The Complete Idiot''s Guide to Music Theory

Document Outline

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents at a Glance
• Contents
  • Part One: Tones
    • Chapter One: Pitches and Clefs
      • Understanding Musical Tones
      • Tones Have Value
        • What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?
        • Play by Numbers
        • Do Re Mi
      • Tones Have Names
        • Learning the ABCs
        • Notes on a Piano Keyboard
        • Notes on a Staff
        • Above—and Below—the Staff
      • Different Clefs
        • The Treble Clef
        • The Bass Clef
        • The Grand Staff
        • Specialty Clefs
        • The Percussion Clef
    • Chapter Two: Intervals
      • Be Sharp—or Be Flat
      • Steppin’ Out …
      • A Matter of Degrees
        • First Things First
        • Major and Minor Intervals
        • Perfect Intervals
        • Augmented and Diminished Intervals
        • Beyond the Octave
        • Intervals and Half Steps
    • Chapter Three: Scales
      • Eight Notes Equal One Scale
      • Major Scales
      • Minor Scales
        • Natural Minor
        • Harmonic Minor
        • Melodic Minor
      • In the Mode
        • Ionian
        • Dorian
        • Phrygian
        • Lydian
        • Mixolydian
        • Aeolian
        • Locrian
    • Chapter Four: Major and Minor Keys
      • Keys to Success
        • Using Key Signatures
        • Major Keys
        • Minor Keys
      • The Circle of Fifths
      • Accidents Will Happen
      • Changing Keys
  • Part Two: Rhythms
    • Chapter Five: Note Values and Basic Notation
      • Taking the Measure of Things
      • Taking Note—of Notes
        • Whole Notes
        • Half Notes
        • Quarter Notes
        • Eighth Notes
        • Sixteenth Notes
      • Taking Count
      • Taking a Rest
      • Taking a Note—and Dotting It
      • Taking Two Notes—and Tying Them Together
      • Taking the Beat and Dividing by Three
    • Chapter Six: Time Signatures
      • Measuring the Beats
        • Quarter-Note Time
        • Eighth-Note Time
        • Half Time
      • Changing the Time
      • Grouping the Beats
    • Chapter Seven: Tempo, Dynamics, and Navigation
      • Taking the Pulse
        • Beats per Minute
        • Italian Tempo Terms
      • Speeding Up—and Slowing Down
      • Hold That Note!
      • Getting Loud—and Getting Soft
        • Dynamic Markings
        • Changing Dynamics
        • Play It Harder
        • More Dynamics
      • Finding Your Way
        • Repeating Sections
        • Repeating Measures
        • Repeating Notes
        • Repeating Rests
  • Part Three: Tunes
    • Chapter Eight: Melodies
      • Combining Tones and Rhythms
      • Common Melodic Techniques
        • Dvorak's New World Symphony
        • Bach’s Minuet in G
        • Michael, Row the Boat Ashore
        • Pachelbel’s Canon in D
      • Composing Your First Melody
      • What Makes a Melody Memorable?
        • Center on a Pitch
        • Make Sure You End Up at Home
        • Stay Within the Scale
        • Use the Big Five
        • Find the Hook
        • Create Variations
        • Write in Four—or Eight, or Sixteen
        • Make It Move
        • Take Small Steps
        • Stay in Range
        • Avoid Unsingable Intervals
        • Keep the Rhythm Simple
        • Stay in Time
        • Set Up—and Resolve—Tension
        • Set Up a Call and Response
        • Establish Symmetry
        • Balance Repetition and Variety
        • Follow the Chord Progressions
        • Follow the Form
        • Follow the Words
        • Write for a Specific Instrument or Voice
        • Be Unique
        • Learn More About Composing
    • Chapter Nine: Chords
      • Forming a Chord
      • Different Types of Chords
        • Major Chords
        • Minor Chords
        • Diminished Chords
        • Augmented Chords
      • Chord Extensions
        • Sevenths
        • Other Extensions
      • Altered, Suspended, and Power Chords
        • Altered Chords
        • Suspended Chords
        • Power Chords
      • Inverting the Order
      • Adding Chords to Your Music
      • The Complete Idiot’s Chord Reference
    • Chapter Ten: Chord Progressions
      • Chords for Each Note in the Scale
      • Creating a Progression
      • It’s All About Getting Home
      • One Good Chord Leads to Another
      • Ending a Phrase
        • Perfect Cadence
        • Plagal Cadence
        • Imperfect Cadence
        • Interrupted Cadence
      • Common Chord Progressions
        • I-IV
        • I-V
        • I-IV-V
        • I-IV-V-IV
        • I-V-vi-IV
        • I-ii-IV-V
        • I-ii-IV
        • I-vi-ii-V
        • I-vi-IV-V
        • I-vi-ii-V7-ii
        • IV-I-IV-V
        • ii-V-I
        • Circle of Fifths Progression
      • Singing the Blues
      • Chords and Melodies
        • Fitting Chords to a Melody
        • Writing a Melody to a Chord Progression
    • Chapter Eleven: Phrases and Form
      • Parts of a Song
        • Introduction
        • Verse
        • Chorus
        • Bridge
        • Instrumental Solo
        • Ending
      • Putting It All Together
      • Head Cases
      • Classical Music Forms
  • Part Four: Accompanying
    • Chapter Twelve: Transcribing What You Hear
      • Training Your Ear
      • Listening—Actively
      • Developing Superhearing
        • Hearing Pitch
        • Hearing Intervals
        • Hearing Rhythms
        • Hearing Melodies
        • Hearing Keys
        • Hearing Chords and Chord Progressions
      • Writing It All Down
    • Chapter Thirteen: Accompanying Melodies
      • What’s the Score?
