The study of musical possibilities and historical practices involving musical notation and interpretation (essential for understanding the rest of the course) in a musicological approach.
- Music theory can be a tool box, a rule book (that can be broken), or a guideline for composers to help them develop their own ideas of composing their pieces of all genres with chord progressions, tonal & atonal harmony, melodic structuring and many more methods.
- Many modern contemporary composers have broken many of the common practice period composing rules; Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky & Ivan Shostakovich are notable examples.
- Jazz music theory, or known as jazz harmony uses similar approaches to Western harmony but often use harmonies that are often played within the genre with additional tension using 9th, 11th, and 13th chords with incorporated usages of modes, and dissonant chords (augmented & diminished chords) and chord progressions that aren’t conforming to traditional music theory.
- There are prominent theorists on YouTube such as Adam Neely, David Bruce, 8-Bit Music Theory, etc. that do analyses and compose pieces using methods of music theory as they explain viewers regardless of their knowledge input of theory.
- Music theory can be a tool box, a rule book (that can be broken), or a guideline for composers to help them develop their own ideas of composing their pieces of all genres with chord progressions, tonal & atonal harmony, melodic structuring and many more methods.
- Many modern contemporary composers have broken many of the common practice period composing rules; Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky & Ivan Shostakovich are notable examples.
- Jazz music theory, or known as jazz harmony uses similar approaches to Western harmony but often use harmonies that are often played within the genre with additional tension using 9th, 11th, and 13th chords with incorporated usages of modes, and dissonant chords (augmented & diminished chords) and chord progressions that aren’t conforming to traditional music theory.
- There are prominent theorists on YouTube such as Adam Neely, David Bruce, 8-Bit Music Theory, etc. that do analyses and compose pieces using methods of music theory as they explain viewers regardless of their knowledge input of theory.
“I wouldn’t say that music theory is a mandate, but it’s highly recommended if you’re willing to pursue in a musical career.”
by pineapple_sandwich January 4, 2021
Music theory is the rules of music. Music has rules. Modern musicians do not follow these rules. Counterpoint does not exist in modern music. Power chords dominate everything. We are back in the days of parallel organum, but even worse. Modern musicians usually recieve no training, and therefore suck. Music-reading ability is the rudiment of musicianhood. If a person cannot read music (no, I am not talking about tablature, either), then he is not a musician.
God bless the few classical musicians who keep real music alive for our posterity. I just hope this musical dark age will end soon. Luckily for me, however, it is very easy to be a musician, especially one with guitar ability, since the expectations for a guitarist are non-existant.
by Anonymous February 2, 2004
The biggest fucking waste of time ever where you lose all sense of self-respect and end up having no clue what's going on because the material is ridiculous and impossible.
by hal b February 1, 2006
Something that continually makes your brain hurt, as not even the teacher knows what to do sometimes, and can lead to brain juice leaking out of ears.
Side Effects : Rocking back and forth in the corner while you hold your knees, because the proper way to resolve a half diminished VII chord is wrong.
Side Effects : Rocking back and forth in the corner while you hold your knees, because the proper way to resolve a half diminished VII chord is wrong.
by Max Is Incredibly Amazing October 25, 2010
A class that saps all the fun out of music. You will start the year off excited and enthusiastic, but by mid semester, you'll be thinking, "Why the fuck did I take this class, again?"
By the way, John Lennon and Paul McCartney couldn't read music. Shove that up your ass, AP Music Theory.
By the way, John Lennon and Paul McCartney couldn't read music. Shove that up your ass, AP Music Theory.
After a semester of taking AP Music Theory and not being able to enjoy music anymore, Adam burned his textbook and dropped the fuck out of that piece of shit class.
by gimmedatsammich January 28, 2011
1) First rules of // you do not talk about //.
2) When in doubt, it's minor.
2.5) Minors do not exist (refer to rule 3)
3) When you think it's minor, it's major
4) When it's diminished, you know that world is over.
5) Do NOT socialize with the principal during // mod
5.1) The principal does not exist
5.2) // mod does not exist
5.3) The limit does not exist
6) No mean girls references allowed in //
7) When it beeps you always haul it back
8) Everything is written in code
8.1) Figured bass symbols
9) You do not speak of those who do not exist
9.1) The adorable // player behind us does not exist
9.2) You do not talk near/about/to the non-existent.
10) I just had sex with the Jonas Brothers on Friday Friday Friday.
11) Always go for the younger one.
11.1) Usually the infant is best
11.12) In the nonexistent // world, sex with infants is practical and acceptable.
12) Coffee from the teacher's lounge (which does not exist) is better black.
12.1) Once you're black you can't go back.
13) //, which we do not speak of, is best taught by the black.
13.1) No racial.
13.2) Fiery black men apparently like to watch a lot of porn.
13.21) Never pick up a black man's sweatshirt.
13.211)or look on his computer
13.2111) ever.
13.3) Theory does not exist
13.31) Second rule of theory, Always talk about theory.
2) When in doubt, it's minor.
2.5) Minors do not exist (refer to rule 3)
3) When you think it's minor, it's major
4) When it's diminished, you know that world is over.
5) Do NOT socialize with the principal during // mod
5.1) The principal does not exist
5.2) // mod does not exist
5.3) The limit does not exist
6) No mean girls references allowed in //
7) When it beeps you always haul it back
8) Everything is written in code
8.1) Figured bass symbols
9) You do not speak of those who do not exist
9.1) The adorable // player behind us does not exist
9.2) You do not talk near/about/to the non-existent.
10) I just had sex with the Jonas Brothers on Friday Friday Friday.
11) Always go for the younger one.
11.1) Usually the infant is best
11.12) In the nonexistent // world, sex with infants is practical and acceptable.
12) Coffee from the teacher's lounge (which does not exist) is better black.
12.1) Once you're black you can't go back.
13) //, which we do not speak of, is best taught by the black.
13.1) No racial.
13.2) Fiery black men apparently like to watch a lot of porn.
13.21) Never pick up a black man's sweatshirt.
13.211)or look on his computer
13.2111) ever.
13.3) Theory does not exist
13.31) Second rule of theory, Always talk about theory.
My car just broke down, and I was going to use the power of music to fix it. One problem, do I use minor or major? I don't understand the Rules of music theory!!
by The nonexistent BS April 26, 2011
by lunetoile December 28, 2021