Why is this stuff helpful, beyond just winning arguments on reddit's /r/musictheory? Well... 🎵-Scales are written using 2nds 🎵-Triads and Extended chords get written using 3rds 🎵-Classical chords and inverted chords like 64, 63, aug6 and neopolitan 6th all refer to types of 6th intervals 🎵-Diminished and Augmented chords are named such after their diminished/augmented FIFTH 🎵-Diminished 7th chords are named after their diminished seventh INTERVAL! 🎵-The "Major Scale" just refers to the type of third used. That's why there's multiple "major scales", because many use a major 3rd. "Minor scales" refers to any scale with a small 3rd!
@@SignalsMusicStudio Everyone should understand how lucky they are to have instant and free access to teachers like Jake! This is just what he shares for free! Imagine what you will learn when you sub to his course...
This is the most aggravating thing about music theory IMO. Intervals are just weird and complicated and confusing and hard to explain, but you have to get past them to understand everything else. It's an extremely annoying gate that so many people just bounce right off. Thanks for one of the clearest explanations I've seen.
Maybe I have an unpopular opinion, but I actually don't think that they are that weird and complicated... it's just that they're rarely explained in a beginner-friendly way. I think the main problem is the confusion between two different intervals having the same tone "distance". Usually, when people try to explain this, they either 1) try to explain why you may use certain letter classes over others for enharmonic notes right away, which is overwhelming for someone who doesn't even understand intervals yet, or 2) they don't put much emphasis on how you just have to look at the letter class because they don't want to open that can of worms, which is also not good because people are only left knowing "okay there are exceptions but I have no idea how to know when to use which". I think this way is probably the best I've seen since it tells you just enough to confidently know any interval provided you know the names (letter classes) of the note. Sure, when you start doing something yourself and dealing with scales, you'll have to know a little more to realize which name you should give each note (most of the time it's just making sure you use each letter once if it's a 7-note scale) and thus know which intervals it has, but I think you can learn that once you get to that point. Most of the time I think that music theory has simple concepts. Thing is, they have very deep relationships between each other so they're hard to distill and explain in simple terms, and to actually apply them you need to understand those relationships since they're rarely ever isolated. But at the same time, this is what I find so beautiful about it... with time, everything starts making more and more sense and it's so rewarding to go through the more boring parts -- they eventually become purely intuitive. Then again, I never had any "classical training" or anything... this is my opinion as simply a hobbyist who enjoys watching music theory videos. I'm not trying to boast or discourage anyone if they don't understand this, it's quite the opposite: if you don't understand something, don't despair! Maybe the explanation you saw just didn't gel with you and you should try looking for other teachers/videos. Basically, I think people often blame themselves for not understanding something, when it might just not have been explained appropriately for a beginner. Because of the relationships I spoke, even if people are talking about the basics, they will (unknowingly) introduce advanced concepts that have become second nature for them. I think they forget how hard they can be for the people they are trying to teach. Personally, though, I think Jake is one of the best teachers I've seen, he really does try to focus on the simple concepts, show you those relationships little by little, and show you how to apply them right away so you not only get the theoretical knowledge, but also the practical and intuitive one. It's not only more beginner-friendly, but it's also usually the most fun way to learn!
@@ric6611 Yeah, it's not really complicated once you understand it. It's just such an awkward hodgepodge of a system that it seems that way when you attempt to explain it to someone for the first time. I think you're absolutely right that you need to look for different explanations until you find the one that clicks with your brain.
I thought I knew this stuff but I just learned a ton in twelve minutes. Now maybe I can communicate a little better with my Classically trained and Brazilian taught Flamenco Instructor neighbor. Augmented Seconds?? I thought those terms were reserved for 4ths and 5ths and those pesky 7th chords alone.
I had a teacher who showed me that the inverted intervals always add up to nine and switch from major to minor or vice versa. So, as an example, Maj 3rd has an inverted interval of a min 6th (3+6=9).
When I first read about this in the Chord Progression Codex, intervals started to become clear for the first time. The way of looking at letter classes was new to me but completely logical. This video just makes it clearer. You're a great teacher. Thanks! :)
I love the clarity of simply saying what things are. Teaching videos are best when the person making them and the person watching them keep in mind that you can play them over and over.
Great job with your explanation of a somewhat difficult aspect of music theory, making it a lot easier to comprehend. I am also in agreement with scale degrees over intervals when beginning studies of music theory.
Yes! A new Jake Lizzio video, explaining one of the hardest to grasp concepts I've ever come across! This is gonna be good 🫠 Thank you so much for this🫂 You're a blessing!🙏
I'm glad you're back, I don't think there's anyone else on your level on TH-cam. Your stuff is well paced, well explained, not overly complicated but not gliding over important details and most importantly, always interesting. Absolute GOAT
Blimey! I was so gobsmacked by the beautiful clarity of your explanations that it was only at the end I realised that you'd just taught me what aug & dim mean… utterly painlessly. Bravo, sir!
This is awesome. You have an amazing gift for explaining complex information in a way that internet idiots like me can understand. You should be a teacher.
