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Essential Music Theory Concepts Explained

May 1, 2025

Music Theory Basics: Complete Walkthrough

Introduction

  • Context: Overview of music theory basics within 30 minutes.
  • Purpose: To help internalize music theory concepts, enhancing creativity and efficiency in music production.
  • Target Audience: Part of an online class on music production, songwriting, and mixing.
  • Availability: Free on YouTube for a broader audience.

What is Music Theory?

  • Definition: Language behind music; tools for understanding, interpreting, and communicating about music.
  • Comparison with Language: Mastering music theory can make it as natural as speaking a language.
  • Application: Helps in understanding chords, notes, rhythms, and melodies.

Fundamentals of Music Theory

Notes

  • Sound: Made up of vibrations; faster vibrations sound higher, slower sound lower.
  • Pitch/Frequency: Consistent rate of vibration perceived as a note.
  • Guitar Example: A string vibrates at 110 times per second, perceived as note A.
  • 12 Notes in Music: Most popular music uses these notes and their relationships.

Naming Notes

  • Piano Layout: White notes named A through G; black keys named relative to white keys using sharp (♯) and flat (â™­).
    • E.g., F♯ or Gâ™­.
  • Repeating Notes: Octave – interval of 12 notes.
  • Semitones and Whole Tones: Interval between notes.

Keys and Scales

  • Key: Guide of what notes sound good together.
  • Example: C Major (all white notes).
  • Major Scale Formula: Whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half.
  • Scale Degrees: Numbered starting from root note.

Chords

  • Definition: Multiple notes played simultaneously.
  • Types: Major (happy), Minor (sad), diminished.
  • Building Chords: Root, third, fifth relationship (triads).
  • Triads: Constructed by skipping notes in the scale.

Relative Major and Minor

  • Relationship: Major scale has a relative minor scale.
  • Example: C Major and A Minor.

Practical Exercises

Applying Music Theory

  • Exercises: Practice major scale formula, identify notes using letter names and scale degrees.
  • Chord Practice: Construct triads from different major scales.
  • Roman Numerals: Simplify chord progressions using Roman numerals.

Chord Progressions

  • Common Progression: E.g., 1-5-6-4 in C major: C-G-Am-F.
  • Transposing Chords: Use scale degree numbers to transpose between keys.

Inversions

  • Definition: Change the position of notes in a chord.
  • Purpose: Achieve closer, smoother transitions between chords.

Melody

  • Definition: Single sequence of notes, often sung over chord progressions.
  • Melody Tips: Use of tension and stability between melody notes and chords.

Rhythm

  • Counting System: Music divided into measures or bars.
  • Beat Subdivision: Whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth notes.
  • Practical Tip: Write down rhythmic ideas using this system.

Conclusion

  • Practice Exercises: Emphasize the importance of practice.
  • Further Learning: Information on a comprehensive online class about music production and theory at learnmonthly.com/andrew.

  • Note: These notes summarize the key points of a music theory lecture, aiming to provide a quick reference and study guide for students interested in understanding music theory basics.