What do I love about classical music?

Book Back Cover

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 I love the beautiful sound; that and the amazingly coherent mathematical beauty that is the core of music theory; that and of course the satisfaction, excitement and challenge of actually playing piano by sight-reading classical sheet music that was written by the likes of Beethoven and Mozart. And now with the internet, now is the best time in history to learn!

I love how eloquent and articulate classical sheet music “describes” the intricacies of the sound of that piece of music. That and the beauty of the simplicity of the black and white music notes on paper spanning the ten lines and spaces of the Piano Grand Staff. All music can be accurately translated into sheet music, which with understanding of music theory, it is easy to learn to sight-read and play on the piano.  All sheet music is composed of simple notation of whole, half, quarter and sixteenth notes, with some rests, accidentals, dynamics and articulation notation thrown in here and there (don't worry, this book teaches what all these fancy music terminology means). Piano sheet music also features key & times signatures, chords & arpeggios, finger numbers, slurs, ties, sharps, flats, crescendos, diminuendos and staccatos, the treble & bass clefs on the piano grand staff, measures and ledger lines, rhythms & harmonies, dotted notes, Major and minor Scales, repeats, octaves and pedal cue marks. Not to mention that without this 'written sheet music', we would not have any of the great sonatas and symphonies of the Classical Era that were written more than 200 years ago. These simple notations on paper immortalized the classical music of the late great icons like Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang A Mozart... And the best part of learning to music theory and to read sheet music is that there is an unlimited amount of sheet music waiting for you online and at your local music stores. There is more music than you could ever play in a lifetime! Your favorite songs are waiting for you. It all starts in first grade music school. (oh and the best part is the more you learn, the better it gets!)

ADDING YOUR OWN ARTISTIC COLOR TOUCH AS A GUIDE TO HELP YOU LEARN AND SIGHT-READ. Good old fashioned black and white, ink and paper sheet music is great just as is. I don't want to change anything about the unadulterated classic form of sheet music. I am not trying to re-invent classical sheet music, I think of adding a personal touch of color as evolving and improving upon the old.

This “My Music in Color” Book in your hands is currently black and white. You add the touch of color yourself as a learning tool and sight-reading guide. Use color to accentuate and emphasize the music. Make your own personalized color code system, something that makes sense and works for you. I like to color in the note tails of some pieces various colors, or color all the lines blue and spaces red, making “skips” and “steps” easier to read at a glance. Or some pieces I like to color all C notes red, and all G sharps green or B flats orange. It is completely up to you. Just highlight segments or the rhythms phrases or just make it the music look pretty, whatever makes you happy, and assists you in sight-reading faster and more effectively than ever before. Be sure to enter “your” colored music into the school contest for best Colored Sheet Music. Check out the BPS Color Music Contest for ideas.

♪ ♪ Meet Your 1st Grade Music Teacher ♪ ♪

David is a Sociologist and Scientist (Bachelors of Arts from the SUNY Albany '07),

United States Marine, Afghanistan War Veteran (Operation Enduring Freedom '09),

Author (library of works and website links at dwcoon.blogspot.com),

Teacher at the Online Tutoring School, Piano Teacher at BPS,

ESL Tutor, and a Computer and Info Sciences Teacher,
and an entrepreneur of multiple other businesses.