Music theory for beginners. Music notation for beginning musicians

Music theory for dummies. Pilhofer M., Dey H.

M.: 2009. - 272 p. + CD

Music Theory for Dummies is an excellent tool for anyone who wants to master music theory, whether a beginner musician or an experienced performer. This guide will give you everything you need to get started: durations and intervals, Latin tempo notation, basic musical forms, including the most popular ones like modern pop songs, and a list of useful music theory resources.

The book is designed for a wide range of readers; it will be useful for students of specialized educational institutions, practicing musicians and everyone interested in music.

Book.

Format: pdf

Size: 4 4.3 MB

Download: drive.google

Audio.

Format: mp3/zip

Size: 49 MB

Download: yandex.disk

Table of contents
About the authors 13
Possession 15
Part I. Rhythm: How to Count Time 19
Chapter 1. So what is music theory 21
Chapter 2. How to count notes 27
Chapter 3. Take a break 37
Chapter 4. Musical time signatures 43
Chapter 5. How to Make Rhythm Natural 53
Chapter 6. Tempo and dynamics 59
Part II. Melody: The part you hum 67
Chapter 7. Staff 69
Chapter 8. The sound of instruments and shades of sound 79
Chapter 9. Halftones, whole tones, sharps and flats 83
Part III. Harmony: how to put flesh on music 87
Chapter 10. Intervals 89
Chapter 11. Designations of keys and circle of fifths 105
Chapter 12. Major and minor scales 117
Chapter 13. Chord Construction 127
Chapter 14. Sequences 147
Chapter 15. Cadences 157
Part IV. Form: how music works 165
Chapter 16. Form Elements 167
Chapter 17. Classical forms 177
Chapter 18. Popular forms 187
Part V. Magnificent Tens 193
Chapter 19. The Six Most Common Questions About Music Theory 195
Chapter 20. Ten cool and useful sources 199
Chapter 21: Nine Music Theorists You Should Know About 203
Appendix A. How to work with the disk 209
Appendix B: Chord Chart 215
Appendix C. Dictionary 253
Subject index 256

In the “Music Theory” section, you will find out what it is, why it is needed and who needs it. Also below will be separate free lessons both for beginners and pros. There we will reveal in detail theoretical issues this topic.

is a certain set of educational and scientific disciplines of musicology that deal with theoretical aspects music. All this forms the main basis for.

Here are just some disciplines (sections of music theory):

• Instrumentation - the study of musical instruments
• Orchestration - presentation of music for orchestra
• Harmony is a discipline about the organization of music
• Polyphony - the study of polyphonic compositions
• Rhythmics - studies meter and rhythm
• Musical form is a discipline about the structure of a work

This also includes additional theory courses musical content, modern composition, musical textual criticism and much more.

There is also such a concept as elementary music theory. This is a simplified version of a set of theoretical principles about music. As a rule, it is intended for the initial development of musical literacy.

Despite the fact that there is a lot of information now, many still have a mess in their heads of scraps of some knowledge. As a result, some people think that it is all very easy. After all, they seem to understand the information, but cannot apply it. That's why they think it's easy.

For some, on the contrary, it seems very difficult. As a rule, they open classical textbooks on music theory and think - “Why do I need all this, what is it and how can I apply it in practice?”

We have many textbooks on music theory. Many of them are already 50 years old. At the same time, they do not lose their relevance because they are designed for the classical school.

What we are studying now, we don’t even have as many genres as in classical music. We don't have anything global right now. We don't write operas, symphonies and so on.

Therefore, music theory is the main basis, which no one has yet canceled. Everything there is very well written and systematized.

But if you are involved in modern music, you still have to learn this base and start moving on.

Why is it important to know music theory?

Music theory is a must-know for anyone who plays music. And it doesn’t matter if they are vocalists, guitarists or drummers! Anyone who plays any instruments, sings, or composes songs must know the basics.

Unfortunately, you can often hear from many musicians that they record their parts by ear. So they don't need to know notes and intervals and things like that.

There are also drummers who have been playing for more than five years and have not learned the notes during all this time. Not only have they not learned it, but they are not even going to do it. They believe that this is not at all necessary.

But it's a must! And it doesn’t matter for whom. Music theory for dummies or for pros. All the same, you need to know it and constantly refresh your memory.

Classic version sheet music called musical notation. The word “text” appears here for a reason. After all, in essence, a musical text is the same as books or textbooks with ordinary printed text. And it's called sight reading because it's really, really similar to simple reading.

Once you know the notes and know how to play, in fact, it becomes very easy. You can even hear what is written without losing it.

Considering that sheet music is called text, imagine that you are studying in secondary school and you don't know how to read. That is, you don’t know the letters.

There is no doubt that you can learn something. For example, watch various training videos. But you still don’t know how to read.

And you still won’t learn much until you can read properly. Indeed, in this case, a large layer human knowledge it will simply not be available to you.

The same applies to music. Especially when you don’t know the theory of at least some basic things. Here it will be absolutely the same as in the above example.

What is important in music theory for beginners and professionals

Now I will tell you what you need to know in music theory for beginners and professionals. For those who do vocals, play the musical instruments and those who write music. Very often they ask - “ What do I need to know, what to read, etc.?»

Let's start with the vocalist.

I said above that knowledge of notes- this is, roughly speaking, knowledge of letters. But you must understand that knowing only the letters will not be enough for you. You need to learn how to put these letters into syllables, and then put them into words. Only then will you have a complete picture.

Once you know musical notation, you should move on to studying intervals. This is the most important thing for vocalists!

It is clear that you, as a vocalist, will not sing in chords and so on. Therefore, you must master the intervals stage perfectly.

You know, people who sing and don’t know intervals (for example, they can’t write backing vocals for themselves) will always go in blind. It's like sailing in the ocean without a map or compass.

In general, spacing is very important! We immediately play them and eat.

In addition to the harmonic component (what we mean by the pitch of the sound, the note), there is a second very important branch in music. This time component. These are what are called durations.

IN different times there were more trends. For example, somewhere in the harmonic component, new harmonies appeared in the era of romanticism. We experimented very often in this direction.

Now is the time when modern music The rhythmic component is very important.

The most basic example is when they came up with a breakdown from scratch. Many people think that this is noticeable. But in fact it’s brilliant because no one came up with anything new!

On the contrary, they removed the unnecessary and only the rhythm remained. There is no harmony there. There's actually only one note. There is only one dimension left and that is rhythm.

