Can I Learn Music Theory On My Own

Music theory tells you how music works.

It's the structure underneath the songs you love that explains how they do what they practise.

But music theory tin can also show yous the way forrard.

Learning theory is an essential role of your musical development.

Getting started with music theory can be intimidating at beginning. In that location's so much out there that it'due south hard to know where to starting time.

We put together the ultimate guide to starting time learning music theory so you can easily grasp the fundamentals and beginning applying them to your music right away.

Getting started
Rudiments
Note
Chords
Scales
Keys
Rhythm
Theory Exercises

What is music theory?

Music theory is how musicians explicate and draw the phenomena heard in a musical composition.

Music theory defines the cadre aspects of music and provides a system for musicians to communicate their ideas to i another.

Use the navigation bar on the left to explore the core concepts of music theory.

Why should you learn music theory?

Music theory may seem like a stuffy academic exercise that turns making music into a crossword puzzle.

Nothing could be further from the truth. All musicians can do good from learning some aspects of music theory.

Understanding music theory concepts is the key to progressing on your instrument, writing improve songs and breaking through creative blocks.

The practiced news is that you don't need an expensive teacher or classical conservatory to learn it.

You can selection upwardly the of import parts of music theory past learning on your own and applying the concepts to your everyday music exercise.

In this article I'll comprehend the basic elements of music theory and provide some resources to get-go your journey learning music theory concepts.

1. Getting started with the basics of music

The best place to start with music theory is the accented basics.

I'm talking nigh the primary edifice blocks that every musical limerick has in mutual.

These are the music theory concepts you tin probably grasp intuitively—fifty-fifty if you don't know what they're chosen.

The fundamentals at the core of music theory are:

Melody
Harmony
Rhythm

Use these posts to become started analyzing these concepts or give yourself a refresher on what they mean in a music theory context.

2. The rudiments of music theory

Your next steps in music theory start with rudiments.

"Rudiments" is a give-and-take that might feel heavy with associations from formal music education, but don't let it scare you.

Rudiments are music theory in practice—they're the theory behind the musical gestures you use everyday, no affair what musical instrument you lot play.

The rudiments of music theory are:

Scales
Chords
Keys
Note

Each one is a consummate subject with important subtopics to explore if your goal is to write amend songs.

I'll go through each of them in detail elsewhere in this article, but if yous need to beginning on the ground floor, hither are introductory guides to each concept.

3. Reading music notation

Music notation is how you analyze music theory concepts. Agreement how the language of music is written provides the foundation for growing your theory knowledge.

Even if y'all never play or perform music from a written score, the manner music is represented on a page helps y'all connect the dots between what you hear and what you play.

Developing that connexion is how you shorten the time information technology takes to bring your ideas from your imagination into your tracks.

Whether y'all want to write downward your ideas, play sail music, or simply understand what's going on in a song, reading music is one of the best ways to work on music theory.

Every element of musical notation was developed to assist you make sense of what you hear.

Keep that in mind as you acquire the written language of music—without it musicians would struggle to communicate their ideas!

Hither's a drove of resources to get started reading and writing music.

4. Chords are how notes work together

Once you lot take the footing for building theory knowledge, you can swoop into the pillars of musical practice.

Chords are the individual units of harmony. They occur whenever groups of consonant pitches are sounded together.

The relationship between the pitch of two tones is known as an interval. The type of intervals independent inside a chord determine its chord quality.

You might already be familiar with major and minor—the two basic chord qualities. But there's much more to discover.

The way the pitches combine within the structure of a chord and the way unlike chords collaborate with ane some other are defining parts of a song's identity.

Putting chords together in sequences is ane of the basic parts of songwriting. A musically pleasing sequence of chords is chosen a chord progression.

Learning how to build individual chords and adjust them together is a skill yous can improve by learning music theory.

To practise it well you'll have to larn several concepts that deal with chords.

Our chord resource cover everything from building bones chord shapes and getting started with chord progressions to adding richness and composure with extended chords.

5. Scales are the basis for any melody

Scales are the next major rudiment in music.

Scales are the raw material for melodies. Any melodic musical passage with a singable tune relies on a calibration for its course.

A scale is a sequential collection of notes with a specific pattern of tones and semitones.

This pattern determines the sound of the scale and the way information technology'southward used in songs.

Different scales bring dissimilar moods, emotions and characteristics to a piece—and allow for different melodic possibilities.

The two basic scales are the major and minor, The major calibration follows the pattern tone-tone-semitone-tone-tone-tone-semitone.

The minor calibration follows the blueprint tone-semitone-tone-tone-semitone-tone-tone.

But that'southward merely the start. There are plenty of different scales out there, each with its own unique melodic signature.

Scales take only as big an bear on as chords when it comes to forming a song's sonic identity.

Scales and chords are the main rudiments you need to empathize to start making music.

We go through the nigh useful types of scales and how to utilize them in our series of articles on scales.

half-dozen. Keys and key signatures in music

A musical fundamental defines the grouping of pitches that volition be used in a musical limerick.

It sets the pattern that makes upwardly the chief major or pocket-size scale and harmonic "home" of the vocal.

The primal of a slice of music is determined by a set of sharps or flats (accidentals) called a cardinal signature.

A key signature appears at the starting time of a line of music to indicate which notes must be altered from their original state to fit the key.

Keys are the harmonic and melodic context for the activeness in a vocal, they provide a template that helps musicians know what notes to play when playing with each other.

A song may start and ane key and end in another, or visit a dissimilar cardinal before returning. This is known as a primal change.

You can identify the name and root note of key by post-obit the pattern of sharps and flats outlined in the circle of fifths.

We've put together step by step guides for identifying the key of a piece of sheet music, observe your own song's key or even finding the key of an individual sample.

vii. Rhythm is the pulse of a song

Rhythm is a basic aspect of music and a deep bailiwick in its own right.

We covered the basics extensively in our overview, but information technology's worth paying more attention to rhythm since it's such a major element of modern music.

Groove and feel can get you lot a long fashion, but a solid understanding of rhythm can take you to new places.

Beats are just rhythms represented in the piano roll in your DAW. If you don't know how to conform a rhythm in your DAW, here's a guide to making your first beat.

You tin can fifty-fifty bring dorsum some of the human experience in a rhythm using DAW swing.

Standard direct rhythms are the ground for nigh beats and grooves, but polyrhythms are how you lot take your rhythmic sense to next level.

Polyrhythms are hybrid grooves that combine different rhythmic patterns together.

It seems complicated at first, but our in-depth explanation makes information technology like shooting fish in a barrel to bring polyrhythms into your songwriting.

8. Music theory exercises

Once you lot've taken your first steps with these main elements of music theory, you'll need to work with them to internalize the information.

I'm non talking virtually endless repetitive exercises to build muscle memory.

There are enough of ways to practice music theory that relate directly to creating music. You may be surprised how much some of these tin help you.

Here are our best strategies for bringing music theory into your workflow in a manner that stimulates creativity and helps you learn along the manner

improvise on your instrument

Theory of everything

Learning music theory is your gateway to growth equally a musician. It may seem dry and technical, just the benefits are worth information technology if you lot desire to make better music.

In one case you get started you'll find at that place's nix to be afraid of. Use this guide to begin your journey with music theory.