Ask HN: How Can I Learn Music Theory?

Post by tomduncalf » Wed, Dec 18, 2019, 3:04 PM UTC

gavinheavyside wrote: post #94

tomduncalf wrote: post #32

The Waay iOS app provides a nice intro: https://www.tenkettles.com/ There are a couple of books aimed towards electronic music producers I thought were quite good, this one is fairly short but to the point with some good examples of real world uses of the topics it covers: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Music-Theory-Electronic-Producers-p... , this one is more comprehensive: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Theory-Computer-Musicia…

The Ravenspiral guide? https://www.scribd.com/doc/5220863/Ravenspiral-Guide-to-Musi...

Post by zozbot234 » Wed, Dec 18, 2019, 3:07 PM UTC

abannin wrote: post #123

zozbot234 wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Here's how I approach it: forget about all the historic naming like "perfect fifths" and just think in terms of the modern 12-note equal temperament. You actually want to learn these names, because they characterize the diatonic scale. Basically, pick seven contiguous notes on the circle of fifths, you get the pitch-class set of a diatonic scale. Then put the notes in the set in pitch order, and pick a tonal center…

> taking one example, F# "wants" to step up to G, whereas Gb "wants" to step down to F. Uhhh....no? A flat or sharp can be the tonic, which does not lead to any other note. A note is named flat or sharp to maintain proper interval distance without repeating letters within the scale. A flat is typically not a leading tone because of interval distance, but can still want to resolve up or down. Any note can be consonant…

Post by sigstoat » Wed, Dec 18, 2019, 3:17 PM UTC

DavidPiper wrote: post #22

https://www.musictheory.net is an excellent resource for getting started, and for maintaining practice. There's also the Music Student 101 podcast, which many people recommend highly (I've only listened to a few episodes). The musictheory subreddit is also one of the best subs I've found, for all levels.

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Dec 18, 2019, 3:18 PM UTC

zozbot234 wrote: post #133

abannin wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> taking one example, F# "wants" to step up to G, whereas Gb "wants" to step down to F. Uhhh....no? A flat or sharp can be the tonic, which does not lead to any other note. A note is named flat or sharp to maintain proper interval distance without repeating letters within the scale. A flat is typically not a leading tone because of interval distance, but can still want to resolve up or down. Any note can be consonant…

> A flat or sharp can be the tonic, which does not lead to any other note. You're right, and this is most often seen with flats; when Bb is the tonic, it doesn't "want" to resolve to A. --Of course, a modulation to F - the next-sharpest key in the cycle of fifths - is enough to change that. A "stable" sharp note is seen starting from the key of D, where F# is a stable third. But in the context of enharmonic notes, wh…

Post by deltron3030 » Wed, Dec 18, 2019, 3:31 PM UTC