These latest lessons are off-the-charts useful and accessible. Been playing for 20 years and Jake explains shit I’ve been perplexed by in 20 min lessons. Can’t wait to dig into the Codex. A specific lesson on using the Codex would be GREAT! Unless I’m just a dumbass and one already exists.
This is how I work with it. I read it from front to cover either having my guitar on my lap or sitting in front of the piano. Piano is better for understanding the concept, guitar is better for using it n the guitar. Now there is no way I could digest and retain it all this way. I did it from front to cover just to know what's in there and from that on I would revisit a concept from time to time or I would look it up if I need a solution in songwriting to spice up my progressions.
I love when he says that it will magically unfold itself!! And the ear doesn't care what the names are!! Priceless mate! You know that was a truly interesting take on intervals, I have been reading about theory to improve my playing and my understanding of it. This was a really refreshing view, thanks a lot and thanks for all the wisdom and knowledge that you keep dispensing. Ciao 🤘👽
Even though I've been studying music for a decade now and knew pretty much everything in the video, this is the most concise and clear way I've stumbled upon to explain the intervals and their caveats. I've struggled before trying to teach this to beginners. I suppose I'll copy this method from now on. Great vid, as usual.
I have taught guitar studens fir many yrs. Teaching theory can be difficult , or quite easy. You make it fairly easy if the student rewinds where he is confused , and clarify the information , and resume. Goid job!
Holy hell, I cannot tell you how impactful this has been. 30 years of playing, consistently trying and failing to get my head around how to use theory in a practical way, and since watching this one video a little over a week ago, so much has fallen into place it's ridiculous... guess I HAVE to buy the book now ;)
Jake, you ALWAYS teach me something new. I've been an amateur musician for 50 years and it's the first time I ever heard of doubly augmented intervals.
Wonderful. Especially loved the explanation of minor and major meaning small and big. And also the acknowledgment that this theory applies to western scales because there is a whole massive world of amazing music outside of western music. Most TH-camrs don't think beyond western culture , so thank you!
All these years man... You were my teacher! Thank you for all the work you gave us in form of knowledge, wanting nothing in return!! I would not be the guitar player I am today if not for your videos, where concepts that used to scare me were turned into something not only fun to learn but also very interesting. THANK YOU JAKE
Couldn't agree more that scale degrees are easier to work with. I went the usual route of learning intervals first, then building chords, then the major and minor scales, then learning the modes as just "the major scale but starting here" and so on over a decade ago. None of it really clicked until finding the mode videos on this channel that related everything back to a very digestible "what degrees are different and what does that difference sound like" framing. It makes music theory... well, musical.
Best theory channel ever. Jake is the best teacher!! Thanks for another great lesson! Honestly, the way I learned about intervals was pretty fun, I learned the minor scale all over the fretboard, then learned that it is a mode of major, and learned all the modes, played with them a lot of them until my ear started to recognize the intervals when hearing them, and then it was super easy to memorize the names for each
Fun Fact: In the German language the Intervals are described with "big" and "small" - just as you mentioned. For example a minor seventh would be called "kleine Septime" (klein meaning small). Took me years to learn the english music vocab.
my instructor 🐐 your content is brilliant, helpful and easy to digest. I've learned so much over the years with your channel, thank you for all the hard work you've put in to understand these concepts and create this content. Also shout out to all the patreon supports for making this possible. I'll join as well to support that which has supported my learning for so long. Take care!
It's not the intervals, it's when to start that trips me up. And always will. When measuring time-- one second, two seconds-- it starts at zero! But in music, it starts at one. My brain refuses to acknowledge this, so I'm screwed from the start.
I was going to comment how I know this stuff but wanted a refresher to solidify my knowledge but NOOOooooo. I fully understand the intervals in the Diatonic Modes which I think of as 'All the Correct notes' and then use my ear to play 'Outside' notes for extra spice in my playing. But now I understand where some of the weirder chord names come from like the more common Tritone, I understand that naming convention a whole lot better now. 3 wholetones apart. Thanks Jake. You're one of the very best in these TH-cams. 🤠
A fun songwritey way to learn intervals is to write songs with them. Randomly generate four or five intervals (minor 3rd, perfect 5th, minor7th etc.), then write a song using the following rules. You must use these intervals in the order they're generated, but you get to select which root notes they're derived from (and that you will play with them to give context) and you can add extra root notes or extra intervals to tie things together. For the advanced version, generate pairs of intervals where you're allowed to change one of them (but try not to!). Write a few songs like this and you'll be well on your way to understanding intervals. Or if you already know intervals, this is actually a completely valid way to write songs. It has the benefit of not committing to full chords too early in the melody writing process - a thing you sometimes want to do.
Nice video! Using the concept of "letter classes" is very helpful--it's a kind of spelling rule that also answers the question why you can't simplify the C-sharp harmonic minor scale as Csharp Dsharp E Fsharp Gsharp A C Csharp, for example (letters have to appear in order and only once in a standard scale).
I actually think intervals are still important to know first as they form the building blocks of scales and chords. Once you understand the basic M/m/P intervals (plus the one A/d) you can explain eg the major scale as all the notes being a major or perfect interval from the root, and things like the perfect cadence work the way they do because of intervals.
