Introduction to Reading Music-Music Theory-Gabriel

7/31/2019 Introduction to Reading Music-Music Theory-Gabriel

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Introduction To Music Theory

This Section will give you a basic introduction to the general rules that are the basis for music allover the world. While many people devote their lives and careers to music theory and millions of

pages have been written about the subject, this will only give you what you need to understand

the fundamentals.

The Notes Of Music

There are only 12 different notes that make up the building blocks of any song you have ever

heard. Even music from cultures that were previously considered to have a separate music

systems have been studied and found to use the 12 note system. These 12 notes create what is

known as a chromatic scale and, apart from bending strings, these are really your only options tohit on the mandolin.

C, C# (Db), D, D# (Eb), E, F, F# (Gb), G, G# (Ab), A, A# (Bb), and B.

It is important to note that the "#" symbol is pronounced "sharp" and the "b" symbol is

pronounced "flat". For example, D# is the note above D and the note below E. Eb is the samenote as D# simply with a different name. In most circumstances, however, we refer to the note

above C as C#, not Db, and the note above F as F#, not Gb, though either way is theoretically

acceptable. In the same sense, the note above D is referred to as Eb, and the note above A isreferred to as Bb. Each of these notes are (effectively) the same distance apart from one to the

next. In reality, D# is 6% higher than D and E is 6% higher than D# and so on. these numbers are

not exact, as they have been altered so that the octaves match up. The distance between two

notes that are one fret apart is called a half step or a semitone, the distance between two notes

that are two frets apart is called a whole step or a tone. I prefer to use the terms half step (HS)and whole step (WS)

An octave is a note that sounds the same as another note but twice as high. Once you go through

the chromatic scale starting, for example, on G, you have the following scale. G, Ab, A, Bb, B,C, C#, D, Eb, E, F, F#... But then what? Well, you get G again, but twice as high as the G you

started on. The distance between these two notes is called an octave.

Scales

If you play all twelve of these notes on the mandolin in succession, it won't sound like much.

That's because the song we have heard all our lives have not included all twelve notes and ourbrains don't like to hear it. Our brains have become accustomed to other scales. Most of thescales we hear in music from the past and present usually only have 7 different notes, sometimes

only 5. The first note of a scale is called the root. The major scale, which is usually described as"happy" is played:

Root, WS, WS, ST, WS, WS, WS, ST (octave)


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While the minor scale, which is usually describes as "sad" is played:

Root, WS, ST, WS, WS, ST, WS, WS (octave)

The C scale is unique in the sense that when you play the C major scale, there are no sharps or

flats, just C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. Likewise, the A minor scale has no sharps or flats. Because ofthis, A minor is known as the relative minor of C. In the case of G major and E minor, they both

have one sharp (F#), Making E minor the relative minor of G major.

Intervals

In music, an interval is the distance between two notes. We can count simple intervals by simply

starting with the root and counting up to the note in question through the scale of the root. For

example, the interval between a C and an A would be calculated in the following manner:

C (1), D (2), E (3), F (4), G (5), A (6)

So now we know that the interval from C to A is a 6th. However, musicians like to make things

complicated, so there is more to the question. The way to calculate the more precise interval is to

follow this table (don't worry, you will learn to know the names of the most common ones verysoon).

Distance in half steps Interval Name

0 Unison

1 Minor Second

2 Major Second

3 Minor Third

4 Major Third

5 Perfect Fourth

6 Tritone

7 Perfect Fifth

8 Minor Sixth

9 Major Sixth

10 Minor Seventh

11 Major Seventh

12 Octave

So now we can count chromatically, saying C (0), C# (1), D (2), Eb (3), E (4), F (5), F# (6), G

(7), Ab (8), A (9). That's a 9 half step difference, making it a Major Sixth. While it may seem

like a lot now, it's not too bad once you get the hang of it.


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The Circle Of Fifths

Possibly the most important structure in music theory, the circle of fifths ties all of the notes,chords, and scales together by relating them to one another.

Again, this is a lot of information all at once, so dont feel like you need to learn it all at once.

Looking at this larger circular jumble of information, it is best to break it down into sections.

The first thing to notice is that, when you follow the outermost letters clockwise, they are all

separated by perfect fifths, C to G, G to D, etc. Following the circle counterclockwise, the

progression moves in fourths, C to F, F to Bb, etc.

