Music Theory Workbook for All Instruments, Volume One - Softcover

Arnold, MR Bruce

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1890944467 ISBN 13: 9781890944469

Publisher: Muse Eek Publishing Company, 2001

Synopsis

This book uses extremely simple language to explain the basics of music theory. Exercises require the student to write out examples using staff notation. Exercises include simple interval to highly complex chords.

About this title

From the Publisher

Whether you are a beginner, or an advanced student seeking to improve your music theory knowledge, the only way you will make music theory a coherent natural process is by working with it repeatedly until it becomes as automatic as speaking in your own language. Music schools raise students to this ability by giving them the same information presented in the music theory section, and then spending 1 to 2 years giving them theory assignments in order to ingrain the information. This book does the same thing by giving you 100 pages of exercises. It's not enough to understand how each chord and interval is built; you need to do all the exercises. That is how you will gain a command over the information and will be able to instantaneously say what the notes in a chord are in any key. At that point, your proficiency with music theory becomes a reflex and is very much like speaking. You don't think of every word when you say a sentence, yet you could easily stop and explain any word that you are using. This is the same process that happens when you master the music theory information presented in this book.

From the Author

This theory workbook is designed to teach you the basic building blocks of music theory. You should play each exercise on your own instrument in order to ingrain the information in your head and your hands. Each exercise will ask you to write the notes contained in the intervals or chords on a music staff. The answers for each exercise can be found in the back of the book. Remember that memorizing the notes contained in each chord presented combined with knowing where these notes are on your instrument, will open up a whole new understanding of music. As stated in the Foreword, applying this knowledge to your instrument will give you the ability to create music with greater flexibility, coherence, and confidence.

In order to help you apply the information presented in this book I've created a small booklet that can be downloaded for free at the muse-eek.com website. This booklet gives you exercises specifically designed to help you apply the theory information to your instrument.The "member's area" also contains other educational files that can help you in your musical studies.

Background theory information needed to complete each exercise is presented in easy to understand language. A piano keyboard diagram is used to demonstrate certain music theory concepts. It is important that you also play each example presented in the background theory section. This will help you to directly involve your instrument with the process of learning. The theory section is followed by exercises for learning intervals and triads, 7th chords (4 note chords) and chords with tensions. After you check your answers in the back of the book be sure to play each example on your instrument.

A total beginner should keep in mind that there is a lot of information presented here and it can get overwhelming after a while. It is important for you to pace yourself. If you take on to much information in "one gulp" you will end up with learning fatigue, so divide your work into sensible amounts. For example, once you have read up to page 6, do the "Basic Intervals" exercise on page 16 while this information is fresh in your mind. Refer back to pages 1-6 as you do the "Basic Intervals" exercise on page 16 if you need help in remembering the chromatic scale or how many half steps are in a particular interval. As you work further through this book you will find that over time you will start to remember many of the concepts presented in the theory section just from using them so many times. I've also included a blank sheet in the back of the book if you feel you want to redo certain pages.

Whether you are a beginner, or an advanced student seeking to improve your music theory knowledge, the only way you will make music theory a coherent natural process is by working with it repeatedly until it becomes as automatic as speaking in your own language. Music schools raise students to this ability by giving them the same information presented in the music theory section, and then spending 1 to 2 years giving them theory assignments in order to ingrain the information. This book does the same thing by giving you 100 pages of exercises. It's not enough to understand how each chord and interval is built; you need to do all the exercises. That is how you will gain a command over the information and will be able to instantaneously say what the notes in a chord are in any key. At that point, your proficiency with music theory becomes a reflex and is very much like speaking. You don't think of every word when you say a sentence, yet you could easily stop and explain any word that you are using. This is the same process that happens when you master the music theory information presented in this book.

Edition details

• Publisher: Muse Eek Publishing Company
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1890944467
• ISBN 13: 9781890944469
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208