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Sonata form is one of those things that seems rather scary at first, but once you get to grips with it it's actually a lot more simple than you think, and unlocks a whole load of music in one go! So, here go...

When deciding where to take a phrase, look at the final 3 or 4 notes of the phrase. This will give you an indication of the chord you will use as a pivot chord.Pivot chords are essential for modulating throu...

The Baroque period comes first in the three main periods of the Western classical tradition (taught at GCSE). It is the first from Baroque, Classical and Romantic. It's generally accepted that the years 1600...

Minimalism, in music, is a movement from the 20th century. Most popular in 1960s America, it involves using little or limited 'raw' materials (e.g. in music this included minimal pitch and harmony). Notable ...

For the purpose of this explanation, we are looking at the Classical Sonata (where the Classical period is roughly between 1750 and 1810). Sonata form is the first movement of a sonata. This is split into th...