As a practical tool, lets say we wanted to play a song in A. To figure out what chords to play,

you already know that you want the I, IV, and V. Looking at the circle of fifths, find the A. Yourfourth will be one step counterclockwise from your A, and your fifth will be one step clockwise

from your A.


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The next section of the circle is the inner circle. The inner circle deals with relative minors. As

you have learned, each scale has a number of sharps or flats, or, in the case of C major, no sharpsor flats. When it comes to minor scales, it is the same, with Am being the scale with no sharps or

flats. From this information we can discover that both C and Am use the same notes. the C scale

is C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. The Am scale is A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A. There are no sharps or flats in

either scale. One way of looking at it is, to play the Am scale, you play the notes of a C scale butrather than starting on the C note, you start on the A note. As another example, the key of D

consists of the notes D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D. The relative minor of D is Bm, which has the

notes B, C#, D, E, F#, G, A, B. One easy way to find the relative minor of a key is to countbackwards two notes. For example, counting backwards two notes on the A major scale gives

you A, G# (Ab), F#. Therefore, your relative minor of A is F#m. Understanding the theory

behind relative minors simplifies music even farther by reducing the number of scales you needto know. Rather than picking around until you get all the notes of the Dm scale, play your F

major scale but start on the D note of the scale, giving you D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C, D.

Introduction to Reading Music

Some people think trying to read music is hard and difficult.

The following set of pages will try to introduce the most

important topics in reading music in a very easy tounderstand way. Don't expect to fly through all the lessons

and understand. As with anything new, it'll appear

complicated and complex but as you look at the examples andread the explanations it will make sense. With that said, lets

go on and introduce the first lesson.

Clefs

There are 2 basic kinds of clefs. The clef you will see on your music depends on

what instrument you play.

Treble Clef

Bass Clef

You might wonder why there are 2 different clefs. The reason is that mostinstruments using the bass clef usually have a lower pitch (sound) and regulary

play low notes. If they were to use the treble clef the notes would appear so far


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below thestaffit would be hard to read.

Here are the the names of the notes for both clefs. Although you only really need

to know 1 or the other, it is good practice to know both.

The treble clef:

The bass clef:

Time Signatures

Time signatures tell you how many and what kind of notes per measure there are. The

number on top is the number of notes per measure, and the bottom number is what kind

of note. Let us explain further.

Let us take for example the most popular time signature, 4/4.

This means there is 4 quarter notes per measure. How is this so?

Looking at 4/4, you saw the 4 on top. You already knew that meant there

were 4 somethings per measure. Then looking at the bottom number

probably confused you. The bottom number can be 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, etc. Lookat this chart.

Bottom Number Value

1 Whole note2 Half note

4 Quarter note8 Eighth note

16 Sixteenth note

For example:

3/4 is 3 quarter notes per measure.

5/2 is 5 half notes per measure.6/8 is 6 eighth notes per measure.

There are also 2 other common things you might see where the timesignature should be.

Common TimeSame as 4/4 time
http://%20playsong%28%27staff.shtml%27%29/http://%20playsong%28%27staff.shtml%27%29/http://%20playsong%28%27staff.shtml%27%29/http://%20playsong%28%27staff.shtml%27%29/


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Cut TimeSame as 4/4 but everything is cut in half.

Example: a half note = 1 quarter note, a whole note = 1 half note.

Types of Notes:

1 of the most important parts of music is learning the types and values of notes. Here you

will gain some understanding of how the notes look and sound. The icon means you

can listen to it. All of the music samples are recorded at the same speed and are just 1measure.

The whole note:

Looks like:

an egg on its side, either with a line through it or not.

The half note:

Looks like:

the same as a whole not but with a vertical line attached to it.

The quarter note:

Looks like:

the same as a half note except the circle is filled in.

The eighth note:

Looks like:

the same as quarter notes but with a curly off the line. They can also beput in groups of 4, 3, or 2.

The sixteenth note:
http://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/eighth.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/quarter.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/half.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/whole.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/eighth.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/quarter.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/half.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/whole.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/eighth.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/quarter.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/half.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/whole.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/eighth.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/quarter.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/half.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/whole.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/eighth.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/quarter.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/half.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/whole.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/eighth.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/quarter.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/half.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/whole.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/eighth.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/quarter.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/half.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/whole.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/eighth.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/quarter.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/half.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/whole.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/eighth.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/quarter.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/half.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/whole.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/eighth.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/quarter.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/half.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/whole.mid


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Looks like:

the same as an eighth note but has double curlies. Can also be grouped in4, 3 or 2 but are joined by a double line.

