Q. I'm taking a music theory class and I'm having a heard time understanding whats being taught. I play the piano mainly by ear. Use to take lessons, but I dont read music as well as I use to ever since my teacher left me. Is there any advice someone can give me learn music theory? I'm just not getting it.
A. Hey Josh R, click on mt avatar, add me as one of your contacts and then read all the answers I gave to others. I mainly answer questions on here about theory so there is a LOT there that will help you. Here are the books you NEED to buy from a music shop:
MASTER YOUR THEORY by DULCIE HOLLAND books 1 2 and 3 (Dont bother with 4 5 etc, they go into writing for string sections etc) These books are workbooks. They explain everything first, then give you exercises and then some questions to answer. The important thing to remember with theory (Or MUSIC in general) is WE DONT GET THINGS WRONG!
Let me explain, at school, if you do a maths test and you get 8/10 they will mark you as 8/10 and leave it at that. As MUSICIANS we go BACK and STUDY those TWO things you got wrong and do it AGAIN and AGAIN until you get it right, until you know it and until you UNDERSTAND it. NEVER ever leave anything as UNKNOWN.
So musicians dont get things wrong doesnt mean you dont make mistakes, it just means you dont go any further until you get it right.
So with the workbooks, work in PENCIL. IF you get something wrong, RUB IT OUT and do it again until you DO get it right. I always find it best to photocopy the pages, then do the answers, that way you can use the same book over and over again. (The answers that you need will be on the first page instructions for each LESSON)
The book is set out in LESSONS. NEVER start LESSON TWO until everysingle answer in lesson one is CORRECT. You will NEED the information from lesson one to understand how to do lesson two.
You get it? If you were building a house of cards and one of the bottom cards wasnt lined up, the next level of cards WILL fall.
With music, if you CANT build a C scale, you cant work out the chord, or change it to a minor.
YOU should do this with your school work as well, just because the teachers are too lazy to finish their work doesnt mean you have to settle for 8/10!
Also, if you add me as a contact, I get an email of every music question you ask, so if you need to know ANYTHING, if youve added me as a contact, I'll be able to answer it. Otherwise I wont know the question is up here. (Also, I cant answer questions you leave on your questions AFTer you've best answered them. Add me as a contact)
This is for you. Theres not a lot of information here, its very basic but its all accurate
http://musictheoryblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/duration-of-notes-and-rests-dotted.html
http://www.pianoinstructors.com/musicterms/term1.html (NO LESSONS here dude, just the dictionary to help you okay?)
All the best
What should I start practicing as a new guitarist?
Q. I just bought an acoustic guitar yesterday. I personally have no experience playing guitar, but I do have experience playing and reading music (piano, clarinet). Most of my friends who are guitarists self-taught themselves and I want to do the same (easier on the wallet). What or how should I start practicing? I have a tuner and so far, I am just putting my left hand on the frets and learning where the notes are.
A. Practice some scales. Trust me they'll help you out later on. As for chords get a good chord dictionary. Try some easy songs and work your way up. Trying something too difficult might make you feel like your getting nowhere. Good Luck.
How to read guitar chord names?
Q. I'm a pianist trying to read notations for guitar chords. Chords like Asus2, Asus2/F#, Dsus2, Bmadd11, are totally puzzling to me. What do "sus", "add" mean? Is there any website I can go to, to find out these things?
A. The abbreviation, sus, means sustain; that is, place emphasis on that particular note needing to be sustained. In example, Csus4 simply directs the player to press down the F note directly above Middle C (on the guitar) because F is the fourth note on the diatonic scale of C. (It's the F note found in the first space of the treble clef.) (Another note: Middle C on the guitar is one full octave below that of the piano's Middle C, hence my statement of the F note being in the first space of the treble clef.)
The Asus2/F# chord tells us to play a B note (the sustained 2nd note) with an A chord, but also include its natural sixth note (F#) as the bass.
The chord, Bm add 11 simply means to add the 11th note of the Bm scale, which is the note of E to your chord formation.
Here is a striking chord that could be played just before playing a D major: Dsus2#5. Simply play a D, a Bb, another D, and an E.
Note: Look for those small, quick incidental notes on the grand staff; they should be those sustained notes or added notes to the chord mentioned.
Note: I stand corrected by Left-T. Such a note described as "sus" means 'suspension' as my music dictionary describes. It is a term used in harmony to describe a note in a chord that is held while another note that forms a discord with it is sounded. I had termed such a note as sustained because it always rings out in discord with the formed chord.
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Title : Best answer 10 points! Whats the best way to understand music theory and easy way?
Description : Q. I'm taking a music theory class and I'm having a heard time understanding whats being taught. I play the piano mainly by ear. Us...