Have you heard of Music Theory but find it overwhelming?
You know how important it is, but there’s too much to absorb?
You know what? It’s not your fault. The way that information is fed to you is the reason you find it difficult.
The solution – Start small, start slow.
Just so you know, I struggled a lot with Music Theory in the initial days. I still suck at it but you know what helped me?
Bite-sized learning.
I started absorbing small chunks of information on a regular basis. And that’s exactly how I’m going to help you too.
In this article, I’m going to answer 10 Music Theory Questions with Real-Life examples.
I’m going to try defining those concepts in the easiest, non-technical manner possible.
Reading this in sequence will help you understand it better. In case you’re jumping ahead, make sure you know what the previous terms mean.
Table of Contents
What is Music Theory?
Imagine you’re at a Coffee Shop and you want to have a Cappuccino. What would you say to place that order?
You’d say, “Can I get a Large Cappuccino, please?”.
Now imagine if a toddler had to do the same? Do you think it’s possible?
No, because the little one can’t communicate in the language the server understands.
Do you see where I’m going? It’s a language that allows us to communicate.
Similarly, for musicians to communicate with each other, a set of terms were coined. It enabled them to communicate as fast as they could place an order for a cup of Coffee.
These terms or building blocks of Music that made this communication possible came to be known as Music Theory.
What is a Note in Music?
Have you ever seen a reality show where a judge compliments a Singer on hitting the right pitch?
The first keyword to remember is 'pitch'.
Singers who sing on unusually high pitches train their vocal cords to vibrate much faster than an average human being.
The second keyword to remember is 'vibration'.
A musical note is a term assigned to a particular pitch that is further associated with a vibration.
The naming convention of notes in Western Music goes like this:
- C
- C# or Db
- D
- D# or Eb
- E
- F
- F# or Gb
- G
- G# or Ab
- A
- A# or Bb
- B
The # sign is called Sharp so C# is spoken as C Sharp.
The small letter b is called Flat so Db is spoken as D Flat.
I know it sounds and looks weird but you’ll get used to it sooner than you think.
What are Intervals in Music Theory?
An Interval in Music is the distance between two notes.
Interval = Distance
We will discuss the simplest and shortest form of intervals in Western Music. They are known as tones and semitones.
- Semi-tones (a half step)
- Tones (a whole step)
A semi-tone or a half step is the very next note, higher or lower. E.g. G to G# and E to F.
A tone, as the name suggests is double of a semi-tone, or whole-step is the double of a half-step. E.g. C to D and G to A.
Read more on intervals here: A Guide to Music Intervals
What is a Scale in Music?
A Scale is a collection of notes played in succession.
Keeping it simple, let’s talk about one of the most used Scales in music – the Major scale.
This is what a C Major Scale on Piano looks like (all white keys):
The major scale formula is: W W H W W W H
W stands for Whole Step (Tone) and H stands for Half Step (Semitone).
Here’s how the notes in C Major Scale are chosen as per the formula:
What is an Octave on a Piano?
The word Octave has been derived from the word Octagon, a shape that has 8 sides.
As you must have guessed, an Octave is made up of 8 notes.
Here’s how Octaves look like on a Piano:
The pitch of the last C in Octave 1 will be double the pitch of the first C in Octave 1.
Similarly, the pitch of the last C in Octave 2 will be double the pitch of the first C in Octave 2.
And this stays true for the entire Piano. There will be Octaves present on the left and right of the ones marked above.
A standard 88-key Piano starts with a note called A0 and goes on till C8. A8 is 4 semitones before C8.
So if we consider A0 to A8, there are 8 octaves present in an 88-key Piano.
What is a Chord in Music?
A musical chord is a combination of notes played at the same time.
To begin with, let’s understand the simplest of them all – Triad Chords.
As the name suggests, Triad Chords consist of three notes.
But a triad isn’t made up of three random notes. The three specific notes used in a Triad Chord are:
- The root – the base note on which the chord is made
- The third – 3 notes from the root
- The fifth – 5 notes from the root
Some people also call it – 1st, 3rd, 5th.
Triad Chords are further divided into four categories but to make it beginner-friendly, let’s understand one of them now – the Major Triad.
In a C Major Triad, there are three notes:
- The root – C
- The major 3rd – E
- The perfect 5th – G
Here’s how a C Major Chord on Piano looks:
Similarly, a G Major Triad will have three notes as well:
- The root – G
- The major 3rd – B
- The perfect 5th – D
Here’s how a G Major Chord on Piano looks:
Know more on Triad Chords here: Triad Chords
Conclusion
- Taking it one step at a time is the key to learning anything and it surely applies to Music Theory.
- Once you start to feel comfortable with the basics, only then should you move toward the complex parts.
- The ideal way to learn Music Theory is by playing along. That way you’ll be engaging 3 senses – sight, hearing and touch. The retention factor is going to increase multifold plus you’ll have a lot of fun doing it.
Check out another blog post of mine: 7 Basic Music Production Terms you Must Know!