Music Theory Explained

This site contains links to youtube-videos about music theory released by AlgorithmsAndDatastructures.com.

The first four videos are from www.listening-singing-teacher.com

The first video introduces you to the basic elements of music theory:

  • pitch
  • beat
  • rhythm
  • instrument
  • music notation
  • Video: Introduction - Elements of music

    The next video introduces you to the tempo. You can either define the tempo by beats per minute or tempo markings. The tempo markings are Italian terms which describe not only the approximate tempo, but often also the mood in which a piece of music should be played. The most common tempo markings are: Largo, Adagio, Andante, Moderato, Allegro, Vivace and Presto.

    Video: Tempo Markings

    The next video explains the meaning of note symbols and their rhythmic value (note length). Rhythmic elements are introduced to help imagine a rhythmic pattern, The standard rhythm counting system is presented.

    Video: Note Length

    Not directly related to theory, the next video shows the importance of singing or humming for all musicians and how ear training can help to sharpen the mind for listening.

    Video: Building tonal memory

     

    The next videos are from www.listening-music-teacher.com

    In the next video, we will show you the relationship between our music system and nature. A string will swing in its natural frequency when plucked. However additional vibrations occur at 1/2 of the length, and at 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, 1/6 and so on. This additional vibrations are called overtones, or harmonics. The higher the number in the denominator, the more complex the form will be. And thus the less the intensity of the swinging will be. This relationship builds the foundation of the development of music: From stone age until today. Probably, the first demonstration of this theory was done by Pythagoras around 550 BC. However, since this relationship lies in the laws of physics, it must have been used by nature even before man came into existence. The video explains why a major scale has whole and half-steps. The video guides you from just intonation scale to the equal tempered scale. It also shows you important elements of ear training: How to hear differences: the Precision Listening Method.

    This video is uploaded as 3 separate parts:

    Video 1: Scales and natural ratios

    Video 2: Equal tempered scale

    Video 3: Perfect intervals and Major chords

     

    After knowing the basic context of scales and intervals, the next video introduces you to tertian chords.

    Triads consist of three notes and have two intervals. Common chords use thirds as intervals. The quality (minor, Major, diminished or augmented) of the triad is determined by the stacking order of the thirds. All qualities come in three positions: Root position, first inversion or second inversion.

    Video: Tertian Triads

    Adding another third to a triad, leads to a seventh chord. Seventh chords consist of four notes and have three intervals. They allow for three inversion before they come back to the root position. A somehow special case is the harmonic seventh chord.

    Video: Seventh Chords

    The following video demonstrates the use of the chord explorer for single notes and intervals. For single notes the scale degree as a number and as a function is shown. Also the absolute and the relative solfege syllables are displayed. For intervals the quality and the number is explained. The diatonic interval names and the chromatic interval names are introduced.

    Video: Chord Explorer - Single Notes and Intervals

     

    Videos from www.listening-ear-trainer.com

    The first video in this section introduces you to absolute pitch. What is absolute pitch? Does everybody has absolute pitch?

    Video: Absolute Pitch - Introduction

    The next video introduces you to the Singing Funnel Method and to the Octave Anchor Pitches Method.

    Video: Absolute Pitch - Instructions

    The next video introduces you to Relative Pitch and intervals.

    Video: Relative Pitch - Introduction

    The next video introduces you to the Interval Overtone Method.

    Video: Relative Pitch - Instructions

    The video "Absolute and Relative Pitch Inside our Methods" explains our reasons for our approach to acquiring absolute and relative pitch..

    Video: Absolute and Relative Pitch - Inside our Methods

     

    Videos from www.tunecrack.com

    This section introduces you to the absolute pitch point. Where does absolute pitch and relative pitch meet? The Pitch Keeper Method lets you train time stretching and thus points out where you start loosing a pitch. It is loosing interest in the sound. Through concentration you can keep the pitch for a longer time period. However concentrating is a big effort. Therefore you have to look for ways to store the pitch in your mind for later retrieval. One way is to use muscle memory. The only way we can express pitch is through singing or humming. Therefore storing the cords muscle positions and associating them to a memorable event (or term e. g. note name) is the key to: How we transfer short-term memory (=muscle memory) to long-term memory.

    Video: Where Absolute and Relative Pitch meet

    Videos from www.samepitchplease.com

    Same Pitch Please introduces a scientific approach to acquiring Perfect Pitch.

    Video: Pitch Ability Method - A Scientific Approach to Absolute Pitch

    Videos from www.pitch-ability-test.com

    The Pitch Ability Test demystifies the term Perfect Pitch.

    Video: Pitch Ability Test - The transition from aural to mental pitch control

    Videos from www.pitch-blitz.com

    The PitchBlitz introduces a method to measure your relative pitch ablities.

    Video: Measuring Relative Pitch Hearing Ability

     


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    Listening Singing Teacher, Listening Music Teacher, Listening Ear Trainer, TuneCrack, The Red Pitch Dot, The Colored Pitch Line, The Counting Hints Line, The Half-Step Brackets, The Precision Listening Method, The Singing Funnel Method, The Octave Anchor Pitches Method,The Interval Overtone Method, The Pitch Keeper Method, Absolute Pitch Point, Same Pitch Please, Pitch Ability Method and Pitch Ability Test are trademarks of AlgorithmsAndDataStructures, F. Rudin. Macintosh and OS X are trademarks of Apple Computer Inc., IBM PC is trademark of International Business Machines Inc., Windows XP/Vista/7 is trademark of Microsoft Inc. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners