If you’ve ever felt unsure about how to teach chords or help your students create music from scratch, this episode is for you. Today, I’m sharing a deep dive into my all-time favourite course, 4 Chord Composing. I’ll walk you through why this framework works so well, how it connects theory and creativity, and how you can use it even if you’ve never composed a thing in your life. You’ll also hear from other teachers who’ve used this approach to transform their students’ confidence and engagement.

• Tim reflected on how most teachers weren’t taught chords or lead sheets in their own lessons.
• He explained how a chord-based approach improves sight reading, creativity, and understanding.
• The benefits of teaching harmony through popular styles were emphasized.
• Tim introduced his favorite course: 4 Chord Composing Course, offering a 10-week plan for introducing students to composing using just four chords.
• He highlighted how the framework builds theory, form, and improvisation skills naturally.
• How it simplifies teaching composition and makes learning feel intuitive.
• The course videos show Tim teaching a real student, making the approach easy to follow.
• Tim shared feedback from teachers who have used the course with great success and student engagement.

Links Mentioned

• Four Chord Composing Course
• Buy the course for only $49 using the coupon code CHORDS100
• Blog: The Power of 4 Chord Composing
• TopMusicPro Courses
• TopMusic Competition Composition 2025

Today’s Sponsor

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• Find out more about RSL Awards here.
• RSL Online Shop
• Pre-Order the New Rockschool Piano Syllabus

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