I'd start with learning the intervals for the major scale first 1 - 1 - 1/2 -1 -1 -1 - 1/2, it's the scale everybody can sing from the top of their head even if they don't know where the half and full steps are. Then the prallel minor key to the major scale. Then the triads and what they mean in terms of scale degree major and minor and finally the dominant 7 chords. That'll keep you busy for some time and you'll be able to understand 95% of today's pop music, well, you'd propably be overqualified already.
Thanx. I suffered music theory classes. The way intervals were taught in this video would've saved me a lot of headaches. Part of the problem with intervals and letter names in the note classes is that there's a half step between B and C, and E and F, but whole steps between the rest. Which of course has to do with the interaction of physics and the tones which makes up the notes,,,,,,,,,,, and so on. But again, thanx for simplifying a confusing concept.
Music lessons in school were a pain for me because none of the theory made any sense - all those rules and exceptions from them, all the crazy, traditional naming conventions that are built on the piano keyboard or guitar frets ... it was frustrating and my brain sailed on autopilot during music classes. it wasn't until later that I approached making music myself with a DAW with a piano roll and even later, trackers (LSDJ ftw), so now I simply think of chords and intervals in terms of numbers of semitones, which doesn't help me understand musicians of course when they speak in terms of Thirds and Fifth, meaning not three and five semitones as I would naively hope. That is how your explanations of chord progressions etc are the first ones that clicked for me - "VI - V/V - I - I" is a notation that actually makes sense now, and I really wish to thank you for that. You are a great teacher! This video cleared up things further. I'm not crazy - the naming conventions are! What a block to stumble over for decades ... :/
We had to write out all notes for every key including all their respective sharps and flats. We never played any instrument. What a terrible waste of time and it made me reject music theory for twenty years.
This video was really great! One thing I would have loved seeing you mention is the name "octave" in regards to letter classes. Because why is it called octave, from octa = eight, when the distance is twelve halfsteps? Because in letter classes, the eighth letter is just the first letter again. A B C D E F G A
For the life of me, I don't know how I made it this far in my life (I'm nearly 50, and have played something since I was 6) without knowing what made something a Major or a minor 2nd, 3rd, etc. I feel bloody daft for never having made that connection, but I do so much enjoy those ah-ha moments. Thanks for the lecture, I do every so enjoy learning something new.
Oh nice, the major/minor = big/small just clicked a couple of things together for me! Like I knew it in one context, but in another I hadn't made that association. Thanks! Another thing that might help people is thinking about how the staff has a line or space for each letter class - so an interval is a certain number of steps up or down that ladder. And that can give you a visual picture of an interval - like a 2nd is the adjacent spot, a 3rd is two notes with a line or space between them, etc. The actual flavour of that interval (major/minor etc) depends on the key signature and how it sets up those letter classes by default (like the F in Gmajor is an F#), or any accidentals that are giving you lil temporary adjustments. And in most of your typical western music the scales are built off major 2nds with two minor 2nds in there, so if you can remember where those two are, you'll be able to tell if a jump is gonna be major (it includes one) or minor (it misses them). Not exactly perfect but you can develop a bit of an intuition to build on!
And all that stuff is called differently in German and again differently in Spanish and then you also have the solmization system where the tonal center is always called "do" no matter what note it is.
@@TheHesseJames as far as I know those don't change how the music is scored though? They're all coming from the same system - I mean people use solfege to practice sight reading!
@@cactustactics In Flamenco guitar for example the chord names just stay the same, no matter where you put the capo. But then, this is not Western music anymore since the Flamenco scale has up to ten notes and on the other hand they call chords only by their letter even though they use tens of different ones depending on which color they like. Usually, they show you the chord and its name is simply "this one" :)
@@TheHesseJames I think we're talking about different things here! I'm just pointing out how western sheet music notation (or whatever you want to call it - the staff) reflects that system of interval naming the video talks about, so you have a visual representation of "a third" or "a fifth", and you use other info to work out what kind of third that is But yeah, it works for movable do too because it all transposes easily, because intervals are all relative! It's a neat system
This just made me realize that one of the reasons Western music theory is so confusing is because it was probably invented before the whole concept of "zero" even entered mathematics. That must be why the "intervals" always start at one, counting the first note, instead of counting the space between two notes as the actual step-making "third interval" refer to only two gaps, etc. 😵💫
@@SignalsMusicStudio worst of all things which threw me off for years is that 7 / Dominant 7 / Major 7 shithousery. Whoever came up with this should be in jail.
There is a simple trick to know the opposite of an interval, the result of them combined has to add to nine, for example: The opposite of a 2nd is a 7th cause 2+7=9 The opposite of a 4th is a 5th cause 4+5=9 The opposite of a 6th is a 3rd etc. And the quality of the interval is just inverted, so a minor interval become major, an augmented become dimished. It's simple. (Sorry for my bad english btw).
LEGEND, as stated, if this straight forward info have gotten to me 40 yrs ago i would be on the stages with Petrucci, Schon, Lukather etc. Haha of course not but i been asking this for a long time. Many thanks from Sweden.
