Q. I play piano by ear, and I'd just like to know a bit about common music phrases. Just to help my understanding on ( Chords, Notes, Pitch, Melody, Harmonies, Key)
A. Virginia Tech has an excellent online music dictionary, which can be found here:
http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/
I recommend you get a teacher though. Music is so much more enjoyable when you understand what you're playing. All that knowledge can also help your creativity too. Instead of just screwing around until you find a sound you like, you have all the music theory stuff to guide you and help you figure it out quicker.
What are piano tabs/chords (e.g. E7, Am)?
Q. I wanted to learn how to play some pop songs but they only have it listed as piano tabs. I only know how to play some piano tabs but not all. Can anyone show me a list of complete piano tabs? E.g. C major - you play the notes C,E,G
A. since theres so many chord possibilities, i would recommend getting a piano chord dictionary. you can find them at most any music store that deals with piano at all, or online of course. they are relatively cheap, and wil show you the fingereing for most any piano chord you can come up with
I finally think I found a good definition of 'Diatonic', do you like it?
Q. "In its most strict definition, therefore, a diatonic scale is one that may be derived from the pitches represented in successive white keys of the piano (or a transposition thereof): the modern equivalent of the gamut.[20] This would include the major scale, the natural minor scale (same as the descending form of the melodic minor), and the old ecclesiastical church modes." (Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatonic)
What this seems to say is that ALL 7 MODES are Diatonic - not just Major and Minor. Some people want to say only Major and Minor are diatonic and the other 5 modes are not diatonic. What do you think about this? I realize 'diatonic' has many uses and is understood differently by different people.
A. I don't think that's adequate, and here is a case where wikipedia doesn't help, the explanation is extremely confusing and convoluted if you don't already have a firm grasp of music theory, and how the definition can be different depending on context and if you're referring to Ancient Greek music or western music.
Diatonic refers to music that stays within an established tonality. That tonality could be major, minor, or any mode, or any invented scale or key.
From the Oxford Dictionary of Music:
"Diatonic passages, intervals, chords and harmonies are those made up of the notes of the key prevailing at the moment. The modes must also be considered diatonic"
From the online music dictionary:
"The notes that occur within a scale without being altered"
The Harvard music dictionary is analagous though with one important difference, saying that diatonic music is that which "is of the prevailing tonality"
There are a few dictionaries that specifically refer to diatonic as only being in reference to the 7 tone major scale or any mode of it. When you take the time to look up the last time those particular definitions were updated, you see that the most recent was in the 1940s. That's long before music theorists started to use the term in reference to atonal work or music operating with scales of other numbers of tones. I've seen academic papers use diatonic in reference to pentatonic, hexatonic, and octatonic music, for the specific meaning of passages that are restricted to the established scale, tonality or musical structure.
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
Title : Can someone help me understand music?
Description : Q. I play piano by ear, and I'd just like to know a bit about common music phrases. Just to help my understanding on ( Chords, Notes, P...