Charlie
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I typed this up in another thread to give a short lesson to another musician, they found it quite useful, so I figured this could really come in handy on the music forum.
Okay, here's some reading material and practice material. This is music theory which means you can apply it to every music instrument.
SHARPS AND FLATS: A sharp simply means one half step up, while a flat simply means one half step down. There is such a thing as double flats, double sharps, triple flats, triple sharps, that's okay, it simply means one half step down per flat (triple flat = three half steps down), or one half step up per sharp (triple sharp = three half steps up). When this happens, keep in mind an E### is not a G, it remains an E###, trust me, this keeps it simple.
NATURAL NOTES: A natural note is any note which has no sharp or flat. For example, A, B, C, D, E, F, G. All natural notes are whole steps apart except E + F and B + C, which are half steps apart.
TRIADS: Every other natural note makes up a triad, three of these are major triads, three of these are minor triads, and one is diminished. The major triads are CEG, GBD, FAC (C,G,F, the happiest sounding chords you'll ever know). The Minor triads are DFA, EGB, ACE (DEA, Drug Enforcement Agency, this is the people that keep drugs and alcohol away from MINORS!). The only triad which is diminished is BDF (a very villainous sounding triad). There are four kinds of triads (but only three kinds which you can compose of natural notes), major sounds happy and exciting, minor sounds sad and dramatic, diminished sound villainous, the fourth is augmented which sounds like you're floating in space. The difference between these triads is the spacing of the frets. Major is spaced 1-5-8, Minor lowers the 3rd a half step from a major which spaces 1-4-8 (the reason why I say 3rd is because triads are composed of a 1st, 3rd, and 5th, why? well take a CEG triad for example, a C Major scale goes C D E F G A B C. C is the 1st note, E is the 3rd note, and G is the 5th note in the C Major scale). In order to change a major into a minor, lower the 3rd (C E G >> lower 3rd >> C Eb G), in order to change a minor into a major, raise the 3rd (D F A >> raise 3rd >> D F# A).
A diminished triad is spaced 1-4-7. Only a minor triad can be made into a diminished triad. A minor can be made diminished by lowering the 5th (D F A >> lower 5th >> D F Ab). A major can be made minor and then diminished (C E G >> lower 3rd >> C Eb G >> lower 5th >> C Eb Gb).
An augmented is spaced 1-5-9. Only a major triad can be made into an augmented triad. A major can be made augmented by raising the 5th (C E G >> raise 5th >> C E G#). A minor can be made major and then augmented (D F A >> raise 3rd >> D F# A >> raise 5th >> D F# A#).
The importance of triads is triads are the building blocks for chords and every chord capable music instrument. Minor chords use minor triads, major chords use major triads, Diminished chords use diminished triads, augmented chords use augmented triads. Also understanding triads helps a musician form their own chord structures.
SCALES: These are notes played in a certain order after a root note. For example, a major scale goes, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step (whole step is two frets, half step is one fret) here's all of the major scales you would need to memorize (eventually, you would memorize them based on the number of flats or sharps they have) (yes I have them memorized)
A B C# D E F# G# A, Bb C D Eb F G A Bb, C D E F G A B C, D E F# G A B C# D, Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb, F G A Bb C D E F, G A B C D E F# G
Those are the main Major scales, if you want to play something else, Ab Major, for example, you would take the A Major scale and flat everything (lower everything a half step) and you would get the right scale A B C# D E F# G# A >>> flat everything >>> Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab. This same technique could be used on any scale, If you flat an F major scale, you will end up with a double flat, that's okay, that happens (double flat means two half steps down).
By memorizing all of these scales, one can identify what key a piece of sheet music is in. Let's say there is one sharp "#" next to the time signature, this indicates there is only one sharp in the scale used which is F# (or it could also be the relative minor: D minor, but that's a lesson for later).
Here's a tip outside of music theory. This is something you can use when learning how to do anything: Start slow and relax, this develops muscle memory and ease of muscle use so that when you speed up you are more fluid and have less muscle strain/cramp. I'm able to use this for various sports, music, I could also use it for dance, martial arts, yoga, etc. This tip has changed how I approach every activity.