Hey Jake... I always love your videos and your content... I consider myself lucky to comprehend what you're talking about... it all makes sense... however, one way or the other it somewhat feels like you've invented a totally new system of denoting intervals... for a newbie to understand this? Almost impossible! And, there might be a few and vicious tongues that may say, "man, are you on meth?" Can't be right? So, I'll conclude: You are a master of knowledge who found a complete new way of conveying and translating pieces of knowliedge... Congrats on that one!! Though, not easy at all... Who is your target group? Would really love to know!! Stay safe and keep up the good work! All the best to you.
Amazing video. When watching a good explanation of something i already know, I always manage to find something new, or just really integrate the material by hearing it over and over again using different words. Also the "Why is this stuff helpful, beyond just winning arguments on reddit's /r/musictheory" comment was great! providing beginner level students with a motivation, is a crucial step many teachers unfortunately tend to skip. Really love what you do here on this channel.
The really important part is not only knowing what intervals are, but being able to locate them in your fretboard. You should play your scale and recite what interval you are playing. Then play your chords and recite each interval you are playing. I think Jake is laying out the old school fundamentals of intervals as they relate to the musical Staff and briefly talking about scale degrees. Knowing the interval locations on your fretboard is the goal for most guitar players. Not knowing how to read interval notation on sheet music (although that is a very valuable tool as well, just not as practical for the majority of guitar players) Just remember, Music Theory just explains what your ears already know. If it sounds good, it is good. If you need to explain it to others, or you need to write it down, or your ears need a little help hearing what's possible next - Music Theory will get the job done. Learn it. Know it. Use it.
@@SignalsMusicStudio It’s difficult in isolation, but they do have just intonation tunings ( 6/5 vs 7/6 ). They only happen to be the same distance in 12TET. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_second en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septimal_minor_third Getting into the details is beyond the scope of this video, but I think it’s important to note where something is only true under 12TET or more generally true.
It's weird I'm not getting SMS videos on my feed. I always find them weeks after they're posted by chance on recommended list. I'll click the bell thingy to fix that, but it's the first time I need to do that to not miss any videos.
If you understand this lesson then you'll understand why the notes in the Hendrix chord are not E G# B D and G. You'll also understand why the first inversion of a C+ chord is not an E+ chord.
![Motifs and Chords- The Fast and Easy Way to Make Music! [SONGWRITNG - MUSIC THEORY - LESSON]]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/z3Dy6Mnp5Og/mqdefault.jpg)
![Motifs and Chords- The Fast and Easy Way to Make Music! [SONGWRITNG - MUSIC THEORY - LESSON]]](/img/tr.png)
![Demonstrating 7 Ways that Composers Make Music Using Modes [SONGWRITING / THEORY]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/sC2qXLnVU3A/mqdefault.jpg)
![The SMART Way To Think About Chord Names and Labels [+FREE PDF] [MUSIC THEORY LESSON]](/img/n.gif)
The BEST music educator on the Internet
The Chord Progression Codex is my new Bible !
get the codex, people!
Absolutely. Neck and neck with the Beato Book for most comprehensive and compact musical reference out there.
It is really good!
I just paused this to buy it on ya'lls recommendations
I'm hoping the physical copies will be available in the UK in the future. Jake is a great teacher and I'm sure it's worth every penny.
Wow, that makes so much more sense than it did 13 minutes ago!
Why is this stuff helpful, beyond just winning arguments on reddit's /r/musictheory? Well...
🎵-Scales are written using 2nds
🎵-Triads and Extended chords get written using 3rds
🎵-Classical chords and inverted chords like 64, 63, aug6 and neopolitan 6th all refer to types of 6th intervals
🎵-Diminished and Augmented chords are named such after their diminished/augmented FIFTH
🎵-Diminished 7th chords are named after their diminished seventh INTERVAL!
🎵-The "Major Scale" just refers to the type of third used. That's why there's multiple "major scales", because many use a major 3rd. "Minor scales" refers to any scale with a small 3rd!
@@SignalsMusicStudio Everyone should understand how lucky they are to have instant and free access to teachers like Jake! This is just what he shares for free! Imagine what you will learn when you sub to his course...
I think being able to recognize intervals by ear is the most useful skill a musician can have.
This is the most aggravating thing about music theory IMO. Intervals are just weird and complicated and confusing and hard to explain, but you have to get past them to understand everything else. It's an extremely annoying gate that so many people just bounce right off. Thanks for one of the clearest explanations I've seen.
I absolutely agree. The cerebral "price to get in the door" for western theory is too high IMO.
Maybe I have an unpopular opinion, but I actually don't think that they are that weird and complicated... it's just that they're rarely explained in a beginner-friendly way.
I think the main problem is the confusion between two different intervals having the same tone "distance". Usually, when people try to explain this, they either 1) try to explain why you may use certain letter classes over others for enharmonic notes right away, which is overwhelming for someone who doesn't even understand intervals yet, or 2) they don't put much emphasis on how you just have to look at the letter class because they don't want to open that can of worms, which is also not good because people are only left knowing "okay there are exceptions but I have no idea how to know when to use which".
