Music Theory

Music and art are hard to classify. Does music have to conform to a set of expectations or criteria? Are whale songs music? What about trees rustling and cars driving by an open window? In many ways, music is in the ear of the beholder. Academics and researchers, however, have spent a lot of time…

Although there are some situations in which you don’t need to know what key a song is in, there are many others in which it’s beneficial and even critical to know. If you’ve been called upon to improvise on stage, for instance, and you don’t know what key the song is in (and no one…

If you’ve covered the basics of music theory, then you’ve probably heard about the 12-tone Western music scale. Perhaps you’ve also learned that there is something called intervals, which refers to the difference in pitch between two sounds. If you haven’t, don’t worry – you don’t need to understand intervals to understand octaves. Here are…

You may have heard the term “timbre” being used in musical conversations. It could have popped up in a method book, magazine or even in a YouTube video. It’s possible it left you scratching your head wondering what it is. That’s because there’s a term that commonly gets used in its place these days, which…

The circle of fourths is one of the most valuable music theory tools there is. It explains the basics of music from top to bottom. There is more advanced theory, of course, and you can go much deeper into any area of music theory you want to. But it will equip you with the foundation,…

Ever wondered how the circle of fifths works? Well today I’m going to reveal all! Music theory can sometimes seem confusing, as there’s a lot to learn. But there are certain building blocks that can quickly open a new world to you. The circle of fifths is a great example. Once you understand what it…