THINKING ABOUT MAJORING IN MUSIC?

This page is meant to serve as a “jumping off” point if you are thinking about majoring in music. There are many things to consider, and you are not alone! Your school music teachers can help advise you, but so too can university/college music departments!

This page was created while preparing for a Nebraska Music Educators Association Conference session with my colleague Matt Hill.

Music TEACHERS

If you want to put a sign on a wall somewhere in your office/teaching space to direct students to this page, I’ve uploaded a document that you can print out:

Word Document | PDF

FUNDAMENTALS FOR PROSPECTIVE MUSIC MAJORS

-from Dr. Franzlau’s 2013 Midwest Band & Orchestra Clinic on the topic-

ANNotated by me

I. Music Theory

- Identify pitches on the grand staff -
- Identify and spell all major and minor scales -
- Identify and spell intervals up to one octave -
- Identify and spell triads in all inversions -
- Be able to do all of these quickly and accurately -

Music theory Resources:

https://www.teoria.com/
https://www.musictheory.net/ (including their Tenuto app)
Berklee College of Music Free Theory Handbook

 

II. Ear Training

- Learn to Solfège scales and simple melodies -
- Develop the ability to hear where “DO” is -
- Practice theory fundamentals at the keyboard -
- Develop the ability to hear and sing scales, intervals, and triads -
- Sing with a drone -

Ear Training Resources

See “Tenuto app” at https://www.musictheory.net/
Intro to Solfège
Solfège practice
An hour of interval training

 

III. The Keyboard

- Buy an inexpensive keyboard if a piano isn’t available at home, or try to use a keyboard at school -
- Play some every day, both reading notation and just by ear -
- Practice ear training and theory at the keyboard -
- Keep your eyes off the keys as much as possible when reading notation -
- Some free basic piano music that you might use to read -

Keyboard Resources

Great place to start
More free music for beginners
 

IV. Rhythm

- Develop a rock-steady internal pulse -
- Feel the subdivision constantly -
- Read rhythmic patterns, not individual notes -
- Keep moving from beat to beat, even through mistakes -
- Don’t rush long notes and rests -
- Use a metronome every day -

Rhythm resources:

Takadimi
A Takadimi series on YouTube
Tonal Energy: Buy this app!
Hoffman, Pelto, & White Takadimi Article

 

V. Listening

- Use resources like YouTube to listen to all types of music each day -
- Keep a log of what titles/composers you’ve listened to, with a sentence or two of your opinions/reactions -
- When listening to vocal music, know the text -
- Don’t try to analyze; just pay attention and remember as much as possible -

 

VI. Private Lessons

If you can afford them

- Study with the best private teacher available: ask your school music teacher where you can get private lessons.
You can also reach out to your nearby college/university/community college music department where you might find a great private teacher -
- Begin as early as possible -
- Follow their advice and instruction with as much dedication as possible -

If you can’t afford them

- ask your school music teacher for advice on how to self-study, or maybe ask them if they can suggest
someone you can to get you down the right road toward getting better on your instrument/voice. -
- Your school music teacher might also know someone from their college/university who can help by giving you a sample lesson -
- You might even be able to reach out to a local place of “higher education” like a community college, college, or university to see if the “applied faculty” (the teachers who teach your voice/instrument) give sample lessons to prospective students. Or, maybe a music major there might be available to give a few lessons to help you get better. -