Types of Rests:

For each type of note you learned beforehand there is a correspondingrest.

The whole rest:

Looks like:

a dark rectangle attached to a bar line, facing downwards. (1 shown)

The half rest:

Looks like:

a dark rectangle attached to a bar line, facing upwards. (2 shown)

The quarter rest:

Looks like:

a squiggly line. (4 shown)

The eighth rest:

Looks like:

a slanted line with a dot. (8 shown)

The sixteenth rest:

Looks like:
http://%20popup%28%27defrests.shtml%27%29/http://%20popup%28%27defrests.shtml%27%29/http://%20popup%28%27defrests.shtml%27%29/http://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/sixteenth.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/sixteenth.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/sixteenth.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/sixteenth.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/sixteenth.midhttp://datadragon.com/education/reading/midi/sixteenth.midhttp://%20popup%28%27defrests.shtml%27%29/


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a slanted line with a double dot. (16 shown)

Basic Counting:

One of the most obvious questions is how musicians know when to play. Well, its easy..

they learn to count the beats.

First let us present you with this.

1 whole note = 2 half notes = 4 quarter notes = 8 eighth notes = 16

sixteenth notes.

Keep that in mind while looking at these examples.

Lets start with this example.

First off, looking at the time signature you know that there are 4 quarter

notes per measure.

In the first measure the whole note gets all the beats (1, 2, 3 and 4)

because 1 whole note = 4 quarter notes, and there are a total of 4 quarternotes per measure.

In the second example, each half note gets 2 beats because 2 quarter notes= 1 half note.

In the third example, each quarter note gets its own beat because there are

4 quarter notes per measure (time sig).

Let's intermingle the 2 quarter notes and a half note.

The half note get the first 2 beats, and each quarter its own beat. Thismakes sense because the 4/4 time signature means there is 4 quarter

notes per measure. 2 quarter notes + 1 half note (which is really 2


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quarters) = 4 quarter notes, the total number of quarter notes for that

measure (time sig).

Lets add in the eighth notes.

In this example there is something new. The + sign. It just means "and". If

you said 1 + 2 + ... out loud it would sound like this.

1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and

Each eight note is 1/2 of a quarter note, therefore it takes 2 eighth notes toequal 1 quarter note.

Think of it like this: the 1 and the "and" are both half of one quarter note

and together they form 1 quarter note and from the time sig we know thereare 4 quarters per measure.

This may seem a little confusing now, but all of the sudden it will click.You will hit yourself in the head and wonder how you never understood it.

After you understand this, go on to the counting basics 2 page. ;-)

Basic Counting, Part 2:

Let's introduce a mixed example.

The quarter note is obviously beat 1 because from the time sig you know there are

4 quarter notes per measure. You also already know one half note = 2 quarternotes therefore the half note must be beats 2 and 3. Finally, you know that two

eighth notes = 1 quarter note so they must be the "4 +".

When many different kinds of notes are intermingled, it starts to become tricky to count.

Musicians will sometimessubdividethe notes so the counting flows more easily. Let's

use the above example, but this time sub divide it.
http://%20popup%28%27defsubd.shtml%27%29/http://%20popup%28%27defsubd.shtml%27%29/http://%20popup%28%27defsubd.shtml%27%29/http://%20popup%28%27defsubd.shtml%27%29/


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Here every note in the measure is subdivided into 8th notes thus making it a lot

more "fluid" to count. Its pretty easy to understand too... one quarter note is two

8th notes, so it gets "1 +". The half note is really four eighth notes so it get "2 + 3+". And the each 8th note get a half so one is "4" and the other is the "and" of 4.

Here would also be a good place to throw in a few examples with rests. These will just

show the counting and will not explain them. Just think of the rests in terms of their

corresponding notes and you'll have no problem!

Counting the 16th note.

Basically counting 16th notes is similiar to 8th notes except that you need to add

more things to count with. I was taught using "e" and "a", but feel free to use what

you want. Each part, the "1", "e", "+", "a" are all 1/4 of 1 quarter note. Togetherthey add up to 1 beat according to the time sig. (4 sixteenths = 1 quarter)

Different time sigs and different notes.

