Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with MusicTheory

Help a workaholic have a productive break.

nosila — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:15:45 -0800

I am working on a PhD in music theory and cognition. I hate wasting time, but sometimes my brain needs a break from reading/writing/listening/analyzing. Help me create a list of films and documentaries that relate in some way to my field so that I can stare at a screen sometimes and still feel like I'm feeding my unquenchable desire to learn about music and mind. Some specific topics that are germane to my research:

memory
neuroscience
emotion and meaning
creativity
compositional practice
cognitive science

I'm interested both in documentaries that address these (or related) issues directly and in films that address them in their own sundry ways.

I mostly work on Western Art Music (ugh I hate that name), but I'm into a little bit of everything, so go crazy. I know there are tons of films and documentaries about popular musicians, so unless there's one that's extra, extra good, those are probably not quite what I'm looking for.

If I can watch on the internet, that's extra plus good, but that's no big deal. Thanks a bunch!

How to identify intervals

Post-it Goat — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:13:16 -0800

How can I learn relative pitch? I can hear minor/major 2nds pretty well but 3rds are just defeating me. I got an app for my iPhone called "Relative Pitch" and it's a great little program. But I have to get 20 out of 20 questions right to progress. After a few days I could do 2nds by just listening for whether or not the note difference "felt" minor or major. But after a week of trying I can't tell whether I'm hearing a major and minor 3rd (ascending only) more than 80% of the time at best, and I don't seem to be improving. I can tell the difference when I hear them back to back, or when I play them on my guitar, but when I hear just one I'm lost.

Can anyone who has learned this skill without any particular natural talent give me any pointers? Can you tell me what I should be listening for? I have tried hearing whether or not the notes are the beginning to "Smoke on the Water" or "Kum Bay Ya", but when I mentally try and hear that, both sound like they could be right. Crud.

Time signatures are important, hemiolas be damned.

nosila — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:25:43 -0800

I am trying to locate the time signatures in the Opus or Helsinki font set (which come with Sibelius). Does anyone know where these are? I have PopChar, which is really great, but I've been through all the various Opus and Helsinki characters and can't find any time signatures.

I'm just trying to insert time signatures that look like time signatures in a MS Word 2008 document. Seems like these would be pretty common, but either I am totally fried from creating theory assignments (possible) or they just don't exist.

I've always just used 4/4, 3/4, etc. before, but I'd like for my handouts and assignments to look a little better. I know this is sort of a specialized question, but any help from music people or font gurus would be appreciated!

P.S. Yes, I have used the flow chart.

Just a square, I guess.

gallusgallus — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:22:07 -0800

Music types: help me identify exactly what it is that I dislike about these particular types of jazz! Recently, a friend has been trying to get me into jazz. When exploring, though, I run into a weird hurdle: I really like jazz made up through the thirties, but somewhere in the late 40s/50s/60s, it acquires a specific harmonic quality that I absolutely can't stand. I tend to listen to music mostly for the harmonies and chord progressions, and this particular element literally raises hairs on the back of my neck.

It's not just that later jazz is more free-form and deconstructed; we're talking a particular type of chord or harmony that, in most cases, I can pick out within less than a measure. And it's not just the sheer quantity of dissonance, because (while not the biggest fan), I can listen to Stravinsky or Schoenberg forever without it bothering me in the same way.

Sadly, to say, "I don't do jazz after about 1940" sounds kind of ig'nant, like maybe I'm just an uptight fuddy-duddy who can't handle the Cool. I’d like to be able to identify the specific harmonic quality that bothers me (e.g. "I just don't like augmented fourths," or whatever) but I haven't been able to find any theory-oriented histories of jazz that specifically break down its development into nitty-gritty musical elements. So can anybody help me figure out what chord/interval/harmony/progression I'm talking about?

