I used an older iPhone when recording this video, and then compression occurred when compiling all of the clips into one 3.5-hour video. Music can be heavenly, so I guess you could say this video compliments that attribute. 😂
Thank you so much for this video. Great Information- I really liked your explanations! (FYI It would help if your screens were just a tittle bit brighter.) Thanks again! 👍👍
Thank you for your comment! It was an absolute pleasure to create this video, and I hope that it helps many students better understand the fascinating subject of music theory!! :)
Had they taught the fact that bass clef leads to treble, I would have understood music theory much easier. Band directors take note! Teach your kids this simple thing!
Thanks for your comment! My goal as a music theory teacher is to always make everything as clear as possible by showing everything in its simplest form and how/why we use different analytical techniques. Music theory is a very fun subject to learn when it actually makes sense to someone! :)
Is there a reason none of the examples or concepts are played on an instrument? A big part of these subjects is ear training and this method of teaching does very little to help.
While I do agree that ear training is very important when it comes to learning music theory and developing aural skills, as I say at the start, this video was not specifically designed to teach these topics for the first time, but rather to provide viewers with a compact overview of the topics that they would encounter by taking actual theory courses, reading theory textbooks, etc., which can be helpful for those that are preparing for major written exams that are more focused on the theoretical knowledge and non-aural questions. I also did not know how long the final video would be, and I did not want it to end up being excessively long for a review video that is primarily focused on summarizing. Thankfully, the feedback that I have received from tons of people since posting the video has been very positive, with many students telling me that it has helped them to study and prepare for their classes and exams, which was one of the main motivations for making the video in the first place. For people watching this video who would like to get more out of it, I would recommend that they try to play through some of the examples on a keyboard, which would allow them to "hear" the theory while also giving them a chance to practice things like sight-reading, converting Roman numerals to chords, voicing chords, harmonizing a melody, adding upper voices on top of a bass line, playing tonal and post-tonal scales, and other skills related to keyboard harmony. Although this is a review video, some might watch it because it gives them a general introduction to music theory. For those who want to learn these topics at a more in-depth level, I recommend that they check out some of the amazing lecture series that are on TH-cam that cover these topics through full lessons and courses, combining analytical skills, aural skills, and more.
Brilliant- I’m 63 and have just started learning Saxophone! I wish I’d started sooner…I think I’ll work out the chapters as I watch this a second time as it might help somebody else.
Wonderful! It's never too late to learn a new instrument! During my undergraduate studies in music education, the saxophone was one of the ones that everyone seemed to enjoy the most. Glad this video helps with the learning about the theoretical side of music!
Very well explained. I’m also a guitar player, and am getting into music theory. Can you please do a overview video on post-tonal theory for 20th century jazz and classical?
Thank you! I definitely might consider making a video on that in the future since I only lightly touched on post-tonal theory in this video. There's so much to talk about in that area because of all the different compositional techniques that composers and songwriters began to use during that century. I'm sure there are some excellent videos that discuss specific aspects of 20th century jazz and classical music. I'll definitely keep it in mind!
I might consider making one in the future, but there are already some great videos about it on TH-cam. Since making this review video, I have taken two very intense graduate courses on post-tonal music theory, including one taught by Joseph Straus, the author of Introduction to Post-Tonal Theory. The knowledge I gained in those courses was very beneficial!
Thanks very much! I was originally taught in high school from the 7th Edition, and then I bought the 8th Edition during my time in college. This video follows Chapters 1-26 from the 8th Edition in order. I might do a video on post-tonal theory (like Chapters 27-28 from this book) in the future. I did add a section on popular music as well, and I used The Musician's Guide to Theory and Analysis as a resource for deciding what I would cover for that section.
Thank you for answering. What was the book called and who was the author please? There are so many books on Tonal Harmony. I want to purchase the book so I can follow you with the book?
The textbook is Tonal Harmony: With an Introduction to Post-Tonal Music, 8th Edition, by Kostka, Payne, and Almén. One word of advice: music theory is just like a math class, and the best way to master the material is to solve problems. The textbook is full of self-test problems in every chapter, and there is an answer key at the back of the textbook. Practicing these examples will ensure that you have a strong grasp of the subject matter!
I've played guitar when I was younger, I didn't know anything about it just loved making noise with it.... I never attended music class, everything I've learned was self taught.... I stopped playing when I had to work, and I picked it back up, and started reading about music theory... Now I try composing my own music, but I'm still a long ways of being able to master the instrument.... I teach younger kids that wanna learn, sometimes it's hard to explain music... You know your music, and we'll explained...
Thank you very much for your comment! I started with the piano, learned the basics of theory, picked up a guitar, and mostly played by ear. Once I took music theory in high school, I developed a whole new appreciation for music and was able to understand why certain chord progressions would naturally sound good when composing by ear. It's a fascinating subject when one really understands it!
I played guitar for years and never got anywhere. I took some theory and switched to piano. Now I’m getting back into guitar and the progress is astounding.
OP: the Alfred’s Music Theory book series is great. If you methodically work through the books you will be able to write music. I was able to sit at my work desc, "hear" a composition in my head and write it down. The pieces were more complex than I could play so I gave them to a teacher to play for me, and they sounded exactly like what I imagined. It was kind of scary, but really fun! The other thing I just learned is a new way to look at guitar scale patterns. I’ll link a video below. The patterns aren’t new but the relationship of finger spacing to scale intervals is a new way of explaining it, and it basically just opens up the entire fretboard once you "see it."
Have fun!! That was my favorite class to take in high school, and I had the best time teaching it last year! So much cool content, and it really gives you a deeper appreciation for the music that you listen to!
How does this channel not have more subscribers? Thank you, Lennon. This is super concise and helpful. I'm a proficient pianist, guitarist, and six-string bassist; I've played by ear most of my life. This video lecture and Andrew Huang's theory videos are helping me better understand how to speak and interact with formally trained musicians, when I've always known how to write and play, but couldn't read or label anything. I cannot thank you enough.
