Reference
Glossary, reference sheets, staff paper, and other reference material.
32 articles
Guides — 24 guides
Music theory basics: the ten ideas behind every song, in order
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.
Guitar Chords: A Beginner's Guide
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.
The Best Women Jazz Pianists
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.
The Best Jazz Pianists of All Time
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.
Guitar string names
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.
Drop D tuning
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.
Middle C
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.
What is the chromatic scale?
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.
Melodic minor scale
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.
Easy piano songs for beginners
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.
Easy guitar songs for beginners
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.
How to read guitar tabs
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 play piano: a beginner's guide
Start playing piano step by step: posture, the keyboard, your first notes, reading music, scales, chords, rhythm, and how to practice.
The pentatonic scale, explained
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.
Key signatures, explained
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.
Major and minor scales: the difference
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.
How to recognize intervals by ear
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.
Note values, rests, and time signatures
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.
The bass clef, explained
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 treble clef, explained
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.
Music intervals, explained
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.
Piano scales for beginners
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.
How to read sheet music: a beginner's guide
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.
Circle of fifths
The one diagram that turns key signatures, related keys and chords into something you can reason about — the circle of fifths, explained.
From the books — 8 articles
Note Names on the Neck
A full fretboard chart of every note name, so you can move any scale pattern to any key.
Scale Construction Table
A quick-reference table of every scale in this book — its tones and step structure at a glance.
Reading Fretboard Diagrams
How to read the fretboard diagrams used throughout the book — dots, open strings, root notes and fret numbers explained.
Glossary
An A-to-Z glossary of the musical terms and symbols used throughout the book, from accidentals and arpeggios to articulation, ballads, and bass clef.
Staff Paper
Blank staff paper for writing your own piano lines once you finish the book, ready to photocopy so you never run out of room to compose.
Reference Sheet
A quick-reference chart of white and black key names, clefs, time signatures, rhythmic values, dotted and tied notes, plus common major scales and chords.
About the Audio
Discover the online demo recordings, including hands-separate stereo tracks and full-band accompaniments you can play along with by turning down a channel.
About this Book
Get oriented with this beginner-friendly guide that blends organized lessons with playful exploration to get you making music on piano or keyboard right away.