Table of Contents

Introduction 1
Part I: Getting Started with Music Theory 5


Chapter 1: What Is Music Theory, Anyway? 7


Chapter 2: Determining What Notes Are Worth 13


Chapter 3: Giving It a Rest 29


Chapter 4: Introducing Time Signatures 39


Chapter 5: Playing with Beat 53


Part II: Putting Notes Together 61


Chapter 6: Music Notes (And Where to Find Them) 63


Chapter 7: Mastering the Major and Minor Scales 81


Chapter 8: Key Signatures and the Circle of Fifths 95


Chapter 9: Intervals: The Distance Between Pitches 109


Chapter 10: Chord Building 135


Chapter 11: Chord Progressions 169


Part III: Musical Expression through Tempo and Dynamics 187


Chapter 12: Creating Varied Sound through Tempo and Dynamics 189


Chapter 13: Instrument Tone Color and Acoustics 201


Part IV: Musical Expression through Form 207


Chapter 14: The Building Blocks of Music: Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, and Song Form 209


Chapter 15: Relying on Classical Forms 221


Chapter 16: Tapping Into Popular Genres and Forms 231


Part V: The Part of Tens 239


Chapter 17: Ten Frequently Asked Questions about Music Theory 241


Chapter 18: Ten Keys to Reading a Musical Score 247


Chapter 19: Ten Music Theorists You Should Know About 251


Part VI: Appendixes 259


Appendix A: Audio Tracks 261


Appendix B: Chord Chart 267


Appendix C: Glossary 305


Index 309

About the Author

Mike Pilhofer holds a Masters of Music in Music Education with a Jazz Emphasis from the Eastman School of Music and is an in-demand clinician. Holly Day's work has appeared in over 3,000 print and electronic publications internationally.