Music Theory

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Music theory is a set of practical disciplines that outline the methods and concepts composers, musicians, and others use in understanding, deconstructing, and creating music. Music theory allows musicians and composers to explain and describe elements found in any given piece, such as key signature, harmony, melody, and rhythm, Additionally, music theory helps composers and musicians identify chords, chord progression, intervals, scales, and more. With a working knowledge and familiarity, musicians and composers can more readily recognize musical qualities such as pitch, tone, timbre, texture, dynamics, and more.

Music theory is broken down into several elements. But widely, there are three main types: basic music theory, scale theory, and chord theory. Among these are different characteristics and elements. For instance, fundamental music theory largely consists of notation, values, time signatures, marks, tempo and volume, pitch, key signature, and transposition.

Meanwhile, scale theory consists of major scales, minor scales, modes, symmetrical and pentatonic scales, and patterns. Chord theory consists of a number of types, including major chords, minor chords, dominant and suspended, augmented and diminished, as well as others.

Music Theory:

• Notation
• Note Values
• Time Signatures
• Ties, Slurs, and Phrase Marks
• Tempo and Volume
• Pitch
• Key Signatures

Scale Theory:

• Major Scales
• Minor Scales
• Modes
• Bimodality
• Modal Mixing
• Symmetrical Scales
• Pentatonic Scales
• Shapes & Patterns

Chord Theory:

• Chord Structure

• Major Chord Family
• Minor Chord Family
• Dominant & Altered Chords
• Suspended Chords
• Augmented & Diminished Chords
• Fifth & Inverted Chords
• In-Position, Movable, & Barre Chords
• Extended Chords (Chord Extensions)
• Secundal, Quartal, and Quintal Chords
• Rules for Omitting Intervals
• Arpeggios

Percussion/Drum Theory:

26 Standard American Drum Rudiments

Songwriting Basics:

Most Popular Jazz Music Chord Progressions
Most Popular Blues Music Chord Progressions
Most Popular Rhythm and Blues Music Chord Progressions
Most Popular Pop Music Chord Progressions
Most Popular Country Music Chord Progressions
Most Popular Rock Music Chord Progressions
Modulation or Changing Key
Bitonality
Polytonality or Polyharmony
Types of Motion (Contrary, Oblique, Similar, & Parallel)