In fact, this is also very important and must be mastered perfectly. And the vocalist needs to understand this. After all, they also sing with a metronome (most often they are recorded).

For instrumentalists this is even more important. And for drummers this is absolutely super important because they actually have a conditional note height.

Naturally, drums have a pitch. They all differ in sound and so on. But in general, the drummer has a minimum of harmonic means, but at the same time more rhythmic ones.

Music Theory for the Composer

Now let's talk about music theory for a composer. Very often people ask me what I need to know to start writing music. How, where to start, and so on.

Let's get back to music theory for dummies again. Let's imagine that you not only know it, but can freely use it.

In this case, you will fully master the instrument. That is, you can immediately play something freely.

To do this, you will not need to rehearse, sit for a long time and tune in. That is, you are already playing completely freely.

The same is true in terms of theoretical knowledge and application, this also applies to the composer. That is, at a minimum, he should be able to freely play a chain of chords. Only in this case will he have a normal instrument for writing music.

After you have studied music theory to such a sufficient extent, you need to do the following. If you want to write your own song, then open any example you like and then analyze it.

For example, analyze the form of the song itself (verse, chorus). That is, you first take it apart into its components and create a certain form. After that, analyze how many squares there are. Classically, the chorus goes four squares. That's four musical phrases or four lines of text.

Here you analyze all this in more detail. For example, somewhere there are transitions, somewhere there may be modulation, and so on. As a result, you are already stocking up on such instruments, from which you will later compose your song.

After this, analyze the harmony.

After all, there are many masterpieces in which there are two chords and two notes on the vocals. But in the end it all looks brilliant. This is where compositional skill lies.

What do those who write music miss?

In principle, it is not difficult to come up with a vocal melody. But for it to sound, there must be a so-called arrangement. And this is just a large set of tools that can be used wisely.

Of course, today you need to have your own musical taste and talent. After all, composing is creative process. You can only approach it with intelligence and imagination.

In modern music, unlike classical music, there are no boundaries. In fact, you can do whatever your heart desires.

But at the same time, you must understand that many people want to come up with something that has not yet been done. For example, I will do something that should not be done because no one has done it before. And thus I will come up with something new.

I will say that you won’t come up with anything new!

They haven’t done this before, not because they haven’t thought of it before, but because it just doesn’t sound right. Therefore, try to gain knowledge, apply it wisely and listen to a lot of different music.

One last thing before studying

Now you know what music theory is and why it is so important for everyone involved in this art.

Perhaps you've recently started working with music editors and now want to learn more about how music is organized.

Maybe you are a sound engineer and have been recording and mixing sound for many years. Now you want to improve your musical literacy.

Or maybe you are a composer and want to diversify your arrangements. Maybe you want to learn how to read and write scores. Or you just want to refresh your memory of the material you studied at music school.

Regardless of the above, we will cover for you all the basics of music theory from A to Z. Below are free lessons in the form of articles. They will give you the necessary knowledge base that everyone should have.

Say thanks using the buttons below:

In this material we will take a closer look at what sound is, its speed, volume and other important definitions. We will also talk about frequency, pitch and notes.

I realized that it was time for me, a practicing musician and a person without musical education, to explain music theory in simple human language so that I could immediately understand what to do. I Last year I missed people’s requests to explain pieces of music theory, thinking that everything could be easily Googled and read on Wikipedia. YEAH, *****, NOW! Would you like to take a look at the Wikipedia article entitled "Tone" ?!

Tonality (Greek τόνος - tension, tension; tone) - 1) the principle of mode, the central category of which is the tonic. The remaining categories and functions of tonality (primarily the dominant and subdominant) are directly or indirectly related to the tonic.

Does it make sense to copy-paste further, or has the audience already plunged into a coma? I've been writing songs for 6 years, and my spinal cord has now burst from this definition. So I realized that I had to explain elementary things in elementary words. Without "central categories" and "tonality functions".

I wrote this text for people who are just starting to write music on a computer and understand that some of the music theory will still be useful to them. For people who have already tried to bite into books from music schools and colleges and realized that these books are made of a mixture of granite, marble and diamond, and there will be nothing left but broken teeth after these books.

I don’t know yet which format will be the best, so I’ll just start with one. As Napoleon said, the main thing is to get involved in battle, and then we’ll see. Perhaps the text below will even lead to the capture of Europe, who knows. However, let's begin. Let this be the format of a conversation between a student and a teacher.

What is a chord?

A chord is the sound of several notes at the same time. Usually three, sometimes four or five - or at least ten. You can call the sound of two notes a chord. One note is no longer a chord.

How are the notes of a chord related to each other? On what basis are they selected? Can any three notes be considered a chord?

Yes. Any three notes can be considered a chord. A chord is simply the name for a phenomenon where you play several notes at the same time. But if you play arbitrary notes, they will most likely sound disgusting. To make everything sound decent, there are special laws for constructing chords. For example, the C major chord is considered classical. Music schools usually start studying chords with it, it’s easy to take and it sounds normal, i.e. fun and without pretensions.))

C major:

Why is it called "C major"?

Because it is built from note C. And we return to the previous question about the connection between the notes in a chord. What does it mean that a chord is built from note C? This means, firstly, that we have decided that the C note in the chord will be the main note. That's why, in fact, it's called before major, not horseradish major. And secondly, this means that the next note, according to the laws of major chord construction, should be 4 semitones higher than the original note C, and the next one after it should be 7 semitones higher original note to (or 3 semitones above the second note).

What is a halftone?

A semitone is the distance between any two neighboring notes. Look at the picture above. To the right of the note C is a black key labeled C# (C sharp)/Db (D flat). This note is adjacent, which means it is higher than the note C by a semitone (a semitone). To the right of this black note is the note D - it is higher to sharp by another semitone. This means that D is higher than C by two semitones. Two semitones is a tone. D sharp is higher than D by a semitone. Next comes E. We find that E is 4 semitones higher than C. This is what we need to build a major chord. Let's crawl further. E (+4 semitones from note C) - F (+5 semitones) - F sharp (+6 semitones) - G (+7 semitones). Here comes the second note. And the C major chord looks like in the picture. Do-mi-sol.

Is this a universal scheme about how to take a note, then take it 4 semitones higher, and take it 7 higher, or is there a different formula for each chord?

This is a universal scheme. In the same way, you can build a major chord from any note. What major chord do you want to build?

A sharp major.

A good choice. Over the course of his career, every musician must cultivate an imitator, cultivate a voice and build an A sharp major. So where do we start doing this? What is the main note in A sharp major?

