Music Theory and Studies

When we last met for a tutorial, I was introducing you to the idea of musical scales, and explained a little about what a Chromatic scale is. In Part 2 of my “Climbing Those Scales” tutorials, I will discuss Major scales . First, let me quote author Michael Miller from his The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory book. “A scale is, quite simply, eight successive pitches within a one-octave range. All scales start on one note and end on that same note one octave higher.” What makes any particular musical scale a Major scale are the specific intervals between the notes in that ... Read Full Story

Do you ever feel like you are moving a little largo after eating a big meal? Or do you wake up and feel instantly allegro and presto? No, I haven’t fallen and hit my head. I am just throwing some musical terms at you that describe tempo . What’s tempo ? I’m glad you asked! Tempo , as defined in Michael Miller’s great book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Music Theory , is the rate of speed at which beats are played in a song. Or perhaps an easier way of thinking about it - how fast or slow the song is played. There ... Read Full Story

In my previous “Climbing Those Scales” tutorials, I have touched on the subjects of Chromatic scales and Major scales. Today, I will turn your attention to my favorite scales - the Minor scales. Minor scales are my favorites because I feel that unlike their “happier” counterpart - the Major scales - minor scales add some real depth to music. Minor scales tend to be used in more serious and contemplative music when the composer wishes to draw you into the song more emotionally. When we approach minor scales, it should be noted that there are three types of minor scales - the natural minor ... Read Full Story

I was asked by a regular reader of my blog if I would being a sort of “tutorial” about music and the many aspects of it. I was flattered by the request, but I certainly feel far underqualified for such an undertaking. Nevertheless, with what knowledge I DO have, and the vast resources on the Internet, in books and magazines, and through others, I will do my best to write a regular tutorial post (among my other postings) that will, hopefully, enlighten and maybe even teach some of my readers a little about many aspects of the world of music. (Corrections are very welcome ... Read Full Story

For installment #2 of my music tutorial series, I thought I would touch on two of my favorite words in the world of music - the concepts of melody and harmony . To explain to you a little about the difference between melody and harmony, I dug up a few old books I had lying around to help me - Music by Daniel T. Politoske, and Harmony by Walter Piston. Mr. Politoske defines melody as a “succession of tones that assumes a recognizable musical shape in conjunction with a rhythmic organization”. Huh? Okay. Let’s see if I can’t explain that in layman’s English. There ... Read Full Story