It's a sad fact that most people, including piano players, regard music theory and harmony as some abstract concept that has very little to do with the songs they play on their pianos. Nothing could be further from the truth. Knowing music theory and harmony is the key to opening a whole new world of exciting insights into the songs we play, and enable us to do things on the piano we never dreamed we could do, to say nothing of enjoying the process a hundred times more.
What is music theory, and how can I benefit?
Here are just a few of the wonderful skills and insights a person benefits from by learning music theory:
How notation works -- a huge advantage in sight-reading.
The hierarchy of rhythm -- solving rhythm problems before they begin.
All kinds of scales -- the "ladders of notes" every song is composed of. Major scales, 3 types of minor scales, chromatic scales, whole tone scales, modal scales.
How transposition and modulation works -- playing songs in different keys, and getting from one key to another smoothly.
Complex time signatures, and what they tell you.
Perfect, major & minor intervals -- helps ear training greatly.
Two-part and four-part harmony.
Figured bass such as IV, V7, ii6, I6/4, etc. and how it relates to chord symbols such as Fm7, F6, Dmaj7, etc.
Harmonizing melodies with all these chords.
Open & close voicing, inversions, secondary chords, form, cadences, non-harmonic tones, arranging for voices, arranging for brass, arranging for strings, transposing instruments, key relationships and many other exciting insights into the inner workings of music!
But what is harmony?
Harmony is a sub-set of music theory. It is a series of notes in combination, played simultaneously. Listen to your favorite songs, and pay close attention to the back-up vocals when they're being sung along with the lead. Can you hear how the two vocal melodies differ in pitch? That's harmony, and it's highly possible that those back-up vocalists were chosen because of their strong ability to harmonize.
Singing a harmony, or rather picking one out on your own without written sheet music, is an almost inherent musical skill that many singers would die to possess. But harmony isn't just the province of singers; it's found in every single area of music. Any time a sound is layered on top of another sound and those sounds match each other in rhythm and melody (but not pitch), a harmony is created.
Harmony is made of intervals, and as such, it can be considered dissonant (scratchy, uncomfortable, like playing an E and an F at the same time) or consonant (pleasing or smooth). What makes a harmony pleasing or unpleasing, however, is extremely relative. In medieval times, only octaves and perfect fifths were considered harmonious, and any harmony that deviated from that was generally frowned upon. In modern western music, though, nearly everything is considered to be harmonious by someone. Fifths are still very popular in modern harmony but are now used in the most unlikely of places; heavy metal music, for example, frequently uses perfect fifths in the vocal harmony to create an eerie effect when layered on top of the more dissonant instrumentation.
Harmony, in addition to being consonant or dissonant, can also be subordinate or coordinate. Subordinate harmony, the tonal harmony used most frequently today, is a series of harmonies that are based on each other. The harmony moves in such a way that a resolution is somewhat predictable; you can hear this type of harmony in modern pop music, musical parts that flow very easily into each other and don't leave the listener baffled as to the turn the song has taken. On the other hand, coordinate harmony is a series of harmonies that operate independently of each other. They do have some common relation, of course, but don't typically move toward a goal, or predictable resolution. Renaissance musicians often used this type of harmony, and it's capable of producing rich and moving textures within a piece of music.
Learning music theory and harmony is not just an option you can take or leave: it is part and parcel of the "stuff of music". No surgeon would ever say "I don't want to learn all that stuff about the nervous system & the skeletal system and blood vessels and how the lungs and heart works and all that stuff -- I just want to operate".
And yet the majority of piano players ignore the very thing that would take them to the next level in their playing and knowledge -- music theory & harmony.
For more info on music theory & harmony please go to "Music Theory & Harmony: Boring? No! It's An Exciting X-Ray Into How Music Works!" In addition, a series of 101 free email lessons on music theory & piano chords is available at "Music Theory & Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions!"
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
Sunday, 14 February 2010
Can You Really Learn Music Theory On the Internet?
Music theory is one of those difficult lessons that people find hard to grasp. It seems like the only people who are confident in music theory took piano lessons for 15 years or have a music degree from a university. The common person, however, often has a need to understand basic theory, but does not have the time or money to invest in a formal course.