Some specifics:

I associate this with wind/brass ensembles, but I'm not sure why.
It turns up A LOT in Miles Davis's work. As far as I can see, I hate just about everything the poor guy's ever done.
Definitely present in E.S.P.
Also in Giant Steps, where the opening chords after the solo pretty much typify what I'm talking about.
And it's even in some pop, like The girl from Ipanema. You know the generic light-jazz that plays in elevators in the movies? Totally.
But it's not (obviously) present in Take Five , even though that's later jazz
Also not in Sing, Sing, Sing , even though that's plenty dissonant.

If it'd help, I'm happy to try additional test-cases. What is this harmony? Any ideas, AskMeFi?

Why do minor chords sound cold?

dunkadunc — Sun, 31 May 2009 15:50:58 -0800

Why do minor chords sound cold? Why do minor chords sound 'cold', while major chords sound warm?
As a musician, this has been bugging me for some time- I know it's not just me because I've heard this from other people as well.
Is this purely a cultural association that one learns, or is there some sort of neural/mental connection between a minor chord and tension and nervousness?

Multiple sources of background noise "harmonizing" -- who's studied this, and what did they find?

cadastral — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:38:04 -0800

Heard an NPR story 7(ish) years ago about a guy who measures the pitch of various sources of barely-audible workspace/home background noise (eg. harddrive spinning, refrigerator compressor running, and the flyback transformer on your television) and seeing what chords they made. He contested that different chords would affect peoples' productivity, attitudes, etc. I have some questions about this. I remember it being a bit suspect -- the guy was making a living off of this -- but he was pretty modest in his claims and spoke eloquently about it. Even though it didn't make me an out-and-out believer, it made me think quite a bit about it. He was consulting various companies and offering to "tune" office background noise, claiming that it would have an effect on worker happiness. (I remember him claiming that "minor chords make people edgy".)

But the thing I'm REALLY curious about was this tangent he went on when describing his research. I remember him referencing some, like, 16th century monk (or somesuch, not sure on dates) who wrote VERY long treatises on these VERY specific emotional responses to specific chords; going so far as to say things along the lines of "B flat Major: Wistful longing with a bright, hopeful blah blah blah..." It was presented as though it was this monk's life's work/personal obsession. (I'm thinking that he was projecting a bit and probably barking up the wrong tree, but it was pretty fascinating.)

First off: anyone know who this guy is (and/or other folks who have researched similar things?). Secondly: anyone know anything about the monk he mentioned or anyone who's attempted any sort of similar... stuff? I'm not very music-theory-fluent, but I'm willing to read challenging things... Thanks a ton.

Here's where I'll make the obligatory Spinal Tap reference about D minor being the "saddest of all keys", just to get it out of the way...

Does this piano software exist?

jcwilliams — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:50:29 -0800

When I learned to touch type, I used software where the letters appeared and did not go until I had pressed the right key. I was wondering if there is any similar software for reading music but with a usb/midi keyboard. I know it wouldn't be much use for improving timing, but it would help with learning notes and possibly chords too. I am also interested to know what other free internet/ software you have found useful while learning to read music.

How I understand music reviews better and explain it to others ?

fizzix — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:40:19 -0800

I listen to a lot of 'contemporary' music (not classical), but how do I better understand music reviews and explain what I hear to my friends and peers ? I read music reviews (all sorts of genres, mostly rock and hip-hop, but also
electronic and blues) and often do not understand
a lot of the music terms and jargon mentioned in it.
For example, phrases like "supple, swelling pedal steel" from
tinymixtapes
and "surf-inspired riffs on 'x song' a "deep, rich tone, underscored by an eerie, shuddering organ." (from a review of a paper copy of a music mag, no online link), and "singing several layers forward in the mix"
in this blues review are confusing for me.

So far, wikipedia has been somewhat helpful, but I ask the hive-mind for any other
good introductory books and resources (besides learning how to play an instrument) so I can understand reviews better
and be able to more richly describe music to friends and other people (than just 'sounds like this band', 'fast-paced' and
'samples this instrument').

Fun Ear Training Activities?

Alabaster — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 10:39:09 -0800

Looking for tons of fun and challenging activities/drills/games for high school music theory and ear-training. I'm looking to spice up a high-school level music theory class with some fun ear-training exercises and games.

