The study of how music works, seeking to identify structures and patterns in music.
5
votes
1answer
171 views
Alternative Numerical Representation of Pitch
I'm aware of a number of different ways of representing pitch as numbers (including one I developed for use in my own software) but am interested if there are others.
The most widespread is probably ...
4
votes
4answers
254 views
Do music theory books differ per instrument?
I'm an amateur Spanish guitar player, I know Solfège and how to read music sheets (not expert though).
I'm looking for a book that teaches me music theory to gain more understanding and maybe try to ...
4
votes
2answers
161 views
What do you call plucking the violin strings with the finger, rather than using the bow?
I was attempting to learn a bit about violin sheet music, and then I wondered if the act of producing sound with the finger or the fingernail had a written notation.
I had a hard time finding a video ...
4
votes
4answers
130 views
What are some harmonic options for layering guitar lines while recording?
I would like to layer multiple guitar lines for a section of a song that I'm working on - what are some harmonic variations that I would be able to use?
4
votes
2answers
371 views
What is a key signature?
I'm trying to learn the flute and I bought a book that is supposed to help me learn. In one of the first chapters it describes something about key signatures and the circle of fifths and I'm ...
4
votes
4answers
332 views
Chord books and theory
I have some basic knowledge on chords but I was wondering what books on chords and theory were the best for expanding my musical knowledge? As in, intermediate to advanced level books ?
4
votes
2answers
174 views
What is the difference between “Solo” and “Improvisation”?
How would someone describe the differences that make up the two?
4
votes
4answers
855 views
Beaming in different time signatures
I'm studying music theory in the UK, aiming for ABRSM Grade 5, currently working for grade 3. I'm having trouble grasping the rules for when to beam quavers.
In my study book, by Eric Taylor, I see ...
4
votes
2answers
152 views
How to compose an acoustic guitar chorus?
I've been playing guitar off and on for years, and every once in a while I come up with some lyrics and chords that seem to be really great for a few verses. The problem is that I can never seem to ...
4
votes
2answers
163 views
Does playing in scale mean only using notes from that scale?
Many melodies contain notes that are not from scale they are composed in. For example, "Stairway Heaven" solo contains an A minor pentatonic scale plus an additional F note. I've read that this is not ...
4
votes
1answer
246 views
What's so special about III ?
Take a C major scale, and pick each other note, starting from each note
C-D-EF-G-A-BC-D-EF
I: C E G = C
ii: D F A = Dm
iii: E G B ...
4
votes
3answers
648 views
Can I use semi-acoustic guitar with overdrive (or compressor) without getting feedback?
Old-school method like to put lots of paper into body of guitar is not recommended in here =))
Anyway, I saw on youtube that one guy having delay+compressor+overdrive+reverb played with epiphone DOT, ...
4
votes
2answers
114 views
How do you label a sequential interval when the second note is lower in pitch than the first?
Consider the interval D3 G3. This would form a perfect fourth.
In a sequential interval, say a quarter note D3 followed by quarter note G3, this still "sounds" like a perfect fourth so using that ...
4
votes
2answers
188 views
Collective word for sharps and flats in the key signature
On a mailing list I'm subscribed to, someone recently asked what the collective name was in English for the sharps and flats you find in the key signature. Apparently, the closest translation from ...
4
votes
1answer
323 views
Using modes and static harmony
Edit: i know what modes are and how they are related to major scale..etc. question is about modal harmony and chord progression in modal harmony. not what is a mode and name of other modes..etc
What ...
4
votes
1answer
106 views
Sixth and Minor Seventh inversions conflicts
For example consider C6 [C-E-G-A] and Am7 [A-C-E-G] which share the same notes in different order.
When we play [E-G-A-C] how is it called?(is this a inversion of C6 or Am7)
Generally, how are these ...
4
votes
1answer
1k views
What makes a happy song happy? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What gives a piece of music its personality and feeling?
What makes a happy song a happy one? What are the elements that give this particular property to a music piece? ...
