Music Theory Summary

Summary of Music Theory Book by Nicolas Carter

Name: Music Theory
Rating: 4.5 (1871 reviews)
Author: Nicolas Carter

4.5 . 1871 reviews

Short summary

Written by skillful guitar player Nicolas Carter, this book is for those who want to learn which components make a composition. The author, a music keener, and a swimming coach, is eager to share his experience with other people and make their music practice enjoyable and easy. Here, you will read about the Western music theory comprising the position of the notes, creation of chords, the notion of harmony, and many more. You might have witnessed a person who can easily pick the right notes of the song they just heard without even searching for anything on the Internet. This looks incredible and almost unbelievable. But you totally will be capable of doing the same after you finish reading this piece! Of course, you won’t recognize all the chords in any song too fast because it requires practice. However, you’ll hear and understand a lot, becoming a true music expert. “...learning to think about music gives you a place to depart from, a space in which to work. It amplifies your expressive potential in just the same way that knowing something about how to make food amplifies a good meal...” ~ Nicolas Carter

14 min

7 key points

6 insights

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Table of content

Summary of Music Theory
About the author
What is Music Theory about?
Who should read Music Theory
Topics in Music Theory

first key point

Music theory is a key to conscious song listening

Listen the first key point

00:00

Let's get acquainted with such terms as tone, timbre, sound, note, and pitch. As you might have learned during physics lessons, sound is a wave that travels through some physical matter like water and air. Sound possesses such characteristics as frequency, which is the number of waves generated in one second. Sound frequency born by some music instrument or a person's vocal cords is called pitch. The higher the frequency—the higher the pitch or sounding of particular objects. Vice versa, the lower the frequency—the lower the pitch. People divided specific pitches into categories and called them notes. Each note has its unique characteristics and is assigned to a certain letter from A to G.

However, the same note can sound differently if produced by various objects. It will still have the same pitch, but our perception of this note changes. For example, the same note played on the piano and on the guitar will have the same frequency, but its sound will vary. This phenomenon is called timbre. We can also call it tone. People frequently confuse tone with different terms because it is synonymous with some of them. We can even call a note a tone. But actually, a pure note can be heard only from a digital resource and in an isolated room. The notes we hear from musical instruments include different frequencies that our brains recognize as roughly one frequency.

It i s miraculous how strict physics rules turn into creative and harmonic music theory. Art is indeed ubiquitous.

It is important to understand music theory to express yourself properly through music and follow it while listening to your favorite composers. You can compare music to language because it has different rules, exceptions, complications, and accents (notes played on different instruments). To learn something is to practice it, right? Music theory helps you become an active listener who recognizes the harmony of the melody and understands its beauty and value. If you want to listen to music consciously or get a good start for playing any musical instrument, this book is perfect for you!

Did you know? People's voices are also divided into timbres, such as soprano, alto, tenor, bass, and baritone.

second key point

Each key on the keyboard has a name

The western musical system presents 12 notes: A, A# = Bb, B, C, C# = Db, D, D# = Eb, E, F, F# = Gb, G, G# = Ab.

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third key point

Music has its own formulas

fourth key point

Turning major into minor

fifth key point

Chords and all that jazz

sixth key point

You’ve got the rhythm

seventh key point

Conclusion

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What is Music Theory about?

This comprehensive guide takes readers on a journey from complete novice to expert in music theory. Written by Nicolas Carter, it offers a step-by-step approach to understanding and learning music theory effortlessly. With clear explanations and practical exercises, this book covers everything from basic concepts to advanced techniques, making it an essential resource for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of music theory and improve their musical skills.

Who should read Music Theory

Aspiring musicians seeking a comprehensive guide to mastering music theory.
Absolute beginners looking to understand the fundamentals of music theory.
Experienced musicians wanting to deepen their knowledge and skills in music theory.

Topics in Music Theory

Learning Education Self-Help Creativity Art Psychology Intellectual Self-Discovery Personal Development Improving Memory Music Writing Productivity Learning

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