I learned ear training by rote drilling -- this kind of stuff is fun for me, so I've never sought out more engaging exercises.

But it's a chore for my students and they're not progressing the way I'd like. Think back to your music theory classes -- what activities engaged and motivated you, and encouraged you to keep trying for more challenging levels?

I'm looking for group activities, competitive games, exercises, etc. -- preferably ones with some degree of timing / urgency (I'm thinking of theatre games like zip-zap-zop).

Topics covered: Intervals, scales, scale degrees, triads/7th chords, inversions, chord progressions, etc. Also activities for non-ear stuff -- memorization of chords, keys, etc.

Convert my thoughts to music.

mitzyjalapeno — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 08:14:23 -0800

My husband and I are working on a project together, and this part is much more his forte than mine. We're writing a song to represent each novel of the Dark Tower by Stephen King, one of my all-time favorite series. But we're quickly becoming frustrated with each other, because, simply put, I cannot wrap the creating music part of this around my head. He's fairly accomplished as a digital musician in almost all genres, and we have our own little recording studio at home. Music is his greatest passion, and I'm trying very hard to work with him. It feels like we're speaking two different languages.

He asked me how I think it should sound, and I told him that I keep thinking Neil Young's A Horse with No Name has the simple, desolate sound I think would fit for the first book. He's played some different things with that same feel that I really liked, but we're having trouble because I can't tell him why I like them or where they should fit in with the rest of the song. All I know is that I like what he's playing. If I don't like something he's played, I know that I don't like it. I can tell him it doesn't sound right, but I can't express to him what would sound right. (Most of the time I don't have an idea of what would sound right; he's always been much more creative than I.)

The main problem seems to be that he thinks I'm too quick to judge music without understanding the elements that make up the song, and that this specific trait is stopping this project in its tracks. He seems to think that if I could just hum some sort of tune, then all would be well. I know that I don't think like that. I appreciate all sorts of music, and I have strong ideas about my likes and dislikes.

So, O Hive Mind, can you help a true beginner try to express herself musically? Or maybe just learn to understand how a song is constructed? BTW, I have read some previous threads, and the advice therein completely flew over my head. I need beginner advice. Not even crawl-before-you-can-walk type of advice, more like cure-your-paralysis type of advice.

E-F B-C, why no semitone?

chelegonian — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:08:33 -0800

I was asked the other day why there are no semitones between e-f and b-c. My answer was that it had to do with the frequencies of the notes but i'd like to be able to give a more in-depth answer as this doesn't really cover it.

Good beginning piano books for kids?

adverb — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:50:02 -0800

I'd like to start introducing my almost 6-year-old to the piano. What are some good books or new techniques that are designed to teach young children how to play the piano, basics on music theory, etc.?

Would it work to RE-learn Piano AND learn Violin?

DetonatedManiac — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:39:42 -0800

Given that I have a somewhat substantial history playing the piano, how difficult would it be to take up lessons for the piano again after years out of practice AND start, for the first time, lessons on the Violin? How beneficial would such "cross training" be? How difficult would it be to find a teacher who could guide me on such a hybrid path? Other Thoughts? I have to say, from the start, that though I played for more than a decade, I never considered myself all that musical, so forgive me if any of this sounds overly simplistic.

I played the piano from when I was 5 or 6 up until I was 18... however I had many teachers and ended up with a quasi "Suzuki" method, never really learning to sight read or any theory. Also I quit for varying lengths of time due to power struggles with the parents.

It has been 5 years without seriously touching the keyboard and aside from the key movements of one or two of my favorite songs, I feel I have retained nothing from years of practice.

I kinda feel like if I take up a new instrument along with resuming piano practice it may allow me to practice the fundamentals of sight reading and theory on the violin while still playing the more impressive pieces I used to on the piano. Additionally I always loved the sound and sight of a violin, in all its forms.

Is this dual approach misguided or too simplistic? Does it have any merits? Are Piano and Violin theory and sheet music similar enough that this cross pollination would work or are they like oil and water?