The Basics
Ironically, the most absolute and basic element of being able to study music theory is actually not considered music theory. It's called note reading. You will need to develop, at minimum, a basic to intermediate understanding of standard music notation in order to learn music theory on the internet. There are many options for studying basic note reading, and you can access software that will provide exercises on the internet, or just pick up a basic note reading book at a music shop. The best thing about using a computer to learn is that your mistakes will be identified right away, and the computer can show you how to fix them. Note reading will be the foundation upon which you build your music theory skills.
The Intermediate
Once you have gained an understanding of basic to intermediate note reading, then you'll find that your quest to learn music theory on the internet will progress more smoothly. There are dozens of websites and program designed to help intermediate level learners understand music theory on the internet. Some are tailored to players of specific instruments or specific genres, and you'll have to choose what you'd like to focus on.
After note reading, the next thing you'll want to study is keys and key signatures. If you play an instrument, it might help you to learn some scales to help you understand and memorize the major and minor keys. Once you can understand keys and key signatures, you can move onto learning about chords, including their structure and what roles they play in music. You'll want to learn how to build all types of chords including majors, minors, diminished, and seventh chords.
Believe it or not, there are some patterns in music that repeat themselves over and over again. Regardless of the genre, you will find certain chord patterns that appear across the board in every style of music. After you have mastered chord construction, then you will begin to study the order in which chords are commonly found. You can put this idea to practice by writing some songs of your own!
The Advanced
Depending on your instrument, there will be dozens of options for learning advanced theory. Guitar players will find that more advanced chord structures exist, and then study those structures and practice by using and finding these complex chords in music. All players will want to study modes as well, which is basically another way of forming scales outside of major and minor keys. If you are interested in writing music, you will also want to study more advanced uses of chords within music.
Music theory is a broad and dynamic concept to study. Some people spend their entire lives studying it, as there are PhD programs for music theory! You don't have to dedicate all of your time and energy to music theory in order to understand it. The course offerings and materials that are found online make it possible to learn music theory on the internet.
I hope you found this article helpful! If you are a guitarist, then internalizing scales (such as blues scales for guitar), is an essential part of mastering music theory. To discover effective online guitar scales lessons that help you learn scales and solo more fluently, be sure to check out: http://www.GuitarScaleMastery.com/letter
The Basics
Ironically, the most absolute and basic element of being able to study music theory is actually not considered music theory. It's called note reading. You will need to develop, at minimum, a basic to intermediate understanding of standard music notation in order to learn music theory on the internet. There are many options for studying basic note reading, and you can access software that will provide exercises on the internet, or just pick up a basic note reading book at a music shop. The best thing about using a computer to learn is that your mistakes will be identified right away, and the computer can show you how to fix them. Note reading will be the foundation upon which you build your music theory skills.
The Intermediate
Once you have gained an understanding of basic to intermediate note reading, then you'll find that your quest to learn music theory on the internet will progress more smoothly. There are dozens of websites and program designed to help intermediate level learners understand music theory on the internet. Some are tailored to players of specific instruments or specific genres, and you'll have to choose what you'd like to focus on.
After note reading, the next thing you'll want to study is keys and key signatures. If you play an instrument, it might help you to learn some scales to help you understand and memorize the major and minor keys. Once you can understand keys and key signatures, you can move onto learning about chords, including their structure and what roles they play in music. You'll want to learn how to build all types of chords including majors, minors, diminished, and seventh chords.
Believe it or not, there are some patterns in music that repeat themselves over and over again. Regardless of the genre, you will find certain chord patterns that appear across the board in every style of music. After you have mastered chord construction, then you will begin to study the order in which chords are commonly found. You can put this idea to practice by writing some songs of your own!
The Advanced
Depending on your instrument, there will be dozens of options for learning advanced theory. Guitar players will find that more advanced chord structures exist, and then study those structures and practice by using and finding these complex chords in music. All players will want to study modes as well, which is basically another way of forming scales outside of major and minor keys. If you are interested in writing music, you will also want to study more advanced uses of chords within music.
