summary ofMusic TheoryBook by Nicolas Carter

first KEY POINT

Music theory is a key to conscious song listening

Let's get acquainted with such terms as tone, timbre, sound, note, and pitch. As you might have learned during physics lessons, the 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 musical instrument or a person's vocal cords is called pitch. The higher the frequency — the higher the pitch or sound 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 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 will change. 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, people can hear a pure note 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.

Understanding music theory to express yourself properly through music and follow it while listening to your favorite composers is essential. 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 on playing any musical instrument, this summary is perfect for you!Did you know? People's voices are also divided into timbres, such as soprano, alto, tenor, bass, and baritone.