The study of how music works, seeking to identify structures and patterns in music.
48
votes
7answers
2k views
Why is the guitar tuned like it is?
Why is there that funny tuning kink between the G and B string on a guitar in standard tuning? I.e., the (musical) gap between the rest of the adjoining strings is 5 frets (or a perfect fourth), but ...
33
votes
11answers
761 views
I need help getting out of my scalar rut.
I'm a well versed and experienced guitarist. I have a decent sense for rhythm and melody, but I have a VERY hard time with soloing. I know you've heard it all before.. I'm one of those guys that got ...
33
votes
6answers
1k views
What's the difference between a G♭ and an F#?
I've heard it said that, whilst on most instruments these notes are played with the same fingerings/technique/etc there is a subtle difference.
This isn't specific to this particular note ...
29
votes
4answers
1k views
Why are there twelve notes in an octave?
I know that one scale consists of 12 half-tones. But my question is still: Why? Why not 13 or 11?
26
votes
4answers
1k views
Purpose of double-sharps and double-flats?
In a few pieces of music I have read through, I have come across double-sharps and flats.
To my understanding, they are two semitones above/below the note indicated. What is, then, the point of ...
25
votes
4answers
3k views
What are some chord substitutions for a I-IV-V blues progression?
I was watching a video of SRV and one of the things that really stood out was the fact that he seemed to have a different iteration of the I-IV-V turnaround - and made it look/sound effortless. Any ...
24
votes
8answers
477 views
What exactly should I have to learn to understand why certain combination of chords are harmonic when played in a sequence?
I am an intuitive music composer trying to move to a technical music composer. As a dummy, I see music as a composition of 'pieces' (my word). Each piece is a set of notes that are melodical when ...
21
votes
9answers
445 views
What is the best way of learning the notes on the fretboard.
What is the best way to learn the notes on the fretboard. Are there any good tips on how to do this?
20
votes
5answers
1k views
Does it really make difference to play a song in a different key?
I hear sometimes players and composers say that this song won't sound good in F Major for example, and you should play it or write it in G Major (this was just an example). In other words, it seems ...
18
votes
5answers
233 views
What are some of the components of a good guitar solo?
Putting aside the emotional value of listening to a great guitar solo, what are some of the criteria that can be applied to make an educated judgement as to the quality of a solo within the context of ...
18
votes
4answers
5k views
What is the relationship between “do re mi” and note letter names?
When the people sing the song, we use do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti (or si).... but some time I hear that the music people say A, B, C, or C flat..., what is their relationship? or are they two ...
18
votes
3answers
778 views
What's so special about minor and major scales?
background: I'm an amateur and self-learner pianist. What I know, I know from books or google, so I'll start with summarising what I already know - please don't hesitate to correct me if I have ...
17
votes
8answers
2k views
How to transcribe music by ear?
Often times we find ourselves enjoying a piece of music that, for whatever reason, we are unable to find appropriate documentation/tablature for. What are good practices for transcribing music by ear ...
17
votes
7answers
829 views
Is there a way to measure the consonance or dissonance of a chord?
I know that if I played C and B together they would be very dissonant compared to if I played a G or C one octave up. Is there a quantitative way to describe that sort dissonance?
Edit: I understand ...
16
votes
5answers
4k views
What does it mean to write a song in a certain key?
I have been searching for a while to try to correctly understand this.
What exactly does it mean if for example a song is written in C Major? Does it mean the song's notes cannot contain any sharps ...
16
votes
6answers
921 views
How to formulate a chord on the piano?
I play guitar, and am attempting to teach myself the piano. Which notes from a scale form the chord on the keyboard? Is there a common rule for this?
Thank you for your time.
15
votes
3answers
3k views
How do harmonics work?
The guitar has harmonic notes at some places. I can play it, but I don't understand the logical reason why/how this is can played. Can you tell me how exactly this works?
What other musical ...
15
votes
6answers
2k views
Fast Chord Identification
How would someone go about identifying chords quickly and efficiently? While sight reading, I would often come up to some strange chord and try to decipher it. It normally takes me (what feels like) ...
15
votes
3answers
481 views
How do you remember your music and how do I improve in this regard?
Okay, let me start with my own story. I jumped straight into playing classical pieces on the piano without much in the way of formal musical education. By now I know how chords are built (but it takes ...
15
votes
5answers
596 views
What notes are optional in jazz chords?
I have a question on jazz chords, and what notes can be removed from the chord. My understanding is fairly superficial - mostly from what I've read in books. This is what I understand:
In some ...
14
votes
6answers
1k views
Is it possible to write a song without a key?
"This song is in F Major", "That song is in A Minor", "This song is in D Minor, but modulates to F Major in the middle", etc.
Can we say "This song has no key"? Are there songs that have/follow no ...
14
votes
6answers
7k views
How to know what notes/chords go together while improvising?
This is 3 questions in one, so it might take a slightly involved answer, or some good links.
I'm a very good classical pianist, but I skipped theory entirely in my early days and learned to play well ...
14
votes
7answers
415 views
Where should I go to learn about non-Western scales (particularly Turkish & Greek)
Apart from Turkey and Greece, I mean.
I'm looking for fairly abstract musicological and comparative descriptions, not "how to play"-style information. Particularly interested in departures from the ...
14
votes
3answers
1k views
How to identify the root note of a chord
I struggle with chords on the staff because I'm not sure which note is the root note. Is it the top note with the rest of the notes falling below it? E.g., The top note is C, and bundled below it are ...
14
votes
2answers
833 views
What is the relationship between the melody line and the rhythm chords?
Let's say I've written a song with the chord progression I-IV-V in the key of A (just as an example). So, the chords I'm playing are A-D-E. When playing a lead over this rhythm, what notes do I need ...
