Medford musician Emily O’Brien is offering a series of five online Sunday workshops titled “Practical Music Theory: Nuts and Bolts for Everyday Musicians.” O’Brien, who specializes in playing the record, will go over common nuts and bolts topics that will help you learn your music faster and sight read more easily, recognize how your part fits into the context of an ensemble piece, and gain a more detailed understanding of music you hear.

Today’s session is on musical scales, modes and keys. Scales are the framework used as a starting point for melodies, and they come in many flavors called modes. Emily will discuss the most common ones and how they’re used. She’ll also go over the order of sharps and flats; how to figure out what key a piece is in; and why some Baroque pieces in minor keys don’t fit the modern rules. Exercises will include scales and how to help make the tricky keys easier to learn – both intellectually and technically on your instrument.

Cost is $18 for this workshop; the full series of five workshops may be purchased for $80. Register on O’Brien’s website: https://www.emilysdomain.org/Recorderland/online-workshops/