        • Working from a Lead Sheet
        • Working from a Chord Sheet
        • Working from a Melody
        • Working from Nothing
      • Working the Form
      • Playing the Part
        • Block Chord Accompaniment
        • Rhythmic Accompaniment
        • Arpeggiated Accompaniment
        • Moving Bass
      • One Good Strum Deserves Another
    • Chapter Fourteen: Transposing to Other Keys
      • Move Your Notes Around
      • Why You Need to Transpose
      • Four Ways to Transpose
        • Step-Wise Transposition
        • Degree-Wise Transposition
        • Interval-Based Transposition
        • Software-Based Transposition
  • Part Five: Embellishing
    • Chapter Fifteen: Harmony and Counterpoint
      • Two Ways to Enhance a Melody
      • Living in Harmony
        • Voicing and Inversions
        • Making Harmony Parts More Melodic
        • Voice Leading
      • Making a Point—with Counterpoint
        • Creating Your First Counterpoint
      • What to Avoid
        • Avoid Extended Parallel Movement
        • Avoid Big Leaps
        • Avoid Dissonant Intervals—Unless They Resolve
    • Chapter Sixteen: Chord Substitutions and Turnarounds
      • Extending a Good Thing
      • Altering the Bass
      • Two Chords Are Better Than One
      • One Good Chord Can Replace Another
        • Diatonic Substitution
        • Major Chord Substitutions
        • Minor Chord Substitutions
        • Dominant Seventh Substitutions
        • Functional Substitutions
      • Turnarounds
    • Chapter Seventeen: Special Notation
      • Throwing a Curve
        • Ties
        • Slurs
        • Phrases
      • The Long and the Short of It
        • Tenuto
        • Staccato
      • When Is a Note More Than a Note?
        • Grace Notes
        • Turns
        • Trills
        • Glissandos
        • Arpeggiated Chords
      • Getting Into the Swing of Things
      • Getting the Word
  • Part Six: Arranging
    • Chapter Eighteen: Composing and Arranging for Voices and Instruments
      • Vocal Arranging
        • Voice Characteristics
        • Vocal Ranges
      • Instrumental Arranging
        • Instrument Characteristics
        • Transposition
        • Good Keys and Bad Keys
        • Instrumental Ranges
    • Chapter Nineteen: Lead Sheets and Scores
      • Follow the Rules
      • Take the Lead
      • Make It Simple
        • Chord Sheets
        • The Nashville Number System
      • Sing It Loud
      • Jazz It Up for Big Bands
      • Strike Up the (Concert) Band
      • Make the Big Score—for the Symphonic Orchestra
      • Use the Computer
    • Chapter Twenty: Performing Your Music
      • Preparing the Parts
      • Rehearsal Routines
      • How to Conduct Yourself
        • Conducting in Four
        • Conducting in Two
        • Conducting in Three
        • Finding the Beat
        • Practicing in the Real World
      • Coda
    • Appendix A: The Complete Idiot’s Music Glossary
    • Appendix B: The Complete Idiot’s Chord Reference
    • Appendix C: Answers to Chapter Exercises
    • Appendix D: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory, Second Edition, Ear Training Course CD
    • Index