Short theory lesson

[Hels]

Here is a little theory stuff for those of you interested. Although music "theory" was derived from Bach's music it can be applied to explaining/communicating jsut about any musical ideas.

Here's the basics:

In C major there is 7 notes (C D E F G A B, all the white keys on a piano).

If you are playing in a key of C major (no sharps or flats, ie, all white keys) the chords then are:

C major, D minor, E minor, F major, G major, A minor, and B diminished

All chords (at this point in theory) are built on thirds (every other note).

So the first chord (C major) contains the notes C E and G, and D minor contains D F and A. Their "flavor" (major, minor, etc.) are determined by the intervals they are built in. (This is where it's going to get weird for those of you with little theory experience)

A major chord is built like so: Major 3rd and a minor 3rd stacked on eachother (C to E is a major 3rd, E to G is a minor 3rd)

Minor chord: Minor 3rd, major 3rd

Diminished chord: Minor 3rd, minor 3rd

Augmented: Major 3rd, major 3rd.

A major chord is designated by a capitalized alphabet numeral thing (I, II, III, etc.)

Minor chords are lower-case (i, ii, iii),

Dim chords are lower with a "º" at the end (viiº, iiº, etc.)

And aug chords are designated by a capitalized letter and a "+" (VII+, IV+).

So anyway...further on with the theory stuff.

In any key there is seven chords based on the seven notes in the key's scale.

In a major key they are: I ii iii IV V vi viiº (look at the C major chords for example)

In a minor key they are: i iiº III iv V VI VII

(There are only major and minor keys for those of you who don't know)...

God damn this is confusing me now...

Agh so anyway I totally forgot my point really haha but in Bach's day a basic chord progression would be I IV V I (that's sort of like THE progression)

Also I ii V I was quite popular as well as I vi ii V I...

Anyway you get the idea, hopefully you can figure that out! It doesn't wholly apply to trance (not at this point anyway) but if you experiment you should get the idea.

Of course this is like the first 3 days of a theory class haha there's really much more to it.

If you have questions email me or I'll just check back here.

Later

Hels (that was fuckin long, I hope someone cares!)

[Guest etherdesign]

So in a basic sense you are promoting the death of real muisc by turning it into a mathematical and ordered equation.. theory is nice, but it is also crap.. it's a good guideline, but to follow it to a T you are best off recording your bowel movements to DAT.. I agree theroy is helpful.. but windchimes and winbells are beyond theory.. and when was the last time you have heard someting as beautiful as windchimes/windbells.. they are chaos in music, and is nautal chaos.. the wind making love to the medium of wood.. this is like the mind of the enlightened, it is moved by spirit, natural movement.. the wind in the case of humanity is the emotion of self or of the other.. they are the same but a re percieved differently.. and thus translated differently. just LISTEN.. and then UNDERSTAND..

[Guest Inukko]

I care...

 

Learn the rules, so you know how

to break them properly.

[Guest Slidingtrancer]

I agree to full extent with Inukko

[Hels]

I think you misinterpret my use of theory

I use it not for composition, but for communication!

[Guest Elysium Project]

Inukko take it from a person that have studied classical and jazz on the danish music conservatory.... musical rules are indeed crap and keep people in boxes that they can't break free from. I did not see any individuality and all the students became exactly like the rest of the graduates.....living machines that did not even know how to compose their own music.

[shpongled]

I think it's not coincidence that today psytrance is so minimal... meny people have access to cheap gear and "free" software but these people don't know much about music theory (like me)... they use much time learning to produce (learn using gear, software, eq, compression etc...). Minimal music sounds very cool.. but try to make a melodic track with a chord progression that doesn't sound cheesy.

[Guest Andreas of Amygdala]

Inukko, you've taken the words out of my mouth - hope you don't mind me quoting you!

I made music before and after I learned theory, and the theory really paid off. Before, I was more "intuitive" which is nice - but I was also completely unable to reproduce ideas in my head, and inspiration I picked up. That was a bit annoying...

 

Elysium, what conservatory did you go to? Just to assure you, I think you are right too - but the theory that you learn in conservatories are so advanced and complex, that you have to devote cempletely to it, and that's the mistake, in my eyes (ears...?) - if you are VERY good at it (I'm talking Beethoven-good-at-it... Genius that is...) then you should be able to rise above the schematic approaches to it, and use it instead of inhibite yourself by it...

