1. The Destination
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• understand the why of music theory

2. instrument independent

3. apply theory in practical workshops 4. phased, comfortable approach 5. play not work 6. structured creativity 7. OK, lets go.... crabby comments to assist, confuse or distract....
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8. The Process
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building block approach

9. learning bites 10. discuss 11. apply (test where appropriate) 12. review 13. reinforceGet comfortable with a concept, then move on.
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14. Music Elements
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sounds

15. pitch 16. rhythm 17. melody 18. harmony 19. creativity 20. spiritMusic theory is just like leaning another language.
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21. Instrument Groups
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strings

22. woodwinds 23. brass 24. percussion 25. electronic 26. voiceWhere does the piano accordion fit in?
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27. Instrument Types
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one note (pitch) only

28. one note at a time 29. multiple notes (one note = one location) 30. multiple notes (one note = multiple locations) 31. single tuning (multiple note locations) 32. multiple tuning (multiple note locations) 33. exotic instruments quarter tones (steel & fretless guitars)Where does the pedal steel guitar fit in?
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34. Music History for Drongos
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early music linked with magic & shamanism

35. music had magicalpowers itcould change your emotions 36. music existed for a long time before it was written down 37. music was taught by rote 38. Hindus, Greeks, Persians & Chinese had traditions of written music before the birth of Christ 39. western music - 500 AD - Boethius wrote a Latin paper on using a different Latin character to represent each noteEarliest rave party Jericho 2200 BC!!!
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40. Music History for Drongos 2
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middle ages Catholic monks improved Boethius work

41. 700 AD use of neumes above Latin lettersto indicate note length, pitch & movement 42. neumes now written above or below a line, above the line was a higher pitch than below the line 43. 1000 AD Guido di Arezzo created a 4 line staff to denote pitch, supported writing of more than one note at once (polyphony) 44. 4 line staff extended to 5 lines current system evolvesAll musical terms are Italian, e.g. Pizza!
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45. Notes
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represents the pitch &relative duration of a musical sound

46. pitch (wave frequency) how high or low the note is 47. duration period of time the note is played or held 48. identified by modern English alphabetical letters A, B, C, D, E, F & G as well as sharps (#) & flats (b) black notes on keyboard 49. displayed on musical staffs or staves....Joke time E, G & B go into a bar....
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50. Notes Science Time 1
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each note has a fundamental frequency

51. this frequency (wavelength) is measured in Hz (hertz) 52. 1 Hz = 1 cycle wave per second 53. humans typically can hear notes between the ranges of12 Hz to 20,000 Hz, dogs - 40 Hz to 60,000 Hz,& bats- 20 Hz to 120,000 Hz 54. standards required for instrument makers, sound engineers etc a tuning system Dont waste time playing bass solos to dogs!!!
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55. Tuning Standards
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modern western music uses 11 distinct identifiers, A, B, C, D, E, F, & G plus 4 others (introduced later as sharps and/or flats)

56. selected a standard note ConcertA(the A above middle C) 57. set at 435 Hz by the French in 1859 58. in England this varied from439 HZ to 452 Hz 59. a frequency of 440 Hz was adopted in 1939 & ratified in 1955 60. now double the 440Hz to get another A (an octave higher 880 Hz) 61. now divide the Hz difference in pitch by 12 to get 12 notes of each octaveJust like Australianrailway gauges....
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62. Equal Tempered Tuning
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used generally in western music

63. wavelengthswere assigned to the 12 notes as below.... 64. A =440 Hz,A# = 480 Hz,B = 520 Hz, 65. C= 560 Hz,C# =600 Hz,D = 640 Hz, 66. D# = 680 Hz, E =720 Hz,F =760 Hz, 67. G= 800 Hz, G# = 840 Hz,A = 880 Hz. 68. a mathematical compromise acceptable to the human earA= 440 Hz is top E string, fret 5 on the guitar..
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69. Staff?
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looks like a fence notes are displayed under it, on it or below it

70. higher up the fence, the higher the note (pitch) 71. 5 lines high (this means 4 spaces!) 72. divided into groups of notes by vertical lines (bar lines or fence posts) 73. area between each fence post is known as a bar 74. read from left to right (unlike Chinese) just like words on a pageJust one bar at a time....
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75. Definitions
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RHYTHM pattern of regular or irregular pulses

76. BEAT series of repeating, consistent pulsations, each pulsation is equal in spacing & called a beat, e.g. a clock 77. TEMPO rate or speed of the beatSo many drummers, so little time
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78. How Long In Each Bar?
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the note type (its visible appearance) tells us how long (many beats)to play (or hold) it

