8,720
edits
Changes
m
|Music Theory Basics#Applied to Guitar|Guitar
{{crumbs|blue|6
|Music Theory Basics#Rhythm|Rhythm
|Music Theory Basics#Harmony|Harmony
|Music Theory Basics#Melody|Melody
|Music Theory Basics#Timbre|Timbre
|Music Theory Basics#Applied to Guitar|Guitar
|Music Theory Basics#Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do|Do Re Mi
|Music Theory Basics#The Chromatic Scale|Chrom. Scale
|Music Theory Basics#Semi-tones and Whole-tones|Half/Whole Tones
|Music Theory Basics#Sharps and Flats|{{s}}s and {{b}}s
|Music Theory Basics#The Major Scale|Major Scale}}
no edit summary
{{crumbs|blue|1
|Music Theory Basics#4 Basic Elements of Music|Basic Elements
|Music Theory Basics#Notes and Movement|Notes/Movement
|Music Theory Basics#The Major Scale|Major Scale
{{top}}
=== Applied to Guitar =={{crumbs|blue|5|Music Theory Basics#Rhythm|Rhythm|Music Theory Basics#Harmony|Harmony|Music Theory Basics#Melody|Melody|Music Theory Basics#Timbre|Timbre|Music Theory Basics#Applied to Guitar|Guitar|Music Theory Basics#Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do|Do Re Mi|Music Theory Basics#The Chromatic Scale|Chrom. Scale|Music Theory Basics#Semi-tones and Whole-tones|Half/Whole Tones|Music Theory Basics#Sharps and Flats|{{s}}s and {{b}}s|Music Theory Basics#The Major Scale|Major Scale}}=
Guitar is such a popular instrument because of its extreme versatility. It can be percussive and rhythmic (funk playing). It can play rich harmonies, with up to 6 simultaneous notes. It has a large range, able to play most melodies. It has a large variety of possible timbres. Various techniques can embellish traditional playing. The angle you hold the pick and where you pick the strings can affect the tone. The type of pick you use. Finger picking. And then there are loads of different effects, such as compression, volume pedals, wah pedals, distortion, delay, reverb, modulation, pitch shifting, and synth filters, that expand even further upon this. Guitar fits into band contexts as well as being sufficient for solo compositions. It can perform the work of many different instruments, reducing the size of bands, allowing such bands to play smaller and different shows.
== Notes and Movement ==
{{crumbs|blue|2
|Music Theory Basics#4 Basic Elements of Music|Basic Elements
|Music Theory Basics#Notes and Movement|Notes/Movement
|Music Theory Basics#The Major Scale|Major Scale
}}
Most Western music is based around a 12-tone selection of notes (or scale) - that is 12 distinct pitches within a frequency range of one octave. The 13th pitch is double the frequency of the first note, starting a new octave. The pitches are equidistant (on a logarithmic scale) from each other, making them "neutral" in and of themselves.
== The Major Scale ==
{{crumbs|blue|103|Music Theory Basics#Rhythm|Rhythm|Music Theory Basics#Harmony|Harmony|Music Theory Basics#Melody|Melody|Music Theory Basics#Timbre|Timbre|Music Theory Basics#Applied to Guitar|Guitar|4 Basic Elements of Music Theory Basics#Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do|Do Re MiBasic Elements|Music Theory Basics#The Chromatic Scale|Chrom. Scale|Music Theory Basics#Semi-tones Notes and Whole-tonesMovement|HalfNotes/Whole Tones|Music Theory Basics#Sharps and Flats|{{s}}s and {{b}}sMovement|Music Theory Basics#The Major Scale|Major Scale}}
A <u>scale</u> is a set of notes, ordered from lowest to highest pitch, typically spanning one octave. This provides a framework for melodies, as well as harmony. The most common scales are the 7-note major and minor scales, which is why we refer to note that is 2x the pitch of another note as the ''oct''ave - it is the 8th note in the sequence. Scales often imply <u>tonality</u> - melodies and harmonies seem attracted to a certain note in the scale (usually the first note), called the <u>tonic note</u>.
=== Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do ===
We all know the sound of the common major scale: ''Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do''. Really it's like a short little melody. But where did it come from? Why are the frequencies chosen what they are? These are really, really big questions. It involves some serious music history, psychoacoustics, math, and conscious design. I feel they are important to answer, but it's still too early. For now, we need to understand simply that it works. If we sing Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti, we feel the tension. Where's that final Do? Similarly, if we just sing Do Re Mi, we want to keep going to the Fa; then it feels ok to end. The tension is at least partially resolved. We can also end on the So.