Exploring Common Chord Progressions
Explore common chord progressions, what makes them so powerful, and how they’re used in popular music to make a song stick.
Different genres (styles) of music use distinctive techniques to create their recognisable sound. What makes rock different from pop? Ska different from reggae? Renaissance different from Romantic? Train your ears to recognise the characteristic sounds of genres so that you can identify them and even write, improvise and play music in these styles yourself.
Explore common chord progressions, what makes them so powerful, and how they’re used in popular music to make a song stick.
On first listen, Klezmer sounds oddly familiar. Learning the musical elements of this passionate, funky Jewish genre opens up new expressive possibilities.
Paul Green lives in two worlds – as his early musical love of jazz meets his Jewish roots, creating a new expression of the old tradition of klezmer music.
Can you identify the genre of any song just by listening to it? This is a great skill to develop, and it’s a fun one to train your ears for! Find out how.
Enter the exciting, nuanced world of the seven musical modes with our guide to understanding, building, and using these expressive scales.
Feeling Christmas-y but looking to freshen up the old playlist? Try these beautifully, festive, wintery tunes that shine with the holiday vibe.
Ready to open your ears to some Christmas music that takes out the gaudiness and doubles down on the festivity? We have just the playlist for you…
You can play the music you love true to form, or take some creative liberties. Learn about the art of musical interpretation and how to apply it.
Learn about the rhythmic tradition of clave, its widespread use in traditional and contemporary music, and how to play the rhythm yourself.
Did you know that the rhythmic backbone of pop music is borrowed from Afro-Cuban music? Discover the connection between African drumming and pop radio!
Musical U’s own Andrew Bishko talks Klezmer music, its cultural origins as Jewish folk music, and its idiosyncratic and expressive nature.