79. but first we need to be told how many beats in each bar? 80. at the start of a piece of music this is indicated by the TIME SIGNATURE one number over another, like a fraction 81. at this stage we will just use 2 Time Signatures.. 82. time 3 beats to each bar (waltz time) 83. 4/4 time 4 beats to a bar (also called common time)All musicians should be comfortable in bars.....
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84. Note Duration
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Semibreve (an egg) = 4 beats

85. Minim (egg on a stick)= 2 beats 86. Crotchet (black egg on a stick) = 1 beat 87. Quaver ( black egg on a stick & 1 flag) = 1/2 beatQuavers have flags on the sticks & can be joined
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88. Relative Note Duration
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Semibreve = whole note

89. Minim = half note 90. Crotchet = quarter note 91. Quaver = eighth noteDuration measured as portion of a whole note..
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92. Note Stems (Sticks)
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Semibreve = doesnt have one

93. Minim = always has a stem 94. Crotchet = always has a stem 95. Quaver = always have a stem with a single flag , can be joined if more than one exists side by sideQuavers are sociable & enjoy holding hands
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96. Note Stems Up or Down?
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if note is above middle line of fence (Staff) stem goes down

97. if note is below middle line of fence (Staff) stem goes up 98. if note is on the middle (third) line of the fence (Staff) make up your own mind, but be consistent! The normal approach is downWhat rules apply to joined quavers
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99. Note Duration Exercise 1
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listen to the sample piece
listen again & tap /sing/ moan etc to the timing of each note
we will use these 4 note types for the next few exercises so that you are really comfortable with relative timing ofour 4 notes types - semibreves, minims, crotchets & those friendly quavers
Great exercise dont forget the lyrics.....
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100. Note Duration Exercise 2
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listen to the sample piece it is in 3/4 waltz time
listen again & tap /sing/ moan etc to the timing of each note

Note the Time Signature at start of the piece (3/4),

101. 3 = 3 beats per bar 102. 4 = crotchet has a value of 1 beatWhy cant we see any semibreves?
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103. Music Tempo
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as well as being told how many beats in each bar written music must also tell us the tempo or speed of the music (how long is a semibreve?)

104. this is normally displayed at start of piece with bpm = where the beats per minute of the piece is stated, e.g.60 bpm = 1 beat per second 105. experience only will give you a feel for what this means, here are several 4/4 samples of crotchets at different tempos60 bpm
100 bpm
140 bpm
190 bpm
Use a metronome to improve your tempo awareness....
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106. Italian Speed Signs
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Grave slow & solemn (20 40 bpm)

107. Adagio slow & stately (66 76 bpm) 108. Andante at a walking pace (76 - 108 bpm) 109. Moderato moderate tempo (100 110 bpm) 110. Allegro fast, quickly & bright (120 - 139 bpm) 111. Vivace lively & fast (140 - 160 bpm) 112. Presto lively & fast (160 - 200 bpm) 113. Prestissimo extremely fast (over 200 bpm)Maserati = very cool & very fast!
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114. Music Tempo (2)
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Some music will speed up or slow down

115. Some music will change Time Signature from 4/4 to etc 116. Some music will have parts thathave no notes,i.e. silences or rests 117. Some music will use notes longer or shorter than the 4 notes coveredso far 118. Some notes will be longer than just 1 barAll will be revealed in good time.....
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119. Note Duration Exercise 3
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listen to the sample piece
listen again & tap/ sing /moan etc to the timing of each note
repeat until you are confident you can understand & follow the timing of the exercise
Timing is everything.
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120. The Rest Home
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musical silences also have defined durations, called Rests, the symbols below match up Rests with the 4 note types previously introduced, understood & befriended.

Play Symbol Rest Symbol

Semibreve = 4 beats

121. black brick hanging below the fourth line of the Staff.Click on the crab to hear a 4 beat (semibreve) rest..
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122. More Rest Home
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Play Symbol Rest Symbol

Minim = 2 beats

123. black brick sitting above the third line of the Staff. 124. Crotchet = 1 beat 125. squiggly line (seagull?) covering all 4 spacesAnother musical term for rest tacit
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126. Final Resting Place
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Play Symbol Rest Symbol

Quaver = 1/2 beat

127. Classy walking stick starting on second line of Staff 128. Has one handle to match single flag hanging from the quaver 129. For Guitar music particularly, the letters N.C. above a piece of music can be used to indicate that No Chord is to be played until the next chord name appearsBut how do we shut up the lead guitarist!!!
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130. Note Duration Exercise 3
With Rests
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listen to the sample piece
listen again & tap/ sing /moan (or d nothing when you see a Rest symbol) etc to the timing of each note
repeat until you are confident you can understand & follow the timing of the exercise
Do you need a rest now?
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