Just Enough Music Theory - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Just Enough Music TheorySlide2

Road Map for the Week

Tuesday

Intervals in music and how to create chords

MondayMasters of the musical university – the octave, scales, keys

WednesdayChoosing chords – Circle of 5ths

ThursdayChord substitution - chord alternations - chord extensions

Friday

Arranging – composing – where to go from hereSlide3

Goals

By the end of the week you should be able to:



Understand the overtone series and its use Spell the chords on the diatonic scale

 Know how to create chord progressions

 Know how to interpret chord symbols Use chord extensions to create the sound you wantSlide4

The Handouts you don’t have!

www.BillTroxler.com

Handouts

Just Enough Music TheoryReach me at:

BillTroxler@gmail.comA WONDERFUL reference book for this subject isEdly’s

Music Theory for Practical Peoplehttp://www.edly.com/ locally or AmazonSlide5

Music Begins when something vibrates

air…….a reed…..human lips…..vocal cords…..a string….

an animal skin….metal plate…block of wood

 A musician's job is to manipulate the four major auditory attributes of musical tones: pitch - loudness - duration - timbre

The vibrations are perceived by the brain as sound – musical tones. We order those tones based upon how fast or slow the vibrations occur – in cycles per second or Hertz (Hz)

Musical tones are psychoacoustic. That’s why music is SO powerful and so memorableSlide6

The Range of Musical Tones

Name of Tone

Hertz

C016C132C2

64C3128C4 (middle

C)256C5512C61,024

C7

2,048

C8

4,096

C9

8,192

C10

16,384

The table is in “scientific” not “musical” pitch. C4 in musical pitch is 261.63 HzSlide7

Masters of the Musical Universe

Scales -

order or tones

A scale divides the octave into a specific number of tones or

pitches – usually between 5 and 31 pitches. A scale ALWAYS imposes a specific order to the pitches it containsThe O

ctave – range of tonesThe interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its

frequency is called the OCTAVE. The octave is sometimes called the “

diapson

”.

Keys -

A sense of belonging - population without order

Keys

tell you which tones

within the octave are

used in a piece of music.

The scale we select within a key determines the relationships

among

the

tones

of that key and thereby allows us to construct melody

and

its supporting harmony.Slide8

Masters of the Musical Universe –

the Octave

The term “octave” comes from the Latin word “octavus”

which means “eighth”. “Octave” describes this doubling of frequency because that span of frequencies natural divides into eight parts:

Do - Re - Me - Fa - So - La - Ti - Do

These eight divisions of the octave are a phenomenon of nature. They are the basis for all Western musicSlide9

The Overtone Series

Listen to the Overtones Across Six Octaves

Look at how guitar strings vibrateSlide10

The Overtone Series Used in Music –

2001 –Close Encounters - NBC

Sunrise in PerformanceThe Music

Sunrise begins with a sustained low C the double basses, contrabassoon

and organ. Prelude to the brass fanfare of "dawn" motif - in intervals of a

fifth and octave, as C1–G–C2 - also called the Nature-motifThe

motif is a part of the first five notes of the natural overtone series

:

The

major third is immediately changed to a minor third, which is the first note

played

in the work (E flat) that is not part of the overtone series

Close Encounters

NBCSlide11

The Musical Scale

A scale divides the octave into a number of

tones - Scales exhibit these characteristics:

Order Scales arrange their pitches in a specific orderNumber

In theory there is no limit to the number of pitch divisions that can be appliedto an octave. The

number of divisions used in Western music ranges from five to twelve. Experimental work is being done with as many as 31 divisions. Indian classical music divides the octave into 22 divisions.

Western

music describes the divisions of the octave as “steps”. These steps may

be whole

steps or half steps. Look at a piano key board. The black and white

keys

are these whole and half steps

.

The first

tone

of a scale is called the “tonic

” or “root”. It usually is the name of the key Slide12

CEnts



Humans can discern about 5 cents and no smaller intervals. That's about 1/10 of a semitone

. The cent is a unit of measure used for musical intervals

. The octave can be

divided a chromatic scale of 12 semitones. Each of these twelve semitones is further divided into 100 cents.



One

cent is too small to be heard between successive tones.Slide13

Cents

Cents across the octaveSlide14

Whole & Half Steps

The

pattern of steps in a major scale is:

W W H W W W H Slide15

More Scales than a Fish!