So to summarize, I think musical theory is great, but only to a certain (and quite limited) extent...

[Guest Elysium Project]

I went to The Royal Danish Conservatory in Copenhagen for 4 years (when I was a teenager). I agree with you Andreas but unfortinently most of the musicians seem like puppets that only know how to play what other people tell them to...and they way other people tell them...(like the conductors ect) some of the best non-classical music that has been written (beatles ect) by people without any knowledege about techniques and nodes.

[Hels]

That's what you're SUPPOSED to do in a conservatory. You learn other peoples music for technique and insight into their writing, among other things. Not "because someone tells you to".

[Guest Elysium Project]

Hels I think you have lost the plot here.. I do not say that they shouldn't learn about other people's works and study their techniques. I am merely pointing out that it's not always the educated and skilled musicians that make the good music!

[Guest Jeff]

I appreciate the effort Hels.

 

Was it you also who wrote this post a few days ago :

 

"From what I've seen it's mostly derivatives of the phrygian and harmonic minor scales.

Phrygian:

1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 (C Db Eb F G Ab Bb)

 

Here's the one I've see the most for that "typical goa" sound which is a mode of harmonic minor:

Phrygian #3:

1 b2 3 4 5 b6 b7 (C Db E F G Ab Bb)

 

Pretty much any scale with a b2 in it works well for goa because those scales cater well to Neopolitan chords (major b2 chord or Db major in a C key). Phrygian #3 scale is cool cause it has a b2 to natural 3 which lends it self to many cool harmonic possibilities."

 

On thinking it over, it should have been someone else. BTW, to what extent is this piece of Phrygian #3 theory true ?

 

J.

[Guest Andreas of Amygdala]

Couldn't agree more Elysium, but there still are the mandatory examples of classical educated musicians who still manages to reach the depth of innovation and does what is defintetly not "supposed" - I don't actually have to mention Simon Posford, do I? Safri Duo was (in the good old days, before teaming up with some pop-producer) also very innovative, and did some very unexpected work on some classical pieces, and wrote some odd ones too...

 

So it can be done - but far to often it isn't. I'm getting really tired of some of my friends who studys at that conservatory in Århus and Silkeborg - they're jazz-freaks leaning and almost depending on the book of standards, and they're really losing the sence of creation and personal expression - exactly like you say, human machines... How sad...

 

Elysium, you must be kind of and "able" musician then...? What instruments do you play? And did you finish the conservatory-education? I once thought of enrolling, buuut - I don't think my skills would apply... So here I am with my computer and synth, having the time of my life

[Guest Elysium Project]

Well I was called very tallented as a kid but I am pretty sure that I have lost most of it today :-)

 

My main instrument is the keyboard or at that time the piano :-) I actually did not finish my education (need 3 more years) because I was a rebel and gave some of the teatchers grey hair :-).

I decided to go my own way and played in a "New Wave" band for 5 years.....that was for me much more educating and indeed much more fun than the traditional and very conservative classical world.

 

Yes I know that Safri Duo have done many unexpected things but they are indeed the exception in the danish calssical world. They are also very tired of the snoppy and conservative music world and love what they do today...I can't blaim them.

[Guest bugbread]

Umm...Why are people making the assumption that in order to "break the rules" we must first know the rules of western music? What about all the other music theory from all of the other musical traditions in the world? Pentatonic scales? C'mon, the idea that the ability to make good music is based on knowledge of traditional European music theory seems remarkably small-minded.

[Guest Elysium Project]

100% agreed bugbread

[shpongled]

Well.. I want to learn some music theory from all over the world not just western music... I think it's not going to do any harm to me.. I'm doing this by my own and not in school.. so it's still pretty experimental.

[Hels]

Agh! Everyone thinks music theory is just for writing music! I've never used it for writing pieces (outside of my theory classes), I use it for communication purposes mainly. For instance it's much easier to talk about altered tones and thirds and whatever than to say "Yea I like THIS!"

Also it's opened me up a lot to things I didn't know existed (in my own music that is) like motivic development and certain types of voicings...

I think a good way to explain it is this: in my studies I asked my private teacher which is the best way to practice and showed him a few ways and he replied "Practice them all", that's sort of the concept here I think too. Why only learn by ear? Or only by books? Why not both?

Hah I hope that made sense

and

Jeff: Yes I did say that about the phyrigian #3 scale and I hope it's true or else I'm a liar!