The Complete Idiot''s Guide to Music Theory

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory
as a
means to jump-start the learning process for my students. Too often young
musicians and teachers alike approach music theory as a Very Hard Subject 
That Must Be Learned, instead of a set of liberating tools that makes one’s
music-making easier and better. However, this book makes learning theory fun!
Michael’s diagrams, language, and wit will often contain the bit of information
that enables the student to finally grasp the material at hand, oftentimes with an
accompanying smile at the author’s language and antics. Consequently, I’ve
often found that theory teachers at all levels will employ it for its numerous
strategies, often at a time when nothing else has conveyed the concept.
Beginning with the basic terminology and concepts, Michael invites the reader to
work through a course that eventually leads them to a point where they can use
the elements and concepts of music theory to improvise or compose whatever
kind of music they’ve heard in their heads, and then present it to the rest of us,
so we can perform it, too. Each chapter contains several individual nuggets of
information: clear explanations about notation, rhythm, melody, and harmony,
along with further chapters on counterpoint, form, score layout, and even re-
hearsal technique. Each chapter is filled with tips, often with just the right kind of
language or explanation to simply illuminate the trickiest of concepts. Each bit of
technical language that is presented is done so in a logical and straightforward
fashion, often humorously, helping the reader remember the concept more easily.
This edition has added more aural skills/ear training materials—probably the single
most 
important
skill musicians learn and continue to hone their entire lives.
Indeed, the chart that provides examples of all of the melodic intervals, based on a
number of famous melodies, is superb—invaluable to any musician! Additionally,
the accompanying compact disc provides a number of exercises: pitch recogni-
tion (often incorporating your instrument!), interval and chord identification,
rhythmic and melodic dictation, as well as some others. All these skills are valu-
able assets, and Michael ably sets you on the road to acquire them.
Making music seems to be a drive that’s inherent in all of us. We must have all of the
tools and knowledge of their use to musically reach out and express ourselves. 
The
Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory, Second Edition, 
is one of the first and best tools
in your musical toolbox. And you know what the song says: “If I had a hammer … ”
—Frank Felice, Ph.D, Associate Professor of Music Theory, Composition
and Electronic Music, Butler University (www.frank-felice.com)

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During the summer of 2001, I taught a class at the University of Indianapolis
for our School for Adult Learning. The class was Introduction to Music Theory
for Nonmusicians. The students would be 24 years old or older and have no
experience with music or performance other than their pleasure in listening. As
time for the class to begin neared, I felt uneasy about how I would approach
teaching and selecting a text. When the class began, I tried to cover the basics
of pitch and rhythm. But I soon realized that what I really needed to do was
start where the students were and with music with which they were familiar.
I also realized that everyone has music inside himself or herself. Music is in
time.
It is regular. It occurred to me that humans all walk 
in time.
We all speak
in time.
Our bodies have a natural rhythm. We only need to find out how to
take advantage of these abilities we all share.
We have all had the experience of playing something back on our internal tape
recorder. Everyone has a memory of some piece of music. I can close my eyes
and internally hear “Take Five,” the song that Michael mentions in Chapter 6. 
I first listened to it as a youngster. I still have it locked in my head. Everyone
can hear “Happy Birthday” internally. Mike will show how this trait will help
you to understand the theory of music.
Music theory is part of the written language of music. It is the written word of
this aural art, music. It is not something only intended for music students. We
don’t have to use it only to analyze a Bach fugue. It is a living part of all music.
I wish Michael’s book had been available for my class.
Music 
is
a language. It has its own vocabulary. I teach several classes in jazz the-
ory each year. One point I like to make to my students is that they need to have
the ability to communicate with the rest of the free world. This means using
the same nomenclature all musicians use. Michael has done an outstanding job
of teaching you to speak music as musicians speak it. He also has used several
styles of music to teach the language. This stuff is not just for academe.
I was excited to read Chapter 12, “Transcribing What You Hear.” Musicians would
agree that listening and practice are of equal importance. Step by step, Michael
leads you through all the basics you need to realize the music inside you. It
doesn’t matter if you like classical, jazz, rock, or any other genre of music. This
book will allow you to understand the principles by which music is organized.
This book is not just another music theory text. This is a book about the nuts and
bolts of the music language. The presentation of material in “learnable” chunks
allows you to understand everything about the language. He is right on with the
“Least You Need to Know” section of each chapter. The exercises at the end of
each chapter serve as meaningful and helpful ways to understanding by doing.
I am convinced this book will lead you to new abilities, understanding, and
enjoyment of music.
—Harry Miedema, Assistant Professor, Director, Jazz Studies, University
of Indianapolis

