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The Complete Idiot''s Guide to Music Theory

(National Geographic (Little) Kids) #1

  • Part 1: Tones

    • 1 Pitches and Clefs

      • Understanding Musical Tones ............................................................

      • Tones Have Value ..............................................................................

        • What’s the Frequency, Kenneth? ........................................................

        • Play by Numbers ..............................................................................

        • Do Re Mi ..........................................................................................



      • Tones Have Names ............................................................................

        • Learning the ABCs ..........................................................................

        • Notes on a Piano Keyboard ................................................................

        • Notes on a Staff ................................................................................

        • Above—and Below—the Staff ........................................................



      • Different Clefs ..................................................................................

        • The Treble Clef ..............................................................................

        • The Bass Clef ..................................................................................

        • The Grand Staff ............................................................................

        • Specialty Clefs ................................................................................

        • The Percussion Clef ........................................................................





    • 2 Intervals

      • Be Sharp—or Be Flat ........................................................................

      • Steppin’ Out ................................................................................

      • A Matter of Degrees ........................................................................

        • First Things First ............................................................................

        • Major and Minor Intervals ............................................................

        • Perfect Intervals ..............................................................................

        • Augmented and Diminished Intervals ..............................................

        • Beyond the Octave ..........................................................................

        • Intervals and Half Steps ..................................................................





    • 3 Scales

      • Eight Notes Equal One Scale ..........................................................

      • Major Scales ......................................................................................

      • Minor Scales ......................................................................................

        • Natural Minor ................................................................................

        • Harmonic Minor ............................................................................

        • Melodic Minor ................................................................................



      • In the Mode ......................................................................................

        • Ionian ............................................................................................

        • Dorian ............................................................................................

        • Phrygian ........................................................................................

        • Lydian ............................................................................................

        • Mixolydian ......................................................................................

        • Aeolian .......................................................................................... The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory, Second Edition

        • Locrian ..........................................................................................





    • 4 Major and Minor Keys

      • Keys to Success ................................................................................

        • Using Key Signatures ......................................................................

        • Major Keys ......................................................................................

        • Minor Keys ....................................................................................



      • The Circle of Fifths ..........................................................................

      • Accidents Will Happen ....................................................................

      • Changing Keys ..................................................................................





  • Part 2: Rhythms

    • 5 Note Values and Basic Notation

      • Taking the Measure of Things ........................................................

      • Taking Note—of Notes ....................................................................

        • Whole Notes ....................................................................................

        • Half Notes ......................................................................................

        • Quarter Notes ................................................................................

        • Eighth Notes ..................................................................................

        • Sixteenth Notes ..............................................................................



      • Taking Count ....................................................................................

      • Taking a Rest ....................................................................................

      • Taking a Note—and Dotting It ........................................................

      • Taking Two Notes—and Tying Them Together ............................

      • Taking the Beat and Dividing by Three ..........................................



    • 6 Time Signatures

      • Measuring the Beats ..........................................................................

        • Quarter-Note Time ........................................................................

        • Eighth-Note Time ..........................................................................

        • Half Time ......................................................................................



      • Changing the Time ..........................................................................

      • Grouping the Beats ..........................................................................

      • 7 Tempo, Dynamics, and Navigation

        • Taking the Pulse ................................................................................

          • Beats per Minute ............................................................................

          • Italian Tempo Terms ........................................................................



        • Speeding Up—and Slowing Down ..................................................

        • Hold That Note! ..............................................................................

        • Getting Loud—and Getting Soft ....................................................

          • Dynamic Markings ........................................................................

          • Changing Dynamics ........................................................................

          • Play It Harder ................................................................................

          • More Dynamics ..............................................................................





      • Finding Your Way ............................................................................ Contents

        • Repeating Sections ..........................................................................

        • Repeating Measures ........................................................................

        • Repeating Notes ..............................................................................

        • Repeating Rests ................................................................................







  • Part 3: Tunes

    • 8 Melodies

      • Combining Tones and Rhythms ......................................................

      • Common Melodic Techniques ........................................................

        • Dvorˇák’s New World Symphony ..................................................

        • Bach’s Minuet in G ........................................................................

        • Michael, Row the Boat Ashore ........................................................

