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December 2022 Music Blog

Posted by on December 22nd, 2022 | Comments off

December 2022 Music Blog

Digital Recording 

At the Colorado School of Music we teach a variety of instruments ranging from piano lessons, guitar lessons, vocal lessons, voice lessons, violin lessons, viola lessons, drum lessons, percussion lessons, ukulele lessons, trombone lessons, tuba lessons, euphonium and other orchestral instruments. We have students come from Denver, Lakewood, Arvada, Wheat Ridge, Morrison, Littleton, Golden and Evergreen. Contact us to come and try a lesson. www.coloradoschoolofmusic.com info@coloradoschoolofmusic.com or 303-526-9865

There are many option these days when it comes to digital recording. Each DAW or digital audio work station has its strengths. When it comes down to recording they all are very comparable as far as the sound you may get from one to the next regarding the  audio file. The biggest difference from one DAW to the next is in its features and how to access different editing and mixing options and moves. Currently I am using Logic Pro X. I’ve been recording digital since 1996 and I’ve used Cubase, Digital performer, Reason and Garage Band. I’ve always used Mac computers over P.C. as they are more stable and just better tools. Logic is made by Apple for Apple computers there fore Logic is extremely powerful and intuitive. 

The next thing to consider is what kind of audio interface you will use. Again there are more interface options than DAW options so it gets kind of tricky to figure out what will work best for you. When I first staring recording digitally we had to open up our computers and install an audio recording card in order to get sound in and out of the computer. Things have come a long way since then. If your just staring out and want a basic interface I real like the Focusrite Scarlett interface. It sounds great and is basically just plug and play on a Mac. I have recently upgrade my interface to the Apollo Twin X heritage addition interface made by Universal audio.  I have to say I have been blow away by this little unit. With this interface you are able to use plugins in real time without and latency. A plugin is an application that allows a use to add different dimensions and sound to a recorded or a sound while its benign recorded like with the Apollo. Latency is the lag or delay time that your DAW has in order to process the signal. When using a unit like the Focusrite there is just the smallest amount of latency but it is still there. By no means does this effect your performance as far as it not being recorded on time but you may hear it a little when you are actually doing the recording. With these newer Apollo interfaces you have 0 latency. In addition to no latency you are able to use plugins at the same time you are recording and yes still 0 latency. Universal Audio has some of the worlds best plugins that replicate the hardware extremely well. Now you can have hardware that would cost two or three thousand dollars for just a couple hundred dollars or less. Not to mention you don’t need racks and racks of gear any more as it’s all just in the box.(Computer based) 

The last thing I’ll be discussing here in regards to digital recording is your microphone when recording analog instruments such as a voice or acoustic guitar. This is the last and one of the most important things to consider when recording. This is were your signal starts so if you can afford a nice condenser microphone don’t be afraid to spend a little more money here. It will help everything sound better that is being processed into your interface and into your DAW. There is a very big rang here when it comes to mics so do your research to get a good versatile mic. I hope this has given you a little insight into the digital recording world.

Please contact us to come in for your $10 introductory lesson from one of our great instructors or myself to learn further about music education. We offer guitar lessons, piano lessons, drum lessons, violin lesson, Ukulele lessons, vocal lessons as wells as some orchestral instruments and more.  

Have a great holiday season!

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November Music Blog 2022 #1

Posted by on November 2nd, 2022 | Comments off

November Music Blog 2022 #1

At the Colorado School of Music we teach a variety of instruments ranging from piano lessons, guitar lessons, vocal lessons, voice lessons, violin lessons, viola lessons, drum lessons, percussion lessons, ukulele lessons, trombone lessons, tuba lessons, euphonium and other orchestral instruments. We have students come from Denver, Lakewood, Arvada, Wheat Ridge, Morrison, Littleton, Golden and Evergreen. Contact us to come and try a lesson. www.coloradoschoolofmusic.com info@coloradoschoolofmusic.com or 303-526-9865

Today I will be discussing the importance of know your music theory as well as discussing some basic music theory. 

The best analogy I can give regarding knowing your theory is we all know 2+2=4 and if you can’t add you probably can really do any other math correctly. Music is math based and relates very much the same way. If you don’t know the notes in a C major scale you probably could tell me the notes in a C chord or how its constructed.