13
votes
7answers
2k views
What is the “theory” behind “odd time signatures”?
There are a number of bands, Genesis, The Police, Crack the Sky, Gentle Giant, that have all incorporated unusual time signatures as their core sound - some entire "pop"songs, "Ordinary World - Duran ...
13
votes
5answers
332 views
Is there any way to improve composing?
Beside playing drums I'm toying with software to create music. The problem is when I need to advance further. I may have some good, let's say "riffs" (or pieces, or melodies, or ideas), and I'm pretty ...
13
votes
4answers
393 views
Is it possible to create the illusion of a sub-harmonic?
The way I understand it, a normal plucked tone consists of a great many overtones in addition to the base tone. A pinched harmonic, however, shifts the base tone higher into the overtone series by ...
13
votes
4answers
365 views
Where can I get started with my improvisation?
I have been playing the alto saxophone for a while now. I have also improvised from time to time and have some theoretical and practical background on the instrument, harmony, scales, etc.
I have ...
13
votes
5answers
366 views
The major scale - why and how?
background: I am an amateur guitarist. I was trained in Indian classical music as a kid. Most of what I know in music theory is from books or Google. So please feel free to correct me or tell me if ...
13
votes
5answers
1k views
Prokofiev's style
I have a predilection for music from the first half of the 20th century. I can't pinpoint the exact reason why, I suspect it is from absorbing so much music from movies, tv series and computer games ...
13
votes
1answer
207 views
Is this piece of renaissance music really in the locrian mode?
A fifteenth-century dance manual contains this piece of music:
which appears to be (uncharacteristically) in the locrian mode. Is it really, or am I mis-reading? Does anybody know of other music ...
13
votes
1answer
460 views
Are there any machine-readable databases of chord progressions available?
I'm interested in doing some linguistics-inspired computational musicology on chord progressions and am wondering if there are any freely available databases of chord progressions.
Obviously, I could ...
12
votes
8answers
1k views
How is counterpoint different from harmony?
Harmony is a kind of second sound you hear. Counterpoint is also the second sound you hear. Aside from technical differentiation, how can you by ear differentiate these two concepts. I mean, is it ...
12
votes
2answers
992 views
What scale is this? [closed]
This is a very minor question, but I'm trying to learn a piece (a Bach Concerto in D minor) that has the following sequence of notes played in order:
A B C# D E F G A
My piano teacher said it was a ...
12
votes
4answers
195 views
What are modes and how are they useful?
I'm a self-taught guitarist with zero to little experience in music theory. After marrying a violinist I found that there's a lot to music theory that I know tribally but don't understand the ...
12
votes
2answers
3k views
What is concert pitch?
I was watching a song video lesson earlier today and it mentioned that the guitar should be tuned to concert pitch. What does that mean? Is it different from the normal EADGBE tuning?
12
votes
4answers
333 views
Are the any great open questions in music theory?
In many sciences there a are a number open questions that are well known in the field, and for which a solid answer would gain the answerer much Prestige. For example, maths has many open questions, ...
12
votes
2answers
2k views
How to play chords like G/B
I heard that if there is a chord written like x/y then that means an x chord with y in the bass. This can be played by playing x normally, but then playing the y note on the 6th string, correct?
Then ...
12
votes
2answers
2k views
How do classical composers write music?
I am starting to learn about music theory and today it hit me how do classical composers such as Mozart and Beethoven are able to write music for instruments they don't play, such as (for example ...
12
votes
1answer
1k views
Why is C the base note of standard notation and keys?
Why is it that notes "start" with C? In key signatures, for example, C Major is the basis and accidentals are added for all other key signatures. I know that the musical alphabet starts with A and ...
11
votes
5answers
8k views
What is the first scale one should learn on guitar
The title really sums it all up but I'll try expand it slightly. Lets say I'm learning guitar and would like to improve my guitar work. Which of the scales should I learn first and why?
11
votes
4answers
446 views
Algorithms for music composition
I'm a beginner in music but I also like to fool around with simple computer programs . So I found a little python library to generate MIDI files . So what I do now is that I have a few rhythm ...
11
votes
3answers
288 views
How can I move beyond learning songs?
I can competently learn and play chord progressions and simple runs on the guitar but I do not feel like I understand the instrument. My playing progresses by memorizing songs.
However, I know that ...
11
votes
6answers
380 views
My ear is not very well trained - what can I look for as easy hints when trying to identify a ii-V-I progression in blues music?
I'm looking to learn how to better analyze music I am listening to, and I'm having problems identifying ii-V-I progressions, especially when they're the basis for improvisation. What are some hints or ...
11
votes
2answers
2k views
What's the difference between “modal music” and “tonal music”?
As the title says, what's the difference between "modal music" and "tonal music"? Is there also any other classification besides "modal music" and "tonal music"?
11
votes
5answers
1k views
Why are the white and black keys on the piano placed the way they are?
I am pretty convinced it is not just for historical reasons.
I have found a mathematically-sound explanation of the twelve-tone musical scale, thanks to this question. Does anyone know a similar, ...
11
votes
5answers
1k views
What is the difference between a “Riff” and a “Melody”?
How do I tell when a Riff becomes a melody, or is it even important to know? Can you construct a song around a riff - what are some suggestions on how to construct a song in that manner?
11
votes
2answers
442 views
Music education audio lessons
I am currently learning to play the guitar, and that has sparked an interest in learning more about music in general. I would like to learn about music theory, ear training, history, musical styles ...
11
votes
3answers
288 views
Why is a note sometimes a 4th and sometimes an 11th?
If I play the chord: GBDA, then this is considered a Gadd9. But if I play the 3rd above the 5th (GDB), it is not called a 10th.
Why don't we refer to all notes by 1-7, and is there a system to ...