I think this way is probably the best I've seen since it tells you just enough to confidently know any interval provided you know the names (letter classes) of the note. Sure, when you start doing something yourself and dealing with scales, you'll have to know a little more to realize which name you should give each note (most of the time it's just making sure you use each letter once if it's a 7-note scale) and thus know which intervals it has, but I think you can learn that once you get to that point.
Most of the time I think that music theory has simple concepts. Thing is, they have very deep relationships between each other so they're hard to distill and explain in simple terms, and to actually apply them you need to understand those relationships since they're rarely ever isolated. But at the same time, this is what I find so beautiful about it... with time, everything starts making more and more sense and it's so rewarding to go through the more boring parts -- they eventually become purely intuitive.
Then again, I never had any "classical training" or anything... this is my opinion as simply a hobbyist who enjoys watching music theory videos. I'm not trying to boast or discourage anyone if they don't understand this, it's quite the opposite: if you don't understand something, don't despair! Maybe the explanation you saw just didn't gel with you and you should try looking for other teachers/videos. Basically, I think people often blame themselves for not understanding something, when it might just not have been explained appropriately for a beginner. Because of the relationships I spoke, even if people are talking about the basics, they will (unknowingly) introduce advanced concepts that have become second nature for them. I think they forget how hard they can be for the people they are trying to teach. Personally, though, I think Jake is one of the best teachers I've seen, he really does try to focus on the simple concepts, show you those relationships little by little, and show you how to apply them right away so you not only get the theoretical knowledge, but also the practical and intuitive one. It's not only more beginner-friendly, but it's also usually the most fun way to learn!
Then again, maybe I am also falling on the trap I mentioned of underestimating the difficulty of those concepts after you know them...
@@ric6611 Yeah, it's not really complicated once you understand it. It's just such an awkward hodgepodge of a system that it seems that way when you attempt to explain it to someone for the first time.
I think you're absolutely right that you need to look for different explanations until you find the one that clicks with your brain.
Jake you are an absolute legend! I already know all this stuff but it's so satisfying to watch your tutorials!!
i will literally rewatch everything this man has uploaded over and over because it strengthens everything I’ve learned each time
I thought I knew this stuff but I just learned a ton in twelve minutes. Now maybe I can communicate a little better with my Classically trained and Brazilian taught Flamenco Instructor neighbor. Augmented Seconds?? I thought those terms were reserved for 4ths and 5ths and those pesky 7th chords alone.
I was just thinking the same thing. I was bragging about how well he teaches modes last night.
We just got to intervals in my class, and this is exactly the breakdown I needed! 🎉
If you can make it through this stuff, i swear it gets easier!
I had a teacher who showed me that the inverted intervals always add up to nine and switch from major to minor or vice versa. So, as an example, Maj 3rd has an inverted interval of a min 6th (3+6=9).
When I first read about this in the Chord Progression Codex, intervals started to become clear for the first time. The way of looking at letter classes was new to me but completely logical. This video just makes it clearer. You're a great teacher. Thanks! :)
I love the clarity of simply saying what things are. Teaching videos are best when the person making them and the person watching them keep in mind that you can play them over and over.
Jake, you always simply explain the things I've struggled with for years and then boom it all makes sense. LOL.
this video is incredible. i thought i knew intervals, i didn't know them nearly as much as i thought. You are an amazing teacher
Great job with your explanation of a somewhat difficult aspect of music theory, making it a lot easier to comprehend. I am also in agreement with scale degrees over intervals when beginning studies of music theory.
Hell yeah, new Signals videos are a "everything else can wait, watch immediately"
Yes! A new Jake Lizzio video, explaining one of the hardest to grasp concepts I've ever come across! This is gonna be good 🫠 Thank you so much for this🫂 You're a blessing!🙏
I'm glad you're back, I don't think there's anyone else on your level on TH-cam. Your stuff is well paced, well explained, not overly complicated but not gliding over important details and most importantly, always interesting. Absolute GOAT
Blimey! I was so gobsmacked by the beautiful clarity of your explanations that it was only at the end I realised that you'd just taught me what aug & dim mean… utterly painlessly. Bravo, sir!
This is awesome. You have an amazing gift for explaining complex information in a way that internet idiots like me can understand. You should be a teacher.
truly an inspiration to the idiot community!
These latest lessons are off-the-charts useful and accessible. Been playing for 20 years and Jake explains shit I’ve been perplexed by in 20 min lessons. Can’t wait to dig into the Codex. A specific lesson on using the Codex would be GREAT! Unless I’m just a dumbass and one already exists.
This is how I work with it. I read it from front to cover either having my guitar on my lap or sitting in front of the piano. Piano is better for understanding the concept, guitar is better for using it n the guitar. Now there is no way I could digest and retain it all this way. I did it from front to cover just to know what's in there and from that on I would revisit a concept from time to time or I would look it up if I need a solution in songwriting to spice up my progressions.
I love when he says that it will magically unfold itself!! And the ear doesn't care what the names are!! Priceless mate!
