I just wanted to share an insight with you guys.

As summer approaches that song gets stuck in my head, “summertime, and the living is easy.” Actually lots of songs have been getting stuck in my head, as I have a very sticky head.

I am a late in life student of music. Although I have played percussion, things with notes and chords always bewildered me. My two daughters are studying music, guitars and vocals. And, I am trying to take my stringed instrument skills as far as I can. After months of dredging up as many folk songs that we can learn and play together, I gave my kids a microphone and a copy of Audacity to use as practice tools and motivation. That worked great. I can barely get them to put their instruments down now.

But, this has also led us all into exploring music theory and song writing. I noticed some very interesting similarities to chord progressions and music theory to color wheels and color theory. Color and chords both have a circular wheel by which you can select a palate for a composition. The rules (or suggestions) for selecting from the wheel is very similar in both sets of theories.

I have heard that chords and notes have colors associated with them, and I have always had the notion that there is a link between vision and auditory sensations, but I had no idea that the theory behind their use was so similar. But, it makes sense.

In a song you want to move through the chords in a way that pleases the ear if not just gives relief within the duration of a song, just as color has to harmonize and bring variation to the eyes. Of course there are great works of art and music that are monochromatic or break these rules, but it amazes me that the theories for color and chord progressions are so similar.

As summertime rolls upon us, I will find myself drifting along our wild Alabama creeks and rivers in my canoe with my ukulele in hand instead of hustling between the classroom and the bench. I will still be at the bench, but with classes out the living gets easier. More time to drift and make music.

Thanks, I just wanted to share that insight with my friends that make stuff