These pages explain the basics of music theory. Click on the chapters below to find more about these topics.
What is Music? | The concepts of Pitch, Harmonics, Tones and Semitones |
Scales | Rules for major scales, how to work out what notes are in a scale, naming of sharps and flats within a key |
Chords | Major, minor, and I, IV V in any key |
Putting it all together | Applying the theory to a bluegrass classic – ‘Blue Ridge Cabin Home’. Working out which chords go where, and why. |
Notation | Classical notation and Nashville Numbering |
The Seven Chord | Major 7th, Dominant 7th, Minor and Diminished 7ths, and a little bit about Tri-Tone substitution |
Circle of 5th | Unlocking the mystery of the Circle of 5ths – the musician’s ready reckoner |