This is a question for idiots. In A sharp major, the main note is A sharp.

Exactly. By the way, the "main note" is called the term t O Nika. So the tonic is A sharp. What's the second note?

A sharp - B (+1 semitone) - C (+2 semitones) - C sharp (+3 semitones) - D (+4 semitones). This is the note D.

Exactly she. What's the third one?

D (+4) - D sharp (+5) - E (+6) - F (+7). F.

So, A sharp major is A sharp - D - F?

Yes. This is what A sharp major looks like:

So far everything is very simple. I also heard there is minor chords. How do they differ from major ones?

The location of the second note. If in a major chord to build the second note we count 4 semitones from the tonic, then in a minor chord we count 3. And the third note remains the same - seven semitones above the tonic. This is the only difference between minor and major chords. Now try to build a G minor chord.

Tonic - salt. G - G sharp (+1) - A (+2) - A sharp (+3). The second note is A sharp. We count the third. A sharp (+3) - B (+4) - C (+5) - C sharp (+6) - D (+7). G minor: G - A sharp - D.

Right.

I don't ask, I affirm!

I saw the boys in the yard playing songs on guitars. Yesterday they played Noise's song From the Window. I Googled it and found out that the chords for this song are C G Am F. What does that even mean and how do you use it?

The pictures above show english letters over every note. These are foreign chord symbols. We have A, they have A. We have D, they have D. And so on. So the chords for From the Window are C, G, A, F. The A chord has a postscript - a small letter m. This means the chord is minor. If this letter is not present, like the other chords, then these are major chords.

Well, did I understand correctly? The chords on Noise are C major, G major, A minor, F major?

Yes, you said the truth.

Is it that simple?

It couldn't be simpler. Read Wikipedia less. Some articles there seem to be written specifically to demotivate people trying to figure something out.

Fine. Then let's move on. I wrote a chord sequence in Cubase, like Noise's - C G Am F. They sound to me through the Galaxy II piano plugin. Now I want to write a bass line. I tried to do it myself, but I can clearly hear that some notes don't fit and ruin everything. And some notes sound good. Is there some kind of system here?

This is a great question. There really is a system. It's all about the first chord. In our case it is C major. The first chord sets the tone of the song.

The key of the song? Isn't this by any chance a principle of mode, the central category of which is the tonic? I heard something similar somewhere. It seems just before falling into a coma.

Listen to me carefully. A tonality is a network of notes that sound simultaneously with a given chord without obvious dissonance.

Soooo, stop, stop, stop! What does note grid mean? Fishing net? Or mesh for tennis? Well, be specific.

You are right. Vague expression of thoughts is what I will shoot people for when I come to power. So let's play a C major chord. The key for this chord is determined by two things: the root and the major/minority of the chord. Our tonic is C, and the chord is major. This means that the key will be called C major.

I still don’t understand what tonality is, but for now I’ll ask another question - does tonality always coincide with the name of the first chord?

Not always, but in most cases. In Noise’s song it coincides with the first chord, and let’s not talk about “Always” for now, but let’s gradually move from small specific examples to universal generalizations and world domination. So, our key is C major. Now let's go back to the grid. A grid is a sequence of notes uniquely defined for a given chord that sound without dissonance.

What other dissonance?

Dissonance is when it sounds bad and pathetic. This, at first glance, is a subjective feeling, but when you miss the notes, this subjective feeling just happens to everyone, so you can consider it objective.) So, the major key is built according to the following scheme: take the tonic, this is the first note of the key. A tone has been added to this note - this is the second note. To it (to the second note) we added another tone - this is the third note (this is the second note of the chord, if you remember), to this note we add a semitone - this is the fourth note. We add a tone to the fourth - this is the fifth note (it is also the third note of the chord). We add a tone to the fifth - this is the sixth note. We add a tone to the sixth - this is the seventh note. If we add a semitone to the seventh, we will again return to the original note, but it will already be an octave higher than the tonic.

Octave?

Yes, octave. An octave is the distance between two notes, equal to 12 semitones. Physically this means that more high note has an oscillation frequency exactly twice as high. The name remains the same. If the original note was C, then there will also be a C an octave higher.

So, the scheme for constructing tonality... How can it be formulated briefly and clearly?

Tone-tone-semitone-tone-tone-tone-semitone.

Yes, that's already good.

Try, using this formula, to find notes in the key of C major.

Okay man. Hold on to the handrails! Everyone from the screw, I'm building in C major!

1. tonic - up

2. + tone - re

3. + tone - mi

4. +semitone - F

5. + tone - salt

6. + tone - A

7. + tone - si

8. + semitone - do

It?

It! Here's what it looks like on the keyboard:

Yes, everything is clear. Just two questions. First. Why do you draw pictures like this, as if the pianist’s fingers were cut off above this keyboard and the keys were painted with his blood?

I buried my talent in notes. I'm not a photoshopper.

Clear. OK. Second question: did I understand correctly that the key of C major includes all the white notes on the keyboard?

Yes! All white notes and only them are included.

This looks like cheating. Let's do something more difficult.

With pleasure. Let's take my song The Story of a Murderer for a change.

Let's. How can I determine the key of this song?

This is a valid question. Fit. Ask 99 more questions like this and you will go to heaven. The simplest way, a bit rough, though in rare cases inaccurate, is to use the Virtual DJ program. The tone will be determined instantly, however, this will not make you any smarter, just as, for example, you cannot build up your leg muscles if you take the elevator home every day. However, you and I are in the business of learning, so let's dig deep. So, how to determine the key of a song. To do this, you need to determine the harmony of the song.

Pfjppppvwfjfwwwf *the sound made by a person who has taken a mouthful of, say, soup, suddenly sees something unacceptable, and now part of the soup has covered the surface of family and friends* WHAT IS HARMONY?

Harmony is the sequence of chords used in a song. For example, in the song From the Window the harmony is C G Am F. C major - G major - A minor - F major. You can say not “define harmony”, but “select chords” - this will be, in essence, the same thing.

Those. what can be found on the Internet by searching for “Chords of the Russian anthem” - will it also be harmony?

OK. How to determine the harmony of a song?

This difficult question, I myself am not ready to answer it for you. It's no use telling me how I do it. I turn on the song, take the guitar, start playing along with the song and in 5 seconds I get into key and after a couple of seconds I determine the harmony. The key here is my ability to hear the relationship between the music and the notes I produce. I developed it slowly over 12 years, just playing and choosing songs that I liked. This option is not suitable for you, because you want to learn quickly and without unnecessary actions. I understand you and will be happy to help you with this, but so far I can’t formulate the most shortcut for this. Therefore, we will now define harmony more in a simple way. Let's go to the Chords section and look at it there.

