Level 1.

The Fundamental
Elements of
Music
 ratios for guitar frets

8/9
64/81

3/4

2/3

16/27

128/243

1/2

Music Theory Bootcamp | LEvel 1

Guitar

Alto sax

Bass

Electric guitar

Female voice

Flute

Keyboard

Male voice

Mandolin

Trumpet

Violin
3/4

7/4
 intensity/dynamics
What are dynamics?
F
mezzo forte = medium loud
f
forte = loud
loud
sounds ff
fortissimo = very loud
fff
fortississimo = very, very loud
ffff
etc.
P
mezzo piano = medium soft
p
piano = soft
soft pp
pianissimo = very soft
ppp

sounds
pianississimo = very, very soft
pppp etc.

Crescendo and decrescendo

decrescendo (decresc.)

crescendo (cresc.) or diminuendo (dim.)

gradually get louder gradually get softer

p f p
 Assignment 2

Chord progressions with dynamics

Accents

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 Form

What is form?

Classical Terms Modern Terms

Binary AB-AB Intro

Ternary ABA-ABA Verse

Strophic A A1 A2 Pre-chorus

Through-composed ABCD Chorus ‘hook’

Waltz Bridge

3/4

Minuet Interlude

etc. Riff/instrumental break

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 Tuning systems

What is twelve-tone equal temperament?

Compromise! 12 TET (twelve-tone equal temperament) allows TRANSPOSITION.

Other types of tuning: just intonation, pythagorean tuning, true temperament,

meantone tuning

12 TET

All semitones are equal

OTHERS

Notes tuned to achieve

pure intervals

Just intonation vs 12 TET

Note Just Intonation 12 TET

0/12
C 1/1 = 1 2 = 1

2/12
D 9/8 = 1.125 2 = 1.122

4/12
E 5/4 = 1.25 2 = 1.26

5/12
F 4/3 = 1.333 2 = 1.335

7/12
G 3/2 = 1.5 2 = 1.498

9/12
A 5/3 = 1.667 2 = 1.682

11/12
B 15/8 = 1.875 2 = 1.888

12/12
C 2/1 = 2 2 = 2

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THE 12 NOTES OF EQUAL TEMPERAMENT (12 Tet)

7 white and 5 black Notes

19 TET, 24 TET (Arab tone system), and 31 TET

VS.

Just Intonation, Pythagorean tuning and Meantone tuning

Names of white notes

A B C D E F G A B

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 Names of black notes

A#

Bb

A B

Diatonic vs. accidentals

= within the key

# b n = outside the key

sharp flat natural

All notes

C# D# F# G# A# C# D# F# G# A#

Db Eb Gb Ab Bb Db Eb Gb Ab Bb

C D E F G A B C D E F G A B

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 Finding notes on the guitar

E F B C

No black key in between E

and F and B and C

vs.

There are 3 key ideas involved in

mastering note names on the guitar

Musical alphabet (A, B, C, D, E, F, G and G, F, E, D, C, B, A

Open strings are imaginary fret

E-F and B-C are 1 fret (all others are 2)

A -- B – C –- D -– E – F -– G -- A -– B – C –- D -– E – F –- G –- A

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 Demonstration on E string

One fret
One fret

E F G A B C D E F G A

Finding accidentals

# b n

F#
G#
A#

Gb Ab Bb

Music Theory Bootcamp | LEvel 1

 Assignments

Assignment 1

Chord progressions

1.
Major
2.
Minor
3.
Minor

4. Major

Assignment 2

. Scales
1.
Major
2.
Minor
3.
Major
4. Minor

Assignment 3

Single chords
1.
Minor

2.
Minor

3.
Major

4. Major

Assignment 4
Revisit your list of songs and work out if they’re
major, minor, or something else.

Music Theory Bootcamp | LEvel 1

 the major scale

Major scale = most important scale!

Basis of theory

Basis of aural skills (Do re mi fa sol la ti do [solfege])

What is the major scale?

7-note scale, based on whole and half-step intervals

C -- D -- E - F -- G -- A -- B - C

w w h w w w h

How to play the major scale on a single string

C -- D -- E - F -- G -- A -- B - C

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 THe Natural Minor Scale

Modes

C major

C –– D –– E – F –– G –– A –– B – C –– D –– E – F –– G –– A

w w h w w w h w w h w w

A minor

7-note scale, based on whole and half-step intervals

A –– B – C –– D –– E – F –– G –– A

How to play the natural minor scale on a single string

A –– B – C –– D –– E – F –– G –– A

Music Theory Bootcamp | LEvel 1