Im going to take a little time and explain some very basic and usable music theory now. 

When you play, sing or write a major scale what ever the scale of key you are executing is, You start on that note and then continue up the music alphabet. To start we are going to use the C major scale as our example key. You may be saying what is a key? There are 12 major keys and 12 relative minor keys. Today I will only be using the key of C major. Reason for this is the key of C has no flats and no sharps. (A flat lowers a note by one half step and a sharp raised it a half step.) When we sing, play or writing the C major scale it would appear as this: C,D,E,F,G,A,B. Each key has 7 notes. From each scale note or scale degree you can build a chord.

A chord is defined as two or more notes played simultaneously. Most chords will have 3 or more notes. If we take the first scale degree from the key of C it would be C. Now to our C note we are going to add an E note. Now we are playing the two notes of C and E and now let’s add a G note to this group of notes or chord. Playing C-E-G together gives us a proper C major chord. The definition of your major chord is root third and fifth.(R-3rd-5th) If you are able to play the chord listen to how it sounds and makes you feel. Music has is one of the unique arts that has the ability to tap into our emotions. So yes how does the C chord make you feel. I like to think of a C major chord as a sunny day or happy news. If we go to the next scale degree of C it would be D. If we apply the same theory to the D note we will be building a D minor chord. The theory will be the same but we will get a different value chord. Our D minor chord is constructed as D-F-A. The difference between the C major chord and D minor is the 3rd of the chord. In music we have half steps and whole steps and from these we build our major scale. A major scale has whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half step. If you can get behind a keyboard or piano this theory make whole lot more sense. When looking at a piano you will see there are two spots where there is not a black key between the white keys. Those are the half steps and the rest of the white keys have a black key between them and those are the whole steps.(from white key to white key with a black key in between.) This how we arrive at W,W,H,W,W,W,H for our major scale. When you look at this distance between the first scale degree C and the 3rd scale degree of E you will see there are two whole steps between the two notes. This is call a major 3rd interval and defines your major chord. Now if we look at D and check how far away E is from D you will see there is one whole step and one half step. This is called a minor 3rd and defines your minor chord. When you look at the 5th of each of these chords you will see they have the same distance from each of the chords. C to G is W,W,H,W and this is the same distance from D to A from our D minor chord. The minor chord definition is R-b3rd-5th. As you can see and hear moving one note just a half step creates a whole different sound. 

Please contact us to come in for your $10 introductory lesson from one of our great instructors or myself to learn further about music theory. We offer guitar lessons, piano lessons, drum lessons, violin lesson, Ukulele lessons, vocal lessons as wells as some orchestral instruments and more.                 

 303-526-9865 or info@coloradoschoolofmusic.com

Flute and Piano performance at the Arvada Center

Music Blog October 2022

Posted by on October 23rd, 2022 | Comments off

Music Blog October 2022

At the Colorado School of Music we have students come from all over the Denver metro area and nearby for private music lessons including Lakewood, Wheat ridge, Arvada, Golden, Morrison and Evergreen. We offer piano lessons, guitar lessons, ukulele lessons, violin lessons, viola lessons, vocal lessons, voice lessons, clarinet lessons, saxophone lessons, drum lessons, percussion lessons, trombone lessons, tuba lessons and euphonium lessons.

This music blog will be discussing the fantastic art of improvisation. Improvising on an instrument can be a life long journey. For me I have been addicted to jamming and improvising ever since the first time I was taught the concept. My first instrument is the guitar and have been practicing improvising in music for the last 30 years. 

First I will be discussing the different tools used to improvise. Today I will be mostly talking about improvising a solo. You can improvise with chords as well. When I think of approaching a solo or just jamming along with others, I think of which tools I may use to create a solo. First we have all the different scales that we can use. We have pentatonic scales, major and minor scales. We can alter the major and minor scales. Which brings us into using Modes. There are 7 different modes and each will give you a different sound or color when used properly. Basically a mode is taking either the major scale and altering one note or doing the same to the natural minor scale. There is also a harmonic minor scale and a melodic minor scale that can be used when improvising. I have gone into detail in previous music blogs are the Modes. 

