Music really has a whole lot of depth behind then what it seems. Most people listen to music without really considering how it was formed, or why certain notes are placed in a certain way. I was one of those people, and even worse for me, I played music without understanding it. But in high school, I took an AP Music Theory class, which really helped me see music in a totally different light.
I’ll try to explain how there is some logic behind all types of music, from movie music, electronic music, popular music, virtually all kinds of music.
As some may know, there are 7 notes that are primarily used in music: C,D,E,F,G,A,B. After B is a C, and the process repeats and repeats. When a composer creates a song, he or she usually sets it in a key, which is a group of notes that belong to that specific key. An example of this is the C Major Key, which consists of C,D,E,F,G,A,B, or the F Major Key, which consists of F,G,A,B flat (the note a half step below B), C,D,E.
The I (one) chord, known as the tonic, is created by three notes that start with the first degree of the key, all with 3 half steps in between each note. So for the C major key, the I chord is C,E,G, and for the F major key, the I chord is F,A,C. The tonic chord is usually known as the chord of resolution and grounding.
The V (five chord), known as the dominant, is created by three notes that start with the fifth degree of the key, with each note having three half steps in between. So for C major key, the V chord is G,B,D, and for the F major key, the V chord is D,F,A. The dominant chord is usually know as the chord of tension and drama.
Most composers create music that revolve between the I and V chord, between the resolution and the tension. That’s how the basis of music is formed! I’d love to tell you more about different kind of chords and such, but I’d end up writing an essay or a book by that point.
I absolutely loved reading about this. Music theory has always interested me and I have taken many courses in this subject. I find the way that notes are laid out on page truly beautiful. The amount of thinking and math that goes into writing one note is very interesting. Most people think that composers just put down notes that happen to sound good together, but most fail to think about the “science” behind it.
Hey Stephen,
Music Theory has always been a subject that I have found very interesting as well. In my high school I was part of the orchestra where my teacher stressed for us to understand the music before we attempted to play it. In understanding it we were not only told to look and understand our parts but the entire composition focusing in on each individual instrument’s parts. Each instrument was made to play in harmony and compliment the other instruments such as the violin and cello both of which play at higher registers compared to their respective counterparts being the viola and base. Really neat post Stephen, and knowing your interest in classical music it would be a great topic for you to look into more.
I find it quite sad, knowing that my foundation in music theory is really weak. I started off learning the guitar but tried to avoid music theory as much as possible because I simply could not understand it at the time. However, I came to understand that not knowing the music theory behind music actually weighs me down when I am trying to learn something. I had always avoided theory as a child because I wanted to play songs right off the bat, but I came to face the truth. Though I still lack a great deal, it is a subject matter that I am interested in and want to learn as well. Thanks for the post.