4
votes
1answer
168 views
What are these aspects of song structure called?
In songs, we often have very similar melodies and rhythm patterns being repeated over and over again. The following is an approximate melody of one stanza of Willy O' Winsbury as performed by ...
4
votes
1answer
416 views
Franz Liszt Liebestraum No. 3 Bar 17 Roman Numeral Analysis
I'm going through Liszt's Liebestraum No. 3 in Ab M.... in bar 17, I don't know how to mark the A natural chord. It's either a #1 or the song has modulated to the natural minor, in which case it would ...
4
votes
1answer
62 views
How was the ordering of Allen Forte's list of prime forms determined?
I'm familiar with how "prime forms" are determined from a pitch class set using the Forte (or Rahn) systems. A good list is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forte_number
However I am puzzled by how ...
4
votes
2answers
202 views
Computer-aided musicology
I have been trying to explore music theory concepts programmatically, namely through music21 software, but I've run into alot of trouble. Are there any other frameworks for this?
3
votes
5answers
249 views
Sharp / Flat: Collectively known as property by what name?
If a chord can be said to have a Quality which relates to whether it is major, minor, augmented or diminished then by what name do we call the property of a single note's flatness or sharpness?
Note: ...
3
votes
3answers
3k views
What is the 1-6-2-5 Chord Progression?
Are there any scales that work well over this progression? My Mistake!! I was thinking of the song Breezin' by George Benson!!
3
votes
4answers
243 views
What are some interesting ways notes and chords are spelled in cultures outside of the U.S.?
I've heard that German musicians spell the seventh note of the C major scale with an "H" where an American musician would use a "B". And, for the fourth note of the F major scale, where an American ...
3
votes
3answers
216 views
Why did Lou Reed make Metal Machine Music?
For background, it's a record that was made "without musical instruments" by rigging up ring-modulators and envelope filters and tone generators to create a sort of living shape of feedback.
But ...
3
votes
2answers
338 views
What scale has a step pattern of HWHWHWW? [closed]
I'm playing a whole bunch of songs that use the pattern half step, whole step, half, whole, half, whole, whole. What scale is it?
3
votes
3answers
371 views
What makes a song a “rock” song?
I mean, sometimes I'm not completely sure when a song is a "rock song" or when it is from another music genre or even a "something-rock" song, how do you recognize it?? is it some bass rithm? some ...
3
votes
2answers
225 views
What technique is it called in the song “Better Man” by Robbie William?
I just recently recall about this song and started to play it. There is a change of base chord in the song during the bridge.
I am playing on C (C, G, Am, F, Em) and during the bridge, it changed to ...
3
votes
2answers
240 views
Steve Gaines and Ed King… Love their playing, have a hard time emulating it…
Another question that's been puzzling me for a while.
I love Steve Gaines playing but I find it impossible to improvise in his style, especially the style he plays in I Know A Little.
I also love ...
3
votes
1answer
275 views
Why do the Canadian and American ways of writing chords symbols differ?
I've been studying music harmony (for the RCM program), and my teacher explained to me that the American way of writing chord symbols slightly differs from the Canadian way. For example, the chord ...
3
votes
2answers
135 views
Arpeggio vs. Acciaccatura
(When writing notation for piano)
Scenario: I would like the player to play the chord G (G3, B3, D4, G4), in a "spreaded" way. That is, not hit all keys at once, but start with the bottom G and end ...
3
votes
3answers
404 views
recognizing the motif
I encounter the term motif in composition books, and still have no idea what a motif is. Many sources (including some dictionaries) try to define it as "prominent sequence of notes" or "basic theme of ...
3
votes
1answer
243 views
Chord lick, looking for others similar and maybe a bit of the theory behind how it works…
Here's a nice little chord lick that I picked up from Little Charlie of Little Charlie and the Nightcats. Charlie uses it as a turnaround in a few Swing Blues tunes he does.
$4.9.$3.8.$2.9.$1.7 / ...
