Coastal Harmony

17/06/2026

All About Barbershop singing. The term Woodshedding is the
art of ringing chords without using printed arrangements. In
fact, the original barbershop singers did not have sheet
music. Woodshedding incorporates all the fine points of good singing, including vowel-matching and blending. The result can be an enjoyable and unique experience in quarteting.

12/06/2026

https://youtu.be/tX5ZUPuE5XY?si=wc6oTNpLOatoyFBM

This warmup exercise is great to practice changing key signature an...

09/06/2026

Anyone interested to come along to this?

06/06/2026

Here’s something to help you!

04/06/2026

Are you interested in pitch tracking apps? … Nail the Pitch: Free for live pitch viewing. A one-time Pro version upgrade (around $14.99) unlocks recording and playback features….. Vocal Pitch Monitor: 100% free to use for live visual tracking on both iOS and Android. It displays small ads on the screen………Singscope: Free for the core pitch graph and singing visualizer. It offers an optional paid "Sheet Music Support Pack" if you want to import digital music sheets………Another Great Free OptionIf you are looking specifically for a tool that balances speech and singing, check out Voice Whiz on iOS. It is completely free, requires no sign-up, and uses local AI machine learning to map out your fundamental tone frequencies in real time….. your welcome!

30/05/2026

MASTERING MUSIC YOURSELF 💜

The musical staff (also called the stave) is the group of horizontal lines and spaces used in music notation to represent the pitch and rhythm of notes.

🎼 Understanding the Musical Staff

A regular musical staff contains:
• Five horizontal lines
• Four spaces

Each line and space stands for a specific musical pitch.

Notes are written on these lines and spaces to show whether the sound is high or low.

Main Parts of the Musical Staff

1. Staff (Stave)
The five-line framework where music is written.
The lines and spaces are counted from bottom to top.

Notes may appear:
• On a line
• In a space
• Above or below the staff using ledger lines

2. Clef
A symbol placed at the beginning of the staff that determines the pitch range.

Common Clefs:
🎹 Treble Clef (G Clef) – for higher voices and instruments
🎸 Bass Clef (F Clef) – for lower voices and instruments
🎻 Alto/Tenor Clef (C Clef) – commonly used for viola, cello, and orchestral parts

Treble Clef Line Notes:
E – G – B – D – F
Mnemonic:
“Every Good Boy Deserves Favour”

Treble Clef Space Notes:
F – A – C – E
Mnemonic:
“FACE”

3. Notes
Musical symbols that show:
• Pitch (high or low sound)
• Duration (how long the note lasts)

Common Note Values:
🎵 Whole Note = 4 beats
🎵 Half Note = 2 beats
🎵 Quarter Note = 1 beat
🎵 Eighth Note = 1/2 beat
🎵 Sixteenth Note = 1/4 beat

4. Rests
Symbols that represent silence in music.
Every note value has a matching rest.

5. Bar Lines
Vertical lines that separate music into measures (bars) to organize rhythm.

Types:
• Single Bar Line
• Double Bar Line
• Final Bar Line

6. Measures (Bars)
Sections of music found between two bar lines.
The number of beats in each measure is determined by the time signature.

7. Time Signature
Written after the clef.

It tells:
• Top Number → beats in each measure
• Bottom Number → note value that receives one beat

Example:
4/4 Time
• 4 beats per measure
• Quarter note gets one beat

8. Key Signature
Sharps ( #) or flats (♭) placed after the clef to indicate the key of the music.

Example:
One sharp usually represents G Major or E Minor.

9. Ledger Lines
Short extra lines used for notes above or below the normal staff range.

10. Accidentals
Symbols that temporarily change the pitch of notes.

Types:
♯ Sharp → raises pitch
♭ Flat → lowers pitch
♮ Natural → cancels a sharp or flat

11. Dynamics
Symbols that describe volume and expression.

Examples:
• p = soft
• f = loud
• mf = moderately loud
• Crescendo = gradually getting louder

12. Tempo Markings
Instructions that indicate the speed of music.

Examples:
• Largo = very slow
• Andante = moderate walking pace
• Allegro = fast

13. Repeat Signs
Used to show that a section of music should be played again.

14. Tie and Slur
• Tie → connects two notes of the same pitch
• Slur → smoothly joins different notes

🎼 Why the Musical Staff Matters

The musical staff helps musicians:
✅ Read music correctly
✅ Understand rhythm and pitch
✅ Share musical ideas universally
✅ Perform together with accuracy and harmony

The staff remains the foundation of standard music notation.

30/05/2026

Just as scales give you the notes, chords give you the harmony—multiple notes played at once. Most Western chords are built by stacking thirds (every other note) from a scale.

Here are the main types of chords in music, from basic to advanced:

1. Triads (3-note chords)
The foundation of almost all harmony. Built from a root, third, and fifth.

· Major: Root, major 3rd, perfect 5th (C - E - G). Sound = bright, happy.
· Minor: Root, minor 3rd, perfect 5th (C - Eb - G). Sound = dark, sad.
· Diminished: Root, minor 3rd, diminished 5th (C - Eb - Gb). Sound = tense, scary, unstable.
· Augmented: Root, major 3rd, augmented 5th (C - E - G #). Sound = dreamy, floating, unsettled.

2. Seventh Chords (4-note chords)
Adds a 7th above the root, creating more color and tension.

· Major 7 (Cmaj7): Major triad + major 7th (C - E - G - B). Sound = jazzy, nostalgic.
· Dominant 7 (C7): Major triad + minor 7th (C - E - G - Bb). Sound = bluesy, wants to "resolve" (very common in rock/blues/jazz).
· Minor 7 (Cm7): Minor triad + minor 7th (C - Eb - G - Bb). Sound = cool, soulful, mellow.
· Half-Diminished (Cm7♭5): Diminished triad + minor 7th. Sound = dark, mysterious.
· Fully Diminished (C°7): Diminished triad + diminished 7th. Sound = very tense, dramatic.

3. Extended Chords (5+ notes)
Add 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths (the same as 2nd, 4th, 6th, but an octave higher). Used heavily in jazz and R&B.

· Examples: Cmaj9, C13, Cm11.
· Sound: Rich, complex, lush. Rarely play every note—guitarists and pianists omit less important notes.

4. Suspended Chords (Sus)
Replace the 3rd with a 2nd or 4th. Neither major nor minor.

· Sus2 (Csus2): C - D - G. Sound = open, spacious.
· Sus4 (Csus4): C - F - G. Sound = bright, hanging, wants to pull back to major.

5. Slash Chords (Bass note not the root)
Written like C/E (C major with E in the bass). Creates smooth bass lines or unexpected harmonic shifts.

How to Remember Them:

· Major = Happy (like the "Star Wars" theme)
· Minor = Sad (like "Someone Like You")
· Diminished = Scary (like in horror films)
· Augmented = Floating (like the intro to "Oh! Darling" by The Beatles)
· Dominant 7 = Bluesy, wants to move (countless rock 'n' roll songs)

Practical Tip: On piano or guitar, learn your major and minor triads first (12 of each). Then add the dominant 7th shape—it unlocks thousands of blues, rock, and pop songs.

30/05/2026