The Complete Idiot''s Guide to Music Theory

parts of a song
bridge, 147
chorus, 146
endings, 147
instrumental solos, 147
introductions, 146
verse, 146
pentatonic scales, 99
percussion
instrumental arrangements, 
229-230
ranges, 237
percussion clefs, 14
perdendosi (dynamic marking), 83
perfect intervals, 21
perfect pitch, 6, 159

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Index
311
performing music, conducting
2/2 time, 260
4/4 time, 259-260
in three, 260-261
practicing, 261-262
preparations, 257-258
rehearsal routines, 258
setting the tempo, 261
phrase-ending chord progression
(cadence)
imperfect cadences, 133-134
interrupted cadences, 134
plagal cadences, 133
V-I progression, 133
phrases, notation techniques, 216
Phrygian mode, 40
pianissimo (dynamic marking), 81
pianississimo (dynamic marking), 81
piano (dynamic marking), 81
pianos
accompaniment, 174-175
keyboards, naming tones, 9
pitch. 
See also
tone
concert, 178
contour melodies, 101
defining characteristics, 4
fundamentals 21
harmonics, 21
hearing, 158
high-pitched tones, 4
home pitch, 97-98
intervals
degrees of the scale, 19-25
half steps, 18-19
Mod-12 system, 24
sharps and flats, 17-18
low-pitched tones, 4
naming tones, 8-11
numbering tones, 6-7
perfect pitch, 6, 159
pitch memory, 158
scales, 6
scientific pitch notation, 9
tuning forks, 6
unpitched instruments, 4
plagal cadences, 133
plainsongs, 150
play-through, rehearsal routine,
258
power chords, 122
prestissimo tempo, 79
presto tempo, 79
programme music, 150
progressions (chord progressions)
blues progression, 138
chord leading, 131-133
chord substitutions, 206-209
common progressions
circle of fifths, 137
I-ii-IV, 136
I-ii-IV-V, 136
I-IV, 134
I-IV-V, 135
I-IV-V-IV, 135
I-V, 134-135
I-V-vi-IV, 135
I-vi-ii-V, 136
I-vi-ii-V7-ii, 136
I-vi-IV-V, 136
ii-V-I, 137
IV-I-IV-V, 137
creating, 130
exercises, 143
extensions, 203-204
hearing, 163-164
melodies, 106-107, 138-141
Canon in D,
140
“Mary Had a Little Lamb,”
141
“Michael, Row the Boat
Ashore,” 139
Minuet in G,
139-140
New World Symphony,
140
phrase-ending chord progres-
sion (cadence)
imperfect cadence, 133-134
interrupted cadence, 134
plagal cadence, 133
V-I progression, 133
returning to the I chord, 
130-131
scale-based chords, 127-130
writing tips, 141-142
Q–R
quarter notes, 60, 68-69
rallentando, 80
ranges
instrumental arrangements, 232,
236
melodies, 102
vocal arrangements, 226-227
rehearsal routine
play-through, 258
setup, 258
tuneup, 258
warmup, 258
repeat marks, 84
repetition
measures, 85
melodies, 106
notes, 85-86
sections, 84
resources
books, 263
ear training, 156
melodies, 108-109
online, 263
rests
multiple-measure rest sign, 
86-87
resting notes, 62-63
rhythmic accompaniment, 171-173
rhythms
4/4 time, 57
counting notes, 62
hearing, 162
measures, 58
melodies, 91-92, 103-104
note values, 58-64
dotted, 63
eighth, 61
half, 59-60
quarter, 60
rest, 62-63
sixteenth, 61
thirty-second, 61
tied, 64
triplets, 64
whole, 59
rhythmic memory, 162
syncopated, 103
ritardando, 80
ritenuto, 80
root inversions, 122
S
scales (musical scale)
chromatic, 28
creating memorable melodies,
98-99
degrees of the scale, 19-25
augmented, 22
compound, 23