The next tool used when improvising is the arpeggio. An arpeggio is a broken chord or playing a chord one note at a time. For example a C major arpeggio is C-E-G and then it repeated. You can practical make an arpeggio out of any chord. If you have a favorite chord try arpeggiating it. When using an arpeggio the arpeggio does not need to match the chord that it’s being played over. You may find that certain arpeggios compliment different chords. For example if you have a C major chord you may like the way and Eminor arpeggio sounds over it. This all comes down to personal preference. I like chocolate ice cream and you may like strawberry ice cream.

The last  tool that I will be discussing is different chords or intervals. An interval is just the distance from one note to the next. You can use peace of chords to improvise with. One of my favorite intervals to use in the sixth interval. Thirds are also very appealing to the ear.

Now I am goin to discuss a few improving concepts. The first is called call and answer. I am going to use an analogy to explain this. Let’s say I give you a call on the telephone and I say “Hello this is Dean what are you up to right now?” I would stop talking in order to let you respond with your answer. You may say “I am working on how to improvise.” Then you would stop talking in order for me to answer. This would continue until the conversation was over. This is consider an example of call and answer. On your instrument you emulate this you would play a phrase or a few notes then pause for a moment and then create a second musical phrase to respond of answer the call. The second concept I am going to introduce is a bit simpler. It is repeating yourself. When we have a conversation with someone and are want to stress a certain part of the conversation we may repeat the same thing twice or even three times to stress the importance of what we have said. It goes the same for improvising in music. If you play something you like repeat it more that once maybe you play it three times. You may want to change it just a little bit on the third or fourth time repeating it to keep it interesting depending on what phrase you are repeating. 

The number one this to remember when improvising is listening to what you’re playing and how the notes sound with the chord or chord progression you improvising over. Of course playing the right notes for the key you’re in is also paramount. I hope this blog on improvising has been helpful on getting you started on your life long journey of improvisation. Please contact us to come in for your $10 introductory lesson from one of our great instructors or myself to learn further about improvising. We offer guitar lessons, piano lessons, drum lessons, violin lesson, Ukulele lessons, vocal lessons as wells as some orchestral instruments and more.  303-526-9865 or info@coloradoschoolofmusic.com

Thank for Reading!

CSoM NEWSLETTER … October 2021

Posted by on October 16th, 2022 | Comments off

CSoM NEWSLETTER … October 2021

Welcome to the Colorado School of Music!

The Colorado School of Music provides private music lessons for all ages and levels in piano lessons, guitar lessons, violin lessons, drums lessons, voice lessons and band/orchestra instrument instruction. Located in the heart of downtown Golden, our current roster is comprised of musicians from all over the Denver Metro area and includes students from Golden, Denver, Arvada, Wheat Ridge, Lakewood, Littleton and Boulder!   

Fall In! –  With the leaves turning and the kids back in school, music lessons are in full swing!  We’d like to welcome all of our new students to the Colorado School of Music and say welcome back to all of our returning students! 

Scheduled Holiday Closures, 2019

The Colorado School of Music will take a short break over Thanksgiving (Thursday and Friday Nov 25th and 26th,) and will be closed for two weeks for our annual holiday break. No classes and no charge for these dates. Thank you!

CLOSED for  Thanksgiving Holiday, Thursday and Friday, November 25-26

CLOSED for Holiday Break- December 20th through January 2nd.

Lessons for everyone:

-Piano lessons for all ages and ability levels. Looking for something specific in your piano study? We have instructors that specialize in many styles.

–Guitar lessons, Electric Bass lessons or Ukulele lessons for aspiring guitarists of all ability levels and styles.

-Drum and/or specialty percussion lessons – learn to jam on a drum kit or explore world rhythms with our skilled and diverse percussion instructor.

-Vocal music lessons for aspiring singers or those looking to pass that big audition!

-Violin lessons with our talented violin instructor. A great choice for both young and old, private violin lessons are fun and rewarding.

-Private music lessons for school band/ orchestra instruments   

To get started, email info@coloradoschoolofmusic.com or call 303-526-9865 today!

Please Leave a Message-

During the course of a week we field many phone calls from students and parents regarding lessons, scheduling and cancellations. During the afternoon, we often let the answering machine retrieve our messages so as not to disrupt class sessions. Please know that we are very conscientious about retrieving our missed calls and we always listen to our messages. We do not, however, make return calls for lesson cancellations unless requested. If you need to cancel for the week, please call 303-526-9865 and leave a message. Thank you!

