Music Theory – 5 Significant Music Elements
October 23rd, 2011 | 
Author: by Brad Chidester – Music Learning Workshop
Music Theory is the core to any good song or musicians ability. Some acquire it naturally, but for the vast majority it’s a chore to achieve.
If you have weak skills or would like to improve your current music abilities you’ll want to consider just how important a focus on the basics can be to accelerating your talents.
Students hate music theory
You hear it all the time, “I hate music theory”or “Music is hard”. Why is this? I’m sure you have you’re own answer, if you feel this way.
For most it’s about the way music theory is taught. Most teachers take one note at a time, put it on a line, have you play this note, add another one, play both, give them a name, but they take for every to give you context.
For many this is a familiar process and it’s brain numbingly slow. I’ve been taught and seen how music is taught in a piece meal fashion. Actually, it more like the lack of music theory concepts early in the process which is rather frustrating for the average student. When I found a music mentor that realized the power of teaching music theory fast it changed my attitude and improved my skill greatly.
What does music theory provide
Music theory provides the basis for putting together organized music elements to define a concept or creative idea.
First off you learn to play because you want to make music. That’s pretty much a given, however, if one can learn the music principles quickly you will advance in learning and playing music at a rabbits pace rather than a snails pace.
Once you understand how the structure of music works you can look at a song and quickly learn it. This is explained in the 7 essential steps to learning a song and how applied music theory will reduce the time it takes to learn a song. That can be in half the time for a beginner and the more you apply it the fast it gets.
5 Music Theory Elements to Help Students Learn Faster
The real trick in dealing with or acquiring this music knowledge is learning it in a structured approach that is laid out to quickly build your music understanding. There are five basic areas that have to be studied. In the case of two of these they are best studied together. Let’s take a look.
Notes: You have to start with notes learn the symbols and how they are created. Notes represent two axis. Time and Pitch. That is, notes are the symbols that give you a way to understand how long or short (time, horizontal axis) and your pitch (tone, vertical axis) will be played.
You need to quickly learn pitches as represented on the master staff. There are essentially 4 main octaves that you need to be able to learn and recite in under 40 seconds. The next thing is you must learn the relationships of two notes which are called intervals. If you did nothing but study that for two months your playing ability would double.
Rhythm: Note symbols gave time value representation. That translates to rhythm when notes are placed together with a time signature. The combination of different types of notes is what will define a rhythm. Practicing various rhythm patterns in basic and extended structures independently will do more for your performance capabilities than any other music elements combined.
Key Signatures and Scales: These two music principles are so tightly related that they are joined at the hip in my mind. The math that ties them together makes them a natural to learn at the same time. In fact several teaching methods do it without actually indicating how they are related.
Learning the major and minor scales are essential, but key signatures, chords and alternate scales are all based on how the major scale is formed mathematically. Scale applications on chords and the progressions is how jazz improvisation gets really creative.
Chords: Learning the 4 triad chords is a must to analyzing music and being able to quickly learn a song. Those four chords also provide the basis for being able to understand 7 kinds of seventh chords.
Learning how a chord system is put together makes the whole music universe come together. Did I mention that scales are are the foundation of these systems? Next you move into chord progressions and the systems make that gel.
What if You Could Learn Music Theory in 1/4 the Normal Time?
What would that do for you? If you’re a beginner the home study Getting It Down Cold Music Theory Course will do just that. It’s broken down into 4 Workshops each with 3 to 5 sections of focused concentration.
If you’re more advanced or would like to improve your knowledge in any of the areas, the individual workshops will help you pull it together faster. Notes | Rhythm | Keys & Scales | Creating Chords | Beginners Monthly Course Subscription
Music Theory Course – Master the Principles of Music
Music Theory Course
How many times have you thought about learning to play a simple song on your guitar, piano, or any other musical instrument you might own? The most common approach you will see on the internet is mimicking someone who knows the exact notes you want to play. However, you can be sure that the person who is offering you this type of tutorial has already spent years learning music theory and your chances of obtaining the same results without a proper course are nil. On the other side of the spectrum, you have traditional lessons which will take between 4 to 8 years of your life and you will only obtain the status of a beginner / intermediate student. Besides the prolonged duration of these courses, you will also have to face the high costs which will revolve around $5,000 for the entire duration of the class.
The Music Theory course will show you everything you need to know about the principles behind music and exactly how to apply them if you want to really understand your instrument and put it to good use. The clear advantage behind it is the fact that you won’t have to your waste time, since you will learn everything you need to know in one year, and your money will be safe in your back account because you won’t spend thousands of dollars on the same pieces of information you would learn in music school. But this is just the tip of the iceberg…
What the Music Theory Course Offers
The biggest problem people have with learning music is absorbing so many pieces of information in a relatively short amount of time. Most classes will go back and forth until you simply can’t keep up with what’s happening and it all becomes just a big blur. The Music Theory Course will give you a linear and cohesive look at what music is all about and remembering what learn will come naturally. This course will take between 10 and 15 minutes of your day and it will gradually introduce you to the music world. You will start by learning the basics, such as notes and how to read music, and at the end you will find out more about scales and chords. The most important part is that the student is allowed and encouraged to start using his musical instrument throughout the duration of the course. This way, he will finally see the difference between knowing what note he is playing and just repeating the movements of someone else without actually understanding what’s happening. Here are some of the things you will understand after reading this eBook:
• How to interpret notes, symbols, and timing.
