These days, you don’t have to sift through volumes of books to round out your musical studies. Whether it’s beginner musician tips, music education for children, music equipment, music tech, or actual lessons and collaboration you’re after, there’s a blog for it.  

In fact, most music organizations, teachers, and professionals have an online presence. So how do you find the most credible and helpful resources? I’ve waded through the internet to research some of the best music education and technology blogs, based on what you’re looking for. Here’s what I found:

General Music Blogs

• The Rest Is Noise – Alex Ross is a music critic for The New Yorker. He includes brief snippets on books he recommends, musicians he likes, nice recordings, and music news. He has written a couple of books and is currently writing a third.

• Music Subreddits – Reddit is known as ‘the front page of the internet’, and here you’ll find all things music-related. Reddit has user-generated content, so whether you’re looking for tips, resources, or contacts, you can ask the community here.  Pay particular attention to the ‘learning’ subreddits which cover topics like Ableton, bass lessons, music theory, and tabs.

• Ethan Hein’s Blog – Ethan Hein is a writer and a musician. In his blog, which he updates frequently, he discusses music history, math, technology, philosophy, and education. He is known to include syllabi and talks and lessons from other music professionals. Read his site for a more academic look into a broad range of topics in music.

Music Education Blogs

• Music Matters Blog – Although Natalie Weber is a piano teacher, she has all sorts of games, online resources, and teaching ideas for anyone in the music education space. She chronicles her experience with different products and trying out different strategies in the classroom. Her blog is well-organized so you can easily find tactics for ear training, improvising, scales, and more.

• The Bulletproof Musician – This blog is geared toward musicians of all levels. Most of the blog is related to performance anxiety, and how to get over the jitters and become an elite performer. It’s written by violinist Noa Kageyama. He covers strategies for practice, focus, resilience, and auditioning.

• Tech in Music Education – This blog comes from music education technology expert Christopher Russell, PhD. He’s known for his work on integrating technology into music education. He covers technology across the industry, from app reviews to software tutorials to how startups and tech companies are impacting music. As a choral teacher, he has plenty of choral warm-ups for tablets, as well as assessments and presentations. Highly recommended for teachers looking to incorporate tech into their lessons and stay up-to-date on the latest education technology.

Music Tech Blogs

• Music Tech Net – This blog is geared to producers, engineers, and recording musicians. It covers topics like music production, mixing, recording, and music mastering. You can find all the latest advice on the technology that’s changing the field of music.

• Analog Industries – This blog is about the music business, music software development, and all things electronic. It is writing by an electronic musician called Chris Randall. Although it’s highly technical, it’s a great resource for those looking to get into the weeds of music production and the nitty-gritty of how produced music is made.

• Wired Music – Wired is an authority in tech, so why not turn to them for all things music tech? They cover app releases, popular artists, industry developments, and music culture.

• Producer Hive – This website covers buyer guides, production techniques through to articles focussing on the mental wellbeing of producers and musicians.

Piano Blogs

• The Cross-Eyed Pianist – This blog is written by a London-based piano teacher, music reviewer, and blogger called Frances Wilson. She interviews artists and discusses piano music and culture.

• Tim Topham – Tim Topham’s tagline is, ‘Teach Piano. Differently.’ He delves into technique, learning development, and bringing a modern touch to the classical practice of teaching piano. While his blog is aimed at teachers, learners will also find tools for effective piano study. He also has a podcast and several webinars.

• Melody Payne – The Plucky Pianista – This is a blog for tools, resources, and information for students and teachers. Melody includes worksheets and mock-up lessons that she’s applied in the classroom. She has lots of tips on everything from accompaniment to creating moving performances.

Guitar Blogs

• Ultimate Guitar – While it’s not technically a blog, Ultimate Guitar is a great place to go for tabs, chords, and forums. You can find user-provided chords and tabs for most modern songs and many older, more traditional classics too.

• Guitar Player Magazine – This online magazine is an expansive resource for guitarists of all levels. You can find gear reviews, information on guitar models, interviews with guitarists, exercises, and more. You can also sort articles by almost any genre of music to explore the kinds of music you’re most interested in.

• Musician Tuts – A tutorial platform that’s geared toward guitar players. There are reviews, guides, and in-depth tutorials for guitarists looking for a community of like-minded learners. You’ll find fun articles like ‘Top 100+ Easy Guitar Songs.’

• How To Play Chords – A free guide on how to play chords.

While you’re at it, Sheet Music Scanner is a fast-growing resource for beginning musicians, music teachers, and music hobbyists. Easily scan sheet music into your phone or tablet, then explore playback and exporting functions. This type of technology is usually found in expensive, complex software platforms that cost $100 or more, and come with all the bells and whistles. Sheet Music Scanner is an affordable alternative to these platforms. It will help you if you’re stuck in your practice or need a better way to scan your music files into different formats (Music XML, MIDI, audio, etc.)