        • Pachelbel’s Canon in D ..................................................................



      • Composing Your First Melody ........................................................

      • What Makes a Melody Memorable? ................................................

        • Center on a Pitch ............................................................................

        • Make Sure You End Up at Home ....................................................

        • Stay Within the Scale ......................................................................

        • Use the Big Five ..............................................................................

        • Find the Hook ................................................................................

        • Create Variations ..........................................................................

        • Write in Four—or Eight, or Sixteen ............................................

        • Make It Move ..............................................................................

        • Take Small Steps ..........................................................................

        • Stay in Range ..............................................................................

        • Avoid Unsingable Intervals ............................................................

        • Keep the Rhythm Simple ..............................................................

        • Stay in Time ................................................................................

        • Set Up—and Resolve—Tension ......................................................

        • Set Up a Call and Response ..........................................................

        • Establish Symmetry ......................................................................

        • Balance Repetition and Variety ......................................................

        • Follow the Chord Progressions ........................................................

        • Follow the Form ............................................................................

        • Follow the Words ..........................................................................

        • Write for a Specific Instrument or Voice ........................................

        • Be Unique ....................................................................................

        • Learn More About Composing ......................................................





    • 9 Chords

      • Forming a Chord ............................................................................

      • Different Types of Chords ..............................................................

        • Major Chords ................................................................................

        • Minor Chords ................................................................................

        • Diminished Chords ........................................................................

        • Augmented Chords ........................................................................ viii The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory, Second Edition



      • Chord Extensions ............................................................................

        • Sevenths ........................................................................................

        • Other Extensions ..........................................................................



      • Altered, Suspended, and Power Chords ........................................

        • Altered Chords ..............................................................................

        • Suspended Chords ..........................................................................

        • Power Chords ................................................................................



      • Inverting the Order ........................................................................

      • Adding Chords to Your Music ........................................................

      • The Complete Idiot’s Chord Reference ........................................





  • 10 Chord Progressions

    • Chords for Each Note in the Scale ................................................

    • Creating a Progression ..................................................................

    • It’s All About Getting Home ..........................................................

    • One Good Chord Leads to Another ..............................................

    • Ending a Phrase ..............................................................................

      • Perfect Cadence ............................................................................

      • Plagal Cadence ..............................................................................

      • Imperfect Cadence ..........................................................................

      • Interrupted Cadence ......................................................................



    • Common Chord Progressions ........................................................

      • I-IV ..............................................................................................

      • I-V ..............................................................................................

      • I-IV-V ..........................................................................................

      • I-IV-V-IV ....................................................................................

      • I-V-vi-IV ......................................................................................

      • I-ii-IV-V ......................................................................................

      • I-ii-IV ..........................................................................................

      • I-vi-ii-V ......................................................................................

      • I-vi-IV-V ......................................................................................

      • I-vi-ii-V7-ii ..................................................................................

      • IV-I-IV-V ....................................................................................

      • ii-V-I ............................................................................................

      • Circle of Fifths Progression ............................................................



    • Singing the Blues ............................................................................

    • Chords and Melodies ......................................................................

      • Fitting Chords to a Melody ............................................................

      • Writing a Melody to a Chord Progression ......................................



    • 11 Phrases and Form

      • Parts of a Song ................................................................................

        • Introduction ..................................................................................

        • Verse ............................................................................................

        • Chorus ..........................................................................................

        • Bridge ..........................................................................................

          • Instrumental Solo .......................................................................... Contents ix

          • Ending ..........................................................................................



        • Putting It All Together ..................................................................

        • Head Cases ......................................................................................

        • Classical Music Forms ....................................................................







  • Part 4: Accompanying

    • 12 Transcribing What You Hear

      • Training Your Ear ..........................................................................

      • Listening—Actively ........................................................................

      • Developing Superhearing ..............................................................

        • Hearing Pitch ..............................................................................

        • Hearing Intervals ..........................................................................

        • Hearing Rhythms ..........................................................................

        • Hearing Melodies ..........................................................................

        • Hearing Keys ................................................................................

        • Hearing Chords and Chord Progressions ........................................



      • Writing It All Down ......................................................................



    • 13 Accompanying Melodies

      • What’s the Score? ..........................................................................