Also, what should I do for a teacher (or teachers)? Two separate teachers or just one?

Have ears, have brain, willing to learn.

Chris4d — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 22:00:53 -0800

Where can I learn about music history and music theory for free? bonus question first (like dessert for breakfast!): contemporary popular music typically seems to resolve the melody at the end of each verse. I was listening to the cold mountain soundtrack, though, and a lot of that folk music sorta... leaves the melody hanging at the end of each verse. Is there a word for that? What's it called, and what's the historical evolution of... I dunno, melodic form?

Obviously I know just enough to know I'm ignorant. So the question above inspired me to ask -- where can I learn about that kind of stuff? I don't whether to call it music theory or music etymology or what, but it's fascinating.

ooh, second bonus question -- why does modern music sound so much more resolved at the end of each verse? does it go back to the tonic of whatever scale the melody is in? (see I really am ignorant! help!)

Aural Skills

occidental — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:45:45 -0800

Where can I find non-commercial online resources for Aural Training? Input a search for Aural training or ear training or music theory for that matter and you will get thousands of "learn music fast" through our software sights. All of them attempting to sell "their" method of music theory. What I haven't yet found is a site that satisfies my desire to merely learn Aural Techniques and exercises in a non-commerce driven website envrionment. I have found musictheory.net which is on the right track. What I would love to do is take a class in Aural Skills at a University or College but I know that it will be at least 10 months before I can start something like that. So what do I do until then? Here are some specifics of what I seek:

1) A site that is non-commercial (ads on the page are fine just no "subscribe to our system" sites") and formatted so that one could move through lesson plans.

2) Preferably a site that will not jump past important concepts in a single sentence and will offer a concrete timeline or syllabus to help structure my lessons.

3) A site that encourages dialogue with its audience (web 2.0 if you will) and is partially contributory in nature.

So, is it out there?

So, a keyboard is like a metaphor for...21 guitars?

evariste — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 14:53:27 -0800

How can a keyboard represent a guitar?! As a total musical novice who has never played an instrument and knows absolutely nothing about how music is made, I decided to open up GarageBand on my Mac and try to make a song for fun.

The first thing that's blowing my mind is that you start off with a clickable piano keyboard, and can switch modes to a computer's keyboard for "musical typing". But when you change instruments to, say, a guitar or a flute, the metaphor remains a piano keyboard! And the "musical typing" thingie still has the same number of usable keyboard keys, ASDFGHJKL;' plus the black keys WETYUOP. That's like 17 keys, and if you click the thingy on the top you can move the blue focus thing and make all the keys sound different...I assume this means you're moving to a different part of the full piano or something.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but a guitar has like four or six strings. A piano keyboard has, oh, more than a hundred strings, right? Isn't there way more information here than a guitar is actually capable of expressing? So what the hell? I was thinking I would only get maybe six keys I can push on my keyboard if I switched to guitar, but I get the same number of keys and they all still work and make sounds. Furthermore, if I switch to the "picture of a piano" mode, I can drag my mouse across the entire keyboard of 100+keys, and they all make guitar-ey sounds.

I feel like I'm missing some very basic concept. Can you help me understand what's going on?

Open Source Media Player for Customized playlists using Thousands of Short Audio Snippets?

Alabaster — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 18:45:32 -0800

I'm looking for an open source MP3 (or OGG) player for creation of educational listening drills. Must be portable, and flexible for creation, editing, burning of playlists and queues -- details on its use in here... The MP3 (or OGG) player must have/be:
-Portable, can be distributed and run from CD without installation
-Simple, user-friendly interface
-Very flexible playlist/queue creation
-Preferably, have the ability to burn playlists to CD or sync to portable device

I'm creating a listening drill CD for a music class. The CD will have literally thousands of audio snippets, most only 3-5 seconds long. These will be divided into several folders, subfolders, and sub-subfolders, based on category.

-I would like students to be able to quickly select any combination of folders/categories and create a custom queue for shuffling
-I would like students to be able to save these queues as custom playlists.
-IDEALLY I'd like them to easily burn their custom playlists to CD (or sync to their mp3 player) so that they can practice their listening "on the road"

I would like this to be user friendly for students with little computer experience.