Review the handout on the website to see the vast number of possible scales

Major Pentatonic in the keys of C, G, D, A, E and FIn the key of “C” that’s:

C D E G AMelodic players should master these scales …………

Ionian mode scales in the keys of C, D, G, A and E majorIn the key of “C” that’s: C D E F G A B

Natural minor Scales in the keys of Eminor, A minor, D minor and G minorIn the key of “A minor” that’s: A B C D E F G

More info here……..Slide16

Intervals

Pitches on scales are given two kinds of names.

 letter

names [A- B – C – D – E – F - G].  a number that describes their relationship the

tonic pitch

Scaledore

me

fa

so

la

ti

do

Interval name

Unison

Second

2

nd

Third

3

rd

Perfect

fourth

4

th

Perfect

fifth

5

th

Sixth

6

th

Seventh

7

th

OctaveSlide17

Intervals

What about the black keys?????

 The major intervals become minor intervals

 The perfect intervals become diminished intervals

Scale

dorame

mi

Se

le

ti

e

do

Interval name

Unison

Minor

Second

2

nd

Minor

Third

3

rd

Diminished

fourth

4

th

Diminished

fifth

5

th

Minor Sixth

6

th

Minor Seventh

7

th

OctaveSlide18

Making Chords

These

stacks of three tones are called “triads”.

Additional tones are often added to the basic triads. These additional tones are called “Chord Extensions”.The sounds created by chord extensions are the essence of many styles of music

A chord is a stack of at least three tones played simultaneously. When chords are built on the diatonic scale used in most traditional

music, three forms are created: major - minor - diminishedSlide19

Chord Formulas:

The Major Chord

To form a major chordBegin with the tone that names the chord.Add a major 3rd above that fundamental toneAdd a perfect 5th above the fundamental tone.

Examples: The C-major chord is [C or

Cmaj ] is spelled C – E – G. The G-major chord [G or

Gmaj ] is spelled G – B - DThe D-major chord [CD or Dmaj

]

is spelled D – F# -

A

OR….. A major chord is a major 3

rd

PLUS a minor 3rdSlide20

Chord Formulas:

The Minor Chord

To form a minor chordBegin with the tone that names the chord.Add a

minor 3rd above that fundamental toneAdd a perfect 5th above the fundamental tone.Examples: The C-minor chord

[Cm or Cmin] is spelled C –

Eb – G. The G-minor chord is spelled [Gm or Gmin]

G – Bb - D

The D-minor

chord is

spelled [

Dm

orDmin

]

D –

F

-

A

OR…. A minor chord is a minor 3

rd

PLUS a major 3rdSlide21

Chord Formulas:

The Diminished Chord

To form a diminished chordBegin with the tone that names the chord.Add a

minor 3rd above that fundamental toneAdd a diminished 5th above the fundamental tone.Examples:

The C-diminished chord [Cdim or C°]

is spelled C – Eb – Gb. The G-diminished chord is spelled [Gdim

or

G

°

]

G – Bb - Db

The D-diminished

chord is

spelled [

Ddim

or

D

°

]

D –

F

-

Ab

OR…. A diminished chord is a minor 3

rd

PLUS a minor 3rdSlide22

Chord Formulas:

The Augmented Chord

To form an augmented chordBegin with the tone that names the chord.

Add a major 3rd above that fundamental toneAdd an augmented 5th above the fundamental tone.

Examples: The C-augmented chord [Caug

or C+] is spelled C – Eb –

Gb.

The

G-augmented

chord is spelled [

Gaug

or

G

+

]

G – Bb - Db

The

D-augmented

chord is

spelled [

Daug

or

D

+

]

D –

F

-

Ab

OR….

An augmented chord

is a

majo

r

3

rd

PLUS a

major

3rdSlide23

Chord Symbols

Major Chords

: Maj M ΔGmaj

GM GΔMinor Chords: min

m -Dmin Dm D-Diminished Chords:

dim o °Adim Ao A°

Augmented Chords:

aug

+Slide24

Slash Chords

Sometimes a specific tone is to be played as the lowest tone

In the triad.To indicate this a slash “/” is used following the chord name.