• A clear look into intervals, stacking notes, and scales.
• Everything you need to know about chords and minor keys.
• An advanced study of scale types and chords.
Because learning music is like learning a new language, you have to make sure that you have the best teacher. This will ease the process and before you know it, you will start playing your favorite songs without missing a beat or trying to remember where to place your fingers and which note to play next.
Bonus eBooks
Along with the Music Theory Course, you will find three special books. The first one, Special Report: How to Learn a Song, will show you how to learn your favorite songs without spending hours on memorizing notes or wasting time with trial and error. Music Notation and Terminology will become your personal music dictionary and whenever you hear a new term you don’t understand, you can look it up and you will find a comprehensible definition. At last, but not least, Piano Technique Scale Fingerings will help you apply a proper technique which will improve your speed and accuracy.
Pros and Cons
The Music Theory Course is definitely one of the best and easiest ways to learn music from the comfort of your own home, but even so, you have to keep in mind that the process won’t be a piece of cake right from the get go. You will have to take baby steps and have some patience until you start applying everything this course can teach you. As long as you are willing to spend at least 10 minutes each day on your music passion, you will surely learn what you need to know and more.
In Conclusion
Music Theory Course will give you the key to uncover the secrets of music theory and teach you how to apply them in less than one year. If you want to truly understand music and start playing it like a pro without wasting 8 years of your life or spending thousands of dollars, this eBook will surely lead you on the right path and give you a complete and simple method of learning music theory.
Music Theory 101 Part II
I feel that learning to play a musical instrument while learning music theory will enhance your musical abilities. I played trumpet for 8 years or so before I really started to understand the importance of learning music theory. Site reading music is a definite requirement if you plan on attending music school or even play in bands. Being able to improvise and fill in with other groups. There are too many reasons for learning music theory to list them all. Once you become a member of the local musicians union, you will receive calls to fill in with various bands. Some may use sheet music, others may just yell out a particular key. Knowing music theory puts you at an advantage.
So, will understanding music theory enhance your musical skills?
Having an awareness of music theory can assist you better when articulating your musical ideas, and will help you recognize musical components, and this may lead to a more rapid musical growth. The fundamental components in music theory include a body of information made up of rhythm, melody, harmony. And tone color (or timbre).
Many people that learn to play an instrument can’t wait to play songs
Well I was one of them and had a very good ear so felt I didn’t need music theory. Well as I progressed through my music playing, I soon found out that everything is based around scales. I would say 90 per cent of your practice time should be devoted to learning your scales. Working on speed is the key. All the while you will be working on the four key elements mentioned above. Rhythm, melody, harmony, and tone color.
Major scales are the most important element of music theory that you should master.
Music Theory 101 – Part I
Is music theory really necessary?
Through the years of studying music, I feel I was very fortunate to have had very good instructors for music theory instruction. I started out playing the drums, guitar and piano but the trumpet is the instrument that I really became serious to play. I know many musicians who are very good, play by ear and can’t read music at all. On the other hand, understanding music theory can open up the door for one’s creative imagination.
When I started studying music theory I became more aware of how music functions. Learning the terminology and notation of songs truly enhanced my understanding. Music theory also helped me to recognize styles and components in composers’ methods, throughout the many different genres, variations and historical time periods.
Music theory gives you the freedom to convey yourself artistically by providing the methods you need if you wish to become a session musician, performer, arranger or songwriter. To make a full time income, then it’s definitely necessary. By learning music theory, you are going to concentrate on music as a kind of art and acquire a much better comprehension of how variations and types of songs were created. Understanding music theory is vital to acquire a much better knowledge of music.
So what is music theory?
And why is it important to learn? How can you study and comprehend music theory? Music theory doesn’t need to be an intimidating topic. This site answers several of your most frequent questions regarding music theory.
The very first thing musicians ought to learn in music theory is notation. The lines and spaces create a staff. The two major staffs are the clefs, both treble and bass. I played b-flat trumpet so most of my learning was focused on the treble (upper) clef. However, I am also familiar with the bass (lower) clef. Note names, rhythms, rests, intervals, meter, time signatures, key signatures, and dynamics are also important and will be discussed in greater detail in other sections of the series.
The subsequent elements musicians ought to learn are the scales and chords. These elements enable us to create melody, key phrases, and musical varieties . The importance of these first steps in music theory become the foundation for learning to play any musical instrument and expressing yourself through music.
