MuseScore Team
Editorial team at MuseScore, writing free guides on music, instruments and theory.
Articles
Ahmad Jamal
Jazz Piano
Ahmad Jamal (1930–2023), ranked #16 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the space-conscious trio master whose economy shaped Miles Davis and "Poinciana" — with recordings and scores to play.
Al Haig
Jazz Piano
Al Haig (1924–1982), ranked #44 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the lyrical bebop pianist and favorite Charlie Parker accompanist — his life, style, essential recordings, and scores to play.
André Previn
Jazz Piano
André Previn (1929–2019), ranked #7 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list — the Oscar-winning composer-conductor whose brilliant, blues-tinged jazz-trio records sold in the millions.
Art Tatum
Jazz Piano
Art Tatum (1909–1956), ranked #4 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the nearly blind Toledo virtuoso whose speed and harmonic daring redefined the instrument — with essential recordings and scores to play.
Barre Chords: the 8 Movable Shapes and How to Make Them Ring
Guitar
A barre chord turns your index finger into a movable nut, so one shape gives you twelve chords. Here are the eight shapes that cover 96 chords, a fret-by-fret root chart for both root strings, and the fixes for every kind of buzz.
Bass songs for beginners: the 10 best bass lines to learn first
Bass
Ten bass songs for beginners, ranked from a first-position riff to a syncopated funk line, with the key, the technique each one teaches and a score link per song.
Benny Green
Jazz Piano
Benny Green (b. 1963), ranked #6 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list — the blues-steeped hard-bop pianist Oscar Peterson picked as his protégé; still recording in 2026.
Best online piano lessons: 10 courses, apps and teachers for beginners
Piano
The ten best online piano lessons for beginners and adults, ranked: complete video courses, chord, technique and jazz courses, apps that listen, and a live teacher over video.
Best saxophone songs for beginners: the 10 to learn first
Saxophone
The ten best saxophone songs for beginners on alto or tenor, ranked by how soon they come out whole, with what each one teaches and sheet music for every pick.
Bill Evans
Jazz Piano
Bill Evans (1929–1980), ranked #2 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list — the New Jersey pianist whose singing tone and impressionist harmony reinvented the modern jazz trio.
Billy Taylor
Jazz Piano
Billy Taylor (1921–2010), ranked #17 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the polished bebop stylist and tireless jazz educator and advocate — with recordings and scores to play.
Bobby Timmons
Jazz Piano
Bobby Timmons (1935–1974), #37 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists ranking: the soul-jazz composer of 'Moanin'' whose anthems outshone his own career — with scores to play.
Bud Powell
Jazz Piano
Bud Powell (1924–1966), ranked #3 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list — the New York pianist who invented the language of bebop piano and shaped every player after him.
Cedar Walton
Jazz Piano
Cedar Walton (1934–2013), ranked #26 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the hard-bop mainstay and composer of "Bolivia" and "Firm Roots" — with essential recordings and scores to play.
Chick Corea
Jazz Piano
Chick Corea (1941–2021), ranked #20 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: fusion pioneer with Return to Forever, Miles Davis alumnus and composer of "Spain" — with essential recordings and scores to play.
Circle of fifths
Scales & Keys
The one diagram that turns key signatures, related keys and chords into something you can reason about — the circle of fifths, explained.
Clarinet songs for beginners: the 10 best to learn first
Clarinet
The ten best clarinet songs for beginners, ranked easiest first: what each one teaches on a B♭ clarinet, which ones stay below the break, and a score link for every song.
Count Basie
Jazz Piano
Count Basie (1904–1984), ranked #27 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the Kansas City bandleader whose spare, blues-drenched stride piano is the art of leaving things out — with essential recordings and scores.
Cyrus Chestnut
Jazz Piano
Cyrus Chestnut (b. 1963), ranked #29 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the gospel-rooted, dynamically nuanced pianist modeled on Ahmad Jamal — with essential recordings and scores to play.
Dave Brubeck
Jazz Piano
Dave Brubeck (1920–2012), ranked #28 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the classically schooled star of odd meters and polytonality behind Time Out — with essential recordings and scores to play.
Dave McKenna
Jazz Piano
Dave McKenna (1930–2008), ranked #34 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the 'three-handed' solo swinger whose self-contained left hand made him a one-man band — with essential recordings and scores.
Derek Smith
Jazz Piano
Derek Smith (1931–2016), ranked #45 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the English-born virtuoso and Tonight Show pianist who fused Powell and Peterson — his life, style, essential recordings, and scores to play.
