For years I've been teaching Music Theory in the college classroom. These classes I'm making for Slam Academy use the same syllabus I've used in my college classes for years, at a fraction of the cost. I believe anyone can learn Music Theory - and cost shouldn't be a barrier.
Recently I was named as a semifinalist for the Grammy Foundation's Music Educator of the Year award because of my in-person university classes. Now I'm taking those classes to Udemy in an online format in order to reach more students and give them the joy of Music Theory.
My approach to music theory is to minimize the memorization. Most of these concepts you can learn by just understanding why chords behave in certain ways. Once you understand those concepts, you can find any scale, key, or chord that exists. Even invent your own.
This class is a Comprehensive class - it will have many parts, going through my entire annual curriculum.
This class is Part 3: Minor Keys, The Circle of Fifths, and Compound Meters.
Throughout this class, I'll be providing you with many worksheets for you to practice the concepts on. If you get stuck, you can review the videos or post a question, and I'll back to it as fast as possible. Also in this class, I have several complete analysis projects that we will complete together - just like in my college classes.
What will I learn in this Course?
- My approach to Music Theory
- Tools you will need to learn Music Theory quickly and efficiently
- Key Signatures
- Diatonic Chord Progressions
- Tendency Chords
- Using the Circle of Fifths for Songwriting and Composition
- Borrowing from Closely Related Keys
- Scale Degree Names
- Tendency Tones
- Compound Meters
- Compound Meter Signatures
- Reading and Writing Compound Meters
- Triplets, dubplets, and Quadruplets
- Finding Minor keys by alternations to Major
- Patterns in Minor keys
- Relative Minor keys
- Parallel Minor keys
- Minor keys in the Circle of Fifths
- Using Minor Keys for Songwriting and Composition
- Diatonic Chord Progressions in Minor
- The V Chord and Minor and the Leading Tone Problem
- Harmonic Minor Scales
- Melodic Minor Scales
- ...and much, much more!
REGISTER FOR THIS COURSE
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Welcome & Overview
There are 2 tools we will be using throughout this course – and lucky for you, they are both free!
Print out a few sheets of this, and keep it handy throughout this course!
Review
As we move into Minor Keys, we really need to know our major key signatures. Lets do a quick review.
We are soon going to be working on minor key diatonic chord progressions. So it will be important that we build off of our major key diatonic chord progressions.
One of the biggest oddities about the minor keys is the lack of a leading tone. Before we get into that, lets do a quick review of the tendency chords.
The Circle of Fifths
In this video I’ll show you how to use the circle of fifths to generate new ideas for songwriting and composition.
“Closely Related Keys” is a new concept to us, but one that is easiest to see using the circle of fifths.
Scale Degree Names
We’ve used the term “tonic” before – now we will learn the rest of the terms.
Some scale degrees have a “tendency” to want to move certain places.
In this section there is a worksheet for you to download and try these concepts out for yourself!
Compound Meters
First, let’s take a look at the 3/8, 6/8, 9/8, and 12/8 meter.
Now lets look at a few different charts that show how this works.
Time to see this in action!
In this section there is a worksheet for you to download and try these concepts out for yourself!
Triplets, Duplets, and Quadruplets
In this video we will walk through how triplets work in music notation.
These don’t just happen in groups of 3 – there are a few other options as well.
Minor Keys
We are going to look at a few different ways to find the notes of the minor key. First up: as altering the major scale.
The second way to find the minor is with the familiar whole step and half step pattern.
A third way to find the notes of the minor scale is through something called Relative keys.
Our fourth way to find the notes of the minor scale is by using something called the Parallel Minor scale.
I made these videos for another project, but they turned out so well I thought I would share them you.
This is the animated video explaining keys and scales.
In this section there is a worksheet for you to download and try these concepts out for yourself!
Minor Keys and the Circle of Fifths
Back to the Circle of Fifths – this time we will add Minor Keys!
Let’s update the graphic we used to show the Minor Keys.
So far we’ve had 2 options for “Closely related keys”. Now we have 5.
Diatonic Chord Progressions in Minor
The diatonic chord progression is one of the most powerful songwriting tools we have.
The pattern in minor keys is totally different – or is it?
Using relative keys is a handy way to memorize the diatonic chord progression in minor.
One of the biggest problems we have in minor chord progressions is minor five chord.
In this section there is a worksheet for you to download and try these concepts out for yourself!
Minor Scale Variations: Harmonic and Melodic Minor Scales
Minor scales can be a little sneaky.
First, let’s look at the Harmonic Minor Scale.
Next, the Melodic Minor Scale for a little more “tendency….”
You’ve probably heard this song before. It uses a Harmonic Minor scale, so let’s take a look at it.
Another one of those fun little animated videos I made.
In this section there is a worksheet for you to download and try these concepts out for yourself!
Analysis
A quick discussion about how to best use these analysis sections.
Your blank copy of the first Analysis score. Try it for yourself first, then watch the next video.
My walk-through analysis of Greensleeves.
A PDF of the full analysis.
Your blank copy of the second analysis score. Try it yourself first, then watch the next video.
A walkthrough of my analysis of The Scientist.
A PDF of the full analysis.
Wrap Up
You’ve made it through about the first 3/4 of my college Music Theory 101 class!
That’s it for now!