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"Knowledge is power."

learning tools

Here are articles about musical structure I've written for various music publications. Also included are some templates and keyboard graphics that show you common piano scales and chords. You'll need to download a free copy of Adobe Reader to view and print these graphic files.There is plenty of free information available here to help you play, write, and understand music.In addition I offer my "how-to" book about bands, music, and the music business: Start Your Own Band.



Transposing Chart

Explains why and how songs are in a particular key and includes a truly useful Transposing Chart that allows you to easily transpose a song into any key.


Theory and Songwriting

Can you write pop songs by the numbers? Yes you can. This article explains how chords are the basic structure of pop songs, and how you can create a song by assigning each chord a number and putting these numbers in various patterns. Easier than it sounds, this may open up your mind to how songs are constructed and get you started with writing songs.


This Is Your Brain On Music

I have to mention a fascinating book, "This is Your Brain On Music--The Science of a Human Obsession," by Daniel J. Levitin (Dutton, 2006). If you are interested in how music is processed, understood and experienced, on a physical, psychological and emotional level, this book will answer many questions, such as: Where is musical memory stored? Why can't I get that song---that I don't even like!---out of my head? Why do saxophones sound more "human" than, say, a piccolo? A great book. Go to the book's website, skip the promotional woo-woo, click the Interactive link, and listen to the many musical examples, at
This is Your Brain On Music


PDF files
To view and print these files please go to Adobe Reader and download their free software.



Blank Music Staff

Blank sheet of music manuscript paper



Chart Blank

Use this forty-eight bar chart template to create your own bar-by-bar chord chart for a song



Blank Keyboards I

Nine five-octave keyboards for notating chords and scales.



Blank Keyboards II

Twenty-four two-octave blank keyboards for notating chords and scales



Major Scales

Every major scale with left hand and right hand fingerings. Major scales are the building blocks of Western music. Learn them and you will know a lot more about how music works.



Why Slow is Fast When Learning a Piano Composition

In today's world, fast is considered better than slow. Read why this doesn't work when learning to play a new song.


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