Dick Hyman
Jazz Piano
Dick Hyman (b. 1927), ranked #32 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the stylistic chameleon who can re-create any era of jazz piano — with essential recordings and scores to play.
Drop D tuning
Guitar
Drop D tuning lowers only the low 6th string from E to D, giving D A D G B E. Learn how to tune to it, why guitarists use it, and real songs to try.
Duke Ellington
Jazz Piano
Duke Ellington (1899–1974), #38 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists ranking: apart from the composer, an original pianist whose angular touch pointed toward Monk — with scores to play.
Earl Hines
Jazz Piano
Earl 'Fatha' Hines (1903–1983), #39 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists ranking: the father of modern jazz piano whose 'trumpet-style' made ragtime obsolete — with scores to play.
Easy Christmas piano songs for beginners: the 10 to learn first
Piano
The ten easiest Christmas songs to play on the piano, ranked by the skill each one asks for first, with what every song teaches, a summary table and sheet music for each pick.
Easy drum songs for beginners: the 10 best to learn first
Drums
Ten genuinely easy drum songs for beginners, ranked from easiest to most demanding, with the tempo feel, the one technique each needs, and the skill it teaches.
Easy guitar songs for beginners
Guitar
A dozen genuinely easy guitar songs for beginners, grouped from two chords to four — with the exact chords each one uses, why it’s simple, and where a capo fits in.
Easy piano songs for beginners
Piano
The best easy piano songs for beginners use a small hand span, few black keys, and repeating patterns. Here are 12 real pieces and what each one teaches.
Erroll Garner
Jazz Piano
Erroll Garner (1921–1977), ranked #25 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the self-taught, orchestral-sounding pianist who wrote "Misty" — with essential recordings and scores to play.
Famous piano pieces: 15 classical works everyone knows
Piano
The 15 most famous classical piano pieces, from Für Elise and Clair de lune to La Campanella, with the composer, year, level and what each teaches, plus sheet music.
Fats Waller
Jazz Piano
Fats Waller (1904–1943), ranked #31 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the joyous stride master and hit songwriter who taught Tatum and Basie — with essential recordings and scores to play.
Flute songs for beginners: the 10 best to learn first
Flute
Ten flute songs a beginner can really play, ranked easiest first: the register, the key and the one technique each song teaches, with a MuseScore score link for every pick.
Gene Harris
Jazz Piano
Gene Harris (1933–2000), ranked #12 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the blues- and gospel-rooted groove master of the Three Sounds — with essential recordings and scores to play.
George Shearing
Jazz Piano
George Shearing (1919–2011), ranked #9 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list — the blind British-born master of the 'locked-hands' block-chord sound and 'Lullaby of Birdland'.
Guitar Chord Progressions: the Patterns Behind Most Songs
Guitar
Chord progressions are numbers, not names — learn I–V–vi–IV once and you can play it in any key. The seven chords of the five guitar keys, the eight progressions worth memorizing, the songs that use them, and how to move any of them with a capo.
Guitar Chords: A Beginner's Guide
Guitar
What a guitar chord is, how to read a chord diagram, and the eight essential open chords to learn first — each linked to an interactive finder where you can see the fingering and hear it.
Guitar practice routine: a daily plan for 15, 30 or 45 minutes
Guitar
A guitar practice routine in six fixed slots, tune, finger warm-up, chord changes, strumming, scales and fretboard notes, and a song, scaled to 15, 30 and 45 minutes, with a sample week.
Guitar string names
Guitar
Learn the six guitar string names in order — E, A, D, G, B, E — why the numbering runs backwards, the standard tuning, and easy mnemonics to memorize them.
Hampton Hawes
Jazz Piano
Hampton Hawes (1928–1977), ranked #14 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the fiery Los Angeles bebopper who disproved the cool-West-Coast cliché — with recordings and scores to play.
Hank Jones
Jazz Piano
Hank Jones (1918–2010), ranked #19 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the velvet-touch accompanist and harmonist who headed the Detroit piano school — with essential recordings and scores to play.
Harmonica songs for beginners: the 10 best to learn first
Harmonica
Ten easy harmonica songs for a beginner on a 10-hole diatonic in C, ranked from easiest to most demanding, with the holes each one uses, the technique it needs, and what it teaches.
Herbie Hancock
Jazz Piano
Herbie Hancock (born 1940), ranked #42 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list and the highest-ranked living pianist on it: Blue Note, Miles Davis, Head Hunters and "Watermelon Man" — with essential recordings and scores to play.
Horace Silver
Jazz Piano
Horace Silver (1928–2014), ranked #18 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the self-taught architect of hard bop and composer of "Song for My Father" — with essential recordings and scores to play.