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312
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory, Second Edition
diminished, 22
half steps, 23, 25
major and minor, 21
perfect, 21
exercises, 43
diatonic notes, 31
keys, 45-53
changing, 52-53
circle of fifths, 50
key signatures, 46
major keys, 46
minor keys, 48-49
outside the key notes (acci-
dental), 51-52
major scales
intervals, 29
overview, 28-30
minor scales
harmonic minor, 34-35
melodic minor, 35-37
natural minor, 31-33
modes
Aeolian, 41-42
Dorian, 39
Ionian, 38-39
Locrian, 42-43
Lydian, 40-41
Mixolydian, 41
Phrygian, 40
overview, 27-28
pentatonic scale, 99
pitch, 6
scale-based chords, 127-130
scientific pitch notation, 9
scores. 
See also 
music, written music
choral music, 243, 247
concert band, 248-251
jazz band, 247-248
navigation techniques, 83-87
Coda sign, 85
measure repeat sign, 85
multiple-measure rest sign,
86-87
note repeat, 85-86
repeating sections, 84
Segno sign, 84-85
notation guidelines, 241-242
orchestra, 252
second inversions (chords), 122
Segno sign, 84-85
senza sordini (dynamic marking), 83
setup, rehearsal routine, 258
seventh chords, 204
dominant, 116-117
major, 117
minor, 117-118
sharps
key signatures
circle of fifths, 50
overview, 48
pitch intervals, 17-18
sign, 18
sixteenth notes, 61
sixth chords, 119
skip-wise motion (melody), 101-102
slash chords. 
See
altered bass
chords
slow tempos, 79
slurs, notation techniques, 216
smorzando (dynamic marking), 83
software
music notation software, 252
software-based transposition, 182
Solfeggio method, tone values, 7-8
sonatas, 150
songs. 
See also
music, written music
classical music, 150
counterpoint, 198-199
dynamics
accented notes, 82-83
changing, 81-82
markings, 81, 83
eight-measure phrase rule, 
147-148
forms
classical, 149-151
head arrangements, 148
harmony
counterpoint, 187
note combinations to avoid,
198-199
swapping notes, 192
voice leading, 192-193
voicing and inversions, 
189-191
melodies. 
See
melodies
navigation techniques, 83-87
Coda sign, 85
measure repeat sign, 85
multiple-measure rest sign,
86-87
note repeat, 85-86
repeating sections, 84
Segno sign, 84-85
notating lyrics, 220-221
parts
bridge, 147
chorus, 146
endings, 147
instrumental solos, 147
introductions, 146
verse, 146
transposition
common uses, 178-179
degree-wise, 180-181
exercises, 183
interval-based, 181-182
overview, 177-178
software-based, 182
step-wise, 179-180
sopranos, vocal arrangements, 226
sotto voce (dynamic marking), 83
specialty clefs
alto, 13
octave, 14
percussion, 14
tenor, 13
staccato mark, 217
staff
clefs
bass, 12
grand, 12-13
specialty, 13-14
treble, 11-12
ledger lines, 11
naming tones, 9-11
step-wise motion (melody), 101-102
step-wise transposition, 179-180
strepitoso (dynamic marking), 83
strings
instrumental arrangements, 
227-228
quartets, 150
ranges, 233
strumming, accompaniment, 
174-175
Study of Orchestration, The,
263
substitution (chord substitution)
diatonic, 206-207
dominant seventh, 208-209
functional, 209
major, 207
minor, 207-208
sudden accents, 82
suites, 150
suspended chords, 121-122
swapping notes (harmony), 192
swing, notation techniques, 219-220
symmetry, melodies, 105-106
symphonies, 150
syncopated rhythms, 103

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Index
313
T
tacet (dynamic marking), 83
tempo, 77
bpm (beats per minute), 78
changing, 80
click tracks, 78
conducting, 261
fast, 79
fermatas, 80-81
Italian musical terms, 78-79
metronome, 78
moderate, 79
primo, 80
slow, 79
tempo primo, 80
tenor clefs, 13
tenors, vocal arrangements, 226
tenuto mark, 217
thirty-second notes, 61
tied notes, 64
ties, notation techniques, 215-216
time signatures
changing, 72
eighth notes, 69
exercises, 74-75
grouping beats, 72-73
half notes, 71-72
melodies, 104
meters, 67
quarter notes, 68-69
tonal memory, 158
tones. 
See also
pitch
high-pitched, 4
intervals, 6
low-pitched, 4
melodies, 91-92
names
alphabet method, 8
piano keyboard, 9
staff, 9-11
neighboring, 96
overview, 4
values
frequency, 5
numbering, 6-7
Solfeggio method, 7-8
tonic, 34
tonic chords, 243
training your ear. 
See
ear training
transcribing music, 156, 164
transposition
common uses, 178-179
concert keys, 231
degree-wise, 180-181
exercises, 183
instruments, 230-232
interval-based, 181-182
overview, 177-178
software-based, 182
step-wise, 179-180
treble clefs, 11-12
triads (chords), 112-115
augmented, 115
diminished, 114
major, 113
minor, 114
trills, notation techniques, 218
triplet notes, 64
tritones, 103
trombones, instrumental arrange-
ments, 229
trumpets, instrumental arrange-
ments, 229
tubas, instrumental arrangements,
229
Tunesmith: Inside the Art of
Songwriting,
106, 263
tuneup, rehearsal routine, 258
tuning forks, 6
turnarounds
IV-I-IV-V chord progression,
137
common chords, 210-211
turns, notation techniques, 218
tutta forza (dynamic marking), 83
U–V
una corda (dynamic marking), 83
unpitched instruments, 4
values
notes, 58-64
dotted, 63
eighth, 61
half, 59-60
quarter, 60
sixteenth, 61
thirty-second, 61
tied, 64
triplets, 64
whole, 59
tones
frequency, 5
numbering, 6-7
Solfeggio method, 7-8
variations, memorable melodies, 100
verses, songs, 146
violins, 227
vivace tempo, 79
vocal arrangements, 225
characteristics
alto, 226
baritone, 226
bass, 226
soprano, 226
tenor, 226
melodies, 108
ranges, 226-227
voice leading, 192-193
voicing chords (harmony), 189-191
volume, dynamics
accented notes, 82-83
changing, 81-82
markings, 81-83
W–X–Y–Z
walking bass lines, 174
warmup, rehearsal routine, 258
websites
Molehill Group, 264
Music Notes Music Theory, 264
Music Theory Web, 264
Musictheory.net, 264
What to Listen for in Music,
263
whole notes, 59
woodwinds
instrumental arrangements, 228
ranges, 234-235
written music. 
See also
composing,
music, songs
adding chords, 123-124
arrangements
instrumental arrangements,
227-236
vocal arrangements, 225-227
choral music, 243, 247
chord progressions, 141-142
chord sheets, 243
concert band, 248-251
jazz band, 247-248
lead sheets, 242
music notation software, 252
Nashville Number System, 243
notation techniques, 241-242
arpeggiated chords, 219

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The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory, Second Edition
glissando, 219
grace notes, 217-218
lyrics, 220-221
phrases, 216
slurs, 216
staccato mark, 217
swings, 219-220
tenuto mark, 217
ties, 215-216
trills, 218
turns, 218
orchestras, 252
transcription tips, 164

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