Enjoy.
Okay, here's some reading material and practice material. This is music theory which means you can apply it to every music instrument.
SHARPS AND FLATS: A sharp simply means one half step up, while a flat simply means one half step down. There is such a thing as double flats, double sharps, triple flats, triple sharps, that's okay, it simply means one half step down per flat (triple flat = three half steps down), or one half step up per sharp (triple sharp = three half steps up). When this happens, keep in mind an E### is not a G, it remains an E###, trust me, this keeps it simple.
NATURAL NOTES: A natural note is any note which has no sharp or flat. For example, A, B, C, D, E, F, G. All natural notes are whole steps apart except E + F and B + C, which are half steps apart.
TRIADS: Every other natural note makes up a triad, three of these are major triads, three of these are minor triads, and one is diminished. The major triads are CEG, GBD, FAC (C,G,F, the happiest sounding chords you'll ever know). The Minor triads are DFA, EGB, ACE (DEA, Drug Enforcement Agency, this is the people that keep drugs and alcohol away from MINORS!). The only triad which is diminished is BDF (a very villainous sounding triad). There are four kinds of triads (but only three kinds which you can compose of natural notes), major sounds happy and exciting, minor sounds sad and dramatic, diminished sound villainous, the fourth is augmented which sounds like you're floating in space. The difference between these triads is the spacing of the frets. Major is spaced 1-5-8, Minor lowers the 3rd a half step from a major which spaces 1-4-8 (the reason why I say 3rd is because triads are composed of a 1st, 3rd, and 5th, why? well take a CEG triad for example, a C Major scale goes C D E F G A B C. C is the 1st note, E is the 3rd note, and G is the 5th note in the C Major scale). In order to change a major into a minor, lower the 3rd (C E G >> lower 3rd >> C Eb G), in order to change a minor into a major, raise the 3rd (D F A >> raise 3rd >> D F# A).
A diminished triad is spaced 1-4-7. Only a minor triad can be made into a diminished triad. A minor can be made diminished by lowering the 5th (D F A >> lower 5th >> D F Ab). A major can be made minor and then diminished (C E G >> lower 3rd >> C Eb G >> lower 5th >> C Eb Gb).
An augmented is spaced 1-5-9. Only a major triad can be made into an augmented triad. A major can be made augmented by raising the 5th (C E G >> raise 5th >> C E G#). A minor can be made major and then augmented (D F A >> raise 3rd >> D F# A >> raise 5th >> D F# A#).
The importance of triads is triads are the building blocks for chords and every chord capable music instrument. Minor chords use minor triads, major chords use major triads, Diminished chords use diminished triads, augmented chords use augmented triads. Also understanding triads helps a musician form their own chord structures.
SCALES: These are notes played in a certain order after a root note. For example, a major scale goes, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step (whole step is two frets, half step is one fret) here's all of the major scales you would need to memorize (eventually, you would memorize them based on the number of flats or sharps they have) (yes I have them memorized)
A B C# D E F# G# A, Bb C D Eb F G A Bb, C D E F G A B C, D E F# G A B C# D, Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb, F G A Bb C D E F, G A B C D E F# G
Those are the main Major scales, if you want to play something else, Ab Major, for example, you would take the A Major scale and flat everything (lower everything a half step) and you would get the right scale A B C# D E F# G# A >>> flat everything >>> Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab. This same technique could be used on any scale, If you flat an F major scale, you will end up with a double flat, that's okay, that happens (double flat means two half steps down).
By memorizing all of these scales, one can identify what key a piece of sheet music is in. Let's say there is one sharp "#" next to the time signature, this indicates there is only one sharp in the scale used which is F# (or it could also be the relative minor: D minor, but that's a lesson for later).
Here's a tip outside of music theory. This is something you can use when learning how to do anything: Start slow and relax, this develops muscle memory and ease of muscle use so that when you speed up you are more fluid and have less muscle strain/cramp. I'm able to use this for various sports, music, I could also use it for dance, martial arts, yoga, etc. This tip has changed how I approach every activity.
Enjoy.