How long does it take to learn guitar? Milestones from the first chord to the first solo
Guitar
A realistic guitar timeline: sore fingertips and first chords, the G–C–D change, strumming, barre chords and solos, with a milestone table of skills and songs for each stage.
How long does it take to learn piano? A realistic timeline and level guide
Piano
An honest timeline for piano beginners: what you can play after three months, one year and five years, what makes piano hard or easier, and the four piano levels with real pieces.
How to connect a piano keyboard to a computer: USB, MIDI and Bluetooth
Piano
Connect a digital piano or MIDI keyboard by USB, a 5-pin MIDI interface or Bluetooth MIDI, with steps for Windows, macOS, iPad and Android, a fix for latency and a troubleshooting table.
How to play piano: a beginner's guide
Piano
Start playing piano step by step: posture, the keyboard, your first notes, reading music, scales, chords, rhythm, and how to practice.
How to read guitar tabs
Guitar
Learn to read guitar tablature from scratch: what the six lines and numbers mean, a full table of tab symbols, a famous riff read off the tab, and tab’s one limit.
How to read piano notes
Notation & Rhythm
Learn to connect notes on the page to keys on the piano: orient by the black-key groups, anchor on middle C, and turn any written note into the right key.
How to read sheet music: a beginner's guide
Sheet Music
Learn to read sheet music from scratch: the staff, treble and bass clefs, note names, note values, and time signatures, plus a simple practice path.
How to recognize intervals by ear
Intervals & Chords
A repeatable method for naming intervals by ear: pin each one to a familiar song, drill both directions daily, and beat the common mix-ups.
How to sight-read piano music: a method and a 4-week plan
Piano
How to sight-read piano music: the 30-second scan before you play, reading by landmarks and intervals, keeping the pulse, what to practice on, a ten-minute daily routine and a four-week plan with free trainers.
How to tune a ukulele: GCEA notes, frequencies and three methods
Ukulele
Standard ukulele tuning is G, C, E, A with a high G. The notes and frequencies of every string, three ways to tune, low G and baritone DGBE, D tuning, pegs and new strings.
Jazz piano for beginners: seventh chords, voicings, swing and your first tunes
Jazz Piano
A step-by-step start in jazz piano: the five seventh chords, shell and rootless voicings, the ii–V–I, swing feel, the blues scale, eight first standards and the pianists to listen to.
Jelly Roll Morton
Jazz Piano
Jelly Roll Morton (c. 1890–1941), #43 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists ranking: the boastful New Orleans pioneer whose ragtime solos swung with new freedom — with scores to play.
Jimmy Rowles
Jazz Piano
Jimmy Rowles (1918–1996), #40 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists ranking: the great singers' accompanist and composer of 'The Peacocks' — with recordings and scores to play.
John Bunch
Jazz Piano
John Bunch (1921–2010), #35 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists ranking: the tasteful swing pianist who bridged Teddy Wilson and Bud Powell — with recordings and scores to play.
Keith Jarrett
Jazz Piano
Keith Jarrett (born 1945), ranked #50 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the improviser behind The Köln Concert, jazz's best-selling solo piano album — his life, style, essential recordings, and scores to play.
Kenny Barron
Jazz Piano
Kenny Barron (b. 1943), #36 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists ranking: the unhurried modern master bridging bebop and today, still touring in 2026 — with scores to play.
Kenny Drew
Jazz Piano
Kenny Drew (1928–1993), ranked #13 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the hard-bop pianist and prized accompanist who anchored Copenhagen's jazz scene — with recordings and scores to play.
Key signatures, explained
Scales & Keys
What a key signature is, why it exists, the order of sharps and flats, and two quick tricks for naming the major key — and its relative minor — at a glance.
Learning piano as an adult: how to start and what to expect
Piano
A first plan for adult beginners: what to buy, which two books to start with, whether you need a teacher, a 12-week milestone table and what progress honestly looks like.
Learning to play piano for free: a 10-step course map
Piano
A free piano course in ten steps, from the keyboard and reading notes to chords, scales and ear training: the short answer for each step, the free tool to practice it, the guide to read next and a rough time.
Lennie Tristano
Jazz Piano
Lennie Tristano (1919–1978), ranked #30 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the blind innovator whose free-improv and overdubbing experiments predated free jazz — with essential recordings and scores.
Major and minor scales: the difference
Scales & Keys
Major sounds bright, minor sounds shaded — and the difference is a handful of lowered notes. Learn to spell and hear it, plus the three minor scales.