C/B means play a C chord with “B” as the lowest tone.A walking bass on guitar is often notated this way:C C/B C/A C/G and then off to a new chordSlide25

Chord Nomenclature

Music notation often uses the letter names of the chords:

In C major – C Dm Em

F G Am BdimIn conversation, in studio work and in text, chords symbols are used. The symbols used are Roman numerals representing the interval

of the scale on which the chord is builtIn C major - I ii iii IV V vi vii

°Slide26

Chord Progressions

Chord Progression…… Chord Changes….. Harmonic Motion…..Harmonic Rhythm

The most basic chord progression in a major key is I – IV - V

Key of C major: C - F - G

Key of G major: G - C - DThe “circle of 5hts” is a tool for determining chord progressions in any keySlide27

Circle of 5thsSlide28

Circle of 5ths –

Key Signatures

Add one sharp to each Key as you move

clockwise around the circle.Which sharp to add is

determined by thescale pattern of: W W H W W

W HThe order of sharps to add is:F# C# G# D# and so forthSlide29

Circle of 5ths –

Keys

Anticlockwise them

ovement is in 4ths.Add flats instead ofsharps.

More info here…….Slide30

Circle of 5ths – Relative MinorsSlide31

Circle of 5ths – the chord boxSlide32

The Circle of 5ths –

Chord Progressions

What you need to know is here!There is much more to say about chord progressions.

Chord extensions and use of intra-modal chords really enliven a performance. But, those topics are beyond a week long class. We’ll take just a peek at these two subjectsSlide33

Suspended and other useful chords

A suspended chord replaces the 3

rd with either a 4th or a 2nd

.Dsus4 is spelled” D G A

Often this chord will be played as D7sus4 spelled D G A CD

sus2 is spelled” D E AOften this chord will be played as D7sus4 spelled D E A CThe “minor 7

th

chord is often useful.

An example is Dm7 spelled D F A C

Rearrange the tones of the Dm7 chord in this order – F A C D – and the

c

hord gets a new name: F6. What to call it depends upon the keySlide34

Chord Extensions

Often a fourth tone is added to the triad.

It’s most often the flatted 7th of the scale.

These are called “7th chords “ and written as C7, D7, G7.Or as numeric notation as V7. We say “ C seven” to identify the chord

On occasion the major 7th of the scale is added.

These chords are called “major 7th chords”. They are written as Cmaj7, Dmaj7, Gmaj7. More tones can be added to a chord beyond 7th

of the scale.

These are called “chord extensions”. Slide35

Chord Extensions – 9

th, 11,th,13th

A 9 chord is spelled: 1, 3, 5, b7, 9

A C9 chord is spelled: C E G Bb DAn 11 chord is spelled: 1, 3, 5, b7, 9

A C11 chord is spelled: 1, 3, 5, b7, 9, 11A C13 chord is spelled: 1, 3, 5, b7, 9, 11, 13

A C13 chord is spelled: 1, 3, 5, b7, 9, 11,13Chord extensions can sound “muddy”. To fix that some tones

a

re often left out of the chord. Those chords are call “add chords”Slide36

Add Chords

If any tone other than the 7

th is included in a chord the result is called an “add chord”

A Cadd9 chord or C+9 is spelled: C E G D

A Cadd11

chord or C+11 is spelled: C E G FANY of the twelve tones of the chromatic scale may be added to a basic triad

The G7

+b5

chord is spelled: G B Db F(natural) Slide37

Intra-Modal and Mixed Mode Music

The musical scale does not have to start on DO.

It can start on any tone of the diatonic scale

When a scale begins on a tone other than DO the result is called “a mode of the diatonic scale”.The seven modes of the scale are titled:

Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydia, Aeolian, and LocrianEach mode has a unique sound and chord selection

Music can shift modes and mix modes. One mode can borrow chords from another mode. Hear and learn about the modesSlide38

Ionian Mode

Tone

C 

 D 

E

F

G

A

B

Step

whole

whole

half

whole

whole

whole

half

Solfege

do

re

me

fa

so

la

ti

Sample 1 of Ionian Mode - VisitorsSlide39

Aeolian Mode

Solfege

la 

  ti 

do

re

me

fa

so

A-Aeolian

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

E-Aeolian

E

F#

G

A

B

C

D

B-Aeolian

B

C#

D

E

F#

G

A

Step

whole

half

whole

whole

half

whole

whole

Sample 1 Aeolian Mode

Sample 2 Aeolian ModeSlide40

That’s it!!!!

Hope you enjoyed the class and will find a place

in your music for the information!!!Don’t forget to complete the evaluation form!!!

WWW.BillTroxler.comBillTroxler@gmail.com