Trent Reznor and Karen O Cover Led Zeppelin
Friday, May 27
They do “Immigrant Song” for Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross already won an Oscar for scoring David Fincher’s The Social Network, and as previously reported, they’re getting back together to score another Fincher movie, the eagerly awaited English-language version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. And now the Playlist has some more exciting news about the Dragon Tattoo soundtrack: Reznor and Yeah Yeah Yeahs leader Karen O got together to cover Led Zeppelin‘s unhinged classic “Immigrant Song”. We’ve confirmed with Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ management that the collaboration is indeed legit.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo opens December 21, but we should be hearing some of the Karen O-sung “Immigrant Song” cover long before then. According to Playlist, the red-band version of the movie’s trailer is showing before some screenings of The Hangover Part II, which opens in theaters today, and the Zeppelin cover plays during the trailer.
Hopefully, this’ll turn out a lot better than the last time someone adapted a Zeppelin song for a blockbuster movie. Below, stream Zeppelin’s original “Immigrant Song”.
Posted by Tom Breihan on May 27, 2011 at 1:55 p.m.
Posted in Uncategorized | 
Tags: Collaboration, Cover, Film, Karen O, Led Zeppelin, Trent Reznor, Yeah Yeah Yeahs | 
41 Comments »
More Online Event Ticket Choices
Eventbrite just announced that they’ve raised another $50 million to continue on their path of offering event promoters choices in how they sell their tickets online. Here’s the news via NY Times…
Eventbrite, a ticketing start-up based in San Francisco, got its start by offering to help any event organizer peddle tickets — whether it be for a yoga class or an indie comedy show.
Now the company is looking to tackle ticketing for bigger events — and it is getting a large boost of liquid confidence from investors who think it stands a chance at stealing business from Ticketmaster, the industry giant.
On Wednesday, Eventbrite announced that it had raised $50 million in venture capital in a Series E round of financing. The influx of cash came from several firms and was led by Tiger Global. This round brings the amount of money Eventbrite has raised to a hefty $79.5 million
TechCrunch has a quite writeup of the announcement as well.
Santana Still Going Strong
Santana – Then and now
When Santana came out in the late 1960′s, their Latin beat became very popular. The Congo drums enhanced the sound. In this post I would like to share a few videos, one of which is a performance of the song off their Milagro CD “Somewhere in Heaven”. The musical group Santana has a total of eight Grammy Awards. Also, three Latin Grammy Awards, Carlos Santana, as a solo artist won two Grammy Awards in 1989 and 2003. Currently Santana has started their Guitar Heaven European Tour 2011. One of my first rock bands I played with played a complete set of music from their first two albums from Santana and Abraxas. Evil Ways and Soul Sacrifice were two of the songs played at Woodstock in 1969. Carlos Santana is a master playing the Guitar. I hope you will take the time to scroll down on the right side to listen to these classic hits.
Carnival of Venice
Carnival of Venice composed by Jean-Baptiste Arban in 1864. Many different composers wrote variations for many different instruments becoming a showcase piece. Carnival of Venice became a virtuoso workout for cornet and trumpet. I found this to be a very challenging piece of music. Variations can be found in many of Arban and Clarke’s music books. I found a good video of Wynton Marsalis playing Carnival of Venice with the Boston Pops Orchestra. I will be writing about this great musician very soon. Hope you’ll come back. Enjoy!
A Tribute to Maynard Ferguson
Maynard Ferguson (May 4,1928-August 23,2006)
I had the pleasure of hearing him perform at a local Jazz club in downtown Pittsburgh. Unbelievable is all I can say. His trademark, being able to accurately play high notes and endurance. Not sure how many notes above high C he was able to hit consistently but only a handful of trumpeters can even come close. There are a few of Maynard’s students who played in his bands and as you will hear on this tribute video are possibly the few who can. Please enjoy.
History of Swing
One form of jazz can be classified as swing music. It was developed in the 1920s. Some of the pioneers included greats, such as, Glenn Miller, Cab Calloway, Gene Krupa and Count Basie to name only a few. Swing music in the late 1930s through the early 1940s became the most popular style of music in the United States. When I was growing up listening to and playing music of the 1970s, I would always have to listen to my parents saying “the music we grew up with will never die unlike today’s music”.
There was a drastic decline in the number of musicians, because of World War II, so swing music lost popularity. Larger bands were harder to form so smaller bands began introducing new styles of music by the 1950’s. I would say even into the 1950’s some of the music still had that toe tapping finger snapping rhythm. You know the kind of music that wants you to get up and dance even if you can’t.
For the fans of swing music, a revival occurred in the late 1990’s. I have been following Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and they are usually sold out everywhere they perform.
Swing music involves featuring soloists who then improvise in a particular key. The band is usually made up of brass, string, percussion, vocals and a keyboard player.