Mary Lou Williams
Jazz Piano
Mary Lou Williams (1910–1981), ranked #47 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the self-taught pianist-composer who spanned every jazz era and opened doors for women — her life, style, essential recordings, and scores to play.
McCoy Tyner
Jazz Piano
McCoy Tyner (1938–2020), ranked #11 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: Coltrane's pianist whose quartal, modal, percussive sound reshaped jazz piano — with recordings and scores to play.
Melodic minor scale
Scales & Keys
Learn what the melodic minor scale is, how it raises the 6th and 7th ascending, why classical practice reverts descending, and the notes of A melodic minor.
Middle C
Notation & Rhythm
What middle C is, how to find it on the keyboard, its pitch and frequency (C4, ~261.63 Hz), and where it sits on the grand staff — with a quick reference table.
Monty Alexander
Jazz Piano
Monty Alexander (b. 1944), ranked #5 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list — the Kingston-born virtuoso who fuses Caribbean rhythm with hard-swinging jazz; still touring in 2026.
Music intervals, explained
Intervals & Chords
What a musical interval is, how to count and name seconds through octaves, what major, minor, and perfect mean, and how to recognize each one by ear.
Music theory basics: the ten ideas behind every song, in order
Music Theory
Music theory for beginners in ten steps, from note names and the staff to scales, keys, intervals, chords and progressions: the short answer for each, a free tool to practice it, the full lesson and a rough time.
Nat "King" Cole
Jazz Piano
Nat "King" Cole (1919–1965), ranked #24 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the supple, riffing pianist whose drummerless trio reshaped small-group jazz — with essential recordings and scores to play.
Note values, rests, and time signatures
Notation & Rhythm
Learn how rhythm is written: note values and rests, dots and ties, and how a time signature groups the beat into measures so you can count and play in time.
Oscar Peterson
Jazz Piano
Oscar Peterson (1925–2007), ranked #1 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list — the Montreal virtuoso whose flawless technique and mighty swing defined the jazz piano trio.
Phineas Newborn Jr.
Jazz Piano
Phineas Newborn Jr. (1931–1989), ranked #22 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the phenomenal virtuoso of two-handed octave lines, praised and undervalued alike — with essential recordings and scores to play.
Piano chord progressions: the chart, the voicings and the songs
Piano
The piano chord progressions behind most songs, a chart of the chords in all 12 major and minor keys, and how to voice each one with two hands: left-hand roots, right-hand inversions and smooth voice leading.
Piano chords for beginners
Intervals & Chords
Learn how piano chords are built from stacked thirds, find the six essential beginner triads, and play your first chord progression with confidence.
Piano exercises for beginners: the daily drills that build even fingers
Piano
Eight piano exercises for beginners with the notes and fingering written out, what each one trains and how many minutes it needs, plus hand position, a first Hanon pattern and the technique books that fit any method.
Piano for kids: when to start, what to buy and how to keep them playing
Piano
A parent’s guide to piano for kids: how to tell a child is ready, what to do at the keyboard at home before lessons, how to choose a teacher and a first book, what kind of keyboard a beginner needs, and how to keep practice short, daily and free of arguments.
Piano hand position: posture, finger numbers and scale fingerings
Piano
How to sit, shape the hand and number the fingers at the piano: bench height, the curved hand, C position and other five-finger positions, thumb-under crossings, the left hand, common faults and a fingering chart for all 12 major scales.
Piano keys and notes: a map of the keyboard
Notation & Rhythm
Name any key on sight: the repeating pattern of white and black keys, the black-key landmarks, octaves and middle C, and the sharps and flats.
Piano pedals: what each pedal does and how to use them
Piano
What the three piano pedals do on a grand, an upright and a digital piano, how pedal markings look in sheet music, syncopated pedaling step by step, common mistakes and five pieces to practice on.
Piano practice routine: a 15, 30 and 45-minute plan that works
Piano
A piano practice routine with five fixed slots, warm-up, technique, new material, review and playing for pleasure, scaled to 15, 30 and 45 minutes, with the rules that make each slot count and a weekly log.
Piano scales for beginners
Scales & Keys
Learn what piano scales are, why the major scale sounds bright, how to play C major with the right fingering, and a simple practice path to start today.
Piano vs guitar vs ukulele: which is easier to learn first?
Piano
Piano, guitar or ukulele as a first instrument: one table of cost, the first month, time to a first song, portability, theory and styles, plus who should pick which.
Ralph Sharon
Jazz Piano
Ralph Sharon (1923–2015), ranked #46 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: Tony Bennett's longtime pianist and musical director and a master Songbook accompanist — his life, style, essential recordings, and scores to play.