Never Too Old…music lessons for adults!

Music lessons are for the young at heart, not just the young. If you’ve been thinking of renewing your love of piano or taking your guitar playing to the next level, try a private lesson with us! At the Colorado School of Music we are proud to have many adult students on our roster, studying all different disciplines. Our instructors are experienced with students of all ages, and will be happy to work with you to be sure that your lessons meet your individual needs. 

Adult music lessons are available for all instruments, including guitar lessons, piano lessons, singing lessons, drums, violin, and more.

Vocal lessons and Piano lessons

Happy Halloween!

September 2022 Music Blog #2

Posted by on September 29th, 2022 | Comments off

At the Colorado School of Music we have students come from all over the Denver metro area and nearby for private music lessons including Lakewood, Wheat ridge, Arvada, Golden, Morrison and Evergreen. We offer piano lessons, guitar lessons, ukulele lessons, violin lessons, viola lessons, vocal lessons, voice lessons, clarinet lessons, saxophone lessons, drum lessons, percussion lessons, trombone lessons, tuba lessons and euphonium lessons.

Today I will be discussing the diminished chords and the minor 7th b5th chords along with some other basic key and chord knowledge. Both of these chords are native to a major or minor key and at this point is where a key has the most tension. I will be using the major key as our tonic or reference point. Your major key is comprised of seven chords that are built off each scale degree. Our C major scale would be: C, D, E, F, G, A and B. The seven chords that are built from this scale and our native to the key are: C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and Bdim. To better under stand the difference between these different chords I will use what I refer to as chord definitions. Major chord = R-3rd-5th (C-E-G) Minor chord = R-b3-5th (C-Eb-G) Diminished chord =  R-b3rd-b5th (C-Eb-Gb)

As you can see from these definitions that changing one half step on our instrument can create a different quality chord. If you are not familiar with the sound of a diminished chord the first time you play it you may think you have one of the notes in the wrong spot. The sound of the diminished chord does have that feeling about it. It is dissonant and has tension in its sound.

The diminished chord in the key of C would we the seventh chord in the key and would be B diminished which badly wants to move up to C to resolve the tension in the chord and key. I think its best when you play all the chords in a key from the one chord through the seventh chord and finish your cycle back on the one chord. When you try this take note of how all the chords sound as they fit together, even the diminished chord! One reason they sound like this is  because all the chords you play in a key are all created from the same scale. 

Now I am going to move on to the minor 7th b5 chord. The minor 7th b5 chord takes the place of the diminished chord in a major or minor key. Therefor the seventh chord in a major key is the minor 7th b5 chord. If we stay with the same key of C major then your seven chord in C would now be Bmin7b5. How we arrive at minor 7th b5 chord is we are adding a fourth note to our chord. Again to better understand how a chord is comprised I will use the definitions of the four different kind of seventh chords that are native to a key. Major 7th=R-3rd-5th-7th Minor 7th=R-b3rd-5th-b7th Dominant 7th=R-3rd-5th-b7th and your minor 7th b5th=R-b3rd-b5th-b7th. The minor 7th b5th chord is a strong sound in jazz music. Again it may sound dissonant by itself but used in the right context is very hip!

I hope this blog on Van Halen has got you inspired to better your skills. Please contact us to come in for your $10 introductory lesson from one of our great instructors or myself. We offer guitar lessons, piano lessons, drum lessons, violin lesson,vocal lessons as wells as some orchestral instruments and more.  

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Colorado School of Music

September 2022 Music Blog

Posted by on September 9th, 2022 | Comments off

At the Colorado School of Music we have students come from all over the Denver metro area for private music lessons including Lakewood, Wheat ridge, Arvada, Golden, Morrison and Evergreen. We offer piano lessons, guitar lessons, ukulele lessons, violin lessons, viola lessons, vocal lessons, voice lessons, clarinet lessons, saxophone lessons, drum lessons, percussion lessons, trombone lessons, tuba lessons and euphonium lessons. 

Today I am going to be talking about one of the most innovative guitarist of the 20th century. Edward Van Halen. Van Halen born January 26, 1955 in Amsterdam. Edward inherited his father’s music ability. Jan Edwards father was a Dutch jazz pianist, clarinettist, and saxophonist. 

