Music Theory

Time signatures, note values, and scales are introduced, covering fundamental concepts for enhancing music comprehension and playing abilities.

Develop a successful practice routine, balancing new material and revisions, correcting mistakes, and experimenting with ideas.

The musical alphabet, treble clef, and staff notation are explained, along with note positions and pitches.

Trebles clefs are introduced, covering the fundamentals of reading pitches and rhythms.

Covers the bass clef, bass staff, and ledger lines, introducing the naming conventions of lines and spaces on the bass staff.

Notes and note names are covered on the bass staff.

Understanding piano and keyboard music notation starts with grasping the grand staff structure and its basic components.

Note values are introduced with explanations of their time lengths and corresponding rest equivalents.

Double bar lines and final bar lines are explained, along with the organization of music into bars and measures.

Time signatures are explained, introducing concepts of rhythm and tempo in music.

Introduces the fundamentals of rest and eighth note notation in music, emphasizing their role in controlling rhythm and silence.

Dotted notes are notes whose duration is increased by half.

The fundamentals of music theory cover the three-four time signature and its application in various musical contexts.

The fundamentals of music theory are introduced with an exploration of the two-four time signature and its application.

Grouping eighth notes in various time signatures, including simple and compound rhythms, is covered.

Introduces principles for placing note and rest durations within bars, covering half and quarter rests in various time signatures.

Extends music notation beyond staff limits by applying ledger lines.

Lead-in notes, also known as pick-up notes, are notes played before the first full bar in a musical piece.

Introduces techniques for creating smooth note transitions using curved lines to indicate legato playing.

Staccato articulation is explored through playing notes short and separate.

Ties are introduced as a musical notation concept connecting identical notes with a single articulation, affecting their value and duration.

Varying music volume adds expression and interest by mastering dynamics.

Dynamics techniques include mastering crescendo, diminuendo, accents, and gradual volume shifts.

Italian tempo markings, including Adagio, Largo, and Prestissimo, are covered, along with their corresponding English translations.

Tempo changes are marked by terms such as accelerando, ritenuto, and rallentando.

Tones and semitones are introduced along with their relationship to note names and piano keyboard layout.

Raises a note's pitch by one semitone with the sharp sign (#).

Introduces the concept of the chromatic scale, a sequence of 12 notes that can be constructed by combining sharps and naturals with a root note.

Introduces the concept of flats, which lower pitch notes, as well as enharmonic notes.

The major scale's structure, distinct sonic characteristics, and note relationships are examined.

Introduces the concept of an octave, defining the range of 8 notes within a major scale and its connection to middle C.

Noting and assigning degrees to pitches within a major scale.

Covers the C major scale across four octaves and applies its use in a sample song featuring melody and accompaniment.

Introduces the concept of building major scales on any note using a memorized pattern of tones and semitones.

The G major scale is explored in detail, featuring its distinct tonal characteristics.

F Major Scale covers the creation and structure of an F major scale pattern.

Covers construction of major scales using all 12 chromatic scale notes.

Major scales and their corresponding sharps or flats are covered, with a focus on notation rather than chord names or examples.

The key cycle introduces a pattern of 12 keys, enabling practice in all keys and understanding enharmonic spellings.

Introduces the notes of major scales in all keys for confident playing and improvisation.

Introduces strategies for modifying keys without altering melodic content.

Accidentals and the chromatic scale are applied to create varied and emotive melodies.

Introduces the concept of enharmonic notes, covering recognition and application in music theory.

Durations like sixteenth notes and dotted eighth notes are analyzed in terms of length and timing.

Introduces the concept of time signatures, including simple and compound patterns, and explains how to distinguish between beats divisible by 2 or 3.

Introduces a rhythmic pattern featuring six eighth-note beats per bar, typically perceived as two strong pulses.

Compound time signatures feature ninth note groupings in eighths, with attention to accurate and inaccurate patterns.

Introduces the 12/8 time signature, enabling subdivision of eighth notes into sixteenth notes.

Covers musical intervals, measuring distance between notes, and their types: unison, 2nd to octave.

Quality of intervals includes perfect, major, minor, augmented, and diminished, affecting application to specific notes.

Introduces intervals up to an octave, measured in semitones.

Introduces techniques for identifying and reproducing melodic and harmonic intervals by ear through vocal exercises and practice.

Chord construction and properties explored, including triads, major chords, and inversions.

Triad chord construction is introduced, covering major, minor, augmented, and diminished chords.

Double sharps and double flats are explained as notation symbols used for interval spellings.

Notation system for major chords explained, covering symbols and letter names.

Triad inversions covered: root position and first inversion chords introduced.

Covers techniques for creating and applying G major chord inversions to enhance harmonic smoothness.

Breaking down chords into individual notes through arpeggios provides insight into chord construction and playing.

Minor keys and scales are introduced, covering natural, harmonic, and melodic types along with their distinctive tone and semitone patterns.

Minor scales are covered, including formulas and patterns for creating natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales in all keys.

Relative keys cover the relationship between minor and major scales, explaining how they share notes.

Builds chords on each scale degree, generating seven harmonic options for a key.

Harmonic patterns and chord progressions are explored, covering the foundation of music structure.

Harmonies combine multiple notes to create vertical effects, covering common types such as chord accompaniment and their underlying principles.

Rhythm notation fundamentals are covered, including chord playing techniques with various rhythmic patterns.

Introduces the concept of major key triads and explains how to transpose chord progressions between different keys.

Introduces scale tone chords in all major keys, covering 13 scales with sharp/flat analysis.

Introduces common chord progressions and techniques for transposing them across all keys.

Explains the fundamentals of harmony in traditional music theory, covering specific terminology for scales and chords.

Introduces fundamental chord progressions by mastering the three most frequently used chords in any key.

Primary triads and chord progressions are explored to create harmonious melodies.

Harmonizes melodies using primary triads and develops skills for improvising accompaniment parts.

Harmonizes melodies with chords beyond primary triads, creating unique sounds and atmospheres.

Major key chords' functions in harmony, including their effects on melody notes, are covered.

Smooth voice leading techniques create harmonious progressions with a natural, pleasing sound.

Develops skills to harmonize major melodies and master key progressions across all keys.

Harmonizes melodies using primary and secondary triads, incorporates voice-leading principles.

The structure and function of musical endings are examined, covering cadences, final chords, coda, and fermata.

Advanced musical theory and harmony skills developed through studies and expert guidance enhance musicianship and composition capabilities.

Relative minors of major keys are introduced, including A minor's relationship with C major through tone triads.

Applies harmonic concepts and techniques to minor keys beyond G minor.

Transposes music written in minor keys, covering processes for moving progressions between various minor keys.

Introduces the use of the A harmonic minor scale in creating chord progressions, covering unique chord types and alterations.

Derives chord types from the A harmonic minor scale and applies them to minor key music.

Binary and Ternary forms are covered, with analysis of Greensleeves and a piece by Johann Sebastian Bach.

The 12-bar blues is a foundational musical structure used in rock and blues music, underpinning hundreds of well-known songs.

Tying together triplet notes and simplifying notation produces a unique rhythmic feel.

Syncopation techniques include displacing accents, using rests, and applying ties to create complex rhythms.

Seventh chords cover major, dominant, minor, and diminished types, featuring formulas and practical applications.

Introduces the formulas for scale-tone seventh chords and their application in jazz music.

Electric and brass instruments' fundamental skills, music theory, and playing techniques covered.

Accidental signs, chord progressions, dynamics, and rhythm are introduced, along with key concepts and terminology.