Here you are.. the top of the note hill. Just look at these and the counting section

is over!

Remember.. from this time sig you are counting the 8th notes.

Remember you are counting half notes, and therefore you have to subdivide theeighth notes and quarter notes accordingly.


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Other symbols

This page contains some of the symbols you might come across while reading music.

Play the note 1/2 step up (Sharp)

Play the note 1/2 step down (Flat)

Play the note normally; pay no attention to the key signature

The above 3 symbols can also appear at the beginning of each

line of music affecting the whole line. Also, if they are

included in an individual measure, they override each other

and carry through ties or slurs.

Compressed Rests. The number on top specifies how many

measures of rest.

Fermata. Hold the note until cut off.

Repeat. Play through normally until 2nd symbol, then go back

to 1st symbol and play again, this time ignoring 2nd symbol.

Begin and End. Marks the beginning and ending of a piece.

Tie. Make each note flow into the next. (Do not break them

up)

Shaping and Volume of Music

For music to have some real feeling and expression it must be shaped.

Volume of notes

f Loud

ff Loud Loud

fff As loud as possible

p Quiet

mp Medium Quiet

mf Medium Loud


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pp Quiet Quiet

cresc Louder

Stuff that affects notes

sfz Hit note then back way off and buildback up

tr Trill

vibrato Add waves to sound

legato Smooth

Stuff that affects the speed of note

poco. Gradually

accel. Faster

rit. Slower

dim. Diminish

soli Shared solo in section

solo 1 person solo (wow)

An Introduction to MusicTheory

Part One

Introduction

The purpose of this lesson is to explain the basic elements of "practical" music theory so thatapplications such as chord formation, soloing and transcribing skills can be developed. This

introduction should enable you to progress further by seeking professional tuition if desired.

Such tuition will help you develop other aspects that are not considered here, such as correcting

bad habits and helping you to create your own style and this will proceed at your own pace.

Music theory is one big subject to learn. There is a seemingly overwhelming amount of

information to take in and because of this I have written the lesson in three parts. It is heavygoing at first (this first part is the worst!) but stick with it and feel free to mail me any questions

([email protected]).


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This first part of the lesson deals with the major scale system, the second part will deal with

chord formation, intervals and modes and the third part will deal with soloing.

Throughout the lesson capital letters are used to represent major chords i.e. C F G and a lower

case "m" represents minor chords i.e. Dm Em.

The Major Scale System

The vast majority of music in the West is based on the Major Scale system. This was devised byPythagorus and consists of the following twelve chromatic (semi-tone or one fret increment)

scale degrees - C C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A A#/Bb B C If you are familiar with a

piano or keyboard, the 5 black keys are the sharp/flat notes indicated above. Incidentally, I have

not yet found an explanation for why there is not an E#/Fb nor a B#/Cb note. For now I amnotating using both the sharp and flat notation where applicable - this will be discussed further

under "Cycle of Fifths".

Each of these 12 chromatic scale degrees forms the root of a major scale. Each major scale is

formed with a fixed series of intervals from the "key" note on which it is based and theseintervals are exactly the same for each of the twelve major scales. Conventionally, we use the

expression "key" to describe which major scale any particular song is written in. However, being

fairly lazy creatures instead of saying "written in the key of C major" it is more usual to say "key

of C".

The intervals for a major scale are; tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone. (T T S T T T

S)

We now have seven scale degrees within a major scale, each of which has a name that denotes its

relationship to the first note, or tonic. As well as playing each note as an individual tone of thescale, it can also form the root note of a chord. There is also a fixed pattern to describe the nature

of each chord (i.e major, minor or diminished) and again this pattern is exactly the same for each

of the twelve major scales.

We shall consider the key of C, as this has no sharps or flats. This is shown below:

Scale Degree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

The C major scale C D E F G A B C

Chord Type maj min min maj maj min dim

Interval T T S T T T S

From the above it can be seen that starting at C, we move up a tone to D, a tone to E, a semitoneto F, a tone to G, a tone to A, a tone to B and a semitone back to C (an octave higher than the

starting note). Also, you will sometimes find that scale degrees are notated using roman numerals

- again there is no right or wrong way.