Van Halen was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Van Halen, which he co-founded in 1972.  Eddy began learning the piano at age six. Van Halen was never taught to read music;[11] instead, he watched recitals of Bach or Mozart and improvised. Between 1964 and 1967, he won first place in the annual piano competition at Long Beach City College. His parents wanted him to be a classical pianists, but Van Halen gravitated towards rock music. Eddy transitioned from piano to drums and eventually finding his home on the electric guitar.

Van Halen’s 1978 instrumental solo “Eruption“, which was voted number 2 in Guitar World‘s readers poll of the “100 Greatest Guitar Solos”,[91][92] showcased the tapping technique, which uses both left and right hands on the guitar neck. Although he popularized tapping, he did not invent the technique. According to MusicRadar, Steve Hackett – lead guitarist with Genesis in the 1970s – is “widely credited with inventing two-handed tapping” and was an influence on Van Halen.[93] When asked about this, Hackett said, “Eddie and I have never spoken about it, but yes, he has credited me with tapping… Eddie is a fine player, of course, and he’s the one who named the technique.” Eddy brought this tapping technique into the main stream and made it his own. Outside of this technique Van Halen changed the way guitar players tones were and added a whole new approach to playing the electric guitar. He was the master of manipulating natural and artificial harmonics. Eddy has some of the most incredible guitar solo’s as well as some of the great rock guitar riffs ever wrote. 

No matter if you are a beginner of advance guitarist there is something to be learned through Edward Van Halen’s guitar playing and song writing. 

I hope this blog on Van Halen has got you inspired to better your skills. Please contact us to come in for your $10 introductory lesson from one of our great instructors or myself. We offer guitar lessons, piano lessons, drum lessons, violin lesson,vocal lessons as wells as some orchestral instruments and more.  

August Music Blog 2022

Posted by on August 28th, 2022 | Comments off

Native Chords in a Major Key

Dean Cutinelli here from the Colorado School of Music. Remember we are just a call away to start your private music lessons. We offer guitar lessons, piano lessons, drum lessons, Violin lessons, vocal lessons as well orchestral instruments. Now on to our discussion on chords in a major key.

All major keys have the same sequence of chords. There are 7 chords in a major key. First I will be discussing the chords that appear in a key that are root third and fifth. In music theory you may have seen romaine numeral used to indicate the quality or value of the chord.(Major, Minor or Diminished.) The order of chords in a major key appears as followed = I ii ii III IV vi vii*. This equals Major one, minor two, minor three, major four, major five, minor six and diminished seven chord. All of these chords are root third and fifth. 

Now if we take each of the chords just discussed and build them out to the seventh we get a whole new batch of chords that are native to the key. Now our one chord becomes major seventh the two chord becomes minor seventh, three chord is minor seventh, four chord is major 7th, the five chord is now dominant seventh, six chord is minor seventh and the seventh chord now becomes minor seventh flat five. I recommend playing these in the order they appear. I would also play the first sequence of chords as well and compare the sound difference.(R-3rd-5th) The extended chords like major seventh and dominant 7th are very useful when writing music. You will find the extended chords are very colorful in sound.

I hope this helps a little bit on what chords are native to a key. If you’re looking to expand your chord knowledge come on in and try an introductory lesson from one of our great instructors or myself. We offer guitar lessons, piano lessons, drum lessons, violin lessons and vocal lessons as wells as some orchestral instruments.  

August 2022 Special Addition Music Blog

Posted by on August 22nd, 2022 | Comments off

By Emma Grace Brown

Guide to a Painless, Successful Relocation for Your Music Career

You’ve decided to take your talents to a new city. Maybe you’re moving to a music hub like Nashville, New York, or Los Angeles. Perhaps you’re moving to a more remote location to focus on songwriting and recording.

Whatever your reason and wherever you’re moving to, it’s essential to thoroughly prepare to avoid many of the relocation headaches other movers experience. Below, the Colorado School of Music outlines some proven tips for planning and executing a stress-free move!

Ensure It’s the Right Decision 

First, think long and hard about your decision to move. You’ve probably done this already, but it won’t hurt to reevaluate your situation and confirm that relocating is the best decision for your career and personal life. And if you have a family, it’s especially important to consider how the moving process and life in your new city will impact everyone’s daily lives.