I don’t understand what kind of attitude this is, but in any case, it’s all impudent.

Certainly. So, harmony:

Introduction

C#m G#7sus4 E F#m

Oh, I wish I could die.

One day it will happen, believe me.

When we analyzed Noise, we found that the key is usually the same as the first chord. Is the key here F sharp minor?

No. The intro here is in one key, and the first verse is in another.

Those. Can the key change as the song progresses?

Maybe, although this is a rare occurrence. Only fans of the musical Notre Dame de Paris like me do this. In this musical, key changes occur several times in some songs.

Okay. What should I do then? What key should I build?

Both. F sharp minor and C sharp minor.

Hm. How is a minor key constructed? Since minor and major chords are different, then the keys are probably different?

This is a valid question. You have 98 questions left to get to heaven. Minor key, indeed, differs from the major one. Its scheme looks like this: tone-semitone-tone-tone-semitone-tone-tone. The construction principle itself is the same. Try to build tones knowing this.

Come on.

1. Tonic - F sharp

2. + tone - G sharp

3. + semitone - A

4. + tone - si

5. + tone - C sharp

6. + semitone - D

7. + tone - mi

8. + tone - F sharp

It?

Yes. It looks like this:

Now give me C sharp minor.

Hold on.

1. Tonic - C sharp

2. + tone - D sharp

3. + semitone - E

4. + tone - F sharp

5. + tone - G sharp

6. + semitone - A

7. + tone - si

By the way, since you so diligently number each note of the key, I can’t help but tell you about one interesting moment. These numbers that you put to the left of the notes are indeed very actively used in music theory. They are called steps. Let's take the same key of C sharp minor. C sharp is the first step, it is also the tonic. D sharp is the second degree. Mi is the third stage. F sharp is the fourth, G sharp is the fifth, and so on. Taking into account this sacred knowledge, we can assume that in any key a chord is simply a combination of three steps: the first (tonic), the third (above I called it the second note of the chord) and the fifth (the Indian name is the Third Note of the Chord).

Is this made for convenience? So as not to say “the third note of the chord”, but to say the fifth degree?

Yes, this is for convenience. For example, since ancient times it has been noted that the fifth stage sounds very beautiful. I can, for example, not really come up with a bass line, but just tell the bass player the harmony (for example, Am F C G) and say: play 1-5-1-5 straight through, and he will understand me instantly.

Come on, explain so that I can understand first.1-5-1-5 - what is it?

These are just steps. This means that the bassist must play in turn the 1st step, then the 5th, then the 1st again, then the 5th again. And so on every chord.

Mmmm. Wait. If we play an A minor chord, the notes are A-D-E. A tonic, first step. Do is the third step and E is the fifth. Those. when the A minor chord sounds, the bass player will play la-mi-la-mi, right?

And then the F major chord will begin to sound. Should the bassist really keep playing la-mi-la-mi? Given that there is no E note in the F major chord and it will most likely sound bad?

Logical question. The point is that degrees are a relative thing that is “attached” to a chord. While A minor is playing, we have the tonic of A. Once we moved to F major, we now have the tonic of F!

Oh no shit! And when were you going to tell me about this?!

Only after you've asked a question. Until you ask the question, you are not ready for the answer, and you simply will not hear it.

A bold assumption. However, it seems to be true.) Okay, that means the chord has changed - the steps have changed. So, now we need to find out what the fifth degree of F major is.

You will do this without my help. Do you remember the construction diagram? major key?

Scheme for constructing a major key tone-tone-semitone-tone-tone-tone-semitone.

Brilliant memory!

This is the only way someone who wants to become a master should have it! So, fa (I step, tonic) - G (II step) - A (III) - A # (IV) - C (V). This means that for the F major chord the fifth degree is C. Does this mean that on an F major chord the bassist will play F-do-fa-do?

Musical structure is one of the basic, fundamental concepts of music theory. It is associated with such concepts as scale, intervals, overtones, consonances and dissonances, sharps and flats, temperament and chromaticism. However, in textbooks on elementary music theory, musical structure is written briefly and very vaguely. And about intervals, chords, etc., they write in detail in other sections. Therefore, it is not surprising that no one can understand what such “textbooks” write about. Because the logic is broken from the very beginning. However, violations of logic in music theory textbooks and confused discussions about musical structure have the same nature: many would-be musicologists have very rough knowledge of physics and mathematics. And without physics and mathematics it is very difficult to understand the nature of sound. Unable to cope with the problem of musical structure, many “scientific” failures try to study harmony, polyphony, analysis musical forms and step on the same rake for the second, third and fourth time. Because the foundation of harmony, polyphony and analysis of musical forms is the same nature of sound.

Now we will study this nature. We don’t need sky-high knowledge of physics and mathematics, but I advise you to open the calculator in the next window. So... What is musical structure? Let's figure it out now. To begin with, however, we need, since later I will have to illustrate the presentation with musical examples.

Let's write down all the notes in a row: do, re, mi, f, sol, la, si, do, re, mi, fa, etc.

Notes arranged in this order are called scale. A scale can start on any note. In addition, the scale can be not only ascending (as in the picture), but also descending, for example: mi, re, do, si, la, sol, fa, mi.

The distance between two notes is called interval. The distance from any note to itself is called primo(do-do, re-re, mi-mi, fa-fa, etc.). The interval between two adjacent notes is second(do-re, re-mi, mi-fa, etc.). Distance across a note - third(do-mi, re-fa, mi-sol, fa-la, etc.). Intervals are defined in a similar way quart(do-fa, re-sol, mi-la, fa-si, sol-do, la-re, etc.), quint(do-sol, re-la, mi-si...), sixth(do-la, re-si, mi-do...), seventh(do-si, re-do, mi-re, fa-mi...) and octave(do-do, re-re, mi-mi...). By appeal interval is an interval built on the same notes as the given one, but not identical to the given one. For example, the inversion of the third of re-fa is the sixth of fa-re (and vice versa).

Intervals prima And octave differ as follows. Prim C-C is the distance from the leftmost C to the same leftmost C (on the first additional line from the bottom). And the octave C-C is the distance from the leftmost note “C” (on the first additional line from the bottom) to the note “C” eighth from the left (between the third and fourth lines). An octave is the inversion of a prima, a prima is an inversion of an octave.