Any recommendations on an open source media player that will fit these requirements?

Thanks

How best to recognize intervals?

Stauf — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 17:17:33 -0800

Help me with Music Theory! Specifically, intervals... I learned how to read music roughly eight years ago, but never really got very far into the theory and just went with what "felt" right after a while (muscle memory and simply assocating the visual look of the note with a specific fingering). So now I'm delving into the nuts and bolts, the basics of music theory (mainly to assist my guitar playing, which I've made lots of progress in since I started two years ago). I want to actually understand music and not just rely on rote memorization and routine. And so I've hit my first stumbling block.

I bought a book on music theory (Music Theory for Dummies); it seems to be a pretty thorough book. Anyhow, I'm attempting to understand and identify intervals, but I'm having trouble and have some questions:

1) What is the best way to learn to identify intervals? How did you learn? The book presents the topic with an example starting from the note C [i.e. C to D = Major 2nd, C to A = Major 6th], but for some reason, when I try to apply this concept [which seemed really simple to me] to intervals between random notes (naturals, flats, and sharps) using this resource, I have a horrible time. Later in the chapter the book suggests that it might be easier to think of intervals in terms of half steps (e.g. 3 half steps = minor 3rd, 7 half steps = perfect 6th). Is this a good way to identify intervals (by counting half steps)? So, I guess I'm just trying to figure out what is supposed to be going through my head when I see two notes and I'm supposed to name that interval.

2) How quickly should I be able to recognize intervals here? Should I be able to get to a point where I can name the interval just as quickly as I could name a specific note on the staff?

3) How important is it to learn to recognize/identify/understand intervals (a broad question I know, and not quite as important to me as 1.) and 2.)?

What books have given you great insight into great music?

agropyron — Mon, 22 May 2006 12:49:16 -0800

What are the best books offering analysis of Beethoven's symphonies? Other classical works? I am looking for books that essentially walk you through symphonic works and give description and analysis as you go. I've got a beginner-level understanding of music theory, so the more layperson-friendly the better.

I've got all of Robert Greenberg's Teaching Company courses, and I'm basically looking for more of the same, in book form. Here is more detail on one of his courses to give you a better idea of what I'm looking for. I'm most interested in in-depth studies of works, but I also enjoy books with a broader focus, like some of those I've listed below.

For Beethoven, I've got:
Beethoven and His Nine Symphonies, by George Grove
The Nine Symphonies of Beethoven, by Antony Hopkins

For general symphonic music, I've got:
The Milton Cross New Encyclopedia of the Great Composers and Their Music
The Essential Canon of Classical Music, by David Dubal
Guide to Symphonic Music, by Edward Downes
The Lives of the Great Composers, by Harold Schoenberg

What other books have given you great insight into great music?

Piano for Drop-outs

xanthippe — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 14:28:45 -0800

Help me remember how to play the piano. I played for about eight years, and haven't for nearly as many. When i quit, i knew most of what i needed to know to pick up anything and learn to play it well; sadly, this is no longer quite the case. I'd love some advice on:

1) How to quickly and painlessly jog my memory on music theory (I can still read music - notes, that is - and know my scales, but everything else is like pulling teeth). I can't take lessons, so i'd like to find, in addition to/instead of a book of exercises, some text that will tell me all the things my teacher did so long ago (and, optimally, weighs less than my cat). Like what all those numbers on the left side mean, and what kind of chord that is. And,

2) What composers/pieces i should start with: I will probably grab some flashcards, and some of the recommendations in this thread. What next, and more importantly, how does one generally go about finding pieces that suit one's taste and ability? I used to love playing Bach inventions and sonatinas at super-sonic speeds when i was 14, but i'd like to start with some more mature material while i'm still refreshing my memory. What composers/pieces do you most enjoy playing?

Also, i'm poor and have to have most books that are in English expensively shipped to where i live, so bonus points for online resources. Any websites from which i can print out sheet music?

