First Steps In Music Theory ~REPACK~
For beginners, learning music theory might be overwhelming at first. There seems to be so much to know in order to understand how music works. In any music theory workbook, you will come across technical terms like notes, tunes, sharps, chords or even intervals . If all this sounds like a foreign language to you, you are at the right place!
First Steps in Music Theory
Since there are actually 12 notes used in Western music theory, you might wonder why there are only 7 letters. Well, between the letters we just learned about, there are 5 additional notes called flats (b) and sharps (#). In music theory books, these symbols are called accidentals. They are added to the letters and signify that these are either lowered or raised in pitch by half a step (or one semitone). So for instance Ab is half a step lower in pitch than A and A# would be half a step higher. Sharps and flats are an important part of your first music theory lessons, as you will need them in order to see the difference between major and minor scales and chords for example.
The root of a chord, at least in functional harmony, is the note on which this chord is built and which at the same time gives it its name. In the C major chord, this would be C. Chords are really important in harmony, as they help us giving our music more depth and feelings. Now, chords are not always in the same position, as they might change their structure depending on harmonic rules. If the root is the lowest note, the chord is said to be in root position (C-E-G). Any other position is called an inversion. The first inversion of a triad, when the 3rd (E) is the lowest chord, is called a Sixth Chord. When our lowest chord is the 5th we call it a Six-four Chord.
Music theory is a super powerful tool for guitar players. It helps you navigate the fretboard, makes it easier to communicate with other musicians and deepens your understanding of music. In short: music theory can make you into a better guitarist and musician.
Compare it with a painter learning the names to colours. When you know about red and yellow, you can understand that orange is actually a mix of those two colours. (Sidenote: click here for a more detailed explanation of what music theory is.)
As we saw earlier, music theory gives names to a whole bunch of things, like chords, scales and rhythms. Now the thing is, it's easier to remember what something's called once more of your senses have been exposed to it. After seeing, smelling, feeling and tasting a dish of food, it's easier to remember its name, than after reading a dictionary definition of it, right?
Now, as a guitar player you should always strive to understand how music theory applies to the fretboard. It ensures you truly understand how the theory works in practice, how it actually sounds, and how you can use it yourself. And being able to use the theory yourself is crucial. As we saw in the last section, music theory is nothing more than a tool that can help us make better music. If it remains something that you read in a book once and vaguely remember, music theory won't help you!
Plus, perhaps most importantly, following the music you love makes your musical journey fun, rewarding and meaningful. I hope you found this roadmap for music and guitar theory useful! If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message.
As simple as this sounds, most people don't do it. Here's why: They start reading, and they think, "Oh, well I already know this, I'll just go ahead and learn something more useful." And because of that, they don't get a solid music theory foundation.
If you start at the beginning and study the basics, you can get that solid foundation and learn the next steps MUCH faster than the people who didn't. This gives you an advantage over the other music theory beginners, and gets you out there learning music and getting the gigs, a lot faster.
The first article you should look at is the Music Alphabet . This gives you a firm foundation in the music notation systems and pre-develops a sense how scales will work. This article will show you how useful learning the alphabet can be. It's as easy as A-B-C!
Next, it's Scales ! Scales give you a sense of order and directionality. Also because scales are one of the essentials of music, this article will show you real life examples, not just redundant theory routines.
Then, take a look at Reading Music. Even if you don't plan on sight reading sheet music for your particular style of music, it is equivalent to being able to read written language: learning to talk doesn't require reading, but getting through everyday life (street signs, emails, this website you're reading, etc.) is nearly impossible without it. For music theory beginners, reading music helps you better understand how notes work together and how you can use them.
Looking for something specific related to music theory? Try searching for it! Hopefully this gives you some idea of where you should start if you are looking to learn more about music theory. Remember, even if you know it, start at the beginning. You may run across something you had never seen before, or read something that makes sense in a way that it didn't before.
PAM-BAM are neutral syllables and children can repeat them very easily (P-B-A are some of the first sounds pronounced by a child). In this way, when they are ready, a musical dialogue can be created with the teacher. Songs are short so that babies and toddlers can follow them as their concentration is still developing. 041b061a72