Now let’s imagine ourselves in the shoes of musicians who needed to somehow record music. You need to record two parameters: the pitch of the sounds and their duration. We won't be talking about durations today, but here's the problem of recording altitude... How to record altitude?

Various recording methods were tried, but in the end, the recording method turned out to be the most practical absolute altitude. In other words, each of the 13 notes shown in the picture must have its own frequency sound.

But why are there only seven notes? And why do they begin to repeat themselves?

The question here is what kind of music we will record with these notes. Music in the Middle Ages was predominantly vocal. Consequently, height restrictions were largely determined by the range human voice. Let's experiment. How many different Can you sing according to the pitch of the sounds? Theoretically speaking, almost as much as you want. You can howl smoothly (or, smartly, glide) starting from the bottom of the range and ending with an exorbitant squeak. What if you sing a more or less meaningful song (say, “Let pedestrians run clumsily through the puddles”)? When singing “Let them run...” will you hit the note that falls on the syllable “awkwardly” with an accuracy of 1/1000 Hertz? I think it's unlikely. And not a single singer will get in. This is not necessary. It is enough to get into a certain vicinity of the note for the listener to understand that you sang correctly. That is, too many notes are bad. “Marking” of the vocal range should not be too frequent. Practice shows that the vocal range scale ordinary person includes just 7-8 divisions. Taking into account such vocal capabilities, in particular, Vladimir Shainsky wrote Crocodile Gena’s song “Let them run clumsily...”.

But the range of professional vocalists is much wider. If you try to calibrate such ranges, you will need 15-20 divisions. Why then are there exactly seven notes? Wasn't it there before? good singers? Certainly, good singers were. The fact is that not everything was decided only by the vocal range. There was another reason.

Medieval music was predominantly church music. And the acoustics of churches Romanesque style revealed very interesting properties of sound.

I'll continue a little later...
I continue 22.31

If in such a temple you sing like this:

The echo will be something like this:

(Attention!!! If these notes are played on a piano, the sound will be approximate. I recorded this echo with notes only for illustration. The sound of the overtones in the next picture will be just as approximate)

Temple acoustics enhanced the overtones of the sound. What is an overtone? Overtone sound with frequency N is sound of frequency n*N, where n = 1,2,3,4,5... etc. If n=1, then we get the first overtone (i.e. the same basic sound), if n=2 - the second overtone, n=3 - the third overtone, etc. The approximate sound of the first ten overtones can be imagined if you play the following on the piano:

If you want to hear a more accurate sound, then you need to do the following. Take a guitar that you don't mind, and... pliers. Play on open string. Then pinch the string with pliers exactly in the middle (but so that the string tension does not change) and play half of the string. This is the 2nd overtone. Then pinch the string so that you can play the third part of it. This is the 3rd overtone. And so on.

At one time, Pythagoras performed the same experiment. He noticed that the 2nd overtone blends very well with the first. Also, the 4th overtone is the 2nd overtone of the 2nd overtone, which matches the 2nd overtone just as well as the 2nd matches the first. And between the 2nd and 4th overtones there is a third overtone. It, of course, also forms a beautiful consonance with the main tone, but does not merge with it as well as the 2nd overtone.

Medieval musicians were certainly aware of Pythagoras' research, and therefore they called the 2nd overtone the same note as the main tone (the first overtone). And since each sound has its own 2nd overtone, the same note names must be repeated.

Now we can move directly to talking about what musical structure actually is. Musical system is the principle of frequency relationships between musical sounds. To create a musical system, you need to select the number of sounds used and establish frequency relationships between them. In this case, the frequency ratios should not be arbitrary. They must correspond to the nature of the sound. Otherwise, music in this system will not sound beautiful.

It would seem, what could be simpler? We take the first 10 overtones of any sound (see, for example, last picture) and play any tunes on them. This principle was also used. When playing brass instruments. Pioneer horns that did not have valves still play this way. But you won’t play Crocodile Gena’s song in this “tuning”. For vocal music This principle of similar organization of sounds by frequency is not suitable: too large a range, too sparsely located sounds at the bottom and too often located sounds at the top.

How to create an adequate scale for vocal music (so that the sounds are spaced more evenly and in a smaller range)?

This task (which, by the way, is called temperament) was also first solved by Pythagoras. He calibrated the distance between the 1st and 2nd overtone frequencies, which were obtained by multiplying or dividing the frequency of the fundamental tone several times by 2 or 3. For example, like this. We multiply the frequency of the fundamental tone (N) by 2 - we get the second overtone. We multiply N by 3 - we get the third overtone. He is taller than the second one. Divide the 3rd overtone by 2 - we get a sound between the 1st and 2nd overtones. It suits us. Remember the multiplier (3/2). Multiplying 3/2N by 3 produces a very high-pitched sound. Above the 4th overtone (indeed, 9/2 > 4). Divide the resulting frequency by 2 - we get a sound above the 2nd overtone. Divide by 2 again - we get to where we need it, between the 1st and 2nd overtones. Remember the multiplier (9/8). Multiply 9/8N by 3 - again above the second overtone. Divide by 2, get between the 1st and 2nd overtones, remember the multiplier (27/16). And so on. But by the way. You can just as well go in the opposite direction. We multiply N by 2 and divide by 3. We get a sound below the fundamental tone. We multiply the resulting frequency by 2 - we get between the 1st and 2nd overtones, remember the multiplier (4/3). The result is something like:

Multipliers are written next to the notes. In this way, it is theoretically possible to “squeeze” any number of notes between the 1st and 2nd overtones. In practice, however, the number is by no means arbitrary. It still won't be possible to sing with any accuracy. But here, perhaps, even this is not the main thing. The main thing is what greater denominator fractions, the more difficult it is to accurately line up the note. The note B (far right) is so difficult to build that it is almost impossible. In fact, try taking a ruler and dividing guitar string into 243 parts, and then measure out 128 parts and these 243 with pliers. The note E, however, is not much easier to build: measuring 64 times on one 81st is also a pleasure.

As a result, the notes left are C, D, F, G and A. This is the so-called pentatonic scale. Something similar was used (and maybe still is used) in Chinese folk music(we'll talk about this when we look at frets).

But let's return to tuning by fifths. The most important thing is that now we have already managed to fill the distance between the 1st and 2nd overtones with seven notes. Of course, we ended up with poorly tuned E and B notes, but this is not difficult to fix. The note B can denote another sound with a frequency of 16/9N, and instead of E, a sound with a frequency of 32/27N. Dividing a string into 32 and 16 is still easier than dividing it into 243 and 81. In practice, however, the seventh note did not appear immediately. Relatively for a long time made do with six notes (without B). Or, if in another version, without frequency 32/27N.

