Basic Music Theory: How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music

Basic Music Theory

What this section is geared towards is you and me. People with average
abilities, average intelligence and average coordination. And even so, if
you are one of those rare and gifted individuals, this section will help you
too, so don’t skip it.

A Note on Private Teachers

No book can teach you everything, or teach it as well as a good private
teacher can. The fastest way to learn anything is one-on-one, just you and
the teacher in a room. Half an hour each week is pretty standard for
beginners, but an hour is better.
A good teacher can save you years of time and show you tricks that make
playing much easier, and more fun. A good teacher knows what songs
you can handle, knows which ones are fun, and will show you things you
aren’t doing quite right as well as how to do them better.

A good teacher is invaluable. Find one. Study with him or her until
you’ve soaked up all you can (usually 2-4 years), then find another and
do it all over again. You’ll learn the most this way, the fastest this way,
and you’ll never regret the money you spend. It’s well worth it.

Good teachers aren’t cheap though, and if you can’t afford one you have
several options. One good alternative, especially if you’re a beginner, is
to find someone who plays your instrument and is further along than you
are (high school and college students work well). Another way is to find
musicians that will let you hang out with them while they play. You can
pick up a lot of free tips this way.

How Much is Enough?

This is one of the most often-asked questions, and it’s a lot like asking
how much you should pay for a pair of shoes. The answer depends on
many things: what do you want to spend, what can you spend, what do
you need, what quality do you want, what style, etc., etc.

As far as playing music is concerned, you should be aware of a few
things: your desire to play, your ability on the instrument, and how much
time you can make to play (I purposefully didn’t say, “how much time
you can spare,” because nobody can spare time—everyone is always
busy).