Thank you for the very kind words! I am glad that you find my video beneficial. Yes, music theory is wonderful for interacting with other musicians. Many great songwriters and composers did and do not know music theory, and they would compose by ear. Over the past few centuries, certain scales, melodic patterns, harmonic progressions, rhythms, forms, chromatic chords, etc., have been used across tonal music of various styles. Because of this, our ears and minds can be indirectly trained to anticipate, expect, and gravitate toward certain musical practices, and this is why you'll find many similarities between music of different periods whether or not theory was involved in the creation of the music-composers' ears guide them! Theory itself allows us to make sense of these common practices, analyze various elements, try to understand the purpose behind every note and rest that happens in a composition and the thought process behind its creation, and try to understand why composers and listeners seem to enjoy certain things that happen in music. Good luck with your musical journey!
Just an advice concerning mistakes while talking. As an actress I learn that mistakes are a very part of human beings therefore feel free to make a mistake and don't bother yourself or feel anxious about it. Myself I do mistakes while talking or explaining something in real life and I don't bother myself thinking that I shouldn't make mistakes. Mistakes happen so we deal with them as a normal thing. We're just humans and we cannot be it if we do not do so. Of course we have to try to reach perfection eventhough we are imperfect but it's not imposed on us. We try our best. So If you stop while explaining just let yourself to be spontaneous and take your time to reorganize your thoughts from new. And let it be. Your explanation is really great I mean vocally everything pronounced in an explanatory tonality and every word is pronounced well. Also making a mistake do not make you unserious or less serious. Absolutely not. You can stay in your serious mode even when stopping. Your explanation is serious and that's what I Like. Also compact and well organized. Really. Carry On🖐️🙌 There's a show on youtube called 'Al jahbath' talks about scientific vulgarization. You can nltice how the presenter is talking and explaining seriously and in explanatory mode even when using comic or sarcastic way because the purpose from this show is to make people love reading about sciences so he should make them love it. So the episode becomes both teaching and entertaining and therefore breaking the stereotype of absurdity of entertainment. This cadre on the media even in real life is important to attract the reciever and make the thing more entertaining. For me if it's a 5 hour video I would complete it till the end because Music for me already something I'm passionate about. th-cam.com/video/Q3etK9-bMz8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=xxA7rTfxeQOLa1p6 Free plastine🇵🇸🇵🇸 pray for it
I agree Lennon took a very complex theory and presented it brilliantly where above average (intelligent) people might possibly understand. This is made possible by the fact Lennon understands music theory to an exceptionally high degree. For Lennon’s audience and “my sanity”, the word vulgarization needs some translated help. In French the word, vulgarization, means the act of synthesizing complex knowledge into a form that a more broad audience can understand. In English, the word may appear to have negative connotations, but in reality more accurately translates to “Making science more accessible while also making it attractive to a specific targeted group (musicians)”, which is exactly what Lennon did. This is one of those videos that should be converted to 47 different languages to help as many people as possible. Yes it’s that good. Ciao
@@jeffh5388 No the word in English also means the same thing. Linguistically valgarization means the same thing (popularization) or (make a thing simpler) or (make it understoodable for the public.
Thank you for this! Literally all I ever wanted from a video on theory. I just found your channel but I figure a lot of people could benefit from it. Please consider making a part 2 ( I know this one’s for AP lol) I think more breakdowns in this video’s simple chalkboard style could help many people out. thanks a lot lad
Thank you so much! My goal was to create a comprehensive overview of some of the key topics in music theory, and I am so glad that many people are finding it helpful. I might make an updated version of it in the future. I highly recommend looking up Dr. B Music Theory on TH-cam. Dr. Brellochs recorded his music theory lectures, and his style of teaching is phenomenal! His lectures cover the majority of the things that I covered in my video, and he breaks them down at a microscopic level, whereas my video is more of a macroscopic overview.
I had a music teacher for 4-5 years and he never told me that the bass and treble clef were connected by middle C. Than again now that I see it it’s super obvious
It's a cool relation that isn't always pointed out! I like to explain things in ways that make things easier to understand, so I'm glad that this now seems obvious!
Taught myself to sing with “energy”. Let you Ponder that for a moment lol! Now I need an instrument. I have acquired a piano and guitar. Music theory, yes… need it :) Also just downed 1400mg of edibles and will attempt to write a song today using this video as a guide 👀 Wish me luck and luck to all :)
Thank you kind sir! I'm a self-taught guitar player, this is the university contents that I have never had the chance to access to. It all start to make sense when i'm able to put all the puzzels together thanks to the infos in this video. This means so much to me!
Thanks so much for your comment! I always enjoy hearing when music theory starts to make a lot more sense to people. It can be like a puzzle, and I think that one needs to have or develop an analytical mind to understand how it works. It's so great to apply it to the music that you enjoy listening to, as this lets you see the theory concepts in action!
Man who are you? I love your video. I want to study music theory with you until I become a master of music notation. You are amazing my brother. Thank you for this video.
Thank you very much for the kind words! I appreciate it. In my opinion, once you get the notation down, the analysis becomes the fun part where you get to really delve into the music that you are most interested in!
Glad to, especially since that is a slightly confusing exception at first. This exception is something that I read in the Tonal Harmony textbook. In major keys, the regular seventh chord built on the leading tone is viiø7, which means that this chord can be used when tonicizing a major key in the middle of a piece. When a piece of music is in a minor key, more often than not, we choose to turn the naturally-occurring minor v chord into a V chord to create a stronger resolution to the tonic harmony; this is accomplished by raising the 7th scale degree to turn it into a leading tone. For instance, if we have a piece in A-minor, the key signature has 0 sharps/flats, so the naturally-occurring dominant triad would be E minor. However, we alter this chord and turn it into E major, which comes from using the harmonic minor scale. When we tonicize chords in a key and treat them as temporary tonic chords, we are basing these keys on the major scale and the natural minor scale. The V chord with the raised leading tone is simply an alteration of the dominant chord and seventh scale degree (subtonic) that naturally occur in a minor key. So, again, in A minor, the dominant chord that we use is E major, but the naturally-occurring dominant harmony is E minor, so we are, in theory, tonicizing the key of E minor, and because viiø7 chords are not found in minor keys, we would not use such a chord to tonicize a minor key. I did not see this exception in some other theory texts that I just looked at, so I wouldn't worry too much about this. If you are analyzing music, most secondary leading-tone chords that you will come across will be fully-diminished seventh chords anyway. When composing, you can use theory like this as a guide to help, but the most important thing is to trust your ear, as this is the best gauge as to whether or not to use a particular harmony. I hope this helps!