Seven notes are easy to build if you use the so-called pure tuning. Why was a clean system needed? Was the seventh note really so necessary? Hardly. It’s just that one very noticeable flaw was discovered in the Pythagorean system.

I'll continue tomorrow.
I continue...
27.10.2009
18.27

This flaw was revealed when the music became polyphonic. Namely, the simultaneous thirds sounded “dirty.” For example, if one sings the note C with a frequency of N, and the other sings the note E with a frequency of 81/64N (i.e., built in the Pythagorean way), it will sound somewhat out of tune. Why? The fourth overtone of the note E will sound with a frequency of 81/16N, and the fifth overtone of the note C will sound with a frequency of 5N=80/16N. If we divide the higher frequency by the lower, we get a difference of 81/80. If you have two guitars and pliers, try playing simultaneously on two strings, one of which is 81 cm long and the other 80 cm long. This is a very significant falsehood, even taking into account the fact that the fourth and fifth overtones sound much quieter than the main tone. They quickly cancel each other out if you sing C first and then E. But when E and C are played at the same time, the divergent overtones “come into conflict.” You can solve the problem like this. We tune the notes D, F and G in the old, Pythagorean way. And the notes E, A and B are done in a new way, using the 5th overtone. We are looking for the 5th overtone of the note C - frequency 5N. It's very high. We go down two octaves (divide the frequency by 4), get into the zone between the 1st and 2nd overtones, remember the multiplier (5/4). We are looking for the fifth overtone of the note F - 20/3N. We go down two octaves, remember the multiplier (5/3). We are looking for the fifth overtone of the note G - 15/2N. We go down two octaves, remember the multiplier (15/8). We get a version of a clean system:

Let us consider some properties of the Pythagorean and pure tunings.

• Compared to the Pythagorean one, the denominators of the multiplier fractions are much smaller. The largest of them is eight. Arrange seven notes in clean order much easier;
• In both scales the fifths are identical: C-G, E-B, F-Do (ratio of higher frequency to lower frequency = 3/2). The fifth of re-la in pure tuning does not coincide with those listed above (frequency ratio = 40/27);
• The fourths C-F, D-Sol, E-A, S-D are also identical in both the Pythagorean and pure systems (frequency ratio = 4/3). The fourth A-D in pure tuning does not coincide with them (frequency ratio = 27/20);
• The thirds do-mi, fa-la, sol-si are identical in both scales, but with different relationships(5/4 in pure tuning, 81/64 in Pythagorean tuning);
• The thirds re-fa, mi-sol, la-do, si-re are identical in the Pythagorean system (ratio 32/27). In pure tuning, only the thirds E-sol, A-do and si-re are identical (ratio 6/5), and the “Pythagorean” third re-fa (32/27) is not identical to them;
• The f-si quart does not coincide with the other quarts in both scales. The frequency ratios of this interval are 729/512 in Pythagorean and 45/32 in pure tuning;
• The si-fa fifth does not coincide with other fifths. The frequency ratio is 1024/729 in Pythagorean and 64/45 in pure tuning;
• The seconds do-d, fa-sol, la-si are identical in both tunings (frequency ratio 9/8);
• The seconds mi-fa and si-do are identical in both tunings (ratio 16/15);
• The seconds re-mi and sol-la are identical to the seconds do-re, fa-sol and la-si in the Pythagorean system, but are not identical in the pure one (ratio 10/9);
• The identity/non-identity of sixths and sevenths in both scales corresponds to the identity/non-identity of thirds and seconds built on the same notes.

Dinner break...
I continue...
21.00

What follows from all this? A lot of things.

1 O Fourths and fifths are almost all identical, and thirds, seconds, sixths and sevenths occur in two varieties. The thirds of re-fa, mi-sol and si-re are narrower than do-mi, fa-la and sol-si (since 32/27< 81/64, 6/5 < 5/4, 32/27 < 5/4). Секунды до-ре, ре-ми, фа-соль, соль-ля, ля-си более широкие, чем ми-фа и си-до (9/8 >16/15, 10/9 > 16/15). Therefore, in order to distinguish wider thirds and seconds from narrower ones, they began to be called big And small. Major thirds: do-mi, fa-la, sol-si. Small thirds: re-fa, mi-sol, la-do, si-re. Major seconds: do-re, re-mi, fa-sol, sol-la, la-si. Small seconds: mi-fa, si-do. You can write out minor and major sixths and sevenths yourself if you wish. Note: great appeal seconds (thirds) is small septima (sexta). And fourths and fifths (with the exception of fourths and fifths on the notes F and B), as well as octave and prima are called clean.

2 O The larger the denominator of the fraction expressing the frequency ratio, the higher dissonance interval. Music theoretical thought only came to the conclusion that “the difference between consonance and dissonance is not qualitative, but quantitative” (A. Schoenberg) only in the 20th century. Up to this point, only intervals were considered consonances, and others - dissonances. In this case, consonances were divided into perfect And imperfect. In music schools and colleges they still teach that the octave, fifth and fourth are perfect consonances, sixths and thirds are imperfect consonances, and all other intervals are dissonances. Why was this once thought? Indeed, the octave has a frequency ratio = 2/1. The denominator is equal to one. The fifth has a frequency ratio = 3/2. Denominator =2. A quart has 4/3, denominator = 3. The major third in pure tuning has 5/4 (denominator 4), and in Pythagorean tuning it has 81/64 (denominator 64). The minor third in pure tuning has 6/5 (denominator 5), and in Pythagorean tuning it has 32/27 (denominator 27). Therefore, when using the Pythagorean scale, the third was considered a dissonance, and later, when a pure scale appeared, it became a consonance. True, the “incorrect” dissonant Pythagorean third re-fa remained in the pure system. Seconds in all formations were considered dissonances. The smallest denominator for seconds is 8 (for major seconds in both formations), the largest is 15 (for small seconds in both formations). The most dissonant intervals of all of the above are the non-identical fourth and fifth. Their frequency ratios (45/32 and 64/45 in pure, 729/512 and 1024/729 in Pythagorean) speak for themselves. Therefore, the non-identical quart was called increased(729/512> 4/3, 45/32 > 4/3), and the non-identical fifth - reduced (1024/729 < 3/2, 64/45 < 3/2).