3
votes
2answers
91 views
Musical construction in rock - what does this mean?
Andrew Chester writes (emphasis mine):
Western classical music is the apodigm of the extensional form of musical construction. Theme and variations, counterpoint, tonality (as used in classical ...
3
votes
1answer
318 views
I need help to understand chord intervals (not single note intervals)
I understand intervals between notes. Each number of steps between two notes has a particular name. Like this:
But some times I see people refering to intervals between chords, not single notes. ...
3
votes
3answers
212 views
Musical Harmony: When to use more than three chords
I understand that I, IV, and V chords in both major and minor keys are common chords that make up a good progression. I understand that those 3 chords cover all the notes diatonic to the key that we ...
3
votes
2answers
757 views
son vs. rumba clave and bass line
The answer to Latin jazz: anticipated chord change on last beat provided by Ulf Åkerstedt raises another question: I have written a son bass line, and I realize I have a rumba clave on the drum set. ...
3
votes
2answers
377 views
Harmony analysis program
Is there any computer program that automatically analyzes harmony given the score?
By harmony, I of course mean, 'I', 'III, 'IV' etc.. and their connection.
3
votes
3answers
483 views
What is a groove?
How is possible to "trigger" a groove?
Is there a technical reason for the groove to happen?
Is it just when you stuble across any kind of rhythm / melodic progression interaction that "moves"?
...
3
votes
2answers
124 views
How could I create a musical vocabulary based on a group of similar classical pieces?
Sometimes I'll be working on a group of pieces and realize that I'd like to experiment with abstracting some of the musical ideas (rhythms, harmonies, etc) into a musical vocabulary that I could use ...
3
votes
2answers
55 views
Interesting melodic resolutions: A specific example. What's happening?
Listen to the intro of the following MuteMath song, Break The Same:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfyChdikLo4&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1
These guys are stellar and well known ...
3
votes
2answers
104 views
Name for music that imitates speech
I have searched and asked others for the answer to this but have come up dry: what is the name or technique in music where musical notes approximate/imitate speech? Note that I am not talking about ...
3
votes
2answers
207 views
Recommended book for learning Jazz Music in the piano
I have been playing classic music in the piano since I am a teenager and now I want to switch to Jazz music and learn it by myself. Which book would you recommend me? I know there are is this one Jazz ...
3
votes
2answers
94 views
Accidentals in First Species Counterpoint
On page 39 of Alfred Mann's translation of The Study of Counterpoint there is a passage concerning justification of using accidentals in first species counterpoint.
Here is the passage:
Aloys: ...
3
votes
2answers
61 views
What do I need to know about drums as an electric metal guitar player
My questions are as follows ...
As A guitarist (Mostly electric with heavy distortion) what minimum knowledge of drums do I need to be able to create or chose drums beats that suits the song I am ...
3
votes
1answer
189 views
Is there such a thing as “pop music theory”?
There is large body of work describing the theory of Western classical music;
I'm unaware of the state of analysis of popular music forms.
Are the differences between, say post-50's American ...
3
votes
1answer
214 views
How to become a DJ
I'd like to become a DJ, and to tell the truth, I also have made many tracks using Encore notation software. But, now that I want to bring it to reality, I don't know what instruments to purchase. A ...
3
votes
1answer
369 views
Does the three chord trick always end a chord progression on the third chord?
It seems almost a redundant question, but the meat of it is this:
If one is using the three chord trick, is it stylistically required by rules of theory and phrasing to end the progression on the ...
3
votes
2answers
89 views
What is A flat to C minor?
I know that Cm is the relative minor of Eb.
I noticed the Eb chord is made up of two of the same notes of Cm (beginning on the third degree). Ab is also made up of two of the same notes, but on the ...
3
votes
2answers
595 views
What's the difference between sixteenth century counterpoint and eighteenth century counterpoint?
What's the difference between sixteenth century counterpoint and eighteenth century counterpoint? Is sixteenth century counterpoint melody or modal based (as this answer suggests) and eighteenth ...
