Music Theory Made Easy: A Comprehensive Guide on How to Understand Music Notation from Normand Saunders's blog


Introduction: What is Music Theory?

Music theory is a branch of musicology and music education. It's the study of how music works, which includes the study of performance, composition, improvisation, and criticism.

The term "music theory" can refer to either the academic discipline or to its subject matter. The discipline comprises some four thousand years of written commentary on what constitutes music.

Musical Intervals

Musical intervals are the spaces between two notes. It is the space in pitch between any two notes of a scale, and it is measured by how many half-steps you need to get from one note to another.

The distance between two musical notes can be expressed as a fraction or ratio of frequencies. It is typically measured in cents, with 1200 cents being equal to one octave.

Omaha Conservatory of Music Class: Music Theory Online

There are three types of intervals: perfect, major and minor. Perfect intervals consist of seven semitones (or alternatively, 2 octaves and a major third), major intervals consist of four semitones (or alternatively, an octave and a perfect fourth), minor intervals consist of three semitones (or alternatively, an octave and a minor third).

The Major Scale in Western Tonality

The major scale is one of the most common scales in music. It is made up of eight notes that are spaced out by a specific interval. This interval is called a tone, or whole step.

The tone, or whole step, between the first and second note in the major scale is two semitones or half-steps. The tone, or whole step, between the second and third note in the major scale is three semitones or half-steps. The tone, or whole step, between the third and fourth note in the major scale is four semitones or half-steps.

The Minor Scale in Western Tonality

The minor scale in Western tonality is a musical scale that has a different sound than the major scale. It has a sadder and darker sound.

The minor scale is typically made up of seven notes, with each degree of the scale being separated by the interval of either a whole step or half step. The intervals between the notes are: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, half and whole.

The minor key is often used in popular music to convey more serious or sad emotions than other keys.

The Circle of Fifths or Circle of Perfect Fifths and its Significance in Western Tonality

The Circle of Fifths is a diagram that represents the relationship of twelve pitches, or keys, in Western tonality.

The Circle of Fifths is a diagram that represents the relationship of twelve pitches, or keys, in Western tonality. The circle has five lines and each line corresponds to one key. These lines are called fifths and they represent perfect intervals between these twelve pitches.

Bar Lines and Meter Signatures and their Meanings

Bar lines and meter signatures are two important aspects of music notation. Bar lines are the vertical lines that divide the staff into measures, while meter signatures are the symbols at the beginning of each staff that tell you how many beats there are in a measure.

The most common bar line is the bar line, which is also known as a measure line or a bar. The end of every measure is marked by a double-bar line. A double-bar line has three dots on it and all other bar lines have only two dots.

The most common meter signature is 4/4 time, which means that there are four beats in each measure and the quarter note gets one beat.

Conclusion

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By Normand Saunders
Added Dec 22 '22

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