


These language theorists then make up rules that clarify grammar and spelling and point out the relationships between words. Later, experts study the best speakers and writers in order to discover how they use language. Languages are invented by the people who speak them, who tend to care more about what is easy and what makes sense than about following rules. It also helps to remember, however, that music theory is a bit like grammar. Remember, the main premise of this course is that a better understanding of where the basics come from will lead to better and faster comprehension of more complex ideas. Students who find the section on acoustics (The Physical Basis) uninteresting may skip it at first, but should then go back to it when they begin to want to understand why musical sounds work the way they do. Music history and the physics of sound are included to the extent that they shed light on music theory. The main purpose of the course, however, is to explore basic music theory so thoroughly that the interested student will then be able to easily pick up whatever further theory is wanted. The final section of this course does include a few challenges that are generally not considered "beginner level" musicianship, but are very useful in just about every field and genre of music. A trumpet player interested in jazz, a vocalist interested in early music, a pianist interested in classical composition, and a guitarist interested in world music, will all want to delve into very different facets of music theory although, interestingly, if they all become very well-versed in their chosen fields, they will still end up very capable of understanding each other and cooperating in musical endeavors. Music is a very large subject, and the advanced theory that students will want to pursue after mastering the basics will vary greatly. Course IntroductionĪlthough it is significantly expanded from "Introduction to Music Theory", this course still covers only the bare essentials of music theory.

and originally published on OpenStax CNX. This fantastic mine of information was written by Catherine Schmidt-Jones et al. It covers most of the topics needed to understand and develop your musical skills - with your favorite training tool EarMaster of course! Understanding Basic Music Theory is a comprehensive insight into the fundamental notions of music theory: music notation, rules of harmony, ear training, etc.
