The music alphabet is a system of letters that are assigned to represent notes of music. Get a firm handle on the music alphabet before moving on, as everything else is based on this system that matches letters with sound. The music alphabet contains 7 letters: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Each line and space on the staff (the five lines you see on a piece of sheet music) represents a different letter. Memorizing these letters and their corresponding place on the staff will enable you to read sheet music. Scales are simply a sequence of notes. As you learned when reading about the music alphabet, each note has an assigned letter. A scale is just a combination of these letters. This is a C Major scale: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. On your instrument, playing each of these notes in this order would create a C Major scale. Once you have a firm handle on how to read notes off of sheet music, practice playing scales by finding sheet music that features scale exercises. The longer you practice, the more fluent you will become. An interval describes the distance in pitch between notes. While intervals can be visually observed on sheet music (intervals are the number of lines and spaces between each note) you can also practice hearing intervals to gain a basic understanding of the concept. You can hear intervals by playing two different notes. Notice which notes are missing between the two. That difference is an interval. Use an interactive website to guide you through using ear training to understand intervals. Chords are simply certain notes of a scale combined into one sound. When playing a scale, you would play note by note. When playing a chord, you would play each of those notes at the same time. Learn the most common chord structures for your instrument and play them often. Practice reading them off of sheet music so you can easily spot them. Chords give structure and organization to music. When you listen to a song, the overall sound you are hearing is a result of a certain combination of chords. Most chords are based on three notes being played at the same time. Key signatures will designate the overall key of the song you want to play and will be marked on the staff at the very beginning the piece of music. Learning how to read the key signature is essential when it comes to reading sheet music fluently. Key signatures also designate how many flats and sharps will be played in that piece of music. Many sites will offer self-check quizzes after every lesson or unit of lessons. This will help you stick with a concept until you have mastered it, then you can move on when you are ready. Gain practical application by practicing what you are learning. You can try transposing a piece of music to a different key, or you can take up an instrument like the piano, an instrument that is set up in a way that makes it very easy to see the notes and relationships between them.

Summary: Memorize the music alphabet in order to begin reading music. Practice musical scales by reading them on sheet music. Use ear training to gain a basic understanding of intervals. Memorize basic chords and play them often. Read key signatures to play the proper key when using sheet music. Practice concepts one step at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

A popular accessory for metalheads is a black leather armband and belt. Metalheads may wear a band on one or both arms. The length varies. Some metalheads prefer a wristband that only goes up 12 inches (2.55.1cm), while others might want one that almost reaches the elbow. Try some different varieties to see what you like. Some armbands are studded or spiked for extra style. If you opt for this option, be careful not to accidentally poke or rub anyone in public with them. Black studded belts are especially popular with women in the metal scene. They go well with tight black pants. Since the 2000s, hats are much more common in the metal community. Band members wear them often to keep their hair out of their eyes while they're on stage. Fans have started wearing hats more often too. The most common type is a fitted baseball hat style, usually with a band logo. Other designs on your hat are fine. If you like a sports team, feel free to wear a hat with their logo as well. Different hats like fedoras aren't very popular among metalheads. Opt for a baseball hat or no hat. Metalhead women especially like wearing shiny, silver jewelry with their outfits. Necklaces, chains, bracelets, rings, and earrings all go well with a heavy metal look. Jewelry decorated with skulls or crosses works especially well. Jewelry isn't just for women. Many metalhead men like wearing skull necklaces or silver chains. Be careful if you wear jewelry to a concert. Make sure it isn't too loose-fitting or it could get caught on someone and pulled off.

Summary: Look for black armbands and belts. Put on a fitted band hat. Shop for silver jewelry to complement your outfit.

with a smile and a "thank you." When someone praises your work, accept the recognition rather than brushing it away. You don't need to elaborate on how much work you did, but there is nothing wrong with graciously letting others recognize your work. Try saying something like this the next time someone compliments your work: "I appreciate your noticing my work; thanks for telling me." "I'm really pleased everything went well with the project." "Thank you. It was hard work, but I'm glad I was able to do it." When people pay attention to your work, you may be tempted to say that it was nothing, it wasn't hard work, or someone else could have done it better. If you feel tempted to say things like this, simply say "thank you," and smile. It takes practice to accept compliments and to not feel uncomfortable from the attention. Remember, you did good work and there is nothing wrong with admitting you worked hard! While it's important to graciously accept praise, it's just as important to recognize and name the people who were instrumental in your success. Maybe you worked on a team or got a lot of helpful information from a senior coworker. Try saying something like: "Thank you. It was definitely a team effort and my coworkers and I worked hard on the project." "Thanks so much. Robert from the underwriting department really helped me understand the processes so much better." "Mary definitely helped encourage me to keep going when I got stuck." After you've accepted a compliment, move the conversation along so that it doesn't seem like you just want to talk more about yourself. For example, you could say something like, "Thank you so much, Mark. It was a hard project but it feels good to have done it. By the way, I heard you were working on a new proposal. How is that going?" Depending on the kind of work you do, you may not ever have someone give you a lot of praise for it. You can definitely still feel proud of your work, and you can even mention that you're proud when telling other people about what you do. For example, if someone asks you how work is going, you could say something like, "It's going well. I actually just completed a month-long research project and feel really good about what I did."
Summary: Accept compliments Avoid downplaying your work or being self-deprecating. Give recognition to people who helped you. Ask a question to keep the conversation moving. Remember that you can take pride in your work even if no one sees it.