Music theory is a broad and dynamic concept to study. Some people spend their entire lives studying it, as there are PhD programs for music theory! You don't have to dedicate all of your time and energy to music theory in order to understand it. The course offerings and materials that are found online make it possible to learn music theory on the internet.
I hope you found this article helpful! If you are a guitarist, then internalizing scales (such as blues scales for guitar), is an essential part of mastering music theory. To discover effective online guitar scales lessons that help you learn scales and solo more fluently, be sure to check out: http://www.GuitarScaleMastery.com/letter
Saturday, 13 February 2010
Music Theory - Notes
In this lesson we will cover some of the more basic assumptions of music theory and answer the following:
- What is music theory?
- What is a note?
- Why is it important?
Lets begin...
Music theory, or as it is more accurately named "note theory" is the study of music as it is written.
Note Theory uses a set of written symbols (notes) which represent tones, durations, pitches, and volumes. Thus music/note theory is made up entirely of notes and other symbols, along with their meanings.
What is a note?
The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary defines a note as being "a written symbol used to indicate duration and pitch of a tone by its shape and position on the staff."
Lets also look at some other definitions of the word:
-something (as an emotion or disposition) like a note in tone or resonance
-a condensed or informal record,
-a brief comment or explanation,
-a printed comment or reference set apart from the text.
So we can assume that a written note is a brief, condensed, and printed, explanation of a tone, pitch, duration, and emotion set apart from music.
Then from this we are able to derive that music/note theory (being made up of these written symbols) is a brief, theoretical, condensed, and printed, explanation of music, set apart from itself.
Therefore this theory should be regarded not as an absolute rule but as a means by which musical ideas can be communicated in the form of text.
So what makes it so important?
Through communication and sharing of ideas we can help each other progress as musicians. We could always do this by recording ourselves, but that takes a lot of equipment that some people don't have access to, and in most cases, is less convenient.
Now on to the basics of music theory...
Earlier we established that music theory in made up of notes, and that notes represent tones, pitches, duration etc, and that each of these is defined by the shape, and position of the note on the staff.
Notes/pitch- Pitch is defined by frequency, the higher a notes frequency, the higher the pitch, and vice versa. Each note is given a letter by which it is classified, starting with A and ending at G.
These pitches make up scales and chords, which create melodies, and harmonies,
What is a scale?
A scale is a series of notes played in succession of each other.
For instance the C major scale= C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
What is a Chord?
A chord is a series of notes played in unison.
For instance a C major chord= C-E-G
What is melody?
Melody is a series of notes played in succession of each other, and is perceived as a single entity or phrase. Melody can be made up of one or more phrases, which are often repeated throughout a song.
What is harmony?
Harmony can be a series of notes played in unison, like a chord, it could also be a series of notes played in succession, over a melody, or harmony is often a series of chords played in succession over a melody
In order for notes to harmonize they have to create a contrast with the notes around them. In other words, an A played on lead guitar does not harmonize with an A of the exact same frequency played by a second guitar, but if the second guitar plays a C, or even an A one or two octaves above or below, it creates contrast, thus it is a harmony.
Whether the contrast creates consonance or dissonance does not influence whether it is harmony or not, dissonant contrast creates tension, and consonant contrast relieves it, both of which are equally important in composition.
But just having a sequence of notes is not enough to create an actual melody, you must also have note value or duration.
Notes/duration- Duration is the amount of time given to any note. It is classified in music theory as a whole, half, quarter, eighth, or sixteenth note (it actually goes on and on getting smaller and smaller but these are the most common values). These notes duration though have a direct relation to tempo, which is measured by the beats per minute.
In any given song, a melody contains notes of many different durations, we commonly use a certain pattern with duration in order to structure a phrase, and repeat it with a different sequence of notes. This is called grooving, and most improvisation is done by knowing which pitches to play and with which groove.
In order to give a song texture, you have to add dynamics, which is affected by volume.
Notes/volume- Volume (the most relevant use in our case is dynamics) is defined by amplitude, which is measured in decibels. Each note has its own volume, dynamics are defined by adjusting this volume from note to note, sustaining it over a period of time, or gradually increasing or decreasing over a phrase.
