Ask a Music Theory Guru Anything

  On 2/5/2010 at 1:34 AM, analogue wings said:

  On 2/5/2010 at 12:32 AM, wahrk said:

  On 2/5/2010 at 12:23 AM, analogue wings said:

I'm thinking about signing up to a forum that has been around for 11 years and has 7000+ members and then acting like I know more than anyone else on there. Any tips?

 

Put your points into charisma and watch out for bears.

 

Whoops I seem to have failed my "be tolerant of n00bs" saving throw. I meant to say "read the rules"

Boring

  On 2/5/2010 at 1:27 AM, placidburp said:

Can we hear some of your music?

Threw my SoundCloud into my sig. My band's album is at the mastering stage and my album is in the writing stages.

  On 2/5/2010 at 1:47 AM, wahrk said:

  On 2/5/2010 at 1:27 AM, placidburp said:

Can we hear some of your music?

 

Threw my SoundCloud into my sig. My band's album is at the mastering stage and my album is in the writing stages.

Wow, nice track man! Sounds brilliant, would love to hear more. Feel free to join the watmm sc group if you like - http://soundcloud.com/groups/watmm

  On 2/5/2010 at 1:53 AM, placidburp said:

  On 2/5/2010 at 1:47 AM, wahrk said:

  On 2/5/2010 at 1:27 AM, placidburp said:

Can we hear some of your music?

 

Threw my SoundCloud into my sig. My band's album is at the mastering stage and my album is in the writing stages.

 

Wow, nice track man! Sounds brilliant, would love to hear more. Feel free to join the watmm sc group if you like - http://soundcloud.com/groups/watmm

Thanks man. Glad you like it. I've got more in the works and I'll be sure to put them up as I finish them. The finished album will be going on bandcamp as well.

Definitely joining the group as well.

Come up with a synthetic mode that goes along with my syncopated phrygian sequence. It must start on the augmented note, and be played as 16ths, ending short of the full scale. The 6th note of my sequence can not be flattened. Everything must be played over Em and your synthetic mode may not be a minor triad.

You are not allowed to use google as an aide. No I will not post an audio sample, you should be able to do this without hearing it.

cool song wahrk

I only took a year of theory but I played trumpet for 7 years so I know how to read and write

I did read this entire thread and found it interesting

I'm also glad there is some serious (technical) musical discussion to be found around here

  On 2/5/2010 at 2:04 AM, wahrk said:

  On 2/5/2010 at 1:53 AM, placidburp said:

  On 2/5/2010 at 1:47 AM, wahrk said:

  On 2/5/2010 at 1:27 AM, placidburp said:

Can we hear some of your music?

 

Threw my SoundCloud into my sig. My band's album is at the mastering stage and my album is in the writing stages.

 

Wow, nice track man! Sounds brilliant, would love to hear more. Feel free to join the watmm sc group if you like - http://soundcloud.com/groups/watmm

 

Thanks man. Glad you like it. I've got more in the works and I'll be sure to put them up as I finish them. The finished album will be going on bandcamp as well.

 

Definitely joining the group as well.

I would've changed the synth in the beginning.

And maybe manipulate the sound of the amen a bit.

But other than that it's not bad. Your violin work is nice.

Why is the tb-303 so awesome? Don't answer I already know.

  On 2/5/2010 at 3:19 AM, Glass Plate said:

Why is the tb-303 so awesomeoverused? Don't answer I already know.

YEAH I SAID IT

  On 2/5/2010 at 3:52 AM, bigs said:

  On 2/5/2010 at 3:19 AM, Glass Plate said:

Why is the tb-303 so awesomeoverused? Don't answer I already know.

 

YEAH I SAID IT

if you have to be a dick...

  On 2/5/2010 at 3:52 AM, bigs said:

  On 2/5/2010 at 3:19 AM, Glass Plate said:

Why is the tb-303 so awesomeoverused? Don't answer I already know.

 

YEAH I SAID IT

  On 2/5/2010 at 2:21 AM, Brandi_B said:

Come up with a synthetic mode that goes along with my syncopated phrygian sequence. It must start on the augmented note, and be played as 16ths, ending short of the full scale. The 6th note of my sequence can not be flattened. Everything must be played over Em and your synthetic mode may not be a minor triad.

 

You are not allowed to use google as an aide. No I will not post an audio sample, you should be able to do this without hearing it.

Here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR5Dfu0707o

  On 2/5/2010 at 4:19 AM, Jonas said:

Let me use this opportunity to say: fuck the chromatic scale in the poo-poo.