@@LennonAshtonNY Thank you for the detailed answer. In short, the way I'm digesting this is that using viiø7/V in the minor mode indirectly violates the third bullet-point in white you had there. It helps me to understand the motivation behind these rules of thumb. Thanks again for making these videos! It really helps self learners like me figure out what to read up on to fill in gaps in our knowledge.
Since you posted this video, have you thought of any topics you wish you had included, expanded or done differently? PS Good luck with your studies and as an adjunct professor
Thank you very much! This video is mainly based on the Tonal Harmony textbook, which is the one that I originally learned from. Of course, different music theory textbooks have different philosophies, and some have different ways of approaching certain concepts. A good example is the cadential six-four chord, which some analyze as I6/4 and others as V6/4, with different notation to illustrate the concept. Other theory books only use uppercase Roman numerals. To this day, I remain a fan of the way that this textbook presents the concepts. As for topics I wish I had included, maybe the topics on post-tonal theory that are covered at the end of this textbook. Since making this video, I have taken some graduate courses focused on post-tonal music. However, this video was focused on tonality and the use of tonal harmony. Maybe I'll make a video on post-tonal music in the future. I also would have liked to have included a section on melodic alteration, discussing things like inversion, intervallic changes, augmentation, diminution, rhythmic changes, ornamentation, extensions, and retrograde. Also, a bit of jazz theory would have been cool to dive into as well. Something that I didn't discuss much in this video is the types of species counterpoint, probably because it is not something I had learned too much about at the time of making this video. There are some excellent resources out there that explain this fascinating topic. I am happy with the way that I presented the concepts, and I still teach them in a similar way to this day when I teach and tutor students. One diagram that I do teach differently now is the chart of thirds that I discuss in the section on recognizing chords. That diagram limits the ability to analyze certain chords (like F major) unless it is expanded. I now teach it using a circle of thirds, that way there is an infinite cycle rather than a single list. There are some amazing textbooks that I have encountered and read since making this video that I highly recommend. These include The Musician's Guide to Theory and Analysis, Music Theory Remixed, and Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom. Now that I am an adjunct professor, I am trying to combine elements of all of these books to give students the most broad and insightful introduction into the wonderful world of music theory!
@@LennonAshtonNY I greatfully thank you for your in-depth response. You have provided many points to further study and consider. The authors of these resourcers would be helpful, if you do not mind. Then we can be sure that we are literally reading from the same page. ;-P
Of course! The Musician's Guide to Theory and Analysis is by Elizabeth Marvin and Jane Piper Clendinning. Music Theory Remixed is by Kevin Holm-Hudson. Music Theory for the 21st Century Classroom is a free online textbook by Robert Hutchinson. These are all excellent music theory resources!
at 3:12:30 the minor pentatonic on the board should say Bb not Ab. You can think of major and minor pentatonic scales the same way you would a major scale and its relative minor. For example in D major, the major pentatonic scale would be D E F# A B (there are no half steps in a pentatonic scale) so if you wanted to know the d minor pentatonic you would have to think about what d minor's relative major is. D minors relative major is F major. So if you make an F major pentatonic scale: F G A C D. All you have to do now is start the same scale start on D and you will get the D minor pentatonic scale: D F G A C
@@LennonAshtonNY I've been using this video to study for a grad school theory test and it really helped a lot. And I just found out I passed!!!! Thank you so much for this video!
For the circle of fifths that I wrote, going clockwise, each key is a perfect fifth above the key you are currently on. Some people prefer to write the circle backwards compared to the version I drew, which would mean that going clockwise, each key is a perfect fifth below the key you are currently on, or going counterclockwise, each key is a perfect fifth above the key you are currently on. The perfect fourth and the perfect fifth are inversions of each other, so this could lead to some initial confusion when using the circle because people might not understand why it can be written two different ways. This is also why some people use the names "circle of fifths" and "circle of fourths" interchangeably. This is a matter of preference, and either works as long as the person writing out the circle is consistent in their approach.
And then you have folk influences using an entirely different tonal foundation, both in elision and gracing, with sliding thrown in for good measure, as an extension to tremolo and vibrato. I was one of the pathfinders in the low whistle, invented in the early 1980s by Finbar Furey, who was at that time part of a wave of interest in the crossover influence of Irish Catholics on Latin American folk music, particularly in the harp, and didn't explore it's use in mainstream traditional folk. That fell to me, in a session with Paddy Moloney, where I focused on the glide elisions - this is part of what made the LotR soundtrack distinctive, and has now been followed up by the ROLI keyboard, which uses microtonality.
Very cool! Yeah, there have been so many systems of writing music over the centuries, so it is interesting how heavily we still embrace the tonal system that became prominent a few centuries ago! At the same time, the tonal system has been "expanded on" over time by the use of a lot of chromaticism, the use of extended and suspended chords, the use of different types of harmonic motions, etc. And then the development of post-tonal ideas and the emergence of different genres has given us something new to explore. One of my favorite quotes (by Rachmaninoff) is “Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.”
@@LennonAshtonNY Some of this is focused on in the family rift between Ravi Shankar and his daughter Nora Jones. I was fortunate enough to have sat in on a presentation from Ravi as a child, and so have a slight understanding of the temporal sense of Raga, which is somewhat associated with the ideas of time fundamental in Haiku. At the same time, being taught from the Sussex folk heritage, which also intersected with my family's naval roots, I can see Nora's point. My involvement has been fractious, though, because this heritage became the toy of politicians who didn't give a damn when push came to shove. Where a stripling barely into his teens started copying songs in the RVWML (Cecil Sharp House), inventing ABC notation on the fly, the adult, schooled in railway engineering, spotted the threat HS2 posed to the building. However, the Chair, who had no folk in her background at all, but was a Common Purpose stooge trying to destroy the peoples' voices, refused to do a blind thing to protect the major source of income keeping the folk scene alive, the rental of the building as a rehearsal venue for TV programs like SCD and Doctor Who, and for orchestras.