3 O In pure tuning, intervals are easier to build than in Pythagorean tuning (because the denominators of the frequency multipliers are smaller). But in a pure system there is an “anomalous” Pythagorean third re-fa and “anomalous” Pythagorean seconds re-mi and sol-la. And most importantly, “bad” fifths and fourths appeared in the pure tuning on the notes D and A. Intervals in the pure system are less universal than in the Pythagorean one. Could this cause problems? Maybe it will lead to very serious problems. But such problems can become noticeable only in instrumental music.

4 O A perfect fourth is a special interval. As you remember, we built it, walking, as it were, “in the opposite direction.” In some conditions it was considered dissonance, and in others - consonance. We will postpone this conversation until the time when the conversation turns to harmony or polyphony.

But I hope we’ll talk about this tomorrow...

28.10.2009
16.13

If you have good hearing or good mathematical intuition, you probably already guessed that in polyphony the diminished fifth and augmented fourth will cause a lot of problems. And so it happened. Seven notes were no longer enough. Why? Let's go back a little:

But a similar echo can be heard from other notes: from re, mi, fa, salt, la, si. And among the first five overtones of these notes new sounds will appear:

The fifth overtones of the notes D, E, A and two overtones of the note B do not coincide with the already built notes: the third and fifth. Of course, if you use the Pythagorean scale and consider the third to be dissonance, you can close your eyes to mismatched fifth overtones. Moreover, in the Pythagorean system the third overtone of the note B does not coincide with the fifth overtone of the note D, although it is quite close to it. However, there is no escape from the third overtone of the note B, both in pure and in Pythagorean tuning.

Let's try to calculate the frequency multipliers of these new notes so that they “fall” between the first and second overtones of the note C. The 5th overtone of the note D (9/8 in both scales) is 45/8. We divide the frequency by 4 to get between the 1st and 2nd overtones of C - we get a multiplier of 45/32. Let's remember. The 5th overtone of the note E (81/64 in Pythagorean, 5/4 in pure tuning) is 405/64 and 25/4 in Pythagorean and pure tunings, respectively. Divide by 4 - we get 405/256 and 25/16, respectively. We calculate the multiplier of the 5th overtone of the note A, divide its frequency by 8, we get 25/24 for pure and 135/128 for Pythagorean tunings. We do the same with the 5th overtone of the B note: 75/64 for pure, 1215/1024 for Pythagorean tunings. The 3rd overtone of the B note is 45/8 for pure and 729/128 for Pythagorean tunings. Divide by 4, we get 45/32 and 729/512 for the pure and Pythagorean tunings, respectively.

In the picture, these sounds are indicated by the same notes, but with sharps. Why with the same notes? As mathematicians say, by construction. From the notes C, F and G we build major thirds. From the notes re, mi, la and si - small. New sounds built using 5 overtones re, mi, la and si form with them exactly the same major thirds as do-mi, fa-la and sol-si. And the notes F-sharp (45/32), G-sharp (405/256 and 25/16), C-sharp (135/128 and 25/24) and D-sharp (1215/1024 and 75/64) sound higher than F (4/3), G (3/2), C (1) and D (9/8), respectively. That's why sharp before the note - promotion sign. And intervals in which notes with sharps or flats participate (we’ll talk about flats ahead) are called chromatic.

The small seconds mi-fa and si-do, as shown earlier, are identical in both tunings. Do the minor seconds C sharp D, D sharp E, F sharp G and G sharp A coincide with them? Let's check. The frequency ratio of the seconds mi-fa and si-do in both tunings = 16/15. The “new” small seconds in the Pythagorean system coincide with the old ones. And in a clean tuning, a “bad” small second C sharp appears with a frequency ratio = 27/25.

Now let's calculate the ratio of the frequencies of the increased prims for the Pythagorean and pure tunings:

C-C-sharp: 135/128 and 25/24

D-D-sharp: 135/128 and 25/24

F-F-sharp: 135/128 and 135/128

G-G-sharp: 135/128 and 25/24

It should be noted that the Pythagorean scale with sharp notes, which we just calculated using the 5th overtone, is no longer Pythagorean. Simply because the Pythagorean system excludes the use of the 5th overtone.

And now we have come to a contradiction. Let's say we adjust the notes with sharps to the Pythagorean tuning and get a “hybrid” tuning with the same intervals. But then we cannot cleanly build the major thirds do-mi, fa-la and sol-si (and they will not be identical to the major thirds with sharps). And if we build thirds purely without sharps, then we will have non-identical seconds and thirds.

What's worse: “bad” major thirds or non-identical intervals? The question is rhetorical. One may be more acceptable than the other depending on the specific musical context. In unaccompanied choral music, one can easily change from a pure tuning to, say, a “hybrid” tuning and vice versa. But if we need an organ to accompany the choir, then it is better to tune it once and for all (believe me, tuning an organ is not the easiest task).

NB! By the way, identical intervals are very desirable so that different keys can be used. But we’ll put off talking about tonality for now.

And let's pay attention to this:

1. We now have eleven sounds, designated simply by notes (7) and notes with sharps (4). Between these notes, 10 perfect fifths are formed with a frequency ratio of 3/2. These fifths can be built from any of the 11 sounds, either up or down, with two exceptions. From the note F fifth you can only build upward. From the note D-sharp - only down;
2. Our “pitch scale” between the first and second overtones is graduated almost evenly: each major second is divided into an increased prima and a minor second. Except for the big second la-si. There, in fact, the missing fifths are located.

Let's build a fifth upward from D sharp. This will be an A-sharp sound. Its frequency multiplier = 225/128 for pure tuning, 3645/2048 for “hybrid tuning” (A-sharp can be built in pure tuning and using the 5th overtone of the note F-sharp, multiplier = 225/128).

Now let's build a fourth up from fa. This will be a B-flat sound (with a frequency multiplier of 16/9). It is lower than B (16/9< 15/8, 16/9 < 243/128). Однако он составляет с нотой фа кварту, только не уменьшенную, а чистую. Такую же, как кварты до-фа, ре-соль, ми-ля, соль-до, ля-ре, си-ми. Поэтому flat before the note - demotion sign.

Both A sharp and B flat are very close to each other in pitch. An unaccompanied choir will, of course, sing any of these sounds, depending on the situation. How to tune an organ? Some kind of compromise is needed here. Upon reflection, it seems that B-flat is still preferable. Firstly, it is lower than one A sharp and higher than another (225/128< 16/9 < 3645/2048), а во-вторых у си-бемольного множителя самый маленький знаменатель (=9), т.е. выстроить его, вроде бы легче.

