Music Theory for Dummies (Paperback, 4)

Introduction 1

Part 1: Getting Started with Music Theory 5

CHAPTER 1: What Is Music Theory, Anyway? 7

CHAPTER 2: Determining What Notes Are Worth 13

CHAPTER 3: Giving It a Rest 27

CHAPTER 4: Introducing Time Signatures 35

CHAPTER 5: Playing with Beat 51

Part 2: Putting Notes Together 59

CHAPTER 6: Music Notes (and Where to Find Them) 61

CHAPTER 7: Mastering the Major and Minor Scales 77

CHAPTER 8: Key Signatures and the Circle of Fifths 91

CHAPTER 9: Intervals: The Distance between Pitches 103

CHAPTER 10: Chord Building 127

CHAPTER 11: Chord Progressions 159

Part 3: Musical Expression through Tempo and Dynamics 177

CHAPTER 12: Creating Varied Sound through Tempo and Dynamics 179

CHAPTER 13: Instrument Tone Color and Acoustics 191

Part 4: Musical Expression through Form 197

CHAPTER 14: The Building Blocks of Music: Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, and Song Form 199

CHAPTER 15: Relying on Classical Forms 211

CHAPTER 16: Tapping into Popular Genres and Forms 221

Part 5: The Part of Tens 231

CHAPTER 17: Ten Frequently Asked Questions about Music Theory 233

CHAPTER 18: Ten Keys to Reading a Musical Score 239

CHAPTER 19: Ten Music Theorists You Should Know About 243

CHAPTER 20: Ten Musical Movements That Changed History 251

Part 6: Appendixes 261

APPENDIX A: Audio Tracks 263

APPENDIX B: Chord Chart 267

APPENDIX C: Glossary 305

Index 309