276 Answered Questions for the topic music theory

Music Theory Theory Chords Key

05/28/19

V chord becoming 7th? minor key?
Im analyzing a song that is in the key of e minor. And the chords for the song are: Em B7 Am Now, I'm no expert but from my theory I learnt a while back for a minor key the chords are: Minor-... more
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Music Theory Terminology Theory

05/28/19

Other than scale-degree 7, do other scale degrees have names for their altered forms?
In a major key, we have names for all seven scale degrees: - Tonic - Supertonic - Mediant - Subdominant - Dominant - Submediant - Leading Tone To this we can add the subtonic, scale-degree... more
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Music Theory Theory

05/27/19

Why is the whole note used as reference for "note length"?
We have a whole note, and then half note, quarter note, eighth, etc. I am wondering, why is it that way? If we think in term of beat, then the quarter note is the reference: there are 2 eighth note... more
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Music Theory Theory Chords

05/27/19

What are Secondary Mediants / Submediants?
I'm learning about secondary dominants and noticed references to secondary mediants and secondary submediants in a resource (Wikipedia). However, I haven't found any other references to them in... more
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Music Theory Composition Notation Theory

05/27/19

Understanding Time Signature: How do I identify the time signature of a song?
I have played music for years and I still don't understand what a time signature actually signifies. I understand it from a superficial sense. If given sheet music I could tell you what time... more
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Music Theory Theory Chords Harmony

05/27/19

Tonicisation of Secondary Dominant in D Minor?
Okay, so I'm basically just hoping someone can tell me if I'm on the right or wrong track here. I have to implement the technique described in the title in a piece I've written for an... more
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05/27/19

Trouble writing chord progressions in minor?
I've been composing in major for some time and decided to work in a minor key for practice. It's not going too well – I'm having trouble using common techniques in major, such as utilizing the... more
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05/27/19

Parallel chord substitutions?
Are parallel chord substitutions common in (classical) music (if so, please share some examples)? And do they have the same function as the original chords? By saying parallel chords I am... more
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Music Theory Writing Humanities

05/24/19

what are some questions I could ask regarding human culture and expression when it come to studying the song Home on the Range?
I am studying the song Home on the Range as an artifact and I need to come up with two questions regarding human culture and expression and I am stuck.
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Music Theory Theory

05/24/19

Tempo and Rhythm?
If an eighth note is half the duration of a quarter note, would the duration of an eighth note played at 60bpm be equal to the duration of a quarter note at 120bpm? If yes, why was the concept of... more
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Music Theory Guitar Theory Transposition

05/24/19

On a guitar, what keys correspond to different capo positions?
I've long had this question. I know some music theory, but I can only get a vague idea as to the progression of keys when moving the capo down a guitar's neck. I'm fairly certain that the guitar is... more
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Music Theory Theory

05/24/19

Why is the 11th often sharpened?
A book I'm reading suggests that there are two reasons that the 9#11 chord is more common than the 11th chord, and I don't understand either. > First, the natural 11th interferes with our... more
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Music Theory Theory Chords Chord Theory

05/24/19

Notes in an A13 chord?
Does an A13 chord include the 11th? Here's why I'm asking... If you google this chord for piano, sometimes the third (C#) is omitted and sometimes the 11th (D) is omitted -- but sometimes they are... more
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Music Theory Theory Chords Chord Theory

05/24/19

Why does Cdim7 contain an A instead of a Bb?
CM7 - C, E, G, B C7 - C, E, G, Bb Cm7 - C, Eb, G, Bb Caug7 - C, E, G#, Bb But... Cdim7 - C, Eb, Gb, A. Why Does Cdim7 contain an A and not a Bb?
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Music Theory Theory Key Harmony

05/24/19

What key is a piece in if an augmented chord is used as a dominant?
I personally think that augmented chords can be just as consonant as major if used in a certain way. For example, in the first octave of a piano, if I play an augmented chord, yes it will want to... more
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Music Theory Theory Chord Theory Harmony

05/24/19

Understanding chord prolongations?
Harmonically oriented neo-Schenkerian analysis and generative theories have in common the concept that a single chord can be "prolonged" over a given span of music, even if not every (or even any)... more
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Music Theory Theory Scales Modes

05/24/19

When to use different scales or modes over chord progressions?
I know my major/pentatonic/blues scales pretty well, and I can apply it pretty fluently when playing over 1-4-5-min6 chord progressions, but I find that when I try to improvise over more... more
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Music Theory Theory Melody Church Music

05/24/19

Polyphony vs Homophony in Hymns?
I understand that polyphony is multiple melodies, while homophony is a single melody with chordal accompaniment (in my own words). I've read that hymns are generally homophonic, yet I find that... more
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Music Theory Music

05/23/19

Music apreciation
How do I interpet the Night on Bald Mountain by Modest Mussorgsky. meaning the musical elementsof the song.
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Music Theory Composition (music)

05/15/19

To change a natural minor scale into harmonic minor scale
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Music Theory Harmonics

05/02/19

Audio Beats Per Second Question
How many audio beats per second should be heard between harpsichord notes at 240 hz and 162 hz? (The correct answer is an integer or half-integer).
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Music Theory Piano Theory Technique

05/01/19

2-5-1 Jazz progression and modes?
I am classically trained and just started looking into jazz theory. I understand that the 2-5-1 progression is a good place to start. My basic understanding is to play the above progression with... more
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Music Theory Guitar Theory Sheet Music

04/29/19

How to know key of a melody?
How can you tell what key a melody is in if it uses notes found in multiple scales? And if a note is introduced from a different scale than the one it was in, does that change the key? What if it... more
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Music Theory Theory Scales

04/29/19

How to name more than seven scale tones?
When a scale has more than seven tones, is there any **standard** way to name the scale tones vis-a-vis the major scale tones? For instance, this applies to the two variations of the diminished... more
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Music Theory Theory Scales

04/27/19

Which scales have a major chord built on second note? Which scales have a minor chord built on the seventh note?
Which base scales (base scale meaning not modes) have a major chord built on the second note? (In which scales is the II chord a major? Is this the proper nomenclature?) Which scales have a minor... more
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