ALL Theory

Well, where do I begin? How about the beginning. First of all, there are only twelve notes in the entire world. That is assuming you're not from India, where they have twenty four. The "musical alphabet" as I call it, is A through G, just like the regular alphabet, except when you get to G you go back to A. There is no H. All the flats and sharps are in between. As you go up in pitch, you are going forwards in the alphabet. As you go down in pitch, you are going backwards in the alphabet. Have you ever heard the phrase " Every Good Boy Does Fine?" Maybe, maybe not. Beginning music readers use this as a tool to remember the names of the notes that appear on the lines of the staff with the treble clef. The first letter of each word spells E - G - B - D - F. The notes in the spaces spell something you look at every day: F - A - C - E. If you put them all together, it looks like this: The smallest increment in Western music is the half step. It is the distance between one note and an adjacent note, either up or down. To flat a note means to lower it by a half step. To sharp a note means to raise it a half step. The keyboard below shows the location of all twelve notes. The white notes are the key of C, no flats or sharps. The flats and sharps are the black notes. That brings us to the subject of intervals. Here are the general names for intervals in a major scale. I have these listed using letter names and numbers. The scale steps are frequently referred to as numbers 1 through 7. They are usually Roman numerals. Using numbers is more convenient because it is the same no matter what key you happen to be in. Here they are in the key of C: Using Letter Names Using Roman Numerals C to D - Major Second - 2 half steps C to E - Major Third - 4 half steps C to F - Perfect Fourth - 5 half steps C to G - Perfect Fifth - 7 half steps C to A - Major Sixth - 9 half steps C to B - Major Seventh - 11 half steps C to C - Octave - 12 half steps I - II Major Second I - III Major Third I - IV Perfect Fourth I - V Perfect Fifth I - VI Major Sixth I - VII Major Seventh I - I Octave Back to top Here are the names of intervals for the chromatic scale: C to Dflat - Minor Second - 1 half step C to D - Major Second - 2 half steps C to Eflat - Minor Third - 3 half steps C to E - Major Third - 4 half steps C to F - Perfect Fourth - 5 half steps C to F# - Augmented Fourth - 6 half steps C to G - Perfect Fifth - 7 half steps C to Aflat - Minor Sixth - 8 half steps C to A - Major Sixth - 9 half steps C to Bflat - Minor Seventh - 10 half steps C to B - Major Seventh - 11 half steps C to C - Octave - 12 half steps Enharmonic Equivalents This is another way of saying that each note has two names. For example, the note Eflat can also be called D#. The interval between C and Eflat can be called either a minor third or an augmented second. It is considered more correct to call it a minor third because the general name is a third. If you flat the interval (make it minor), of the third, then you have a minor third. A C to D# would be more accurately called an augmented second because the general name is a second. For an excellent book that covers this subject and lots more, see "Scales, Keys, Intervals and Triads, Rhythm and Meter" by John Clough. Back to top Tips on Reading Music There are two basic criteria to consider when learning how to read music. Pitch and rhythm. Pitch is determined by the placement of the note in the staff. Rhythm, or the duration of the note, is determined by the kind of note it is. I will deal with the five most common notes first. They are: whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes and sixteenth notes. Every note has a corresponding rest with equal value. In common (four-four) time, whole notes and whole rests get four beats. Half notes and half rests get two beats. Quarter notes and quarter rests get one beat. Eighth notes and eighth rests get a half beat (or, two eighths per beat). Sixteenth notes and sixteenth rests get a quarter of a beat (or, four sixteenths per beat). Each measure begins with the downbeat of beat one. Whether a note or a rest, measures always start on the downbeat of one. Be sure to give the full value of each note. If a whole note starts on one and gets four beats, you must end the note on beat one of the next measure to give it the full four beats. It starts on one, not zero. When playing successive notes, you must start each note on the down beat. There should be a slight pause taken at the end of the previous note so that you start the following note right on the downbeat. One common misunderstanding when learning to read music is to interpret eighth notes and sixteenth notes as meaning "fast." Unless a fast tempo marking is given, this is not the case. You should understand that eighth notes mean that you should divide the beat into two equal halves, one on the downbeat, one on the upbeat. Sixteenth notes should be seen as dividing the beat into four equal parts, two on the downbeat, two on the upbeat. This has nothing to do with speed, it has to do with how the beat is divided. This is where we get to the fun stuff! This chart should give you the knowledge it took me two or three years to finally acquire. This is how major scales apply to the three main types of chords you will have to deal with as an improviser. This is one reason to get your scales together so you can play them all so they sound the