You know that was a truly interesting take on intervals, I have been reading about theory to improve my playing and my understanding of it. This was a really refreshing view, thanks a lot and thanks for all the wisdom and knowledge that you keep dispensing.
Ciao 🤘👽
Even though I've been studying music for a decade now and knew pretty much everything in the video, this is the most concise and clear way I've stumbled upon to explain the intervals and their caveats. I've struggled before trying to teach this to beginners. I suppose I'll copy this method from now on. Great vid, as usual.
Just send 'em the link!
I have taught guitar studens fir many yrs. Teaching theory can be difficult , or quite easy. You make it fairly easy if the student rewinds where he is confused , and clarify the information , and resume. Goid job!
Holy hell, I cannot tell you how impactful this has been. 30 years of playing, consistently trying and failing to get my head around how to use theory in a practical way, and since watching this one video a little over a week ago, so much has fallen into place it's ridiculous... guess I HAVE to buy the book now ;)
jake i truly appreciate what you are doing here
ive watched all of your videos
anything that i understand about music theory comes from you
Intervals made a massive impact on my journey. I absolutely wish I took the time to learn this when I was younger
Jake, you ALWAYS teach me something new. I've been an amateur musician for 50 years and it's the first time I ever heard of doubly augmented intervals.
Always good to see you Jake! Great video, direct, no nonsense and easy to understand.
Well, now I suddenly get it. Big, small, extra big, and extra small makes so much sense. Thanks, Jake!
Wonderful. Especially loved the explanation of minor and major meaning small and big. And also the acknowledgment that this theory applies to western scales because there is a whole massive world of amazing music outside of western music. Most TH-camrs don't think beyond western culture , so thank you!
This is the greatest possible video for any beginner
Damn, this is quite possibly the BEST and MOST SIMPLE explanation of intervals I've ever seen. Awesome content as usual, Jake!
All these years man... You were my teacher! Thank you for all the work you gave us in form of knowledge, wanting nothing in return!! I would not be the guitar player I am today if not for your videos, where concepts that used to scare me were turned into something not only fun to learn but also very interesting. THANK YOU JAKE
Couldn't agree more that scale degrees are easier to work with. I went the usual route of learning intervals first, then building chords, then the major and minor scales, then learning the modes as just "the major scale but starting here" and so on over a decade ago. None of it really clicked until finding the mode videos on this channel that related everything back to a very digestible "what degrees are different and what does that difference sound like" framing. It makes music theory... well, musical.
Four minutes in and I learned something new despite having learned these intervals last century. Cheers!
Best theory channel ever. Jake is the best teacher!! Thanks for another great lesson!
Honestly, the way I learned about intervals was pretty fun, I learned the minor scale all over the fretboard, then learned that it is a mode of major, and learned all the modes, played with them a lot of them until my ear started to recognize the intervals when hearing them, and then it was super easy to memorize the names for each
Thanks so much, Jake.. you make everything so comprehensive! Fan for years!!!! ❤
Fun Fact: In the German language the Intervals are described with "big" and "small" - just as you mentioned.
For example a minor seventh would be called "kleine Septime" (klein meaning small). Took me years to learn the english music vocab.
4:22 Thank you, Jake, for saving me those headaches!
my instructor 🐐
your content is brilliant, helpful and easy to digest. I've learned so much over the years with your channel, thank you for all the hard work you've put in to understand these concepts and create this content. Also shout out to all the patreon supports for making this possible. I'll join as well to support that which has supported my learning for so long. Take care!
Excellent work. You remind me a lot of the late, great Neil Peart in your appearance, delivery, and mental processes. Thank you.
omg thank you, this video cleared some of the biggest confusions ive had regarding music theory
It's not the intervals, it's when to start that trips me up. And always will. When measuring time-- one second, two seconds-- it starts at zero! But in music, it starts at one. My brain refuses to acknowledge this, so I'm screwed from the start.
I was going to comment how I know this stuff but wanted a refresher to solidify my knowledge but NOOOooooo. I fully understand the intervals in the Diatonic Modes which I think of as 'All the Correct notes' and then use my ear to play 'Outside' notes for extra spice in my playing. But now I understand where some of the weirder chord names come from like the more common Tritone, I understand that naming convention a whole lot better now. 3 wholetones apart. Thanks Jake. You're one of the very best in these TH-cams. 🤠
A fun songwritey way to learn intervals is to write songs with them.
Randomly generate four or five intervals (minor 3rd, perfect 5th, minor7th etc.), then write a song using the following rules. You must use these intervals in the order they're generated, but you get to select which root notes they're derived from (and that you will play with them to give context) and you can add extra root notes or extra intervals to tie things together. For the advanced version, generate pairs of intervals where you're allowed to change one of them (but try not to!).
Write a few songs like this and you'll be well on your way to understanding intervals. Or if you already know intervals, this is actually a completely valid way to write songs. It has the benefit of not committing to full chords too early in the melody writing process - a thing you sometimes want to do.
great ideas, thanks.
Nice video! Using the concept of "letter classes" is very helpful--it's a kind of spelling rule that also answers the question why you can't simplify the C-sharp harmonic minor scale as Csharp Dsharp E Fsharp Gsharp A C Csharp, for example (letters have to appear in order and only once in a standard scale).