Be Selective in Your House Hunt

Once you’ve confirmed moving is the best decision for your family, it’s time to start finding a home that meets everyone’s needs. Many factors go into choosing the right property and neighborhood. For example, your home should be close to your great schools, work, and essential establishments (e.g., pharmacies, markets, restaurants, etc.). And the neighborhood must be safe.

The home’s layout also matters. Ensure the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, floorplan, and other characteristics align with your current and future goals. Further research the rental rates and house prices in your desired area so you can plan accordingly. For example, the average home in Golden, CO is $338 per square foot. 

Hire Movers

You may want to save money by going the DIY route, but that’s a quick way to add unnecessary stress to the relocation process. Try to budget for professional moving services, and it will pay off big time.

Conduct research and connect with several movers in your area. Read customer reviews and interview two or three different companies to get quotes and determine the best fit. Some movers may even offer credits or discounts.

Get a Storage Unit  

If your family is like many others, you won’t be able to take all your belongings to the new home. Consider finding a self-storage unit in your new area for items you’re not ready to part with. Look at various facilities to find the best price; this may be a good resource. For instance, you can book a 5 x 5 unit for $39 monthly in Denver, CO.

Start Networking Now

Musicians and songwriters flourish when they have a robust network of other professionals to rely on. Start building a community in your new city, and be proactive about meeting people as soon as you arrive. Connect with venue owners, promoters, marketers, designers, and other professionals who can help you build your brand.

Upgrade Your Site

You must treat your music as a business, and part of that is creating a stellar website that distinguishes you from other artists in your genre. If you do not currently have a website, or if it’s been a while since you updated it, now is the time to take the leap. You can use a free or affordable website builder and have a unique-looking, efficient site in no time.

Start Packing

Finally, take your time packing your belongings for the move. The longer you have, the better you can organize your items for a stress-free unpacking process.

Label all your boxes, so the movers know exactly where they go in the new home, and remember to pack similar items together to avoid confusion. You can find cheap packing supplies through sites like eBay and Amazon.

Conclusion

If moving is the next step to propelling your music career, start planning your relocation today. Take time to find a home that will be your family‘s needs and hire professional movers to reduce stress. Look for an affordable self-storage unit in your new city and start building your professional network. Then, you’ll be ready to upgrade your website and pack for your new chapter!

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Would you like to read more helpful content or learn about our in-person and online private music lessons? Visit ColoradoSchoolofMusic.com today! We offer guitar lessons, piano lessons, drum lessons, violin lessons and vocal lessons as wells as some orchestral instruments.  

August Music Blog 2022

Posted by on August 13th, 2022 | Comments off

Chord Composition

Dean Cutinelli here from the Colorado School of Music. Remember we are just a call away to start your private music lessons. We offer guitar lessons, piano lessons, drum lessons, Violin lessons, vocal lessons as well orchestral instruments. Let get into our discussion on chords.

Today I’m going to cover just a few of the chord definitions and rules. To get started I will be using a minor 7th chord to begin. Your definition of a minor 7th chord is R-b3rd-5th-b7th. If you play an A minor 7th chord your note are A-C-E-G. The 3rd and 7th are what are altered or moved from play a major 7th chord.(Defined as R-3rd-5th-7th) One of my favorite chords is a Minor 11th chord. The minor 11th chord is defined as R-b3rd-5th-7th+11th. An example of this chord would A minor 11th: A-C-E-G+D. A couple of things to keep in mind is that an 11th is the same as a 4th and that your least important note in most chords is the 5th. With that said some times in order to get all the extensions in your hand especial on guitar you can drop the 5th of the chord.(Unless its a minor7th b5 chord or a chord altering the 5th) As guitar players we only really have 4 fingers to work with and sometime big extension chords can be tricky to voice. The rule of an minor chord with the number 7 or higher should always have the R-b3-5th-b7th+ the extension. 

Next let’s look at a Major 7th chord. Your standard definition for a Major 7th chord is R-3rd-5th-7th. If we have a C major 7th chord it would be C-E-G-B. I love the sound of a Major 9th chord. The major 7th rule follows the same concept of any chord that is 7th or higher should have in it R-3rd-5th-7th+what ever your extension is. A C Major 9th chord would be spelled C-E-G-B-D.(Yes the 9 is the same as 2.) In chord definitions the 2 is saved for suspended chords. Some times I see the chords notated incorrectly with the numbers being mixed up on 2nd or 9th or 4th or 11th’s. Just remember that 2 and 4 should be used after suspended chords. Also remember that a 2nd=9th 4th=11th and 6th=13th for your higher extensions. It will save you time counting up to find your extension. 

