Basics of Music Theory

Introduction

• Music theory helps understand, interpret, and communicate music.
• Mastering music theory is like mastering a language.
• This walkthrough is a crash course in music theory fundamentals.

What is Music Theory?

• It's the language behind music.
• Helps understand how chords, notes, rhythms, and melodies work together.
• With practice, it becomes natural and fluid.

Notes

• Sound is made of vibrations perceived as notes.
• Faster vibrations = higher notes; slower vibrations = lower notes.
• Popular music uses 12 notes.
• Notes are named from A to G.
• Black keys on a piano are sharps (#) and flats (b).
• Notes repeat in octaves, which are 12 notes apart.

Intervals and Scales

• Semitone/Half-step: Increment between two consecutive notes.
• Whole step/Tone: Increment between two semitones.
• Key: Group of notes that sound good together, often just 7 out of 12 notes.
• C Major Scale: Uses white notes only, formula is whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half.
• Scale Degrees: Numbering notes in a scale helps in notation (1 for root, 2 for second, etc.).

Major and Minor Scales

• Major scales have a distinct formula: whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half.
• Relative Minor: Starts on the 6th degree of the relative major.

Chords

• Triad: Basic chord consisting of a root, third, and fifth.
• Major triads: 4 semitones + 3 semitones.
• Minor triads: 3 semitones + 4 semitones.
• Chord Types: Major sounds happy; minor sounds sad.

Chord Progressions

• Roman Numerals: Used for scale degrees (I for major, i for minor).
• Common Progressions: e.g., I-V-vi-IV (1-5-6-4).
• Allows replication of progressions in different keys.

Inversions

• Change position of notes in a chord so root isn't the lowest.
• Used to keep notes closer together in progressions.

Melody

• Melody vs. Chords: Melodies are sequences of notes above chords.
• Pentatonic Scale: Omitting the 4th and 7th degrees of the major scale for a stable melody.

Rhythm and Time

• Music divided into bars/measures, typically 4 beats per measure.
• Note Durations: Whole (4 beats), half (2 beats), quarter (1 beat), eighth (1/2 beat), sixteenth (1/4 beat).
• Subdividing: Counting in between beats for precision (1-e-&-a, 2-e-&-a, etc.).

Practice Exercises

• Create and play melodies and chord progressions.
• Use inversions for smoother transitions.
• Experiment with rhythm and write out rhythms using the counting system.

Conclusion

• Practice regularly to internalize concepts.
• Further resources available for deeper learning.