Good news, my friends. The first Color Music piano book for beginners is complete. And to celebrate, it will be available to download—for free. Be sure to check it out and spread the word … if you think it’s any good. (Hint:  it is.) The new book is jam-packed with lessons, exercises, and illustrations to

(… continued from “Color Code, part 3“) Looking at music through the letters and numbers is like wearing a pair of opaque glasses. If you can’t really see through the lenses, then what is the point? Ahhh … but this is where Color Music comes in. Because it finally solves our problem. Like a pair

  (… continued from “Color Code, part 2“) When we apply numbers to music, the poor fit becomes obvious. While the musical pattern repeats seamlessly, the number labels look choppy and awkward. And it gets worse because letters have this same problem. Like the number line, the alphabet is also a linear pattern. So when

A few years ago, the band Blues Traveler had some big hits. And their lead singer, John Popper, was an unlikely rock star. He is heavier than most famous musicians. So he rocks a different image. But, hey … that didn’t really matter. Because he is a super-talented guy. And he’s especially good at playing

(… continued from “Color Code, part 1“) The old, medieval system of notation was sloppy … at best. The reason, my friends, has to do with the difference between linear and cyclical patterns. (Yes, that sounds geeky and technical. But it actually makes a lot of sense.) You see, music is really all about cyclical patterns.

  !!! Warning: Music nerdery ahead !!! Okay, so I’ve already said that traditional notation is confusing. And that standard music symbols are too complicated. But the truth is, there’s even more to it. Because the letters and numbers musicians use aren’t just inconvenient—they are fundamentally flawed. And that’s why students continue to struggle. In

The thing I like about Color Music is that it’s so simple. Using only a few pictures, it gives us a clear view of music. Just a couple of basic patterns … nothing complex like traditional notation. We can learn any song in a flash through a direct connection between our instruments and the notes on

The key to learning music is to understand note patterns first—then the language of a musician. That way, we can truly understand how to make music. No confusion or distractions with strange words or terminology. Just pure immersion into what music is really all about—simple patterns. And what’s nice is these patterns are super simple. So

Traditional music methods aren’t all bad. Mainly, because they give us a common vocabulary—a shared language that musicians can use to communicate. Over the centuries, music nerds have created all sorts of handy words to describe sound. So that when we talk about “tonics,” or “sharp-fives,” or “E-flat,” you know what I mean. The trouble is, traditional methods start with

When you think about it, building a song is fairly easy. We just repeat a few parts … and organize each section into a nice, logical order. Usually, our songs will have a couple of different melodies—like a verse and  chorus—that keep things moving forward. And together, these sections create a whole that is greater