Tonal harmony is the foundation of most Western music, from Bach to jazz standards. At its core, it is a contract between composer and listener: if you follow its rules, the listener will always feel a sense of home—a tonal center called the tonic. This sense of direction comes from how chords function and move within three main... Continue Reading →
Playing piano montunos can transform any song, giving it that infectious Latin groove that makes everyone want to move. Today, we’ll take a jazz standard like “Satin Doll” and turn it into a piano montuno. By the end of this lesson, you’ll know how to create a montuno pattern from any chord progression and apply... Continue Reading →
Scan or click on the image (or here) to take the test About the mDecks Musical IQ Test In this test we will evaluate your abilities in 10 essential music topics:Meter • Timing • Shuffle vs. Even • Beat Perception • Tempo • Tempo Variation • Melody • Range • In-Tune • Harmony You don’t... Continue Reading →
In this latest version of Mapping Tonal Harmony Pro, we've expanded the arrows and brackets analysis to include several new symbols that highlight some of the most commonly encountered harmonic progressions and cadences in jazz tunes, addressing some of the omissions from previous versions. These new arrows and brackets will undoubtedly enhance the analysis, providing... Continue Reading →
IntroductionUnlock the rhythmic magic of Latin piano with our comprehensive guide to mastering the Montuno style. In this blog post, we'll break down an 8-step exercise based on the iconic piano arrangement from Gloria Estefan's "Conga." Whether you're a seasoned pianist or a beginner looking to delve into the world of Latin grooves, this step-by-step... Continue Reading →
Understanding the Dorian Scale Dorian is the 2nd mode of the major scale. So if we start any major scale on the 2nd degree we get a dorian scale. Step 1 - We are going to play the major scale and then the related dorian scale. A useful variation of this step is to understand... Continue Reading →
The Major Scale (Ionian) The major scale serves as our "source scale," the point of reference for its related modes. We will delve into the intricacies of this scale, explore its unique properties, and discover its role in improvisational music. The Concept of Source Scales In the realm of musical modes, the Ionian scale takes... Continue Reading →
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