Questions tagged [theory]
For questions about how music works, seeking to identify structures and patterns in music. Used to indicate questions about musical concepts and structures, as opposed to techniques and execution.
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Is there a name for this pattern of piano chord progressions? (Clementi Op. 36 No. 5 & 6)
I noticed in Clementi Op. 36 No. 5 and No. 6 there are these very similar and peculiar chord progressions (see image). Do those three chords often go together like that? Or is it more a Clementi style?...
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Open string call out does not match requested music note
I am learning guitar and recently came across a sheet requesting what I understand to be an open B string (red arrow), however the music sheet shows a C (blue arrow) note being played. What is the ...
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Translating Sheet Music to Guitar Tabs (without any software help (: ) [duplicate]
I have been playing guitar for a few months and have grown to love it. I played sports and participated in 0 fine arts growing up, so this is all very new to me. I was excited to initially learn ...
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Tremolo notation for Sixteenth note triplets
I'm wondering if there's a tremolo notation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tremolo) for a repeated Sixteenth note triplets like this one for example:
I've only seen the notation for regular rhythm ...
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Historically, what is the difference between the interval qualities "perfect" and "major"? [duplicate]
So I'm trying to wrap my head around intervals. I know that, for instance, a major chord is made up by the fundamental (I), a perfect third (III) and a perfect fifth (V). So, the "important" ...
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Why is it common to use slow practice when learning melodies on the piano but less common when learning to sing them?
I have been told by many piano teachers to practice playing melodies slowly, ie using slow practice.
I have never really been told by singing teachers to do slow practice.
Why is it common to use slow ...
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What is the difference between singing piano (dynamics) and how most adults sing softly (with lower volume) when singing eg. lullabies?
Many adults who sing lullabies for children use more of a soft voice with low volume.
What I have been told is that playing an instrument or singing in piano (dynamics) isn't that easy. My experience ...
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A#dim7 resolving to Amajor7
I'm working on a Neo-Soul tune that keeps preceding the Amaj7 (I Chord) with an A# dim7 and some variations. The key is really A Lydian. One time the A# dim7 is replaced by an A9(b5)...and another ...
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Can you explain why they have (in bar 7) a fifth interval moving in similar motion in this hymn arrangement?
When we study part-writing we often hear about how a two notes making up a fifth should not move in the same direction. I've been told not to do it, but I see professionals hymn arrangements breaking ...
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Question about beats and their inheritance of accents on the rhythm
I see that I've created a lot of confusion with my original question, so I have decided to send the author of "How to read Music in 30 Days, English 2022 Ed." a detailed question that should ...
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Harmony: why does transforming a ii minor chord into II major chord work?
I accidentally composed a song that uses the same harmony "trick" as the song The Odyssey from Symphony X. Both are in the key of Eb (I know it's C minor, but I like to think major for ...
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cut time vs common time [duplicate]
i understand that 2/2 or cut time has 2 beats as opposed to 4/4 or common time, but how does this actually sound different?
if you took a piece and played if it was notated as being 4/4 and then ...
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How to notate a non-standard hexatonic key
I am writing part of a piano piece in a hexatonic "key" containing these notes:
C - D# - E - G - Ab - B
(I say "key" instead of scale because I'm treating it like a key, deriving ...
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What would be the difference between using the laryngeal tilt and vowel modification for higher notes?
I have been told by singing teachers (all "classical") that I should sing down to the higher notes. To that sounds like they wanted me to use the laryngeal tilt.
I've been told that by my ...
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Is it correct to write C♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯ (twelve sharps) as C?
Let's say there is a song that starts at middle C and the next note is always the previous note raised by a perfect fifth or lowered by a perfect fourth to keep all notes within audible ranges. By ...
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Is an E augmented triad the same as a C inverted augmented triad?
I know that a C augmented triad is C, E, G♯ and an E augmented triad is E, G♯, B♯. However, I think we can replace the B♯ in the E augmented triad by its enharmonic equivalent, a C. Is it appropriate ...
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Interesting symbol in a piece of piano music [closed]
A friend sent me this image and asked me to identify the symbol circled in red. I tried using Google Lens but no luck. Thanks for your help!
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Is there music that recursively subdivides the beat in odd subdivisions?
For example: 3/4 has 3 quarter notes per beat, and each quarter note subdivides into 2 eighth notes, 4 sixteenth notes etc. which makes the total count an even number (6/8 or 12/16 etc.)
Is there any ...
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Am I over simplifying what I think I know about keys
I've read a few threads about the same question and seem to have really missed something from music theory 101.
My question is around, for example, Cant you See by Marshall Tucker. Very simple ...
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What is the definition of folk music and how does it differ from traditional music?
I've been thinking about the terms folk music and traditional music.
Traditional music seems in most cases to mean music without a known author or composer (or sometimes a tune writtten by a person, ...
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What is it that makes I närvarande parter a polonaise?
Bellman's I närvarande parter is a polonaise. What is it that makes it a polonaise?
In this video (at 1:31):
it is explained that a polonaise should be based on a ...
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1564 (I V vi IV) chord progression for Minor
Many of I-V-vi-IV chord progression examples are C major. My question is Minor. For example of Am key signature, the 1564 is Am , Em, F, Dm; however, I-V-vi-IV should mean major-major-minor-major. May ...
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Fux Counterpoint
In Fux's study of First Species modal counterpoint, why is it permitted to raise the 7th as he approached the final cadence. I realize that allowing that creates a leading tone which sounds better, ...
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Question on the definition of a dissonant passing/neighbor tone?