The last type of chord I will be discussing today is the dominant 7th chord. You definition for the dominant chord is R-3rd-5th-b7th. If you play a C7 chord or any chord with the note X plus just the number of 7 or higher it is a dominant chord. C7 would be C-E-G-Bb. The dominant chords are a lot of fun as you have the major 3rd interval from the a major chord with the combination of the minor 7th interval gives this chord the unique sound that it has. My favorite dominant chords are the 9th’s and 13th’s. The dominant 9th chord is a great substitution for your dominant 7th chord especial in a funk setting. The dominant 13th chord is really colorful and with the right application very hip! Here are the definitions for these two great chords. C9=C-E-G-Bb+D. C13=C-E-G-Bb+A

I hope this helps a little bit on how to build chords and the rules behind the chords. If you’re looking to expand your chord knowledge come on in and try an introductory lesson from one of our great instructors or myself. We offer guitar lessons, piano lessons, drum lessons, violin lessons and vocal lessons as wells as some orchestral instruments.  

Thank you for reading!   

CSoM NEWSLETTER … August 2022

Posted by on August 7th, 2022 | Comments off

CSoM NEWSLETTER … August 2022

The Colorado School of Music offers piano lessons, guitar lessons, ukulele lessons, violin lessons, drums lessons, voice lessons and band/orchestra lessons for all ages and levels. Located in the heart of downtown Golden, our current roster is comprised of musicians from all over the Denver Metro area and includes students from Golden, Denver, Arvada, Wheat Ridge, Lakewood, Littleton and Boulder! 

Back to…School Band and Choir!    

Are you part of a school choir, band or orchestra this fall? Earn that solo or make the push for first chair by sharpening your skills with private lessons! The Colorado School of Music offers private instruction for singing and all band and orchestra instruments including violin and viola, brass instruments, woodwinds and drum lessons. Call 303-526-9865 to book your lesson time!

Fall Schedules

If you’re a student returning from summer vacation and you’d like to get back into private music lessons for the fall – call 303-526-9865 or send an email to info@coloradoschoolofmusic.com  soon to reserve your day, time and instructor for August and the upcoming school year! Spots are going fast!  Our fall hours will be the same as our summer hours; M-TH 2pm-8pm. We currently offer piano lessons, guitar lessons, violin lessons, voice lessons, drum lessons and lessons in all band instruments!

Teacher featured

Nicole La Pierre – Over the past 25 years, Nicole has taught general/ vocal music in Jefferson County Schools and offered private lessons. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in vocal music education and organ performance for Metropolitan State College of Denver where she studied under Dr. Joyce Shupe-Kull. She has experience as a church choir director, organist, and pianist and has played piano and sung with different local groups. Nicole enjoys working with all age groups and musical styles. She feels that it is important for the lessons to fit each students learning style while also having fun!

Need to Move?

Did your soccer coach just re-structure practice times and throw your piano schedule into chaos? You’re probably not alone.  We understand the rigors of fall scheduling…so if you find that your music lesson time slot doesn’t fit, call us at 303-526-9865 and leave your name, current time slot and any days and times that work for your schedule and we’ll do our best to re-locate you!

Please Leave a Message-

During the course of a week we field many phone calls from students and parents regarding lessons, scheduling and cancellations. During the afternoon, we often let the answering machine retrieve our messages so as not to disrupt class sessions. Please know that we are very conscientious about retrieving our missed calls and we always listen to our messages. We do not, however, make return calls for lesson cancellations unless requested. If you need to cancel for the week, please call 303-526-9865 and leave a message. Thank you!

Scheduled Holiday Closures, 2022

Labor Day- Monday, September 5th

Thanksgiving Holiday, Thursday and Friday, November 24th-25th

Holiday Break- Saturday, Dec. 17th 2022 – Sunday Jan. 1st, 2023

Practice practice, practice! See you in September!

Guitar Lessons with Colorado School of Music
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