Learning Music Theory/Composition.

empath — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 07:43:31 -0800

I want to get better at composing music. I can noodle around with a midi keyboard and Reason and stumble on some good riffs every once in a while, but I really would like a sounder basis for writing melodies and arranging. What the best way to go about that? Piano Lessons? Music Theory lessons? The immediate purpose of this is to produce electronic dance music, but I'd be interested in learning either Jazz or Classical as well. If you suggest music lessons-- what's the best way to find a teacher that specializes in that kind of thing? I'm not interested in performance, just composition.

Learning Music Theory

phrontist — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 07:40:32 -0800

How should I go about learning music theory? Having read this excellent thread a while back I'd really like to learn more about music theory. My musical experience is highly limited: I do not play a musical instrument, though I learned to read sheet music fairly well whilst playing clarinet in elementary/middle school. In school the theory portion of everything was really downplayed in favor of musicianship, which is, in my humble opionion, really a shame.

This approach certainly seems interesting, is anybody familiar with it? Any reccomendations for solid music theory textbooks? I don't mind it being overly dry or technical, as long as it's comprehensible. A friend of mine is always telling me how mathematically interesting western music can be, and if there is any truth to that I'd certainly be interested in that angle.

What's a good cheap bass/bass amp, and a good pop/rock theory book?

Frankieist — Mon, 18 Jul 2005 17:36:34 -0800

I'm looking to purchase a bass, bass amp, and bass or general music theory book. The bass and bass amp part don't really have much of an extended explanation, as I know very little about either. I've been playing guitar for a few years and would like to try my hand at the bass. I wanted to know what's the best quality bass and bass amp I could get for under $200. The power of the bass amp isn't a big issue for me.

The second part of my question is more specific, and I don't even know if what I'm looking for exists. I'm not much interested in bass lessons (have neither the time nor money) and so I'll probably learn from example (Beatles, Beach Boys, Belle and Sebastian, etc...). However, I'm sort of theory-minded and would like to be able to have a vocabulary for the examples I'm learning from. I started off on Harmony by Piston et al (on the Classical canon), and I've also found Alan Pollack's Notes On... Series (on the Beatles canon) very helpful.

If I could get my hands on a book that was a combination of the Harmony book and a musicological analysis of various pop/rock songs, I would be in heaven. I'd prefer that if it is general pop/rock theory, it would not be restricted to guitar theory and would have a section on bass-leading, rhythm and things of that nature as well. Thanks!

Understanding Classical Music

grumblebee — Sun, 11 Jul 2004 05:25:34 -0800

I'd like to get music under-the-hood. I was listening to this CD, on which Leonard Bernstein explains some of the inner workings of Beethoven's 3nd Symphony, and I really enjoyed the explanations. Now, I love music, but only as a lay-person. I can't play an instrument, and I can't read musical notation. But I'd like to be able to listen to a symphony and understand what the composer is doing with harmonics, tempo, overtones and the like. How do I learn this? Are there any good books? Or is the only way to learn it to go to an music school for ten years? I guess the perfect resource would be a book with a CD. In the book, a musical term would be described, and you'd be instructed to play a specific track on the CD to help you understand the concept.

Music: Just what exactly is 'key'?

Gyan — Sat, 10 Apr 2004 19:16:15 -0800

Music: Just what exactly is 'key'? [more inside] I've read the definitions in some textbooks. I know the formulae for the scale constructions. A Major key is supposedly upbeat, a minor is more sad/dissonant/whatever. But what exactly is the 'key'?

There was this person I knew who could listen to half a minute of the music and proclaim: "That's in E Major". Is that by just recognising the tonic, or what?

Also, what does it mean to compose something in say, C Major (C D E F G A B)? You can't use other notes (accidentals)? Or you can't use accidentals frequently? You have to end the piece on the tonic? Or your chords must be assembled from only the 'key' scale? What if you have no chords in the piece (a violin solo)? Well, as you can guess, I'm pretty curious and bewildered. Hopefully, someone can attune me to the answer.