This video would be beneficial to any musician! The first hour of this video covers the fundamentals, and those are the basics of the musical language that will enable someone like a piano student to learn how to read music. Topics from the video like harmonic progression and cadences can also help when learning new music because a musician can use knowledge of chord functions and typical progressions to anticipate what they should expect to find in the music.
Thanks for watching! Tried to cram as much content as I could into a summary video, not knowing how long the final result would be. I'm glad that it reviews a lot of topics for those who need a refresher. And there is so much more to theory than I covered in here!
If you are into music, then studying theory is something that is worth considering. It allows you to understand the language and grammar of musicians, and it gives you a lot of insight into how to analyze the music that you hear and how to compose your own music from scratch. And Bach is a figure that many consider to be one of the most important musical geniuses. His harmonic progressions and style of contrapuntal writing have influenced the successive generations. There are plenty of examples of popular music where the direct influence of Bach can be seen. It is amazing how very different styles can have such significant similarities.
Music theory certainly does take some time to master, but with enough studying and practice, you can do it! I like to give students speed tests on things like key signatures, intervals, chord identification, diatonic chords, nonchord tones, cadences, and harmonic progression to make sure they get to the point where they don't have to think about the answers. Once you become comfortable with the fundamentals, the rest becomes a lot easier. And this is a subject where practice is essential. It might make sense upon reading a textbook or watching a video, but actively practicing problems is the true test to check your understanding. Good luck with your studies!
I do not. However, this video is basically a summary of Chapters 1-26 from the 8th edition of the textbook Tonal Harmony. This was the book that my first music theory teacher used to teach me, and I really like the way that it is organized. A new edition just came out, which I am very excited about!
Great video! Maybe because I can read both standard notation and tab, I find tab to be almost as useful as standard notation. Chunking also occurs in tab. The clustering of numbers tells me the chord, and the direction of numbers on strings tells me direction. With enough experience you recognize patterns in tab in much the same way in standard notation. Tab also solves the problem of where on the fretboard to play a given note, since unlike the piano, the same notes show up in multiple places. But Tab is no substitute for standard notation when it comes to actually understanding music and theory.
Thank you! Yes, standard notation is central when it comes to understanding music theory, and the keyboard is an excellent visual tool to use when spelling chords, counting intervals, etc. As a guitarist, I really like the ease of tabs, and I grew up learning songs on the guitar through tabs (through online sources and even from books!). At the same time, while tabs can tell you where on the fretboard to play certain notes, there are often times that I have seen tabs that I have disagreed with, either because there were more comfortable ways to play passages, because the tone would be different (the same note on a lower fret sounds brighter than the same note on a higher fret), or because the tab was different from the way the actual guitarist played their parts. Both systems of notation have their advantages, and it is great for a well-rounded guitarist to be familiar with both!
why does it look like you recorded this in heaven 😂
I used an older iPhone when recording this video, and then compression occurred when compiling all of the clips into one 3.5-hour video. Music can be heavenly, so I guess you could say this video compliments that attribute. 😂
@@LennonAshtonNY Your username saids NY! Any chance you teach in a CUNY ?
I do not, but maybe one day. I did go to a CUNY for a graduate degree!
Because this video is a gift from heaven
Nice way to put it! :)
This is pure gold! I can’t thank you enough. This is everything, so clear and so concise.
Thank you for your comment! I'm glad that you and others are finding it useful!
Congratulation Lennon. Very well explained and very professional.
Thanks very much!
Concise and very well put together. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
very good study guide easy to summering all the information in one video ❤😮thank you very much
My absolute pleasure! Thank you for your comment!
0:14 @@LennonAshtonNY
Thank you so much for this video. Great Information- I really liked your explanations! (FYI It would help if your screens were just a tittle bit brighter.) Thanks again! 👍👍
Thank you very much! Glad you liked the explanations!
WOW Just skimmed it - Will watch it all !!
That's too awesome - thanks Randy!! I've been able to use theory over the years to analyze so many of your amazing chord progressions!
😮😮😮😮😮😮😮9
bless dude, this video helped me alot. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
Thank you for your comment! It was an absolute pleasure to create this video, and I hope that it helps many students better understand the fascinating subject of music theory!! :)
Had they taught the fact that bass clef leads to treble, I would have understood music theory much easier. Band directors take note! Teach your kids this simple thing!
Thanks for your comment! My goal as a music theory teacher is to always make everything as clear as possible by showing everything in its simplest form and how/why we use different analytical techniques. Music theory is a very fun subject to learn when it actually makes sense to someone! :)
Is there a reason none of the examples or concepts are played on an instrument? A big part of these subjects is ear training and this method of teaching does very little to help.
While I do agree that ear training is very important when it comes to learning music theory and developing aural skills, as I say at the start, this video was not specifically designed to teach these topics for the first time, but rather to provide viewers with a compact overview of the topics that they would encounter by taking actual theory courses, reading theory textbooks, etc., which can be helpful for those that are preparing for major written exams that are more focused on the theoretical knowledge and non-aural questions. I also did not know how long the final video would be, and I did not want it to end up being excessively long for a review video that is primarily focused on summarizing. Thankfully, the feedback that I have received from tons of people since posting the video has been very positive, with many students telling me that it has helped them to study and prepare for their classes and exams, which was one of the main motivations for making the video in the first place.
For people watching this video who would like to get more out of it, I would recommend that they try to play through some of the examples on a keyboard, which would allow them to "hear" the theory while also giving them a chance to practice things like sight-reading, converting Roman numerals to chords, voicing chords, harmonizing a melody, adding upper voices on top of a bass line, playing tonal and post-tonal scales, and other skills related to keyboard harmony. Although this is a review video, some might watch it because it gives them a general introduction to music theory. For those who want to learn these topics at a more in-depth level, I recommend that they check out some of the amazing lecture series that are on TH-cam that cover these topics through full lessons and courses, combining analytical skills, aural skills, and more.
