Each piece of music, be it a song, symphony or concerto, is written in a specific ‘key’. But what do we mean when we refer to a musical key, why are there 24 of them, and how do composers choose which ...

Step 1: The layout of black and white keys has been standard on most piano and keyboard instruments for centuries, but how do you find your way around it? With 88 keys, a full-size piano keyboard ...

There can be little doubt that understanding how music works can help you to make better music; or, at the very least, make things easier when you’re at the composing stage of your project. Here, we ...

Mention ‘modulation’ to a computer musician and their hand will most likely reach for the nearest soft synth or keyboard mod wheel. On the theoretical side of music, though, the term refers not to the ...

It’s often been said that pop music is formulaic — or, more recently algorithmic, because the zeitgeist — but when a Twitter user posted a video of himself playing songs from The Weeknd on a ...

There’s a lot to consider when deciding if a new audition song is a good fit for you: Does it suit your vocal range? If not, can (and should) you change the key so it does? Here’s the process for ...