Basics of music theory

"Music theory is becoming an increasingly rare skill for many songwriters and producers these days", the older generation is often heard to say. Music theory is a piece of cake for some music makers while others feel it is like trying to learn quantum physics. There are many degrees of music theory, but learning the basics is enough to noticeably improve the flow of the songwriting process. Below, we'll go over the basics of music theory, and provide some exercises and tips for those who want to get better at it.

Major and minor - what's the difference?

Basically, a major chord sounds smooth and happy compared to a minor chord. A major chord has 4 half steps between the "root" (first note from the left) and the "third" (second note), and 3 half steps to the third note.

A minor chord, on the other hand, sounds more dramatic and sad. Here you only have 3 half steps between the first and the second note, and 4 half steps to the third note.

Scales and keys

There are an infinite number of scales in music, but Western pop music almost exclusively uses two different scales: the major and minor scales. To try out what a major scale sounds like, try pressing the note C on a piano. Then play only the white keys up to the next C on the keyboard. You will have played a C major scale. A scale can give an indication of what key you are in. In this case, you are in C major.

To play a minor scale, stand on the note A and do the same procedure, only play white keys up to the next A. Now you have played an A minor scale and are in A minor. All different scales give different feelings to the listener, so it can be useful to know which scale you want to use in a song.

Tip: Want to learn more? Visit these two links:

http://musikteori.se/?page=kapitel&kap=kap4

http://musikteori.se/?page=kapitel&kap=kap7

Taktarter

Almost all music is made up of time signatures. A time signature determines how many beats can be played in a given period of time. All songs in popular music have their own beats per minute (BPM). A song's BPM is the song's own tempo or clock, and each bar contains a specific number of beats. For example, you might see at the beginning of a staff: "4/4". This means that there are four quarter notes in a bar. It may also say, for example, "6/8". This means that there are six eighth notes in a bar.

There is a lot to learn in music theory that can be very useful for both writers and producers. Because the subject is so vast, it can feel like an overwhelming project, so one tip is to go to www.musikteori.se and read up on the basics. They also have a lot of quizzes that can make the learning process more fun.