Brilliant- I’m 63 and have just started learning Saxophone! I wish I’d started sooner…I think I’ll work out the chapters as I watch this a second time as it might help somebody else.
Wonderful! It's never too late to learn a new instrument! During my undergraduate studies in music education, the saxophone was one of the ones that everyone seemed to enjoy the most. Glad this video helps with the learning about the theoretical side of music!
Amazing 63! I’ll be 65 in not quite two Months.
Long Island here ,
Never stop learning , Saxophone, nice.
Good luck
I think hes trying to communicate .. lol jk good job learning lots
Thanks! Glad you're learning a lot of theory!
Very well explained. I’m also a guitar player, and am getting into music theory. Can you please do a overview video on post-tonal theory for 20th century jazz and classical?
Thank you! I definitely might consider making a video on that in the future since I only lightly touched on post-tonal theory in this video. There's so much to talk about in that area because of all the different compositional techniques that composers and songwriters began to use during that century. I'm sure there are some excellent videos that discuss specific aspects of 20th century jazz and classical music. I'll definitely keep it in mind!
Any progress on the idea or plans for a video on post-tonal theory?
I might consider making one in the future, but there are already some great videos about it on TH-cam. Since making this review video, I have taken two very intense graduate courses on post-tonal music theory, including one taught by Joseph Straus, the author of Introduction to Post-Tonal Theory. The knowledge I gained in those courses was very beneficial!
Amazing job. Thank you!
Thank you for watching!
This is awesome. Which Tonal Harmony book were you studying from?
Thanks very much! I was originally taught in high school from the 7th Edition, and then I bought the 8th Edition during my time in college. This video follows Chapters 1-26 from the 8th Edition in order. I might do a video on post-tonal theory (like Chapters 27-28 from this book) in the future. I did add a section on popular music as well, and I used The Musician's Guide to Theory and Analysis as a resource for deciding what I would cover for that section.
Thank you for answering. What was the book called and who was the author please? There are so many books on Tonal Harmony. I want to purchase the book so I can follow you with the book?
The textbook is Tonal Harmony: With an Introduction to Post-Tonal Music, 8th Edition, by Kostka, Payne, and Almén. One word of advice: music theory is just like a math class, and the best way to master the material is to solve problems. The textbook is full of self-test problems in every chapter, and there is an answer key at the back of the textbook. Practicing these examples will ensure that you have a strong grasp of the subject matter!
I've played guitar when I was younger, I didn't know anything about it just loved making noise with it.... I never attended music class, everything I've learned was self taught.... I stopped playing when I had to work, and I picked it back up, and started reading about music theory... Now I try composing my own music, but I'm still a long ways of being able to master the instrument.... I teach younger kids that wanna learn, sometimes it's hard to explain music... You know your music, and we'll explained...
Thank you very much for your comment! I started with the piano, learned the basics of theory, picked up a guitar, and mostly played by ear. Once I took music theory in high school, I developed a whole new appreciation for music and was able to understand why certain chord progressions would naturally sound good when composing by ear. It's a fascinating subject when one really understands it!
I played guitar for years and never got anywhere. I took some theory and switched to piano. Now I’m getting back into guitar and the progress is astounding.
OP: the Alfred’s Music Theory book series is great. If you methodically work through the books you will be able to write music. I was able to sit at my work desc, "hear" a composition in my head and write it down. The pieces were more complex than I could play so I gave them to a teacher to play for me, and they sounded exactly like what I imagined. It was kind of scary, but really fun! The other thing I just learned is a new way to look at guitar scale patterns. I’ll link a video below. The patterns aren’t new but the relationship of finger spacing to scale intervals is a new way of explaining it, and it basically just opens up the entire fretboard once you "see it."
th-cam.com/video/rQf6i8KIwJU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=onmZ39WF7Zyxk2dZ
Can är w😅 3:19:58 😅😢 tre🎉
Outstanding in every way. You sure have a phenomenal understanding of music theroy. Thank you.
Thanks so much! I really appreciate that!
Thank you for doing such a great, and thorough job on this!
Making this video was my pleasure!
I'm taking AP Music Theory in seven months, but I can't wait to learn it!
Have fun!! That was my favorite class to take in high school, and I had the best time teaching it last year! So much cool content, and it really gives you a deeper appreciation for the music that you listen to!
This is the best video ive ever come across thank you so much😭😭
Wow, that's such an awesome compliment! Thanks!! Glad that it is helpful!
You literally just helped me thanks I have a music theory IV final today
Awesome! I hope you did well!
Speechless.! Thank-you for a great wealth of theories!!!!!@ a amazing vedio.!
Thank you for watching and commenting!
Absolutely brilliant.
Thank you!
How does this channel not have more subscribers? Thank you, Lennon. This is super concise and helpful. I'm a proficient pianist, guitarist, and six-string bassist; I've played by ear most of my life. This video lecture and Andrew Huang's theory videos are helping me better understand how to speak and interact with formally trained musicians, when I've always known how to write and play, but couldn't read or label anything. I cannot thank you enough.
Thank you for the very kind words! I am glad that you find my video beneficial. Yes, music theory is wonderful for interacting with other musicians. Many great songwriters and composers did and do not know music theory, and they would compose by ear. Over the past few centuries, certain scales, melodic patterns, harmonic progressions, rhythms, forms, chromatic chords, etc., have been used across tonal music of various styles. Because of this, our ears and minds can be indirectly trained to anticipate, expect, and gravitate toward certain musical practices, and this is why you'll find many similarities between music of different periods whether or not theory was involved in the creation of the music-composers' ears guide them! Theory itself allows us to make sense of these common practices, analyze various elements, try to understand the purpose behind every note and rest that happens in a composition and the thought process behind its creation, and try to understand why composers and listeners seem to enjoy certain things that happen in music. Good luck with your musical journey!
Golden.
Thank you!
