Week 4: The Natural Triads through all 4 Qualities

But that's no excuse for you not to work on your music theory

Greetings class.

But take advantage of today and make sure you understand everything up to and including the Triads.

Don't go to the Harmonic Minor yet. Just build and understand the triads built upon the Major Scale and the Pure Minor scale. For now that just means C Major and a minor.

MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THE

               NATURA L TRIADS


MAJOR                                   MINOR


CEG                                     ace
FAC                                     dfa
GBD                                    egb

.

Diminished

bdf                            



EXERCISE

start with any of the natural triads, and using accidentals, so whatever you need to do (except change the root of the triad, the bottom tone from which you derive the name) to make them

diminished      minor    major    augmented


Obviously there is one category for which you won't have to do anything right? The Cmajor Triad is already major...


So for the CEG Triad:

c eb gb    (diminished)

c  eb  g  (minor)

C E G   (major)

C E G#   (Augmented)

do the same for d minor triad (dfa), G Major (GBD), etc...

You should have your natural triads in your cheat sheets, and you should have what constitutes all for possible triad qualities (major, minor, etc) in your cheat sheets.

Someone should spend a little time with Mr. Ademola and make sure he understands how to construct half-steps and whole-steps, and see how he's coming along with recognizing  the notes on the G Cleff. Maybe some of you will have some advice on how to make it easier- this stuff is like learning a new language so don't be at all embarrassed when you don't get something. However, unlike language- the music theory is eminently LOGICAL. Once you get the logic of it the rest is just familiarity.

If I don't get there in time- good luck- don't waste the hours on Facebook.

Week 3: Intervals

This week we will be working with the melodic, or tonal, interval. We tend to conceptualize the interval in terms of up and doen, or high and low, but actually the physics is one of faster vibration frequency (higher), and slower frequency (lower).

But high and low works well, and in fact we visualize that way on the staff. Up along the staff is higher and down is lower in pitch.

The interval is the "distance" between two tones, but in actuality its the ratios of their vibratory rates, or frequencies.

We talked about how the octave is divided up into 12 equal half steps, with the octave, 5th and 4th being the three critical tones in any scale, and that is directly related to the physics  of the Overtone system.

I'll be putting up the simple instructions for calculating the Number and Quality of any interval. In the work book this is covered from page 15 to page 23.

Wednesday we'll introduce the interval inversion. But first we have to have the interval identification down solid.

Homework End of Week 2

Now, at the end of week 2, we should all be able to do the following:

1. Create a Major scale on any tone
2. Create a minor scale on any tone
3. Understand the relationship between the Major scale  it's relative minor  and the Key Signature they both have in common
4. Create a Harmonic Minor scale from any minor scale starting on any tone. 
5. Understand that raise does not necessarily mean to sharp, and lower dose not necessarily mean to flat. In other words, how to use the natural sign.

You should have everything in the workbook done up through page 11. Skip pages 12, 13, and 14.

Next week we will begin work with Intervals.

If you don't know your Circle of Fifths, and/or you don't understand how to use the Circle of Fifths diagram, intervals are going to be problematic for you.

Homework Week 2 Day 1

Today we went through The Circle of Fifths and talked about it as both as an abstract theoretical concept and also as a working, practical set of musical tools. We talked about what it means, in a studio setting for example, to "change the key" for a singer that finds the key, or tonal center, the musicians are playing in to be too high or too low for his voice.

We also talked about the prototype major scale built on "C", and the the prototype minor scale built on "A", as being the old Ionian and Aolian modes from the older "modal' system.


We use just two of the basic modes in this new system, the Major and the Minor, and move, or "transpose", them, to any tonal center we choose. that's what we mean by "changing the key".

This is called the Diatonic System, and it is based on Tempered Tuning.  [We'll be discussing these terms more as the course progresses]


Continue to work in your book through page 8.

On Wednesday we will continue with the Minor Scale, and the Harmonic Minor Scale.

Homework Week 1

Everything from page 1 to Page 6 in the Aaron Shearer book.

If you get your book, make sure and come to class Monday having finished all the work to the top of page 6.

Stop when you get to the subtitle "The Key"


If you don't get your book by then, finish the exercises I put up on the board and you will be caught up.


The natural Half-steps:

bc,   e,f



The major scale

C major is the prototype. The half steps fall between:

3,4   and    7,8   scale degrees

a minor is the minor scale prototype. The half steps fal between:

2,3 and 5,6  scale degrees

Greetings Theory 150 Class

Hello everyone,

Today we will be going over the course objectives, the materials you'll need, and how to use this blog. 

Note: The email address given at the top right of the page below the page navigation bar is the SOLE email to be used for correspondence with this class. 

Make a note of the blog address:  theory150@blogspot.com

and of the class email:   autheory150@gmail.com

I'm looking forward to working with you this Spring semester at the Art Institute.



This is the book we will be using for this class.
Order it on Amazon. It is very inexpensive.
This is a workbook, so do not order a used book.

Aaron Shearer
Supplement 2
Basic Elements of Music Theory for the Guitar

 Note: This book is part of a series written for the Classical Guitar, but it is nonetheless a general approach to basic music theory that is concise and clear.



Bring a pencil to class every day. Bring a notebook with which to create a "cheat sheet". You will be able to use your notes in every quiz and with the final exam