Dude, this is going to be really helpful. You have a knack for phasing things in a way that clicks with me.
You rock! I have never heard this be explained like this before!
I actually think intervals are still important to know first as they form the building blocks of scales and chords. Once you understand the basic M/m/P intervals (plus the one A/d) you can explain eg the major scale as all the notes being a major or perfect interval from the root, and things like the perfect cadence work the way they do because of intervals.
I'd start with learning the intervals for the major scale first 1 - 1 - 1/2 -1 -1 -1 - 1/2, it's the scale everybody can sing from the top of their head even if they don't know where the half and full steps are. Then the prallel minor key to the major scale. Then the triads and what they mean in terms of scale degree major and minor and finally the dominant 7 chords. That'll keep you busy for some time and you'll be able to understand 95% of today's pop music, well, you'd propably be overqualified already.
Yes, it made more sense to me when I learned it, to learn the intervals first
Thanx. I suffered music theory classes. The way intervals were taught in this video would've saved me a lot of headaches. Part of the problem with intervals and letter names in the note classes is that there's a half step between B and C, and E and F, but whole steps between the rest. Which of course has to do with the interaction of physics and the tones which makes up the notes,,,,,,,,,,, and so on. But again, thanx for simplifying a confusing concept.
one of the best explanations I have seen
Another great video from Jake!
Wow, this made it so much easier to understand!
Thank you very much. Another clear and thorough explanation.
Great info and so well explained. Would love to hear more on ear training practices.
Music lessons in school were a pain for me because none of the theory made any sense - all those rules and exceptions from them, all the crazy, traditional naming conventions that are built on the piano keyboard or guitar frets ... it was frustrating and my brain sailed on autopilot during music classes. it wasn't until later that I approached making music myself with a DAW with a piano roll and even later, trackers (LSDJ ftw), so now I simply think of chords and intervals in terms of numbers of semitones, which doesn't help me understand musicians of course when they speak in terms of Thirds and Fifth, meaning not three and five semitones as I would naively hope.
That is how your explanations of chord progressions etc are the first ones that clicked for me - "VI - V/V - I - I" is a notation that actually makes sense now, and I really wish to thank you for that. You are a great teacher!
This video cleared up things further. I'm not crazy - the naming conventions are! What a block to stumble over for decades ... :/
We had to write out all notes for every key including all their respective sharps and flats. We never played any instrument. What a terrible waste of time and it made me reject music theory for twenty years.
You rock Jake !
Fretjam uploads a new video, then Signals, nice to see you guys back.
This channel made me a such better musician. Thanks a lot!!!!
Merci Jake ! Love your CODEX
just want to say thx for your teaching style.
A brilliant lesson, as usual, thank you!
This video was really great!
One thing I would have loved seeing you mention is the name "octave" in regards to letter classes. Because why is it called octave, from octa = eight, when the distance is twelve halfsteps?
Because in letter classes, the eighth letter is just the first letter again.
A B C D E F G A
Forgot to mention that!!!
Thank you for the free chapter of the Chord Progression Codex 😊
Look forward to all your vids!❤
Best teacher ever
Clear, concise. Nice video.
For the life of me, I don't know how I made it this far in my life (I'm nearly 50, and have played something since I was 6) without knowing what made something a Major or a minor 2nd, 3rd, etc. I feel bloody daft for never having made that connection, but I do so much enjoy those ah-ha moments. Thanks for the lecture, I do every so enjoy learning something new.
excellent teacher - well done
Major and Minor = big and small. Years of studying music theory, but I'd never heard that before. So simple and obvious!
i will have to watch it again but it explains a lot, thanks
Thanks for the update
Oh nice, the major/minor = big/small just clicked a couple of things together for me! Like I knew it in one context, but in another I hadn't made that association. Thanks!
Another thing that might help people is thinking about how the staff has a line or space for each letter class - so an interval is a certain number of steps up or down that ladder. And that can give you a visual picture of an interval - like a 2nd is the adjacent spot, a 3rd is two notes with a line or space between them, etc.
The actual flavour of that interval (major/minor etc) depends on the key signature and how it sets up those letter classes by default (like the F in Gmajor is an F#), or any accidentals that are giving you lil temporary adjustments. And in most of your typical western music the scales are built off major 2nds with two minor 2nds in there, so if you can remember where those two are, you'll be able to tell if a jump is gonna be major (it includes one) or minor (it misses them). Not exactly perfect but you can develop a bit of an intuition to build on!
And all that stuff is called differently in German and again differently in Spanish and then you also have the solmization system where the tonal center is always called "do" no matter what note it is.
@@TheHesseJames as far as I know those don't change how the music is scored though? They're all coming from the same system - I mean people use solfege to practice sight reading!
