TLDR;
This video provides a concise overview of essential music theory concepts, including note organization, scales, intervals, chords, and the circle of fifths. It explains the basics of how music is structured, named, and related, offering a foundation for understanding the logic behind musical composition.
- Explains the organization of music, including scales, intervals, and chords.
- Introduces the concept of octaves and how they are divided into semitones and whole tones.
- Describes major and minor scales, key signatures, and their relationships.
- Explains intervals and how they form the basis for chords.
- Introduces the circle of fifths as a tool for understanding key relationships.
Introduction [0:00]
The video introduces a challenge to explain the essential elements of music theory in under 30 minutes. It divides music theory into two parts: how music is written and how it's organized, with a focus on the latter. The video aims to provide insight into the organization and logic behind music, making it more accessible.
Basics principles and piano layout [0:26]
Sound is caused by vibration, with faster vibrations creating higher notes and slower vibrations creating lower notes. Doubling the frequency of a note results in an octave. The piano keyboard has repeating patterns of two and three black notes. An octave is the distance between one note and the note with double its frequency, containing eight white notes. This octave is divided into 12 equal steps, with the distance between each note called a half-step (or semitone in the UK). Two half-steps make a whole step (or tone in the UK).
Note names [2:14]
Notes are named using letters from A to G. After G, the sequence starts again with A. The black notes are named using sharps and flats. A sharp raises a note by a half step, while a flat lowers it by a half step. For example, the note a half step above G is G sharp, and the note a half step below A is A flat. Some notes can have two names (e.g., G sharp and A flat) depending on whether you are moving up or down.
Major & Minor scale [4:25]
A scale is a pattern of intervals. A major scale follows the pattern: whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step (or tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone in UK English). Starting this pattern on any note will create a major scale. The key signature of a scale defines the sharps or flats needed to play that scale. A minor scale has a different pattern of intervals, giving it a characteristic sound. The natural minor scale follows the pattern: whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step (or tone, semitone, tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone in UK English). A minor and C major share the same key signature, making A minor the relative minor of C major.
Intervals [8:37]
Intervals are the distance between two notes. In a major scale, the interval from the root to the third note is a major third. In a minor scale, this interval is a minor third. A major third consists of four half steps, while a minor third consists of three half steps. The fourth and fifth intervals are the same in both major and minor scales and are called perfect fourth and perfect fifth.
Chords [10:23]
Chords involve playing multiple notes simultaneously, typically three or more. A triad is a three-note chord formed by playing the root, third, and fifth notes of a scale (skipping one note in between). A C major chord consists of C, E, and G. The distance between the root and the middle note determines whether the chord is major or minor. In a major scale, a triad can be formed on each degree of the scale, resulting in a sequence of major and minor chords.
The circle of fifths [12:25]
The circle of fifths illustrates the relationships between keys. Starting with C major (no sharps or flats), moving clockwise adds a sharp to the key signature each time, going through G, D, A, and E. Moving counter-clockwise adds a flat, going through F and B flat. Keys closer to each other on the circle are more closely related. The inner circle shows the relative minors, which share the same key signature as their corresponding major keys. For example, C major has no sharps or flats, and neither does A minor.