Just an advice concerning mistakes while talking. As an actress I learn that mistakes are a very part of human beings therefore feel free to make a mistake and don't bother yourself or feel anxious about it. Myself I do mistakes while talking or explaining something in real life and I don't bother myself thinking that I shouldn't make mistakes. Mistakes happen so we deal with them as a normal thing. We're just humans and we cannot be it if we do not do so. Of course we have to try to reach perfection eventhough we are imperfect but it's not imposed on us. We try our best. So If you stop while explaining just let yourself to be spontaneous and take your time to reorganize your thoughts from new. And let it be. Your explanation is really great I mean vocally everything pronounced in an explanatory tonality and every word is pronounced well. Also making a mistake do not make you unserious or less serious. Absolutely not. You can stay in your serious mode even when stopping. Your explanation is serious and that's what I Like. Also compact and well organized. Really. Carry On🖐️🙌
There's a show on youtube called 'Al jahbath' talks about scientific vulgarization. You can nltice how the presenter is talking and explaining seriously and in explanatory mode even when using comic or sarcastic way because the purpose from this show is to make people love reading about sciences so he should make them love it. So the episode becomes both teaching and entertaining and therefore breaking the stereotype of absurdity of entertainment. This cadre on the media even in real life is important to attract the reciever and make the thing more entertaining. For me if it's a 5 hour video I would complete it till the end because Music for me already something I'm passionate about.
th-cam.com/video/Q3etK9-bMz8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=xxA7rTfxeQOLa1p6
Free plastine🇵🇸🇵🇸 pray for it
I agree Lennon took a very complex theory and presented it brilliantly where above average (intelligent) people might possibly understand. This is made possible by the fact Lennon understands music theory to an exceptionally high degree. For Lennon’s audience and “my sanity”, the word vulgarization needs some translated help. In French the word, vulgarization, means the act of synthesizing complex knowledge into a form that a more broad audience can understand. In English, the word may appear to have negative connotations, but in reality more accurately translates to “Making science more accessible while also making it attractive to a specific targeted group (musicians)”, which is exactly what Lennon did. This is one of those videos that should be converted to 47 different languages to help as many people as possible. Yes it’s that good. Ciao
@@jeffh5388 No the word in English also means the same thing. Linguistically valgarization means the same thing (popularization) or (make a thing simpler) or (make it understoodable for the public.
Thank you again for the very kind words!
Thank you for this! Literally all I ever wanted from a video on theory.
I just found your channel but I figure a lot of people could benefit from it. Please consider making a part 2 ( I know this one’s for AP lol) I think more breakdowns in this video’s simple chalkboard style could help many people out. thanks a lot lad
Thank you so much! My goal was to create a comprehensive overview of some of the key topics in music theory, and I am so glad that many people are finding it helpful. I might make an updated version of it in the future. I highly recommend looking up Dr. B Music Theory on TH-cam. Dr. Brellochs recorded his music theory lectures, and his style of teaching is phenomenal! His lectures cover the majority of the things that I covered in my video, and he breaks them down at a microscopic level, whereas my video is more of a macroscopic overview.
I take the AP on Wednesday so thank you 🙏
same, good luck!
You're welcome, and good luck to you both! I think that it's a pretty fun exam to take.
GREAT JOB!!!
Thank you very much!
I had a music teacher for 4-5 years and he never told me that the bass and treble clef were connected by middle C. Than again now that I see it it’s super obvious
It's a cool relation that isn't always pointed out! I like to explain things in ways that make things easier to understand, so I'm glad that this now seems obvious!
Amazing video! Excellent review for my music theory exam next week. Appreciate you putting it together.
Glad it was helpful! Hope you did well on your exam!
Lennon Ashton it was not easy but crossing my fingers!!! 🤞🏼
Crossing your fingers is great! Crossing voices isn't! XD
Best of luck!
Taught myself to sing with “energy”. Let you Ponder that for a moment lol! Now I need an instrument. I have acquired a piano and guitar. Music theory, yes… need it :) Also just downed 1400mg of edibles and will attempt to write a song today using this video as a guide 👀 Wish me luck and luck to all :)
Thank you kind sir! I'm a self-taught guitar player, this is the university contents that I have never had the chance to access to. It all start to make sense when i'm able to put all the puzzels together thanks to the infos in this video. This means so much to me!
Thanks so much for your comment! I always enjoy hearing when music theory starts to make a lot more sense to people. It can be like a puzzle, and I think that one needs to have or develop an analytical mind to understand how it works. It's so great to apply it to the music that you enjoy listening to, as this lets you see the theory concepts in action!
Man who are you? I love your video. I want to study music theory with you until I become a master of music notation. You are amazing my brother. Thank you for this video.
Thank you very much for the kind words! I appreciate it. In my opinion, once you get the notation down, the analysis becomes the fun part where you get to really delve into the music that you are most interested in!
Just came across this amazing video. I don't even study music lol
Well then this is a great place to start!
Fantastic.And beautiful Thank you !
Thanks so much!
2:14:10 can you please elaborate further the logic behind this exception for the secondary half-diminished chords?
Glad to, especially since that is a slightly confusing exception at first. This exception is something that I read in the Tonal Harmony textbook.
In major keys, the regular seventh chord built on the leading tone is viiø7, which means that this chord can be used when tonicizing a major key in the middle of a piece. When a piece of music is in a minor key, more often than not, we choose to turn the naturally-occurring minor v chord into a V chord to create a stronger resolution to the tonic harmony; this is accomplished by raising the 7th scale degree to turn it into a leading tone. For instance, if we have a piece in A-minor, the key signature has 0 sharps/flats, so the naturally-occurring dominant triad would be E minor. However, we alter this chord and turn it into E major, which comes from using the harmonic minor scale.
When we tonicize chords in a key and treat them as temporary tonic chords, we are basing these keys on the major scale and the natural minor scale. The V chord with the raised leading tone is simply an alteration of the dominant chord and seventh scale degree (subtonic) that naturally occur in a minor key. So, again, in A minor, the dominant chord that we use is E major, but the naturally-occurring dominant harmony is E minor, so we are, in theory, tonicizing the key of E minor, and because viiø7 chords are not found in minor keys, we would not use such a chord to tonicize a minor key.
I did not see this exception in some other theory texts that I just looked at, so I wouldn't worry too much about this. If you are analyzing music, most secondary leading-tone chords that you will come across will be fully-diminished seventh chords anyway. When composing, you can use theory like this as a guide to help, but the most important thing is to trust your ear, as this is the best gauge as to whether or not to use a particular harmony.
