Music Theory 101 - Arts School Preparation

Music theory is the study of the fundamental principles and practices of music, focusing on how music works and why it sounds the way it does. It explores the structure, elements, and relationships within music, providing a framework for understanding, analyzing, and creating it. Here are the key components of music theory:
1. Elements of Music
• Pitch: The highness or lowness of a sound.
• Rhythm: The timing of notes and beats in a piece.
• Melody: A sequence of notes perceived as a single entity.
• Harmony: The combination of notes played simultaneously to create chords.
• Dynamics: The volume or intensity of music.
• Timbre: The unique tone quality or color of a sound.
• Form: The structure or organization of a musical piece.
2. Key Concepts
• Scales: Ordered sequences of notes (e.g., major, minor, pentatonic).
• Chords: Groups of notes played together (e.g., triads, seventh chords).
• Intervals: The distance between two notes.
• Key and Tonality: The “home” note or scale of a piece.
• Notation: The system for writing music (staff, clefs, notes, rhythms).
• Time Signatures: Indicate the number of beats per measure and the note value of each beat.
3. Why Study Music Theory?
• Understanding Music: Helps you analyze and appreciate music more deeply.
• Composing and Improvising: Provides tools for creating original music.
• Performing: Enhances interpretation and communication of music.
• Collaboration: Facilitates working with other musicians by speaking a common “language.”
Would you like help diving into a specific area of music theory?