Nah dude. The chromatic scale is the scale from which everything is built. Though it is pretty lame to play a straight chromatic run, chromatic alterations are what drive some of the coolest chord progressions. For example: Em F C B7 (F does not occur in the key of E minor. It is what you call a Neapolitan chord.).

i read the 1st page and this page and it seemed ok. So i'll ask:

could you give me a few if not all the cadences and a 1 or 2 word explanation of what they sound like.

If not just tell me I'm too drunk.

I'm only halfway serious when I ask you for a harmonic analysis of 'The Rite of Spring' up to the 'Augurs of Spring'. Don't feel compelled to follow through. It just speaks to me in a way that very few pieces ever have. It seems almost effortless how the consonant the harmony is while still avoiding certain harmonic traditions.

I'm curious, which artist or what piece do you find especially amazing harmonically? I'm always looking for stuff I may not have heard before.

  On 2/5/2010 at 5:39 AM, chassis said:

i read the 1st page and this page and it seemed ok. So i'll ask:

could you give me a few if not all the cadences and a 1 or 2 word explanation of what they sound like.

If not just tell me I'm too drunk.

-Authentic Cadence: V -> I (Perfect Authentic Cadence: V -> I with both in root position and Do in the soprano on the I)

You've put your foot down. I'm damn sure you're in this key now.

-Half Cadence: anything -> V (Phrygian Half Cadence: iv6 -> V in a minor key)

Build of tension before resolution. I want to hear a I now.

-Deceptive Cadence: V -> anything other than I (usually vi)

Oh shit! I thought you were gonna go to I, but you didn't! Often dark sounding.

-Plagal Cadence: IV -> I

The amen (not the break) at the end of the hymn. Often found in folk and pop.

  On 2/5/2010 at 6:16 AM, Wall Bird said:

I'm only halfway serious when I ask you for a harmonic analysis of 'The Rite of Spring' up to the 'Augurs of Spring'. Don't feel compelled to follow through. It just speaks to me in a way that very few pieces ever have. It seems almost effortless how the consonant the harmony is while still avoiding certain harmonic traditions.

 

I'm curious, which artist or what piece do you find especially amazing harmonically? I'm always looking for stuff I may not have heard before.

The Rite of Spring actually has a chord in it named specifically for it, as it either first appeared in or was made known because of the ballet. The Rite of Spring chord. I don't recall what intervals it's comprised of, but I'm sure Google could tell you.

I'm all about new music and where music is going, so I'm not much up on my older material, but a modern band that really blows my mind is Anathallo. Check 'em out.

Explain me Fletcher-Munson curves and how I can use them to drown out my annoying neighbours when they're having loud sex upstairs when I'm trying to work on my choons. Thanks.

does knowing music theory make any appreciable difference when writing 300bpm gabber?

  On 2/5/2010 at 12:13 PM, Masonic Boom said:

Explain me Fletcher-Munson curves and how I can use them to drown out my annoying neighbours when they're having loud sex upstairs when I'm trying to work on my choons. Thanks.

Cock Blocking 101

  Quote

Why does a major chord sound bright and a minor chord sound dark? We don't really know.

wrong. the harmonics in a C note are multiples of the frequencies of the root, third and fifth intervals of a major C chord. the minor third brings a very subtle dissonance to those harmonics

this is the most annoying thread i have had the misfortune of browsing in the past 9 - 12 months

  On 2/5/2010 at 12:47 PM, BCM said:

does knowing music theory make any appreciable difference when writing 300bpm gabber?

Got any links?

  On 2/5/2010 at 5:56 PM, danknugz said:

this is the most annoying thread i have had the misfortune of browsing in the past 9 - 12 months

pot/kettle etc

  On 2/5/2010 at 4:05 AM, analogue wings said:

if you have to be a dick...

hahaha touche.

EDITZ: in my defense, it was in good fun (though i must say i do believe it to be the case)

  On 2/5/2010 at 6:43 PM, sneaksta303 said:

  On 2/5/2010 at 5:56 PM, danknugz said:

this is the most annoying thread i have had the misfortune of browsing in the past 9 - 12 months

 

pot/kettle etc

hey man way to utilize that trend from 08-09, creative ways of saying "pot calling the kettle black" but not actually saying it. super cool, do you ahve any good tracks that you actually made yourself?

if a technical discussion about music theory annoys you then GTFO

no one asked for your opinion