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Introduction
Or, Why You Need to Know a Little Theory
Back when I was in high school and college (a long time ago, and getting longer
every day), many, if not most, of my fellow students regarded music theory as
only slightly more fun than listening to paint dry. I didn’t share that opinion,
and still don’t; I think music theory is interesting and fun and an essential part
of any serious music education.
Still, if all you live for is to play your instrument (or to sing) 24 hours a day, tak-
ing time out from practicing to move a bunch of notes around on paper might
not be tremendously appealing. In fact, I believe introductory-level music the-
ory classes are the second most-skipped classes in college music schools, with
only music history classes being less well received. (Some enterprising soul is
bound to combine the two classes into a “Theory of Music History”—or “History
of Music Theory”—course, thus creating new levels of student apathy.)
I’m not sure why so many budding musicians are so down on theory. Maybe it’s
because of the way it’s presented. (Let’s face it: Some instructors can be fairly
boring when they present this material, and most music textbooks are stultify-
ingly dull.) Maybe it’s because of the way music theory resembles sentence dia-
gramming and other dreary grammar-related stuff. I don’t know; maybe to
some people, it just seems like a lot of work.
But the fact remains: Every musician needs to know some music theory.
That’s a bold statement, and one that you might take issue with. After all,
you’ve gotten this far in your music studies without knowing theory—why do
you need to start studying theory now?
Or perhaps you know of a famous musician who doesn’t know the least little bit
of music theory—and might not even know how to read music. If this person
became rich and famous without knowing the theory behind the music, why
should 
you 
have to learn that theory?
Music Theory Is Important
Famous musicians who don’t know how to read a note of music are the excep-
tion rather than the rule. Most musicians, if they want to communicate with
other musicians—to play in a band, or to teach them their songs—have to know
at least the basics about how music works. These basics—notes, chords, and so
on—are what we call music theory.
Notes and chords are the building blocks of the language of music. Music the-
ory defines the many different ways you can arrange those blocks into songs
and compositions. Without the theory, all you have is noise; applying music
theory, you can create great works of art.
Musicians apply music theory every time they sit down to play or sing—
whether they know it or not. When you read a piece of music, you’re using

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The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory, Second Edition
music theory. When you write down a series of notes, you’re using music the-
ory. When you play a chord, you’re using music theory. When you sing a har-
mony line, you’re using music theory.
Even those musicians who don’t have any formal training use music theory.
When they put their hands on the piano, they might not know that they’re
playing a major ninth chord with the fourth in the bass; they 
do
know that those
notes fit together well, even if they can’t tell you the strict chord construction.
Now, if they did have formal training, they could go beyond just playing the
notes to sharing those notes with others. Instead of pointing at their fingers and
saying “play this,” they could actually write their notes and chords down on
paper, in a format universally understood by musicians the world over. After all,
it’s a lot easier to tell someone to play a CM9/F chord than it is to say “put your
first finger here, and your second finger here,” and so on.
The knowledge of how different notes work together also helps you expand on
the simple melodies you’re currently playing. When you know theory, you
know how to accompany a melody with chords and how to voice those chords
so that they sound good to your ears. You also can learn how to turn that simple
melody into a full-blown arrangement for groups of voices and instruments, and
how to create your own melodies and compositions.
Without a knowledge of basic music theory, you won’t be able to fully express
your musical ideas; nor will you be able to share those ideas with others.
Music Theory Is Useful
Of course, it isn’t just professional musicians who need to know theory. Even if
you’re just doing it for your own personal enjoyment, a knowledge of theory
will help you better appreciate the music you play or sing.
Here’s a good example: Let’s say you’re helping out at your daughter’s school
and someone, knowing that you’re a musician, asks you to work up an arrange-
ment of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” for the upcoming school pageant. There
are two girls and one boy in the class who sing pretty well, and another boy
who knows how to play trumpet. You’ll accompany them on guitar.
This doesn’t sound like a tall order, but it’s one that requires a lot of theory to
complete. First of all, you need to know how to read and write music—which
includes the knowledge of clefs and keys and time signatures. Then you need to
know about chords and chord progressions, and how to create harmonies and
counterpoint. You also need to know how to arrange music for different voices
and instruments, and even how to transpose music from one key to another.
(That’s because the trumpet reads music in a different key from everybody else.)
You see the problem. If you don’t know your theory, you won’t be able to com-
plete this rather simple assignment. It’s as simple as that.
When you know the theory behind the music, playing and singing gets a lot more
interesting. With a little grounding in theory, it’s easier to understand why some
melodies are more appealing than others, and why certain chord progressions
work better with certain melodies. You’ll see how harmony works, which will
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Introduction
really help if you’re singing background or accompanying someone on piano or
guitar. You’ll even be able to arrange music for your choir or band, or to create
your own compositions.
And here’s the neat part: Music theory isn’t hard. Once you learn the basic notes
and scales, the rest falls together fairly easily. After all, a chord is just three
notes put together. That’s all—just three notes. And a song is nothing more
than a few chords strung together in a series, along with a melody—which is
just a series of notes all in a row. Figuring out what goes where (and which
notes sound good together) is what theory is all about.
Music Theory Is for Nonmusicians
Music theory isn’t just for musicians, either. There are a lot of listeners out
there who are curious about how music is created. Just what makes a particular
song so special? Why does some music sound uplifting, and other music sound
sad? And just what are your musician friends talking about when they say things
like “cool changes” or “take this up a third”? 
You don’t have to be a music student to be interested in how music works—just
as you don’t have to have a literature degree to be interested in how words and
sentences fit together. Basic music theory is for anyone who is interested in music;
the more you know, the more you can appreciate the music that you listen to.
Music Theory and Me
There are many different ways to learn music theory. Your school might have
music theory classes you can take. Your music teacher also might teach a little
theory, or know a private teacher you can study with. Or you can learn theory
the way I did: by yourself, from a book.
I taught myself music theory back when I was in eighth grade. My junior high
school had the usual general music classes, as well as choir and band, but didn’t
have any theory classes. So, because I wanted to arrange some tunes for a band
I was in, I had to teach myself the theory behind the arranging.
My theory education came from a lot of trial and error, and from two books:
Dick Grove’s