IFR blog > Instrument blogs > Piano blog > Free sample lesson 3 IFR tonal map
Is there an IFR app for analyzing sheet music?

Is there an IFR app for reading standard music notation and showing it with the IFR tonal numbers?

Is singing the tonal numbers a crutch?

I play the guitar and in order to avoid getting lost on the fretboard I say the numbers of the scale out loud. So I literally say "1, 2, 3" etc out loud as I'm playing. Will this be like a crutch in the future where I can't move around unless I count the notes?

Jumping strings without getting lost

I am having difficulty keeping my place when I skip strings. I don't want to fall back into just memorizing scale patterns. I know it takes time to break old habits, but what would you recommend I focus on so I don't get lost as much and develop an effortless flow with the scale degrees?

12-bar blues ear training

This is a practice video where we sing together the exercise Melody Paths from the Improvise for Real method, over a major 12-bar blues chord progression.

Do you see chords vertically or horizontally?

A new IFR student asks, "When you improvise over chord progressions, do you think of the chords vertically or horizontally?"

Composing with a looper pedal

Are you curious about looping? In this video I'll show you how the looper pedal works and how easy it is to create your own loops with what you already know from your IFR practice.

Piano for Non-Pianists 13: Chord inversions (the 1 chord)

In this lesson you will learn to create chord inversions and I'll show you three fantastic exercises that will train your hands to find these chord shapes quickly on the piano keyboard.

Learn to play without looking at the fretboard

Do you wish you could play the guitar without having to look at the fretboard? In this video I'll explain the benefits of learning to play the guitar without looking, and I'll give you some tips on how to learn this ability.

Why do you call it note 6?

I’m used to calling the root of a minor key “note 1” but I notice you often call it note 6. Why wouldn’t we just call it note 1?

What about minor sounds and blues sounds?

If the major scale is the origin of all Western music, then how should we think about songs that are in a minor key, or blues music that doesn't seem to be based on the major scale at all?