same. Up, down, backwards, forwards, sideways, and in your sleep! This chart is in the key of C. It's up to you to transpose it to all the other keys. Also, see the page on pentatonic and blues scales and how they are used, here. Chord Type Scale Type C Major, CMajor7(9,11,13) C Major Scale from C to C C minor,Cminor7(9,11,13) Bflat Major Scale from C to C C Dominant7(9,11,13) F Major Scale from C to C The scales are all from C to C because you must always respect the chord that is sounding at the time. In other words, if you are playing on a C Major chord, then home base, or tonic, is C. This is a very basic chord/scale chart, but I hope to impress upon you that scales are very important. They are at the root of improvisation. My old teacher, Danny Patiris said to me once, "If you can't play a major scale, then what can you play?" He was right. The II-7 - V7 - I Progression Let's get right to the heart of the matter, shall we? If you take the most common chord progression in the world, the II-7 - V7 - I, and analyze it, you come away with an understanding that will make things a little more clear. First, a little explanation of chords. A chord is two or more notes (usually at least three) played simultaneously, or as an arpeggio, which is a chord, played one note at a time. Using only the notes in the major scale of the key you are in, if you stack up four notes in thirds on top of each scale step, you will get the 7th chords found in that key. See example below. This will give you some very important information that will be the same in all major keys. See Theory 4 for more information about chords. Click here for midi file This is a II-7 V7 I in the key of C: Click here for midi file The II-7 chord is a minor chord. In the key of C, that would be a Dmin7 chord. D - F - A - C. That chord takes a C major scale from D to D. This is the Dorian mode. Click here for midi file The V7 chord is a dominant chord. In the key of C, that would be a G7 chord. G - B - D - F. That chord takes the C major scale from G to G. This is the mixolydian mode. Click here for midi file The I chord would be a major chord. In the key of C, that would be a C Major 7 chord. C - E - G - B. That chord takes the C major scale from C to C. Click here for midi file So, as you can see, these three chords take the same scale, the only thing that changes is the chord that is sounding. You must always play on the chord that is being played. You would be well advised to practice this progression in all keys. This, again, is a very brief explanation of harmony. These are the basics that all improvisers should know. Here is a cool bebop pattern over II-7 V7 progressions. Click here for midi file Chords and Chord Symbols A brief explanation of the most common chord types and their symbols. (key of C): MAJOR SEVENTH CHORD (Chord symbol: CMaj.7) The major seventh chord is a major triad with a major seventh. the root: C the major third: E the perfect fifth: G the major seventh: B Click here for midi file. MINOR SEVENTH CHORD (Chord symbol: Cm7 or C-7) The minor seventh chord is a minor triad with a minor seventh. the root: C the minor third: Eb the perfect fifth: G the minor seventh: Bb Click here for midi file. DOMINANT SEVENTH CHORD (Chord symbol: C7) The dominant seventh chord is a major triad with a minor seventh. the root: C the major third: E the perfect fifth: G the minor seventh: Bb Click here for midi file. DIMINISHED SEVEN CHORD (Chord symbol: C°7) The diminished seven chord is a stack of minor thirds. the root: C the minor third: Eb the diminished fifth: Gb the diminished seventh: A(Bbb) Click here for midi file. HALF-DIMINISHED CHORD (Chord symbol: Cm7b5) The half-diminished chord is a diminished triad with a minor seventh, also known as a minor seven flat five chord. the root: C the minor third: Eb the diminished fifth: Gb the minor seventh: Bb Click here for midi file. Modes and Scales

Modes are easiest to understand if you relate them to major scales. So, first, this on major scales. There is a formula for constructing a major scale from any note. If W stands for a whole step and H stands for a half step then that formula is W-W-H-W-W-W-H. If you apply that formula starting on any note, you will construct a major scale. Major scales all have the same sound. If you sing Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do, you are singing a major scale. They sound the same because they all have the same formula of whole steps and half steps. The mode based on tonic to tonic (I to I) is the Ionian mode or major scale. So, if you change the arrangement of these half steps and whole steps, you get a different "sound" or "mode." If you were to play the scale From II - II in any major scale, you get the Dorian mode. The names of these modes comes from ancient Greek civilizations who first sought to organize notes in this manner. I will list these here in the key of C. I will also list them by Roman numerals. You would be well advised to start thinking in terms of Roman numerals.

C - C, or I - I is the Ionian Mode Click here for midi file D - D, or II - II is the Dorian Mode Click here for midi file E - E, or III - III is the Phrygian Mode Click here for midi file F - F, or IV - IV is the Lydian Mode Click here for midi file G - G, or V - V is the Mixolydian Mode Click here for midi file A - A, or VI - VI is the Aeolian Mode Click here for midi file B - B, or VII - VII is the Locrian Mode .Click here for midi file