Dynamics accent specific notes or beats in a phrase, we typically use these accents to emphasize tonality in a phrase. By doing so we give a little more groove to the song and it helps to engage your listeners.
And last but not least tone,
Notes/tone- Tone is defined by timbre, which is created by a series of overtones (frequencies that are too high for the human ear to perceive as pitch). Timbre is classified as the difference between a note played on the guitar and a note with the same exact frequency, played on the piano.
Timbre isn't just different from one type of instrument to another though, some models of guitar have features that change the timbre of the instrument so that two guitars have different tonality. This is important when selecting a guitar cause some have better sound quality than others and some of the equipment with the guitar is better for one style of playing than another.
Carlton Heywood is a music enthusiast, to view more lessons like this one visit E-Z Guitar Lessons and check out some of our free video lessons or sign up for our completely free guitar tutorial by clicking here.
- What is music theory?
- What is a note?
- Why is it important?
Lets begin...
Music theory, or as it is more accurately named "note theory" is the study of music as it is written.
Note Theory uses a set of written symbols (notes) which represent tones, durations, pitches, and volumes. Thus music/note theory is made up entirely of notes and other symbols, along with their meanings.
What is a note?
The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary defines a note as being "a written symbol used to indicate duration and pitch of a tone by its shape and position on the staff."
Lets also look at some other definitions of the word:
-something (as an emotion or disposition) like a note in tone or resonance
-a condensed or informal record,
-a brief comment or explanation,
-a printed comment or reference set apart from the text.
So we can assume that a written note is a brief, condensed, and printed, explanation of a tone, pitch, duration, and emotion set apart from music.
Then from this we are able to derive that music/note theory (being made up of these written symbols) is a brief, theoretical, condensed, and printed, explanation of music, set apart from itself.
Therefore this theory should be regarded not as an absolute rule but as a means by which musical ideas can be communicated in the form of text.
So what makes it so important?
Through communication and sharing of ideas we can help each other progress as musicians. We could always do this by recording ourselves, but that takes a lot of equipment that some people don't have access to, and in most cases, is less convenient.
Now on to the basics of music theory...
Earlier we established that music theory in made up of notes, and that notes represent tones, pitches, duration etc, and that each of these is defined by the shape, and position of the note on the staff.
Notes/pitch- Pitch is defined by frequency, the higher a notes frequency, the higher the pitch, and vice versa. Each note is given a letter by which it is classified, starting with A and ending at G.
These pitches make up scales and chords, which create melodies, and harmonies,
What is a scale?
A scale is a series of notes played in succession of each other.
For instance the C major scale= C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
What is a Chord?
A chord is a series of notes played in unison.
For instance a C major chord= C-E-G
What is melody?
Melody is a series of notes played in succession of each other, and is perceived as a single entity or phrase. Melody can be made up of one or more phrases, which are often repeated throughout a song.
What is harmony?
Harmony can be a series of notes played in unison, like a chord, it could also be a series of notes played in succession, over a melody, or harmony is often a series of chords played in succession over a melody
In order for notes to harmonize they have to create a contrast with the notes around them. In other words, an A played on lead guitar does not harmonize with an A of the exact same frequency played by a second guitar, but if the second guitar plays a C, or even an A one or two octaves above or below, it creates contrast, thus it is a harmony.
Whether the contrast creates consonance or dissonance does not influence whether it is harmony or not, dissonant contrast creates tension, and consonant contrast relieves it, both of which are equally important in composition.
But just having a sequence of notes is not enough to create an actual melody, you must also have note value or duration.
Notes/duration- Duration is the amount of time given to any note. It is classified in music theory as a whole, half, quarter, eighth, or sixteenth note (it actually goes on and on getting smaller and smaller but these are the most common values). These notes duration though have a direct relation to tempo, which is measured by the beats per minute.
In any given song, a melody contains notes of many different durations, we commonly use a certain pattern with duration in order to structure a phrase, and repeat it with a different sequence of notes. This is called grooving, and most improvisation is done by knowing which pitches to play and with which groove.
