Music Theory For The Casual Musician

1. What are the two common variations of the natural minor scale, and why do they exist?

2. What is the quality of the Diatonic Seventh Chord starting on the 2nd Degree of the F# Lydian Scale, and what are the notes that make up that chord?

3. What Are the Diatonic Chords associated with the Major Scale, and What are their Harmonic Functions?

These are three music theory questions that I made up specifically to sound as intimidating as possible to a “Casual” Musician. But what if I told you that over the course of three months, during eight 30 minute sessions I taught an 11 year old to confidently answer these questions? I also taught her to play “Wagon Wheel” by Darius Rucker while I was at it, and she played it pretty well if I do say so myself!

The truth is, musicians generally like to over complicate the idea of theory, and honestly it is not rocket science. If you can add two plus two, then you can understand Scales. If you can play a chord on your instrument, then I guarantee that you can learn what it’s name is, what notes create it, and most importantly WHY it works and sounds the way it does. I am certain that you are capable of answering the three questions posed on this page and so much more after you go through this in full!

Over the next few weeks I'll break down all of these concepts:

The Musical Alphabet, Intervals in Music, Chords:Triads, Quality, and Inversion, The Major Scale, Diatonic Chords of the Major Scale, Chord Functions, Major Chord Progressions, 7th Chords, The (Natural) Minor Scale, Variations of the Minor Scale, Diatonic Chords of the Minor Scale, Minor Chord Progressions, Modal Scales, Non Chord Tones: 2,4,6,9, and Borrowed Chords

We'll start with the Musical Alphabet

12 notes.

That's All you have!

Almost All Western music before the early 20th century is based on only 12 notes, and unless you are into some pretty avant garde music, you probably haven’t heard a song that uses notes outside that small group of twelve.

A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G#

Think of these notes as a “Musical Alphabet” when you are writing music these are the notes you get to choose from to build all the scales, chords, harmonies, melodies, and anything else you are choosing to play. After the Note G# (Pronounced G Sharp) you return to A, and it repeats again, again, and again, and it never ends, as the pitch gets higher and higher until no living creature can hear it anymore. Cool Stuff, I know!

Make sure to notice that there is NO B# or E#

B moves directly to C and E moves Directly to F

They DO EXIST, but they are kind of hiding.

We will learn where these notes are later, but for now it is best to just pretend they do not exist..

The Notes without Sharps: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G are usually referred to as Natural Notes, and I want you to think of the Sharp Notes as Halfway points between Two Natural Notes.

A# is half way between A and B, C# is halfway between C and D, and so on.

These “Halfway Notes” also each have another name:

A Bb B C Db D Eb E F Gb G Ab

Here, you see the Sharp Notes have been replaced with Flat (b) Notes.

The Bb (Pronounced B Flat) has replaced the A#, The Db has replaced the C# and so on.

Also when looking at flats, notice that there is no apparent Cb or Fb, much like E# and B#.

These two notes, Bb and A#, are actually THE SAME NOTE, but we are choosing to name them in reference to either A or B.

A# is the note halfway up from A, and Bb is the note halfway down from B.

These Sets of Notes:

(A# and Bb) (C# and Db) (D# and Eb) (F# and Gb) (G# and Ab)

Are referred to as enharmonic, which simply means they are one note with two names.

Okay! Thats it for today! I hope you learned something! Review these ideas. and if anyone seems interested in this i'll see you for the next one!