An introduction to music theory
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Contents

  • Introduction
  • Learning outcomes
  • 1 The content
    • 1.1 Working through the course
  • 2 The basics
    • 2.1 The staff
    • 2.2 Clefs
    • 2.3 The great staff
    • 2.4 Middle C and ledger lines
    • 2.5 Writing notes
    • 2.6 Reading notes
    • 2.7 Review 1
      • Group 1: writing notes
      • Group 2: identifying note names on the treble staff
      • Group 3: identifying note names on the bass staff
      • Group 4: identifying clefs for notes on both the treble and bass staves
      • Group 5: identifying note names of notes with ledger lines
      • Group 6: identifying more note names of notes with ledger lines
  • 3 Rhythm and metre
    • 3.1 Time values
    • 3.2 Triplets
    • 3.3 Time signatures
    • 3.4 Review 2
      • Group 1: time values
      • Group 2: identifying omitted time value(s)
    • 3.5 Dots and ties
    • 3.6 Grouping and beaming notes
    • 3.7 Review 3
      • Group 1: identifying time signatures
    • 3.8 More time signatures: compound time
    • 3.9 Grouping and beaming notes in compound time
    • 3.10 Review 4
      • Group 1: identifying compound time signatures
      • Group 2: identifying simple and compound time signatures
      • Group 3: identifying omitted time values in compound time
  • 4 Rests
    • 4.1 Values and dots
    • 4.2 Grouping rests
    • 4.3 Grouping rests in compound time
    • 4.4 More on grouping rests
    • 4.5 Review 5
      • Group 1: identifying a single omitted rest in simple time
      • Group 2: identifying two single omitted rests in either compound or simple time
      • Group 3: identifying three single omitted rests in either simple or compound time
  • 5 Pitch
    • 5.1 Notes of the bass and treble staves: a reminder
    • 5.2 Semitones and tones, and the scale of C major
    • 5.3 Semitones and tones, and the scale of G major
    • 5.4 Major scales having key signatures with sharps
    • 5.5 Semitones and tones and the scale of F major
    • 5.6 Major scales having key signatures with flats
    • 5.7 Review 6
      • Group 1: identifying key signatures of up to four sharps or four flats
      • Group 2: identifying major scales with key signatures of up to four sharps and four flats
    • 5.8 Minor scales: the natural form
    • 5.9 Minor scales: the melodic and harmonic forms
    • 5.10 Relative minor and relative major
    • 5.11 Review 7
      • Group 1: identifying minor key signatures of up to four sharps or four flats
      • Group 2: identifying minor scales with key signatures of up to four sharps and four flats
  • 6 Accidentals, degrees of the scale and intervals
    • 6.1 Accidentals
    • 6.2 Accidentals in practice
    • 6.3 Identifying the degrees of the scale
    • 6.4 Intervals
    • 6.5 The perfect fifth, the minor third and the circle of fifths
  • 7 Harmony: the triad
  • 8 Scores: performance directions
    • 8.1 A selected list of performance directions
    • 8.2 Following piano scores
    • 8.3 Following piano scores in practice
  • 9 Review
    • Group 1: identifying various different elements
    • Group 2: identifying various different elements
    • Group 3: identifying various different elements
    • Group 4: identifying triads in major keys
  • 10 Trainers for eye and ear
    • 10.1 How to use trainers
    • 10.2 Where to find trainers and recommended reading
  • Conclusion
  • References
  • Acknowledgements

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