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Incidentally, I find that names of each position are seldom referred to. The most commonly used

are the first position - tonic; the fourth position - sub-dominant; the fifth position - dominant andthe sixth position - relative minor. I find it more useful to think in terms of the intervals between

notes rather than relative positions i.e. an interval of a fourth is shown as C to F above and an

interval of a fifth is shown as C to G above. Intervals will be considered in more detail in part

two.

Cycle of Fifths

Now that we are familiar with the key of C, we can start to consider the other 11 keys. The

twelve keys are listed chromatically above, but this doesn't help to explain the link between them

musically. If you imagine that the keys are the hours on a clock face, following the cycle of fifths

will bring you back to the original starting point. Because it is a circular process, you can startwith any key and progress through the full cycle through all the other eleven keys back to the

original key that you started from. It is conventional (and easiest) to start with the key of C asthere are no sharps or flats contained within it. The cycle progresses as follows;

1. For ease of reference, write the scale degree numbers then write the key of C underneath.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

C D E F G A B C

2. Take the fifth note as the new starting note and write it underneath.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

C D E F G A B C

G G

3. Sharpen the fourth note and write it in underneath the seventh scale degree.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

C D E F G A B C

G F# G

4. Write in the rest of the notes from the preceding key using the sequence of 6, 7, 8, 2, 3.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

C D E F G A B C

G A B C D E F# G


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As a double check, the principal of T T S T T T S will always apply, and the seventh scale

degree will always be a semi-tone flatter than the starting note. It is good practice to write out alltwelve keys using the cycle of fifths, as this will help familiarize you with all the 12 keys and the

chords contained in them. The cycle is written out in full below.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

C D E F G A B C

G A B C D E F# G

D E F# G A B C# D

A B C# D E F# G# A

E F# G# A B C# D# E

B C# D# E F# G# A# B

F# G# A# B C# D# F F#

C# D# F F# G# A# C C#

G# A# C C# D# F G G#

D# F G G# A# C D D#

A# C D D# F G A A#

F G A A# C D E F

C D E F G A B C

Moving through the cycle from C, it can be seen that we increase the number of sharpssuccessively until we reach 5 in the keys of B, F# and C# and then the number decreases again.

Cycle of Fourths

In the example above, we used a clock face as an example of the circular nature of the keys. Ifwe consider that the cycle of fifths moves us clockwise, then the cycle of fourths can be

considered to move us anti-clockwise. The cycle progresses as follows;

1. For ease of reference, write the scale degree numbers then write the key of C underneath.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8C D E F G A B C


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2. Take the fourth note as the new starting note and write it underneath.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

C D E F G A B C

F F

3. Flatten the seventh note and write it in underneath the fourth scale degree.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

C D E F G A B CF Bb F

4. Write in the rest of the notes from the preceding key using the sequence of 5, 6, 8, 2, 3.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

C D E F G A B C

F G A Bb C D E F

It is also good practice to write out all twelve keys using the cycle of fourths for the same

reasons as given above. The cycle is written out in full below.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

C D E F G A B C

F G A Bb C D E F

Bb C D Eb F G A Bb

Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb

Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab

Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db

Gb Ab Bb B Db Eb F Gb

B Db Eb E Gb Ab Bb B

E Gb Ab A B Db Eb E

A B Db D E Gb Ab A

D E Gb G A B Db D


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G A B C D E Gb G

C D E F G A B C

Is it # or b i.e. G# or Ab?

We can see when we compare the two cycles above that the meaning is exactly the same whetherwe use a G# or Ab note. Convention normally uses sharps for the keys of G, D, A, E and B and

flats for the keys of Gb, Db, Ab, Eb Bb and F. However, if you find it easier to think in terms of

all flat notes or all sharp notes then that's fine - there is no right or wrong way.

I Can't Remember All That!

As I said at the start, this part of the lesson is definitely the worst! I would say though that it is

not essential to know all twelve keys, as most songs will be written in the keys of C, G, D, A, E,

Bb or F. It is easiest to learn one key at at a time and which chords are major and which areminor. Learning the cycles and the keys will enable you to transcribe songs quicker and more

accurately - i.e. For a "straightforward" song (i.e. one key and no chord substitutions) there are

only seven chords to choose from, and if the song has an Am in it, for instance, there are only

three keys to choose from (C, F or G). It will also help with chord formation and soloing.

Speaking of which, the next lesson discusses intervals, chord formation and modes - see you next

time!

Documents

Introduction to Reading Music-Music Theory-Gabriel