People who know formal music:

[hotdensestate]

I'm taking AP Music Theory next year. I'm really looking forward to it but I can barely sight read at the piano. (I'm okay at it for a beginner I think but.... yeah. I'm not so pro at all.) How do you learn music theory by yourself, just the basic stuff. Cuz it's really hard. And I just really need to know the basic stuff by the end of the summer before school starts yo or I'll be so confused.

 

Also how do I improve my pitch? Do I just like, listen to C's a lot and go OKAY. THAT WAS A C. THAT RIGHT THERE WAS A C. C C C. C. OKAY. HALF A STEP UP FROM THAT IS A C#. THAT WAS A C#, BRAIN. OKAY? C SHARP.

 

Or is there some other way you do it? God. I'm not good at this music stuff.

[Violet]

First, I have to say I'm jealous. I wish that specific AP test was offered at my school. Alas, it wasn't. :\

 

Anyway, music theory comes really easy to me. I made an A in all my college theory classes, and I expect to do the same in Music Form and Analysis (advanced theory class). In fact, I kinda want to get my master's in music theory.

 

Now, how do I help you?

 

There are textbooks and workbooks for this very thing. Look into those and read them. It's actually really easy in the beginning. It covers things like the staff and clefs and rhythms. From what I've heard, the AP Music Theory test covers material from your typical Theory I and II classes in college, so you'll probably get as far as part-writing and secondary dominants. Of course, you don't know what those are yet, but hopefully, your class will cover that if you don't get quite that far during the summer.

 

As far as pitch goes, I personally have been given the gift of perfect pitch, so I've never really had that issue. With aural training, it's not really specific pitches you get trained on, so much as intervals and chords. I'm sure your instructor will cover those at some point. For example, the sounds of a major chord and a minor chord are different. For intervals, there are little tricks that you can use to help you. For example, the first two notes of the NBC jingle is a major 6th. These things go on.

 

I have a feeling that I didn't really answer all your questions, but I am willing to help you in any way. Feel free to message me with any questions/concerns/problems you may have...or just post in this thread. I'm in the WoM all the time, so I'm bound to see it.

[hotdensestate]

Right right, I know the really basic stuff, I can tell when it's in major or minor or whatever you call the bluesy kind. (aren't there a lot of sevenths? herp derp. my dad played a lot of blues around the house when I was younger so I recognize all the bluesy chords I just don't know them by name or anything.) But my friend thinks I'll need to be able to hear intervals in my head to know what they're talking about in AP. And I just don't get how you do that at all.

 

Do I just memorize names of chords and try to recognize them? It just all seems really foreign to me because the terminology is nothing like I've really heard before. Like I listen to my friends who know about music talk about a piece I essentially heard and went "HURR DAT'S NICE" to, and they're like "BLAH BLAH TRITONES BLAH BLAH SEXLETS BLAH DUPLETS BLAH BLAH AUGMENTED BLAH" and then I'm all like "I HEARD WHEN IT STARTED USING A LOT OF BLACK KEYS HURRR" but I don't say that. :(

 

Or I listen to a symphony and I go I LIKE THE NOTES and they're like WOWWW DID YOU HEAR THAT PART BEFORE THE SECOND THEME CAME IN IT DIDN'T DO THE RIGHT CADENCE and I just go WHAT WHAT WAIT WHAT I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS A LITTLE OFF IS THIS A BIG DEAL? HOW DO YOU KEEP THE THEMES STRAIGHT! THAT DOESN'T EVEN SOUND LIKE THE FIRST TIME THAT CAME UP! HOW IS THAT EVEN A THEME WHAT IS A THEME IF IT ISN'T THE SAME THING REPEATED? But I don't say that I just sit there getting so confused trying not to look like the total noob that I am. yanno.

[hotdensestate]

So I think I'm just hugely intimidated by the field in general and don't know where to start at all. My friend's like LEARN HOW TO SING IT'LL TOTES CAMOTES help but I'm like I CANNOT HIT NOTESSSS

[Violet]

Right right, I know the really basic stuff, I can tell when it's in major or minor or whatever you call the bluesy kind. (aren't there a lot of sevenths? herp derp. my dad played a lot of blues around the house when I was younger so I recognize all the bluesy chords I just don't know them by name or anything.) But my friend thinks I'll need to be able to hear intervals in my head to know what they're talking about in AP. And I just don't get how you do that at all.