Ray Bryant
Jazz Piano
Ray Bryant (1931–2011), #41 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists ranking: the gospel-and-blues master of solo piano who wrote 'Little Susie' — with recordings and scores to play.
Recorder songs for beginners: the 10 best to learn first
Recorder
Ten recorder songs ranked for a beginner on the soprano recorder: why each is easy, the one skill it teaches, a score link per song and how to pick your first two.
Red Garland
Jazz Piano
Red Garland (1923–1984), ranked #10 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the block-chord bluesman who powered the classic Miles Davis Quintet — with essential recordings and scores to play.
Roland Hanna
Jazz Piano
Roland Hanna (1932–2002), ranked #49 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the classically trained Detroit-school pianist, composer and teacher who fused every idiom into one voice — his life, style, essential recordings, and scores to play.
Teddy Wilson
Jazz Piano
Teddy Wilson (1912–1986), ranked #23 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the definitive swing stylist of the "walking tenths," a Benny Goodman mainstay — with essential recordings and scores to play.
Tete Montoliu
Jazz Piano
Tete Montoliu (1933–1997), ranked #21 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the blind Catalan bebopper who became Europe's premier jazz pianist — with essential recordings and scores to play.
The bass clef, explained
Notation & Rhythm
Read the bass clef with confidence: what the F clef marks, the line and space note names, where middle C sits, and a simple path to fluency.
The Best Jazz Pianists of All Time
Jazz Piano
Jazz journalist Gene Rizzo's ranking of the 50 greatest jazz piano players — Peterson, Evans, Powell, Tatum, Monk, Hancock, Corea and more — with a full table, the eras of jazz piano, and scores to play.
The Best Women Jazz Pianists
Jazz Piano
The ten greatest women jazz pianists in Gene Rizzo's ranking — from Mary Lou Williams and Marian McPartland to Eliane Elias, Toshiko Akiyoshi and Renee Rosnes — with corrected dates and scores to play.
Thelonious Monk
Jazz Piano
Thelonious Monk (1917–1982), ranked #15 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the singular composer-pianist behind "'Round Midnight" and angular, swinging jazz — with scores to play.
The pentatonic scale, explained
Scales & Keys
What the pentatonic scale is, how to spell the major and minor versions, why dropping two notes makes it sound safe, and how to play one on the piano.
The treble clef, explained
Notation & Rhythm
Read the treble clef with confidence: what the G clef is, name every line (E, G, B, D, F) and space (F, A, C, E), and find middle C below the staff.
Tommy Flanagan
Jazz Piano
Tommy Flanagan (1930–2001), ranked #8 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list — jazz's most tasteful accompanist, from Coltrane's 'Giant Steps' to a celebrated trio career.
Trumpet songs for beginners: the 10 best to learn first
Trumpet
The ten best trumpet songs for a beginner, ranked from Taps to the Trumpet Voluntary: why each one is easy on a B♭ trumpet, the skill it teaches, and a score to play from.
Types of pianos: grand, upright, digital and keyboard compared
Piano
Every type of piano by size, from the spinet to the concert grand, plus digital pianos, hybrids and portable keyboards in one comparison table, with straight answers on piano vs keyboard, digital vs acoustic and learning on a keyboard.
Ukulele for beginners: how to choose, hold, tune and play your first chords
Ukulele
A complete first guide to the ukulele: the four sizes, holding and tuning, how to read chord diagrams, the eleven first chords with frets, four strums, seven songs and a 4-week plan.
Ukulele songs for beginners: the 10 best to learn first
Ukulele
The ten best ukulele songs for beginners, ranked easiest first, with the chords each one needs (C, G, Am, F…), what it teaches your hands and a score for every song.
Violin songs for beginners: the 10 best to learn first
Violin
Ten violin songs a beginner can actually play, ranked: the key, the tempo feel and the one bow technique each teaches, from Amazing Grace to a session jig.
What is the chromatic scale?
Scales & Keys
Learn what the chromatic scale is: all 12 pitches an octave apart by half steps, why it has no home key, how to spell it up and down, and how to play it.
Willie "The Lion" Smith
Jazz Piano
Willie "The Lion" Smith (1893–1973), ranked #48 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the flamboyant Harlem stride master and most harmonically daring of the superstriders — his life, style, essential recordings, and scores to play.
Wynton Kelly
Jazz Piano
Wynton Kelly (1931–1971), ranked #33 in Gene Rizzo's greatest-jazz-pianists list: the buoyant, swinging accompanist behind Miles Davis and Wes Montgomery — with essential recordings and scores to play.