@@cactustactics In Flamenco guitar for example the chord names just stay the same, no matter where you put the capo. But then, this is not Western music anymore since the Flamenco scale has up to ten notes and on the other hand they call chords only by their letter even though they use tens of different ones depending on which color they like. Usually, they show you the chord and its name is simply "this one" :)
@@TheHesseJames I think we're talking about different things here! I'm just pointing out how western sheet music notation (or whatever you want to call it - the staff) reflects that system of interval naming the video talks about, so you have a visual representation of "a third" or "a fifth", and you use other info to work out what kind of third that is
But yeah, it works for movable do too because it all transposes easily, because intervals are all relative! It's a neat system
Crystal clear. Very good job! ❤
This is perfect !
I don't see why peoples don't like theory. The is absolutle Major Sharp Fun
your amazingly clear
thanks..
gerry.
Great video! Well said!
I love your lessons dude
I Second That Emotion. The Miracles
This just made me realize that one of the reasons Western music theory is so confusing is because it was probably invented before the whole concept of "zero" even entered mathematics. That must be why the "intervals" always start at one, counting the first note, instead of counting the space between two notes as the actual step-making "third interval" refer to only two gaps, etc. 😵💫
Not sure exactly about the historical origins, but you're right - a lot of musical concepts make more sense if you use zero-based indexing!
@@SignalsMusicStudio worst of all things which threw me off for years is that 7 / Dominant 7 / Major 7 shithousery. Whoever came up with this should be in jail.
@@TheHesseJames LOL
Yes, it's fun that a 3rd + 3rd = 5th, good math
thank you, patreons 👊👊
There is a simple trick to know the opposite of an interval, the result of them combined has to add to nine, for example:
The opposite of a 2nd is a 7th cause 2+7=9
The opposite of a 4th is a 5th
cause 4+5=9
The opposite of a 6th is a 3rd etc.
And the quality of the interval is just inverted, so a minor interval become major, an augmented become dimished. It's simple. (Sorry for my bad english btw).
I am at minute 6, haven’t paused and haven’t checked out m. Great.
Thanks, special you.
THANK YOU! Just counting the letters... damn...
Great explanation plus pro radio voice
LEGEND, as stated, if this straight forward info have gotten to me 40 yrs ago i would be on the stages with Petrucci, Schon, Lukather etc. Haha of course not but i been asking this for a long time. Many thanks from Sweden.
Amazing, you should have 10x the subscribers you do. Wish I'd had this vid 20 years ago.
Hey Jake... I always love your videos and your content... I consider myself lucky to comprehend what you're talking about... it all makes sense... however, one way or the other it somewhat feels like you've invented a totally new system of denoting intervals... for a newbie to understand this? Almost impossible! And, there might be a few and vicious tongues that may say, "man, are you on meth?" Can't be right? So, I'll conclude: You are a master of knowledge who found a complete new way of conveying and translating pieces of knowliedge... Congrats on that one!! Though, not easy at all... Who is your target group? Would really love to know!!
Stay safe and keep up the good work! All the best to you.
Amazing video.
When watching a good explanation of something i already know, I always manage to find something new, or just really integrate the material by hearing it over and over again using different words. Also the "Why is this stuff helpful, beyond just winning arguments on reddit's /r/musictheory" comment was great! providing beginner level students with a motivation, is a crucial step many teachers unfortunately tend to skip. Really love what you do here on this channel.
Wonderful.....i do love it a lot
Hi how are you rock on dude l am learning to play guitar basic power chords.
Aspiring guitar players/ musicians - this lesson is an ABSOLUTE GOLDMINE. MASTER THIS AND YOU WILL NEVER REGRET IT.
The really important part is not only knowing what intervals are, but being able to locate them in your fretboard. You should play your scale and recite what interval you are playing. Then play your chords and recite each interval you are playing.
I think Jake is laying out the old school fundamentals of intervals as they relate to the musical Staff and briefly talking about scale degrees.
Knowing the interval locations on your fretboard is the goal for most guitar players. Not knowing how to read interval notation on sheet music (although that is a very valuable tool as well, just not as practical for the majority of guitar players)
Just remember, Music Theory just explains what your ears already know. If it sounds good, it is good. If you need to explain it to others, or you need to write it down, or your ears need a little help hearing what's possible next - Music Theory will get the job done. Learn it. Know it. Use it.
like to listen to you teaching , even stuff i already know. GG
You absolutely can hear the difference between an augmented second and minor third, they have different feelings (and implied/JI tunings).
in isolation, no.
@@SignalsMusicStudio It’s difficult in isolation, but they do have just intonation tunings ( 6/5 vs 7/6 ). They only happen to be the same distance in 12TET. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_second en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septimal_minor_third
Getting into the details is beyond the scope of this video, but I think it’s important to note where something is only true under 12TET or more generally true.
It's weird I'm not getting SMS videos on my feed. I always find them weeks after they're posted by chance on recommended list. I'll click the bell thingy to fix that, but it's the first time I need to do that to not miss any videos.
Yeah the algorithm isn't being nice to me right now!
good stuff! thanks.
If you understand this lesson then you'll understand why the notes in the Hendrix chord are not E G# B D and G. You'll also understand why the first inversion of a C+ chord is not an E+ chord.
Babe wake up! New SMS episode dropped!
Sometimes I sing harmony with my friends in diminished seconds.