        • Working from a Lead Sheet ..........................................................

        • Working from a Chord Sheet ........................................................

        • Working from a Melody ................................................................

        • Working from Nothing ..................................................................



      • Working the Form ..........................................................................

      • Playing the Part ..............................................................................

        • Block Chord Accompaniment ..........................................................

        • Rhythmic Accompaniment ..............................................................

        • Arpeggiated Accompaniment ..........................................................

        • Moving Bass ..................................................................................



      • One Good Strum Deserves Another ..............................................



    • 14 Transposing to Other Keys

      • Move Your Notes Around ..............................................................

      • Why You Need to Transpose ........................................................

      • Four Ways to Transpose ................................................................

        • Step-Wise Transposition ................................................................

        • Degree-Wise Transposition ............................................................

        • Interval-Based Transposition ..........................................................

        • Software-Based Transposition ........................................................







  • Part 5: Embellishing

    • 15 Harmony and Counterpoint

      • Two Ways to Enhance a Melody ....................................................

      • Living in Harmony ........................................................................

        • Voicing and Inversions ..................................................................



      • Making Harmony Parts More Melodic .......................................... The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory, Second Edition

      • Voice Leading ................................................................................



    • Making a Point—with Counterpoint ............................................

      • Creating Your First Counterpoint ..................................................



    • What to Avoid ................................................................................

      • Avoid Extended Parallel Movement ..............................................

      • Avoid Big Leaps ............................................................................

      • Avoid Dissonant Intervals—Unless They Resolve ............................



    • 16 Chord Substitutions and Turnarounds

      • Extending a Good Thing ..............................................................

      • Altering the Bass ............................................................................

      • Two Chords Are Better Than One ................................................

      • One Good Chord Can Replace Another ......................................

        • Diatonic Substitution ....................................................................

        • Major Chord Substitutions ............................................................

        • Minor Chord Substitutions ............................................................

        • Dominant Seventh Substitutions ....................................................

        • Functional Substitutions ................................................................



      • Turnarounds ....................................................................................



    • 17 Special Notation

      • Throwing a Curve ..........................................................................

        • Ties ..............................................................................................

        • Slurs ............................................................................................

        • Phrases ..........................................................................................



      • The Long and the Short of It ........................................................

        • Tenuto ..........................................................................................

        • Staccato ........................................................................................



      • When Is a Note More Than a Note? ............................................

        • Grace Notes ..................................................................................

        • Turns ............................................................................................

        • Trills ............................................................................................

        • Glissandos ....................................................................................

        • Arpeggiated Chords ......................................................................



      • Getting Into the Swing of Things ................................................

      • Getting the Word ..........................................................................





  • Part 6: Arranging

    • 18 Composing and Arranging for Voices and Instruments

      • Vocal Arranging ..............................................................................

        • Voice Characteristics ......................................................................

        • Vocal Ranges ..................................................................................



      • Instrumental Arranging ..................................................................

        • Instrument Characteristics ............................................................

        • Transposition ................................................................................

          • Good Keys and Bad Keys ................................................................ Contents

          • Instrumental Ranges ....................................................................







    • 19 Lead Sheets and Scores

      • Follow the Rules ............................................................................

      • Take the Lead ..................................................................................

      • Make It Simple ................................................................................

        • Chord Sheets ................................................................................

        • The Nashville Number System ......................................................



      • Sing It Loud ....................................................................................

      • Jazz It Up for Big Bands ................................................................

      • Strike Up the (Concert) Band ........................................................

      • Make the Big Score—for the Symphonic Orchestra ....................

      • Use the Computer ..........................................................................





  • 20 Performing Your Music

    • Preparing the Parts ........................................................................

    • Rehearsal Routines ..........................................................................

    • How to Conduct Yourself ..............................................................

      • Conducting in Four ......................................................................

      • Conducting in Two ........................................................................

      • Conducting in Three ......................................................................

      • Finding the Beat ..........................................................................

      • Practicing in the Real World ..........................................................



    • Coda ................................................................................................

    • A The Complete Idiot’s Music Glossary Appendixes

    • B The Complete Idiot’s Chord Reference

      • C Answers to Chapter Exercises

        • Ear Training Course CD D The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory, Second Edition,

        • Index







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