Music Theory For Dummies, 3rd Edition (Paperback, 3, Revised)

Introduction 1

Part I: 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 29

Chapter 4: Introducing Time Signatures 39

Chapter 5: Playing with Beat 53

Part II: Putting Notes Together 61

Chapter 6: Music Notes (And Where to Find Them) 63

Chapter 7: Mastering the Major and Minor Scales 81

Chapter 8: Key Signatures and the Circle of Fifths 95

Chapter 9: Intervals: The Distance Between Pitches 109

Chapter 10: Chord Building 135

Chapter 11: Chord Progressions 169

Part III: Musical Expression through Tempo and Dynamics 187

Chapter 12: Creating Varied Sound through Tempo and Dynamics 189

Chapter 13: Instrument Tone Color and Acoustics 201

Part IV: Musical Expression through Form 207

Chapter 14: The Building Blocks of Music: Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, and Song Form 209

Chapter 15: Relying on Classical Forms 221

Chapter 16: Tapping Into Popular Genres and Forms 231

Part V: The Part of Tens 239

Chapter 17: Ten Frequently Asked Questions about Music Theory 241

Chapter 18: Ten Keys to Reading a Musical Score 247

Chapter 19: Ten Music Theorists You Should Know About 251

Part VI: Appendixes 259

Appendix A: Audio Tracks 261

Appendix B: Chord Chart 267

Appendix C: Glossary 305

Index 309