I hope this helps!
@@LennonAshtonNY Thank you for the detailed answer. In short, the way I'm digesting this is that using viiø7/V in the minor mode indirectly violates the third bullet-point in white you had there. It helps me to understand the motivation behind these rules of thumb.
Thanks again for making these videos! It really helps self learners like me figure out what to read up on to fill in gaps in our knowledge.
Thank You Sir 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏😜
Thank you for watching!
This is a gem. Cheers. Greetings from the Philippines
Thank you very much!
Since you posted this video, have you thought of any topics you wish you had included, expanded or done differently? PS Good luck with your studies and as an adjunct professor
Thank you very much!
This video is mainly based on the Tonal Harmony textbook, which is the one that I originally learned from. Of course, different music theory textbooks have different philosophies, and some have different ways of approaching certain concepts. A good example is the cadential six-four chord, which some analyze as I6/4 and others as V6/4, with different notation to illustrate the concept. Other theory books only use uppercase Roman numerals. To this day, I remain a fan of the way that this textbook presents the concepts.
As for topics I wish I had included, maybe the topics on post-tonal theory that are covered at the end of this textbook. Since making this video, I have taken some graduate courses focused on post-tonal music. However, this video was focused on tonality and the use of tonal harmony. Maybe I'll make a video on post-tonal music in the future. I also would have liked to have included a section on melodic alteration, discussing things like inversion, intervallic changes, augmentation, diminution, rhythmic changes, ornamentation, extensions, and retrograde. Also, a bit of jazz theory would have been cool to dive into as well. Something that I didn't discuss much in this video is the types of species counterpoint, probably because it is not something I had learned too much about at the time of making this video. There are some excellent resources out there that explain this fascinating topic.
I am happy with the way that I presented the concepts, and I still teach them in a similar way to this day when I teach and tutor students. One diagram that I do teach differently now is the chart of thirds that I discuss in the section on recognizing chords. That diagram limits the ability to analyze certain chords (like F major) unless it is expanded. I now teach it using a circle of thirds, that way there is an infinite cycle rather than a single list.
There are some amazing textbooks that I have encountered and read since making this video that I highly recommend. These include The Musician's Guide to Theory and Analysis, Music Theory Remixed, and Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom. Now that I am an adjunct professor, I am trying to combine elements of all of these books to give students the most broad and insightful introduction into the wonderful world of music theory!
@@LennonAshtonNY I greatfully thank you for your in-depth response. You have provided many points to further study and consider. The authors of these resourcers would be helpful, if you do not mind. Then we can be sure that we are literally reading from the same page. ;-P
Of course! The Musician's Guide to Theory and Analysis is by Elizabeth Marvin and Jane Piper Clendinning. Music Theory Remixed is by Kevin Holm-Hudson. Music Theory for the 21st Century Classroom is a free online textbook by Robert Hutchinson. These are all excellent music theory resources!
You are A GENIUS MR ASHTON🎉 THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that!
Wow I wish I had this lecture many years ago. I would have made much more progress with my music.
Thank you for the nice compliment! I appreciate that. And it's never too late to make new musical progress!
Good video even though I fell asleep with TH-cam on and I know nothing about TH-cam but nice
Well you found my video, so you're doing something right with TH-cam!
Next, we will perform a Shenkerian Analysis of John Cage’s 4:33…
It would be a lot easier than the Schenkerian analyses that I did during my graduate studies!
Great video, this knowledge costs $1000’s at university. The refresher for those of us who have been out of college for a dozen years is invaluable.
Thank you! I'm glad that my video is a beneficial resource for so many people, and I enjoyed putting it together.
at 3:12:30 the minor pentatonic on the board should say Bb not Ab. You can think of major and minor pentatonic scales the same way you would a major scale and its relative minor. For example in D major, the major pentatonic scale would be D E F# A B (there are no half steps in a pentatonic scale) so if you wanted to know the d minor pentatonic you would have to think about what d minor's relative major is. D minors relative major is F major. So if you make an F major pentatonic scale: F G A C D. All you have to do now is start the same scale start on D and you will get the D minor pentatonic scale: D F G A C
Thanks for pointing that out! That's a typo on my part that I missed by accident. I'll make a note of the correction in the description.
@@LennonAshtonNY I've been using this video to study for a grad school theory test and it really helped a lot. And I just found out I passed!!!! Thank you so much for this video!
Awesome, that makes me very happy to hear! Graduate school theory exams are no joke, that's for sure!! Congratulations, and best wishes! :)
thank you so much for this! really coming in clutch before the ap exam on wednesday
Thanks for watching! Hope you did well on the AP!
Nice sharing keep it up ❤new friend ❤
Thank you!
Think you for making this. Watching this in 2024
Thank you very much!
Awesome THANKS SO MUCH SIR!!!!!!!
Thanks for watching!
Bro I the after life preachin'
You are a gifted teacher
Mrs. C
Thank you! :)
This is great, thank you!
Thanks, and my pleasure!
For some reason I always thought circle 4ths was 4 notes above and 5ths were 5 above. Thank you for the clarification
For the circle of fifths that I wrote, going clockwise, each key is a perfect fifth above the key you are currently on. Some people prefer to write the circle backwards compared to the version I drew, which would mean that going clockwise, each key is a perfect fifth below the key you are currently on, or going counterclockwise, each key is a perfect fifth above the key you are currently on. The perfect fourth and the perfect fifth are inversions of each other, so this could lead to some initial confusion when using the circle because people might not understand why it can be written two different ways. This is also why some people use the names "circle of fifths" and "circle of fourths" interchangeably. This is a matter of preference, and either works as long as the person writing out the circle is consistent in their approach.
That's exactly what I was going to say
It's a lot to say! 😂
And then you have folk influences using an entirely different tonal foundation, both in elision and gracing, with sliding thrown in for good measure, as an extension to tremolo and vibrato. I was one of the pathfinders in the low whistle, invented in the early 1980s by Finbar Furey, who was at that time part of a wave of interest in the crossover influence of Irish Catholics on Latin American folk music, particularly in the harp, and didn't explore it's use in mainstream traditional folk. That fell to me, in a session with Paddy Moloney, where I focused on the glide elisions - this is part of what made the LotR soundtrack distinctive, and has now been followed up by the ROLI keyboard, which uses microtonality.