I am currently trying to teach myself counterpoint following Jacob Gran's videos. When I was analyzing my exercises today, I thought of this question. If the first two notes of a dissonant neighbor(or ...
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Key for Am-G-F-D [closed]
writing a song, verse in key of F, F Dm Bb C then the chorus is Am-G-F-D... I know Dm is the vi of the F key, but Dmaj sounds like I want. Tried 7ths and other combos but this sounds best for my song....
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Time signature vs. Melody [duplicate]
I have a very difficult time understanding the relevance of time signature in music. Does a musician think in terms of time signature when composing a piece, or thinks in terms of melody?
When I play ...
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Question on the formation of the Harmonic field in general
Given a key note, you can build up any sort of scale, for scales are just patterns of whole and half steps. The minor and major are examples.
Now, if the scale is the set of notes, the harmonic field ...
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Is Pink Panther Theme ALL in Em key? [closed]
referring to this question, it was determined that Pink Panther theme is actually in Em, but I was wondering if the key could be considered Em even when the theme varies (Consider this video from ...
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Greek modes, minor and major scales
By definition, a major scale is:
W W H W W W H
similarly, a minor scale is:
W H W W H W W
Now, the standard notion of Greek modes begins with: a major scale, and the construction of the modes with ...
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Can't understand meaning behind this sentence in Schoenbergs Theory of Harmony
Hello, the current topic is minor mode. Why can only II degree follow major IV in minor scale? Can't quite figure this one out.
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Is Fantaisie Impromptu actually in G# Phrygian?
I’m new to music theory and the definition of key I’ve learned seems to contradict established fact. I’ve been told that the tonic of a piece is the key where the melody comes to rest, where it feels ...
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Are there optimal intervals for major and minor 3rds?
I've been reading an excellent book on the mathematics and history of scales called "The Arithmetic of Listening".
Based on what I have read, I am thinking that both the 4th and 5th have an ...
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How to make infinitely large chords?
Theoretically, it is possible to have a major 27th chord, a minor 35th chord, etc.
I know that to make an infinitely large major chord you just keep stacking thirds on the root, where each new note is ...
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How should I learn to read music if I don't play an instrument?
I have several related questions. I'll try to lay out the context because you maybe able to answer the questions I am not asking as well :-)
Context
I do not know how to read music.
I do not play any ...
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What chord name is Bb - Eb - Ab [closed]
I'm new to music theory and just finished some basic stuff like scales, arpeggios, etc. I'm learning a song(Ab Maj) but can't figure out what chord name is that has Bb - Eb - Ab in the right hand and ...
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Songs that end on the leading tone? [closed]
I'm looking for songs (mainly pop songs) that end their melody on the leading tone. I'm struggling to come up with any off the top of my head, can anyone help out?
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Can my scale have two whole steps of distance?
I want to create scales. I would like to do that to create the most original music as possible.
Now, as a beginner, I don't see why the scales that I studied are composed just by whole steps (W) and ...
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Is this a typo, or is the natural symbol normally omitted here?
The song is in D major, but the Bb13 (#11) chord has no natural in front of the C. Since a C# would give a #9, I first thought this was a typo. But then I wondered if this is some kind of convention, ...
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What resources are there to teach Ukrainian refugees music theory? [closed]
I have a Ukrainian student in one of my music classes. We can get past most of the language barriers with Google Translate, but the translation for music theory is a little too complicated sometimes. ...
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How Can The Leading Tone Resolve Up and The 7th Go Down?
I'm struggling and my professor suggested I try Artusi. This isn't homework. I'm trying to learn about 7th chords and I'm stuck on this problem in Artusi:
From the picture above, I'm thinking both ...
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Does playing vocals, instruments and bass in different speakers at the same time give a better experience to the listener?
Does playing vocals, instruments and bass in different speakers at the same time give a better experience to the listener or does playing it whole as a song in multiple speakers??
I recently got ...
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How do you treat add6 on a minor chord? [duplicate]
So would a Dm(add6) chord have a major or minor 6 on top? Are they just always major by convention? Would a Dm chord with a Bb on top be a Dm(addb6)?
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What does MM quarter note mean? [duplicate]
One of the requirements for an audition process I am going through is to play my chromatic scale. The required speed for it says MM quarter note = 100. I can't figure out the speed necessary for it. ...
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Functional ear training vs interval ear training for singers
Do singers use functional (scale degree) ear training method or interval ear training method to find a reference pitch from the accompaniments to start singing in key?
for example, the accompaniment ...
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Learning to sing a song: sheet music vs. by ear
Every time I want to learn to sing a new song, I get sheet music of the song and practice playing the melody on the piano before practicing singing it to match the pitch from the piano, memorize the ...
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What is a "minor-minor" seventh chord?
In the question "difficulty with chord spelling and voicing in Neumeyer's Hindemith analysis", reference is made to a "minor-minor" seventh chord.
Note that the 'VI-with-upward-...
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Playing a chord then a note
If I played a chord (c major for example) then a note (B for example), will I hear the note B relative to C as major seventh or relative to E as perfect fifth or relative to G as major third or ...
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Formal definition of an inverted chord
Question:
Is there a formal definition that would apply to all chords / genres of what an inverted chord is?
Given a chord, I want to formally prove on paper (so not using my ears) that the chord is ...
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Do I need to know every note I am going to sing?
If I am learning to sing a song do I need to know what notes and chords are in the song to find my reference pitch for the first note I am going to sing or singing the first note happens unconsciously ...
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Music Theory Terminology
What is the term for when one instrument (let's say trumpet 1) plays a high note, while another (trumpet 2) plays a note an octave or 5 semitones lower? I want to be specific and get this correct. ...
