Dr Justin Wildridge

There are many Italian words used in music that hark back to the time when Italy was at the heart of Western Classical Music. Many … Read more

What is a Spinet Piano? Before the harpsichord had become fully established as a favourite keyboard instrument the spinet took centre stage. Smaller than the … Read more

Voice Leading The term’ voice-leading’ is one coined by the American musicians and derived from the German word ‘Stimmführung’ which means part-writing. This, to me, … Read more

The very mention of Music Theory often strikes a terrible fear into many musicians. In some cases, it reminds them of having to take Grade … Read more

These days I often hear a keyboard referred to as a piano and a piano referred to as a keyboard. Such is the sampling quality … Read more

The idea that music and language are closely related is not a new one although Stravinsky is supposed to have claimed that “music by its … Read more

Are these two areas of music completely separate, or are they impossible to untangle? Is it possible to compose without any knowledge of music theory … Read more

Perhaps the greatest difference between contemporary composition and the world of the classical composer is technology. While the young Mozart honed his playing and performing … Read more

If you ask any enthusiast about the subject they adore, the likely response is going to be an effusive one. Whether this is a lifelong … Read more

The piano has been an established musical instrument in homes and concert halls around the world for decades. It is popular because of its accessibility … Read more

Perhaps I could begin by saying that there is no single, right way to compose your own music. Nothing other than your ambitions dictates how … Read more

In many respects, there are no hard and fast rules that dictate how you compose music. You certainly do not need to have formally studied … Read more

The word ‘diatonic’ can be used to describe both scales and harmony. Scales are considered to be a series of single notes moving either up … Read more

Musical Composition for Beginners Musical composition is a slightly odd area of musical study in as much as it usually requires a method of notation … Read more