Very cool! Yeah, there have been so many systems of writing music over the centuries, so it is interesting how heavily we still embrace the tonal system that became prominent a few centuries ago! At the same time, the tonal system has been "expanded on" over time by the use of a lot of chromaticism, the use of extended and suspended chords, the use of different types of harmonic motions, etc. And then the development of post-tonal ideas and the emergence of different genres has given us something new to explore. One of my favorite quotes (by Rachmaninoff) is “Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.”
@@LennonAshtonNY Some of this is focused on in the family rift between Ravi Shankar and his daughter Nora Jones. I was fortunate enough to have sat in on a presentation from Ravi as a child, and so have a slight understanding of the temporal sense of Raga, which is somewhat associated with the ideas of time fundamental in Haiku. At the same time, being taught from the Sussex folk heritage, which also intersected with my family's naval roots, I can see Nora's point.
My involvement has been fractious, though, because this heritage became the toy of politicians who didn't give a damn when push came to shove. Where a stripling barely into his teens started copying songs in the RVWML (Cecil Sharp House), inventing ABC notation on the fly, the adult, schooled in railway engineering, spotted the threat HS2 posed to the building. However, the Chair, who had no folk in her background at all, but was a Common Purpose stooge trying to destroy the peoples' voices, refused to do a blind thing to protect the major source of income keeping the folk scene alive, the rental of the building as a rehearsal venue for TV programs like SCD and Doctor Who, and for orchestras.
This video is the whole enchilada fr
I'll take it! Thanks!
@@LennonAshtonNY😮😊99😅999 21:23
Can this be used by piano student too ?
This video would be beneficial to any musician! The first hour of this video covers the fundamentals, and those are the basics of the musical language that will enable someone like a piano student to learn how to read music. Topics from the video like harmonic progression and cadences can also help when learning new music because a musician can use knowledge of chord functions and typical progressions to anticipate what they should expect to find in the music.
Thank you Lennon for the masterful, extended, theory lesson.Enormously valuable to me:-).
Thank you so much for your comment! I'm glad that is is helpful!
Thx Lennon! This is a massiv! 😮
Thanks for watching! Tried to cram as much content as I could into a summary video, not knowing how long the final result would be. I'm glad that it reviews a lot of topics for those who need a refresher. And there is so much more to theory than I covered in here!
I wish I knew about this video before I tested into my Master's lol
Better late than never! I hope that it helps!
1:26;47 dom7 > maj3 in min modes
In the minor mode, there is an additional chord in the diagram because VII(7) can function as a dominant to III.
I'm impressed that you haven't broke the chalk
There was a take of one section where I originally broke a piece! I used a lot of chalk to make this video!
Thank you very much this is helpful
I'm glad that it's helpful!
It was recommented for me from youtube. So idk what im doin here but you're cool
That happens haha. Thanks!
I review music theory a 2/10. It is boring and I don’t know who Bach is
If you are into music, then studying theory is something that is worth considering. It allows you to understand the language and grammar of musicians, and it gives you a lot of insight into how to analyze the music that you hear and how to compose your own music from scratch. And Bach is a figure that many consider to be one of the most important musical geniuses. His harmonic progressions and style of contrapuntal writing have influenced the successive generations. There are plenty of examples of popular music where the direct influence of Bach can be seen. It is amazing how very different styles can have such significant similarities.
@@LennonAshtonNY I was just joking. I know a decent amount of theory
To echo a comment below, you're video is pure gold!
Thanks so much!
Amazing work. Thanks!
Thanks! My pleasure!
I wish I knew this so well
Music theory certainly does take some time to master, but with enough studying and practice, you can do it! I like to give students speed tests on things like key signatures, intervals, chord identification, diatonic chords, nonchord tones, cadences, and harmonic progression to make sure they get to the point where they don't have to think about the answers. Once you become comfortable with the fundamentals, the rest becomes a lot easier. And this is a subject where practice is essential. It might make sense upon reading a textbook or watching a video, but actively practicing problems is the true test to check your understanding. Good luck with your studies!
thanks bro
Thanks!
Very good
Thank you!
Very cool.
Thanks!
I love it
Thanks!
@@LennonAshtonNY do you have a blog or an article of all this written up?
I do not. However, this video is basically a summary of Chapters 1-26 from the 8th edition of the textbook Tonal Harmony. This was the book that my first music theory teacher used to teach me, and I really like the way that it is organized. A new edition just came out, which I am very excited about!
@@LennonAshtonNY awesome, I'll order that book then! Thank you
Great video! Maybe because I can read both standard notation and tab, I find tab to be almost as useful as standard notation. Chunking also occurs in tab. The clustering of numbers tells me the chord, and the direction of numbers on strings tells me direction. With enough experience you recognize patterns in tab in much the same way in standard notation. Tab also solves the problem of where on the fretboard to play a given note, since unlike the piano, the same notes show up in multiple places. But Tab is no substitute for standard notation when it comes to actually understanding music and theory.
Thank you! Yes, standard notation is central when it comes to understanding music theory, and the keyboard is an excellent visual tool to use when spelling chords, counting intervals, etc. As a guitarist, I really like the ease of tabs, and I grew up learning songs on the guitar through tabs (through online sources and even from books!). At the same time, while tabs can tell you where on the fretboard to play certain notes, there are often times that I have seen tabs that I have disagreed with, either because there were more comfortable ways to play passages, because the tone would be different (the same note on a lower fret sounds brighter than the same note on a higher fret), or because the tab was different from the way the actual guitarist played their parts. Both systems of notation have their advantages, and it is great for a well-rounded guitarist to be familiar with both!
thanks for this
My pleasure!
this is absolutely incredible as a college student - i imagine how useful this would be for people taking AP. thank you!!
I am glad that so many students are finding this video helpful for their music theory studies! That's why I wanted to make it. Thanks for watching!
massive legend
😂 thanks!