And we get a very exotic interval: diminished sixth D-sharp - B-flat. Its frequency ratio is 1024/675 and 16384/10935 in pure and hybrid tunings. The worst thing is that it is impossible to get rid of such an unpleasant sixth. If instead of B-flat you build A-sharp, then another reduced sixth will appear: A-sharp - F, which is no better. If instead of D-sharp you build E-flat (a fifth down from B-flat), with a frequency multiplier of 32/27, a diminished sixth G-sharp - E-flat will appear.

In general, it turns out that the “clean” system is, in fact, not so pure. Some intervals in it, of course, are lined up perfectly, but others sound simply disgusting. If you have the opportunity to play the organ in pure tuning, do not deny yourself the pleasure, try playing on it the Prelude and Fugue in E-flat minor/D-sharp minor from the First Volume of the Well-Tempered Clavier by J.S. Bach. If the organ is tuned in the key of C major, then the theme of this Bach fugue will begin with the mentioned reduced sixth D-sharp - B-flat ;-))))

Is there any positive that can be taken from all this? Can. If we're talking about about choral music, it is advisable to divide all major thirds into two parts and, depending on the context, use either sharps or flats. But how do you tune an organ?..

The problem looks more clearly in the following pictures:

If we move in the usual direction, by fifths and thirds by fifths (top picture), then the B sharp note will be very close to C, but not identical to it. If we move in the opposite direction, then the note D-double-flat will again be close to C, but not identical to it. And the interval between the notes D-double-flat and B-sharp will be expressed by the frequency ratio 128 2 / 125 2. This is a huge interval, almost equal to a small second (16/15)!

Maybe we should abandon the tuning of the third and return to the Pythagorean tuning exclusively in fifths? Unfortunately, this won't solve the problem either:

The notes B-sharp and D-double-flat have become closer to the note C, but are still not identical to it.

It seems that adjusting 12 sounds so that all fifths and thirds sound clean is basically impossible. Moreover, even a B-flat tuned to the 3rd overtone will “conflict” with the 7th overtone:

B-flat, built in fifths, has a frequency multiplier = 16/9. And B-flat, tuned to the 7th overtone, has a multiplier = 7/4. Still, perfect cleanliness cannot be achieved. But the series does not end with the seventh overtone.

That's why the idea arose equal temperament. It is as follows. The distance between the 1st and 2nd overtones is divided into 12 equal parts. In this case, C-sharp = D-flat, D-sharp = E-flat, F-sharp = G-flat, G-sharp = A-flat, A-sharp = B-flat. Any intervals with the same name will be identical. In addition, a diminished fifth will become identical to an augmented fourth, an augmented prima to a minor second, etc. In equal temperament we can write the following: chromatic scales:

The multipliers are labeled in the picture above. To get the frequency of a C sharp or D flat note, you need to multiply the frequency of the C note by x (which we will now find). To get the frequency of the note D, the original frequency must be multiplied by x twice. To get D-sharp (E-flat) - three times. And so on. To get the 2nd overtone, the fundamental frequency must be multiplied by x 12 times. We write the equation:

x 12 =2

And, solving it, we find x:

x=2 1/12

That's all.

All that remains is to talk about the problems of choral structure. But it’s better to talk about this separately.

For many beginning musicians, the concept of “music theory” often evokes something like fear. They believe that this is something very difficult, requiring a long course of study. However, there is no need to be afraid. Although the training course is designed for quite long time(at least a music school course), however, you can study this subject in as soon as possible even on your own.

Rhythm, meter and tempo

Before getting down to the basics, it’s worth taking a closer look at some of the components that music theory includes. Of course, now we will not give the full scope of the entire course, especially since it is designed not only for music schools, but also to continue studying in music schools and conservatories. Let us dwell more on what is popularly called “music theory for dummies.”

So, the first and main thing, without which no one can do musical education, nor the development of the performing abilities of a beginning musician. Of course, this is a sense of rhythm, the ability to count it and compare it with different musical sizes.

In this section, music theory involves the study of the most well-known rhythmic and meter schemes, which are the most used in music today, for example, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8, etc.

For reference, as a rule, schemes of strong and weak shares“one-and, two-and, three-and, four-and” (for 4/4 time signature), where “the first beats are strong, and those marked with the letter “and” are weak.

Besides everything else, Special attention should be given to studying the tempos. After all, the same rhythmic sequence can be played moderately, quickly or slowly.

Musical certificate

After mastering this generally simple material, you can begin to study musical notation.

Musical literacy in this perspective includes knowledge about the names and durations of notes, writing notes on a staff, measures and the total number of notes of different durations in one measure depending on the given size, pauses, non-standard durations (notes with dots), etc.

Solfeggio

One of the most important basic subjects, which requires special diligence in studying, is the solfeggio course. Music theory is fundamentally based on knowledge of this subject.

Here, special attention should be paid to the study of tonalities, standard and non-standard intervals, principles of constructing scales, determining their major and minor degrees, rules for constructing chords and their inversions, as well as accidental signs (sharps, flats and becars).

If we talk about intervals, chords and scales, knowledge of the principles of their creation will further help in the study of harmony, a subject that will allow even the simplest melody to be put into a complex musical form and give color to the entire work.

Harmony

Music theory includes the study of the harmonic component partly in the standard solfeggio course. This is the concept of major and minor, knowledge of some types of scales (harmonic, melodic), but in general the section is more focused on the study of modes.

For example, great attention is given to non-standard frets, which are often used in classical works or in folk music different nations world (Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, etc.).

In addition, in this area you can gain a wide range of knowledge about how, even in the standard scale, to use some additional steps or techniques (meaning chords, triads, interval transitions), which allow you to add color to a solid piece of music.

Musical forms

Finally, one of the main sections that music theory includes is the study of musical forms.

What it is? It is nothing more than a type of musical work in its structural form. Nowadays, the concept of musical forms is, unfortunately, increasingly ignored. However, it is worth noting that every self-respecting musician should know what, say, an etude, rondo, fugue, sonata, symphony or opera is.

For example, many modern musicians use the writing of rock operas and musicals in their work. The most a shining example You can name the creations of Andrew Lloyd Webber “Jesus Christ Superstar”, “Cats”, “The Phantom of the Opera” and many others.

Naturally, this is far from full list. But knowledge of the principles of the structure of different musical works can help you create your own musical compositions. Surely everyone knows that a song has an introduction, a verse, a chorus, some kind of bridge and a coda (ending). Seems simple? Yes. But it was precisely this knowledge that came to modern music world from classical music and its various forms.