Music in General Archives | Liberty Park Music

How to Read Music – Part 2

Section 1: Rests and Ties In Part 1 of this article series we learned how to decipher music notation in time (horizontally) and in pitch (vertically). This duet of understanding makes up the bulk of reading music. That said, there are still some basic key elements of music notation that are worthwhile to add to your understanding. We may know what notes to play and the counts of the notes that need to be played, we still don’t really know anything about how they should be played: how loud, how short or long, etc. We also could benefit from a … Read more

How to Read Music – Part 1

by West TroianoMusic in General Music Practice Piano Theory

Have you ever wanted to learn to play an instrument, but hesitated at the thought of learning to read music? All those dots and lines and funny little symbols…. it can seem like an alien language, accessible only to the gifted few. While it’s true that the ability to read music notation (which we’ll refer to simply as “reading music” from now on) can take years of study to master, the basics of reading music aren’t actually that complicated. There are only a few key elements to consider when reading basic music notation, and once you’ve become familiar with those, … Read more

Strange Fruit: Black Lives in American Music

by Michele AicheleMusic in General

Maybe you have heard about protests happening in the streets of the United States and elsewhere in the world, protests against police violence towards African Americans. Here at Liberty Park Music, we thought this would be an important time to expand the Music History Series with the goal of connecting music with current events. Music history doesn’t just teach us about great music of the past, but it also can shed light on political and cultural moments. With this article, we’re going to learn a little history through one song: Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit.” “Strange Fruit” is often referred to … Read more

How to Help Musicians During Times of Quarantine

by Nick VakyMusic in General

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has changed many things, and people around the world are struggling. Artists and performers are one group that have been hit hard economically. Many musicians make their living through performing. A good number supplement that income through teaching music and tutoring, while others may work in the service industry which has also seen many closures. With social distancing and mandatory quarantine being the current norm while the world works to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the income sources for musicians have been suspended indefinitely. The path ahead will not be easy for anyone, but in … Read more

An Introduction to Latin Music: Cumbia History

by Brendan BacheDrums Music in General

One of the most popular dances in Latin America, cumbia has come a long way since its early development among African communities along the pacific coast of Colombia. It is now played and danced in various guises in clubs, on bandstands and on the streets as far north as Mexico and as far south as Argentina, as well as being popular among Spanish-speaking communities in the United States. While cumbia was traditionally played by percussion, vocals and gaita flutes, modern cumbia is played by a full rhythm section of bass and piano, with a full complement of percussion instruments as … Read more

Reading Chord Symbols: A Pianist’s Guide

by West TroianoClassical Music Music in General Music Practice Piano Theory

The piano is a “harmony” instrument, meaning that we can play many notes at once. Certain combinations of notes give us harmonies that we call chords, and the ability to play chords is an important skill, no matter what style of music you’re playing. One of the most efficient routes to knowing which chords to play is by having the ability to read chord symbols. In this article, we’re going to teach you how to read chart-style chord symbols. Along the way we’re going to reinforce our understanding of what chords are and how they’re built. As a bonus, we … Read more

Monthly New Lessons – July 2018

by Liberty Park MusicMusic in General

The month of July has been an exciting month here at LPM. Here is a list of all the lessons & trailers, released in July. If you like what you see, you can check out the lesson by clicking on the respective buttons. Week 4 (23rd July) Minor Seventh off the A String A minor seventh chord is a minor triad with an added flattened seventh. This chord is common in rock tunes. Check out the lesson >> Playing the Hi-Hat Pedal with Left Foot Learn how to use the left foot as a timekeeper while playing funky grooves. You’ll learn … Read more

Monthly New Lessons – June 2018

by Swati NikamMusic in General

The month of June has been an exciting month here at LPM. Here is a list of all the lessons & trailers, released in June. If you like what you see, you can check out the lesson by clicking on the respective buttons. Week 4 (25 June) The Choke Technique Learn what a choke technique is and how it’s used in various music genres such as jazz music. We’ll look at how to pull off the choke technique. Check out the lesson >> Primary Triads Primary triads in the major key are the tonic, subdominant and dominant. When you label these … Read more

Monthly New Lessons – May 2018

by Swati NikamMusic in General

The month of May has been an exciting month here at LPM. Here is a list of all the lessons & trailers, released in May. If you like what you see, you can check out the lesson by clicking on the respective buttons. Week 5 (28th May) Time Signatures The time signature 2/4 and 4/8 are actually similar on page, but the only difference is how we count the quaver beats. The full lesson covers all the time signatures you need to learn for ABRSM Grade 4 Theory. Check out the lesson >> Week 4 (21st May) Money by Pink Floyd … Read more

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