Tune in to how music really works Whether you re a student, a performer, or simply a fan, this book makes music theory easy, providing you with a friendly guide to the concepts, artistry, and technical mastery that underlie the production of great music. You ll quickly become fluent in the fundamentals of knocking out beats, reading scores, and anticipating where a piece should go, giving you a deeper perspective on the works of others and bringing an extra dimension to your own. Tracking to a typical college-level course, Music Theory For Dummies breaks difficult concepts down to manageable chunks and takes into account every aspect of musical production and appreciation from the fundamentals of notes and scales to the complexities of expression and instrument tone color. It also examines the latest teaching techniques all the more important as the study of music, now shown to provide cognitive and learning benefits for both children and adults, becomes more prevalent at all levels. Master major and minor scales, intervals, pitches, and clefs Understand basic notation, time signals, tempo, dynamics, and navigation Employ melodies, chords, progressions, and phrases to form music Compose harmonies and accompanying melodies for voice and instruments Wherever you want to go musically as a writer or performer, or just as someone who wants to enjoy music to its fullest this approachable guide gives you everything you need to hear!

Tune in to how music really worksWhether you're a student, a performer, or simply a fan, this book makes music theory easy, providing you with a friendly guide to the concepts, artistry, and technical mastery that underlie the production of great music. You'll quickly become fluent in the fundamentals of knocking out beats, reading scores, and anticipating where a piece should go, giving you a deeper perspective on the works of others -- and bringing an extra dimension to your own.Tracking to a typical college-level course, Music Theory For Dummies breaks difficult concepts down to manageable chunks and takes into account every aspect of musical production and appreciation -- from the fundamentals of notes and scales to the complexities of expression and instrument tone color. It also examines the latest teaching techniques -- all the more important as the study of music, now shown to provide cognitive and learning benefits for both children and adults, becomes more prevalent at all levels.* Master major and minor scales, intervals, pitches, and clefs* Understand basic notation, time signals, tempo, dynamics, and navigation* Employ melodies, chords, progressions, and phrases to form music* Compose harmonies and accompanying melodies for voice and instrumentsWherever you want to go musically -- as a writer or performer, or just as someone who wants to enjoy music to its fullest -- this approachable guide gives you everything you need to hear!

Introduction 1Part 1: Getting Started with Music Theory 5CHAPTER 1: What Is Music Theory, Anyway? 7CHAPTER 2: Determining What Notes Are Worth 13CHAPTER 3: Giving It a Rest 27CHAPTER 4: Introducing Time Signatures 35CHAPTER 5: Playing with Beat 51Part 2: Putting Notes Together 59CHAPTER 6: Music Notes (and Where to Find Them) 61CHAPTER 7: Mastering the Major and Minor Scales 77CHAPTER 8: Key Signatures and the Circle of Fifths 91CHAPTER 9: Intervals: The Distance between Pitches 103CHAPTER 10: Chord Building 127CHAPTER 11: Chord Progressions 159Part 3: Musical Expression through Tempo and Dynamics 177CHAPTER 12: Creating Varied Sound through Tempo and Dynamics 179CHAPTER 13: Instrument Tone Color and Acoustics 191Part 4: Musical Expression through Form 197CHAPTER 14: The Building Blocks of Music: Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, and Song Form 199CHAPTER 15: Relying on Classical Forms 211CHAPTER 16: Tapping into Popular Genres and Forms 221Part 5: The Part of Tens 231CHAPTER 17: Ten Frequently Asked Questions about Music Theory 233CHAPTER 18: Ten Keys to Reading a Musical Score 239CHAPTER 19: Ten Music Theorists You Should Know About 243CHAPTER 20: Ten Musical Movements That Changed History 251Part 6: Appendixes 261APPENDIX A: Audio Tracks 263APPENDIX B: Chord Chart 267APPENDIX C: Glossary 305Index 309