 

Do I just memorize names of chords and try to recognize them? It just all seems really foreign to me because the terminology is nothing like I've really heard before. Like I listen to my friends who know about music talk about a piece I essentially heard and went "HURR DAT'S NICE" to, and they're like "BLAH BLAH TRITONES BLAH BLAH SEXLETS BLAH DUPLETS BLAH BLAH AUGMENTED BLAH" and then I'm all like "I HEARD WHEN IT STARTED USING A LOT OF BLACK KEYS HURRR" but I don't say that. :(

 

Or I listen to a symphony and I go I LIKE THE NOTES and they're like WOWWW DID YOU HEAR THAT PART BEFORE THE SECOND THEME CAME IN IT DIDN'T DO THE RIGHT CADENCE and I just go WHAT WHAT WAIT WHAT I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS A LITTLE OFF IS THIS A BIG DEAL? HOW DO YOU KEEP THE THEMES STRAIGHT! THAT DOESN'T EVEN SOUND LIKE THE FIRST TIME THAT CAME UP! HOW IS THAT EVEN A THEME WHAT IS A THEME IF IT ISN'T THE SAME THING REPEATED? But I don't say that I just sit there getting so confused trying not to look like the total noob that I am. yanno.

 

Yes, blues music typically uses a lot of seventh chords. (See? You're not a total n00b. :cheesy:) Truth be told, there aren't too many people that can actually hear things in their head like that. Most people have to do what your friend suggested to you and sing the intervals to themselves. Of course, the people I know are also college music majors and have more experience in that than you do.

 

Basically, yes. Each type of chord/interval has a signature sound. Once you get that into your head, it becomes easy. However, for some people, it can be a challenge. There's a chunk of music majors here at my school that have done poorly-so poorly, they failed Aural Skills/Theory and had to retake it a year later. As far as basics go, you could be worse off. There were people who walked into Theory I not knowing what a treble clef was. I was like, "Really? :|" Anyway, I can try my best to help you with the aural training and things like that, if you so want. It's a bit difficult trying to explain this with just words.

 

I'd try to explain that theme thing to you, but I don't want to unintentionally confuse you.

 

I'm sorry. I don't think I'm being very helpful. I'm trying my best. :(

[hotdensestate]

It's okay, thanks for being nice :D I think I've just been unintentionally exposed to a lot of the hard stuff cuz I have a significant chunk of friends who are quite well-trained (like 6-10 years of experience) musicians and who just talk about music around each other for shits and gigs. I mean they throw all these WORDS around and it scares me Violet. it really scares me. I guess I should buy a book and sit down at the piano plinking for a while. and then memorize. :blank:

 

I do know what a treble clef is though :awesome: tee hee

[Violet]

That's understandable. I have 12+ years experience myself.

 

Yeah, lack of knowledge is scary, but isn't it like that with anything, though? Like, when my baby brother and dad have conversations about cars, and they talk about how this specific one has a 383 cubic engine with 350 horsepower and 240 pounds of torque, and I'm like, "WUT TEH FOOK? :freak:" I have no idea what they're talking about. In fact, I'm pretty sure what I said isn't even a plausible scenario. That shows how much I (don't) know. Teehee. :tongue:

 

Anyway, it just takes time. Give yourself some time to just explore with things a bit before you go jumping into things. I was lucky in the sense that A. I started theory training at a relatively young age, and B. I just happen to understand it as well as I do. I'm not normal in that sense. Most people have some sort of struggles with theory in a classroom setting, let alone you trying to get a head start on your own. A summer project of mine is to help my brother get a head start on Greek. (It's required for his (new) major.) Given that neither of us know a thing about Greek, it's going to be, to say the least, very interesting. It's kinda the same thing with you. I can say, though, that from what I can tell, you're a very smart individual, and I believe that in time, you'll be able to do just fine. Like I said, if you need anything in terms of this, just hit me up, and I'll help you out. :smiley:

[hotdensestate]

Thanks Violet. I'm going to just calm down and get a book from the library this summer. :nice: I have plenty of people I can ask for help and I won't hesitate to ask you if I get stuck cuz I'm sure you'd be all nice and be like WOW I WANNA HALP! :D so thanks! :D

[Violet]

Well, like I said, I'm thinking about getting my master's in music theory, so I need experience doing this sort of thing, and I'm always more than willing to help people out, particularly the ones I like. :tongue: :smiley: