds of years. However, not a lot...
33-The Dawn of Music
05 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In the beginning, before written history, our ancestors left artifacts and paintings that gave us clues as to how they once lived. This being a few mi...
32-7th Chords Pt.1: II7, V7
16 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We've given the 7th chords a good listen. Now it's time to discuss the theory behind them and some of the conventions to consider while using them in ...
31-Harmonic Progression Pt.2: I,ii7,IV,V7
01 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing where Episode 18 left off, this episode will feature the diatonic chords I, II7, IV and V7 (in major and minor). Listen for those chord qua...
30-Stuff You See On A Score
17 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
You may be familiar with notes, key signatures and meter signatures. But, there's a lot more happening on a music score. Various markings, such as cre...
29-Intervals 2.0
03 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Just in case we haven't said everything we need to say about intervals, it's time we said a little more! We will have a quick recap on the basic inter...
28-Nonchord Tones
13 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes you will encounter notes that don't belong to the chords they are sounding over. These notes are just what they sound like, nonchord tones! ...
27-Modes
01 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We've learned about the major and minor scales. Now it's time to explore the 7 Diatonic Modes: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian a...
26-The Bass (feat. Aaron Branson)
19 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The bass has a special effect on the listener. The frequencies in the lower register can often be felt just as much as they are heard. The bass can te...
25-The Circle of Fifths
02 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When writing a song or a piece of music, it's good to know how certain chords and harmonies work together. An understanding of the circle of fifths ca...
24-MIDI
18 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
MIDI is one of the greatest things to happen to music and those who work with it. This music based language allows for the entry and edit of musical n...
23-Melodic Dictation Pt.1
21 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A melodic dictation exam is something you may or may not have to reckon with in your musical journey. Passing this course is essential for a music stu...
22-Voice Leading Pt.1
07 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
One big goal in tonal composition is to have good counterpoint within your harmonies. To do that, we need to learn how to approach part writing in the...
21-Playing In A Cover Band (feat. Miguel Martinez)
17 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
There's no better way to get your performance feet wet than playing in a cover band! The material is there. You just have to learn it and execute it p...
20-Form and Analysis Pt.1
02 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
An understanding of form and analysis can be a great aid in getting to know music better. Like an architect, a composer will structure their music on ...
19-Cadences
19 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A piece of music is often laid out like a poem or a story. The sentences and paragraphs can be likened to motives and phases. The punctuations and end...
18-Harmonic Progression Pt.1: I, ii, IV, V
06 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Harmonic dictation is an essential part of the music students curriculum. It can be a powerful tool for any musician because it will help to solidify ...
17-The Piano (feat. Matthew Dutot Slocum)
19 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The piano is a complex and beautiful instrument. It's fairly easy to learn, but quite challenging to master. In this episode, we will speak to a man t...
16-Diatonic Chords
05 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Many great chord progressions in tonal music are based on specific sequences of triads and chords. These progressions sound naturally fulfilling or a...
15-Inversions and Figured Bass
22 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When you invert a chord, you rearrange it's pitch order. This can serve several purposes. In this episode, we will cover inversions for triads and sev...
14-Being a Performer
08 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A musical performance should really be all about the music. But there is still a performance element that tends to engage the viewing and listening au...
13-Ear Training-Basic Triads
26 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We've already given a good listen to the interval in episode 10. Let's add one more note to it and hear what the triad sounds like. We will discuss th...
12-Basic Triads, In Theory
12 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Triads are the building blocks of harmony. In this episode, we will introduce you to the 4 basic triads: major, minor, augmented and diminished. We wi...
11-Music Career Possibilities
27 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The career path of a musician can be a little unclear and equally uncertain. But have no fear! We are here as proof that you can make a comfortable ...
10-Ear Training-Intervals
13 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Perk up your ears and get ready for more ear training. Being able to hear and identify simple intervals is the gateway to ear training excellence! If ...
09-Intervals, In Theory
30 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Understanding intervals is an essential part of understanding, analyzing and critically listening to music. In this episode, we will discuss the theor...
08-Minor Scales and Key Signatures
16 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is all about the minor scale. We will discuss minor key signatures and how to identify them by using the order of sharps or flats and a f...
07-Odd Time Signatures: Finding The Beat
02 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In order to play with other musicians, you have to be on the same page as them, rhythmically and tonally. In this episode, we will tackle the rhythmic...
06-Good and Bad Study Habits
18 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This episode addresses the music student and their study habits. We will focus on how to make the best of your time, both inside and outside the class...
05-Major Scales and Key Signatures
04 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Listen as we dig a little deeper into the major scale. We will also discuss key signatures and how to identify them by using the order of sharps or fl...
04-Ear Training Tips
21 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Ear training is an essential part of musical growth. In this episode we will discuss its process and some of our own ideas on how to develop it. We wi...
03-Theory Basics Pt.2: Rhythm
07 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to part 2 of our theory fundamentals series. This episode will cover the elements of rhythm. Learn about note values and their durations. Expl...
02-Theory Basics Pt.1: Melody and Harmony
24 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This, our first theory podcast, is elementary but crucial. In this episode, part 1 of a 2 part series, we will have a brief discussion on melody and h...
01-Intro To Music Student 101
17 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome! Learn about us and our goals in this inaugural episode! Hosts, Matt and Jeremy, discuss their mission, their backgrounds and give a preview o...