Q. There as letters like Am, G, A7 etc. on top of staff in each measure. I know these are called chords but have no Idea how to play them There are also notes on staff which to play notes or chord. Please help I am just a beginner.
A. You're correct, they are chords. When you see them on the top of the staff, that usually a situation where the staff contains the melody and the chords are for the accompanying instrument (guitar, mandolin, banjo, etc). Since a chord is a mix of two or more notes, they're not intended for single-note instruments (trumpet, clarinet, etc).
If you're using a piano, you can finger the chords as long as you know the "recipe" -- the individual notes that make up the chord. Once you know the rules, you can figure out the recipe on your own -- for instance, a "Major" chord consists of three notes ... the "root" (a "C" Major chord has "C" as the root), a second note four half-steps above the root (for a "C" Major chord, the second note would be an "E"), and a third note seven half-steps above the root (for a "C" Major chord, the third note would be a "G"). How you arrange the notes (C-E-G ... or G-C-E, for instance) is the "voicing" of the chord. Sometimes altering voicing yields a different "feeling" for the chord.
There are loads of information sources on chords and chord theory. The site in the "source" below is a nice page of sample piano chords. The second site can help you find sites on chord theory.
How are scales actually used when playing music?
Q. VERY beginner question here. I'm trying to learn some music theory online. I already know how to find scales, I'm just very confused as to exactly what they do and how they are applied when playing music or piano.
Is a scale just a sequence of notes that are played one by one in their particular order in the scale?
Are they just a selection of notes that can be played in any arrangement? Can you play two notes of a scale at the same time?
If someone can clarify with a detailed response I'd greatly appreciate it. Thank you!
A. Scales are the fundamental part of modern western music. Chords are based on scales. There are a great many chords and scales, but the basic premise is the same. Using the scale of C major as an example - CDEFGAB and C. By convention, the notes of a scale are numbered - 1234567 and 8. Number one is often called the "root", and the others are usually ordinal numbers - "fifth", "seventh". The C major chord is C,E,G, which is the root, the third and the fifth. In fact, all major chords are the root, the third and the fifth. The other chords - minor, harmonic minor - go by the same rule. A major chord is 1,3,5 no matter what key it is in - D major is 1,3,5 as is A major. That is based on what is called an "interval" - from C to D is a whole step. From C to C sharp is a half step. Look up intervals, it will help and it's too complicated for here.
So. It has been found that playing the C major scale in a song that is in the key of C produces pleasing, harmonic music. There are also other scales that can be used in C major, but playing a scale of B flat over a C chord is discordant to most people's ears. It's important to know which scales go well with which chords. Learning these things makes it automatic - instead of playing around to get a feel for what sounds good, you can just say, "Hey, I'm in the key of C, I think I'll use the harmonic minor scale for this" and it will sound good. Then there is the other side of intervals - actually playing them. Instead of playing 1,2,3,4,5,6,5,4,3,2,1 play 1,8,2,3,4, 6,6,6 You can play any of the notes in the scale any time, in any order, because it's all harmonic. In the same way, you can play any chord structure with 2, 3, 4 or even five notes. C major is 1,3,5 but you can also play 1,3,5,7, though that's not called C major any more. But it will sound good. Just about anything you do within this basic framework will sound harmonic and pleasing. That doesn't mean it will be good music necessarily, but it won't be discordant. I've tried to off some depth, but it goes way beyond what I can write, and I know a fair amount of theory but not so, so much.
What's the most fun way to learn music theory?
Q. I've been playing piano for years, but always hated music theory, since I like to envision soothing imaginings while I play and not be distracted by repetitive little notes and latin words. I want very much to master music theory for many reasons, but without the sense of restriction and drudgery. Has anybody felt similarly and overcome it, now loving and liberated by music theory? Any books, software, techniques you can recommend for this?
A. There are no "fun" ways to learn music theory. But it is not "drudgery" and torture either! The concepts of music theory and harmony are what make music "work". As a longtime musician you already understand a lot of the concepts because you have used them in your playing. You have "heard" these ideas before but you just cannot explain or identify them.
One of the best ways to gain an understanding of theory is to take some classes on the subject from your local community college and/or a private instructor. Although there are plenty of books and material available to help you with it, it is easier to understand when someone else is guiding you through it.
The basic precepts of harmony and theory are based around very familiar ideas such as the major scale and chord construction. These are things that you are innately familiar with. There are rules that apply to chord construction such as concepts of tertiary harmony (harmony based in thirds) as well as chord motion and resolution.
These concepts can be very rewarding and are well worth your time and effort to understand. Think of it this way. Music is a language. We learn language by imitating others as a child. But it is not until we learn to read and to spell that we truly understand what language is. As we learn more about grammar and the concepts that govern how language is used, we become more adept at using language and better able to communicate our ideas and thoughts to others.
Music is the same way. By learning the basics of reading music, you have taken the first step to a fuller comprehension the "grammar" of music. By learning the concepts of harmony and theory, you will gain a greater understanding of why things work the way they do and how music is made. This will help you greatly in your enjoyment of music as an art form and as a "language".
Powered by Yahoo! Answers