In order to give a song texture, you have to add dynamics, which is affected by volume.
Notes/volume- Volume (the most relevant use in our case is dynamics) is defined by amplitude, which is measured in decibels. Each note has its own volume, dynamics are defined by adjusting this volume from note to note, sustaining it over a period of time, or gradually increasing or decreasing over a phrase.
Dynamics accent specific notes or beats in a phrase, we typically use these accents to emphasize tonality in a phrase. By doing so we give a little more groove to the song and it helps to engage your listeners.
And last but not least tone,
Notes/tone- Tone is defined by timbre, which is created by a series of overtones (frequencies that are too high for the human ear to perceive as pitch). Timbre is classified as the difference between a note played on the guitar and a note with the same exact frequency, played on the piano.
Timbre isn't just different from one type of instrument to another though, some models of guitar have features that change the timbre of the instrument so that two guitars have different tonality. This is important when selecting a guitar cause some have better sound quality than others and some of the equipment with the guitar is better for one style of playing than another.
Carlton Heywood is a music enthusiast, to view more lessons like this one visit E-Z Guitar Lessons and check out some of our free video lessons or sign up for our completely free guitar tutorial by clicking here.
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
The Benefits Of Learning Music Theory
That's music to my ear is a common phrase used to express a person's emotional response to how a particular tune can make them feel. Some people listen to music all the time. Some study the art of playing an instrument. It's therapeutic; it's enriching; it's a way of creating moods in any environmental setting. If you are interested in music for more than the pure enjoyment people get out of listening to it, then learning about music theory is an ideal mode for you.
Music theory can be an important attribute in a person's life, for many reasons. People often ask, "Is music theory necessary?" "Why do we need it?"
First of all, even though you don't have to understand how to read sheet music to perform as a musician, you will need an understanding of music theory. It opens so many other doors for you in the world of music. Music theory will not show you how to understand music, but with music theory you will be able to communicate musical ideas, explore music in whole new ways, and redefine the tremendous scope that entails the magical world of music.
Music theory allows you to voice your opinion with others in the field, expand your musical horizon. Give a little input to a fellow musician and you'll get something in return.
Notations And Communicating With Other Musicians
Music lovers all develop a keen sense of awareness, musically speaking. Sometimes, musicians explain that if they study music theory, then it'll stunt their creativity. Wrong! The world's greatest composers were all masters of music theory: Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, J.S. Bach. These experts composed a keen understanding of the theoretical concepts. Years were spent studying the concept, down to some of the smallest details.
Music can be played by ear, picking out tunes without the aid of written music. Your ears can be your guide. The reason this is brought to light is that some musicians with strong theoretical training often disregard the art of playing by ear.
Think of playing music by ear this way: We're all born as non-verbal creations. Communication begins with crying, making sounds, displaying body language. Parents quickly become experts on baby talk. It's an innate sense. Over time, language develops by mimicking sounds. Toddlers don't learn nouns and verbs; they learn to speak by example. Music can be the same way. Hence, the reason so many people pay top dollar for live performances. It's invigorating, magical.
Understanding Harmony And Chord Progression
Chord progression and harmony, two features of music theory, help broaden any musician, regardless of their genre of study. Chord progression is a series of chords that are used to harmonize music. All compositions use chord progression. Those that improvise - which, as already mentioned, adds charm and magic to the environment of music - invent brand new melodies that blend in with an existing chord. It's a musical transition, something that must be practiced, repeatedly. The great composers and musicians develop chord progressions and transitions until it becomes natural, a second-natured maneuver.
If a musician improvises in a more interconnected manner, these new melodies show the musician the progression as one whole unit, and not a series of bumpy transitions. The more practice that goes into this aspect of music learning theory, the more interesting substitutions they will develop along the way. Once the concept of chord progression and its structure is understood, it will be easier to remember. Jazz musicians, therefore, show a keen interest in the study and analysis of chord progression.
The study of music theory will show musicians and musical scholars that the objective, initially, is not to consider an entire composition in one sitting. Instead, musicians, students and teachers alike, view a chord progression in segments, or units. These units correspond to musical sections known as stanzas.
