In my experience working with singer-songwriters, a topic that often emerges is how to use simple and strong instrumental techniques to express our songs.

Understanding the basics of piano voicings and the use of common tensions is a first step in creating effective orchestrations of reharmonized melodies.

Discussions of imaginary barlines tend to get very mathematical. It’s easier to think of them in terms of clarifying syncopation. An imaginary barline is a notation convention designed to help the music reader know what’s syncopated—off the beat—and what’s not. It’s not an actual notation mark; it is an understanding and a notation convention. In […]