A stanza is the complete statement and development of a single musical idea. It's a fairly simple act of dividing pieces into small manageable sections, with the melody itself forming, or suggesting the boundaries for sound.
Tonality, another element of chord progression, means different things to different people. Some would consider it to be this: any piece of music with a well-defined key center. Others envision any music that uses the conventional chords as tonal.
Music without the use of chords in a functional manner to reinforce a tonal center is not tonal. It is referred to as non-tonal music. The names of these styles are not always agreed upon between musical connoisseurs. But expressing difference is one key element that makes music such a beautiful art form, with countless possibilities.
So, if you are considering studying music, be it to play an instrument, teach music, or simply hone in on personal curiosity, learning music theory is a must for you.
Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Sinclair
Music theory can be an important attribute in a person's life, for many reasons. People often ask, "Is music theory necessary?" "Why do we need it?"
First of all, even though you don't have to understand how to read sheet music to perform as a musician, you will need an understanding of music theory. It opens so many other doors for you in the world of music. Music theory will not show you how to understand music, but with music theory you will be able to communicate musical ideas, explore music in whole new ways, and redefine the tremendous scope that entails the magical world of music.
Music theory allows you to voice your opinion with others in the field, expand your musical horizon. Give a little input to a fellow musician and you'll get something in return.
Notations And Communicating With Other Musicians
Music lovers all develop a keen sense of awareness, musically speaking. Sometimes, musicians explain that if they study music theory, then it'll stunt their creativity. Wrong! The world's greatest composers were all masters of music theory: Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, J.S. Bach. These experts composed a keen understanding of the theoretical concepts. Years were spent studying the concept, down to some of the smallest details.
Music can be played by ear, picking out tunes without the aid of written music. Your ears can be your guide. The reason this is brought to light is that some musicians with strong theoretical training often disregard the art of playing by ear.
Think of playing music by ear this way: We're all born as non-verbal creations. Communication begins with crying, making sounds, displaying body language. Parents quickly become experts on baby talk. It's an innate sense. Over time, language develops by mimicking sounds. Toddlers don't learn nouns and verbs; they learn to speak by example. Music can be the same way. Hence, the reason so many people pay top dollar for live performances. It's invigorating, magical.
Understanding Harmony And Chord Progression
Chord progression and harmony, two features of music theory, help broaden any musician, regardless of their genre of study. Chord progression is a series of chords that are used to harmonize music. All compositions use chord progression. Those that improvise - which, as already mentioned, adds charm and magic to the environment of music - invent brand new melodies that blend in with an existing chord. It's a musical transition, something that must be practiced, repeatedly. The great composers and musicians develop chord progressions and transitions until it becomes natural, a second-natured maneuver.
If a musician improvises in a more interconnected manner, these new melodies show the musician the progression as one whole unit, and not a series of bumpy transitions. The more practice that goes into this aspect of music learning theory, the more interesting substitutions they will develop along the way. Once the concept of chord progression and its structure is understood, it will be easier to remember. Jazz musicians, therefore, show a keen interest in the study and analysis of chord progression.
The study of music theory will show musicians and musical scholars that the objective, initially, is not to consider an entire composition in one sitting. Instead, musicians, students and teachers alike, view a chord progression in segments, or units. These units correspond to musical sections known as stanzas.
A stanza is the complete statement and development of a single musical idea. It's a fairly simple act of dividing pieces into small manageable sections, with the melody itself forming, or suggesting the boundaries for sound.
Tonality, another element of chord progression, means different things to different people. Some would consider it to be this: any piece of music with a well-defined key center. Others envision any music that uses the conventional chords as tonal.
Music without the use of chords in a functional manner to reinforce a tonal center is not tonal. It is referred to as non-tonal music. The names of these styles are not always agreed upon between musical connoisseurs. But expressing difference is one key element that makes music such a beautiful art form, with countless possibilities.
So, if you are considering studying music, be it to play an instrument, teach music, or simply hone in on personal curiosity, learning music theory is a must for you.
Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Sinclair
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