music theory & history onlinecontents
Dr. Brian Blood




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Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.
Confucius (c.551-479 BC) Chinese philosopher

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Music Theory (1-34) :: Music History (35-40) :: Composition & Orchestration (41-42) :: Index :: Music Dictionary :: Scorch Viewer

 

Welcome PageWelcome! :: Free Manuscript Paper :: Alternative Terms in Different Countries :: Copyright

  

Music Theory & History Online Contents - the page you are now at

1 

Staff, Clefs & Pitch Notation

The Grand Staff :: The Clef Sign :: The Treble Clef :: The Bass Clef :: The Alto Clef :: Other Clefs (lesson 14)
The Score :: Why Middle C? :: Helmholtz Pitch Notation :: Scientific Pitch Notation :: Naming The Octaves
MIDI :: Shape Note Notation :: Tonic Sol-fa

2 

Notes & Rests

Duration :: Anatomy of a Note Sign :: Chart of Note & Rest Signs :: Dotting & Double-Dotting :: Beams & Beaming
Ties :: Origin of Music Notation

2S 

Links about Music Notation

supplement :: Links about Music Notation

3 

Measures and Bars

Bars/Measures and Bar Lines :: Bar/Measure Numbers and Letters :: Bars/Measures and Ties

4 

Time Signatures

Time Signature/Meter Signature :: Unusual Time Signatures and Hypermeasures :: Mensuration
Common Time & Alla Breve/Cut Time :: Changing Time Signatures :: The Whole Bar Rest :: Incomplete Bars
Ametric Music

5 

Tempo

Table of Tempo Markings :: Fermata, Fetura & Caesura :: Dance Tempi :: Tempo through Notation :: Metronome Marks

6 

The Keyboard

The Keyboard :: Thoughts on Piano Keyboard Design

7 

Small Intervals

The Tone and Semitone :: The Octave :: The Chromatic Scale :: Microtones

8 

Major Scales

The Major Scale :: The Tetrachord :: The Twelve Major Scales :: Deriving Major Scales :: Chart of the Major Scales

9 

Key Signatures and Accidentals

The Key Signature :: The Circle of Fifths :: The Order of Sharps & Flats in Key Signatures
Enharmonics :: Using Accidentals :: Changing Key :: Notes and Keys in Various Languages

10 

Minor Scales

The Natural Minor Scale :: Chart of Natural Minor Scales :: Double Sharps & Flats :: Harmonic Minor
Chart of Harmonic Minor Scales :: Melodic Minor :: Chart of Melodic Minor Scales :: Relative & Parallel Major & Minor

11 

Chromatic Scales

The Diatonic Scale :: The Chromatic Scale :: Harmonic Chromatic Scale :: Melodic Chromatic Scale

12 

Intervals

Degrees of the Scale :: Melodic & Harmonic Intervals :: Unisons & Octaves :: Diatonic Intervals :: Chromatic Intervals
The Tritone :: Compound Intervals :: Table of Intervals

13 

Inversion of Intervals

Inversion of Intervals

14 

Other Clefs

Soprano & Mezzo-Soprano Clefs :: Tenor Clef :: Baritone & Subbass Clefs :: French Violin Clef :: Octave Clefs
Indefinite Pitch Clef :: Summary of Clef Signs

15 

Note Groupings

Simple & Compound Time/Meter :: Uneven/Asymmetrical Time :: Triplets :: Duplets :: Other-lets :: Grouping Notes and Rests
Time Signatures, How We 'Say' Them

16 

Triads & Chords

Concord & Discord :: Triads :: Diatonic Triads :: Chords :: Chords in Jazz :: Broken & Spread Chords

17 

Chords in Detail

Seventh Chords :: Inverted Chords :: Slash Chords :: Extended Chords (9th, 11th, 13th) :: Special Chords :: Naming Chords

17S 

Virtual Piano Chords & Scales

supplement :: Piano Chords & Scales by Colm Mac Cárthaigh

18 

Figured Bass

Figured Bass :: Figured Bass Notation :: Naming Chords With Roman Numerals

19 

Transposition

Transposition at the Octave :: Transposing into another Key :: What Key is My Instrument in? :: Transposing Instruments
How to Write Parts for Transposing Instruments

20 

Rhythmic Variety

Rhythmic Modes & Anacrusis :: Syncopation :: Dotting & Double Dotting :: Égal & Inégal :: Hemiola, Hemiolia or Cross Rhythm
Swing :: Rhythm Syllables

21 

Phrasing & Articulation

Slur & Phrase :: Tenuto & Staccato :: Slurs & Staccato :: Variety of Accents :: Articulation on Wind Instruments
Articulation on Stringed Instruments :: Dot & Wedge in Clavichord Music :: Pedalling on the Piano
Table of Dynamic Markings :: Table of General Musical Markings

22 

Chords & Cadences

Perfect Cadence :: Plagal Cadence :: Imperfect Cadence :: Interrupted/Deceptive Cadence :: The 'Six Four' Cadence
Feminine Endings :: Antecedent & Consequent :: Summary of Cadences

23 

Ornamentation

Introduction :: Grace Notes :: Appoggiaturas :: Nachslag :: Turns :: Trills :: Pralltriller :: Mordents :: Vibrato
Arpeggiation :: Divisions

24 

Repeats

Repeated Notes :: Repeated Groups :: Repeated Bars :: Repeated Whole Bar Rests :: Repeated Sections :: Da Capo :: Minuet & Trio

25 

Notes, Harmonies & Scales

Origin of Diatonic and Chromatic Scales :: Modes :: Jazz Scales :: Blues :: Bebop Scales :: Pentatonic Scales
The 'Minor Key' Problem :: Altered Chords :: Neapolitan Sixth :: Symmetrical Scales :: Table of Useful Scales
Non-Harmonic Notes

26 

Score Formats

Instrumental Ensembles :: Solos & Parts :: Keyboards :: Percussion :: How to Write Parts for Transposing Instruments
Chart of Transposing Instruments :: Sounding Range of Orchestral Instruments :: Sample Scores

27 

Pitch, Temperament & Timbre

Pitch :: History of Musical Pitch :: Harmonic Series :: Pythagorean Series :: Meantone Scale :: Equal Temperament
Just Intonation :: Naming Intervals :: Historical Temperaments :: Information on Temperaments :: Timbre/Tone Colour
Classification of Common Musical Instruments

28 

Musical Instrument Fingering Charts

Woodwind Instruments :: Band Instruments :: Brass Instruments :: Serpent & Ophicleide :: Baroque Flute :: Dulcian
Recorder :: Shakuhachi :: Quena :: Tin-Whistle :: Bagpipe

29 

Musical Instrument Ranges & Names

Bowed & Plucked Strings :: Harp:: Flutes :: Clarinets :: Saxophones :: Double Reeds :: Trumpets & Trombones
Horns & Tubas :: Tuned Percussion :: Voices :: Recorders :: Viols :: Instrument Names in Other Languages
Instrument Names & Their Abbreviations :: Orchestral Layout :: Chart of Transposing Instruments

30 

Guitar Tablature & Notation

Reading Chord Charts :: Writing Notes :: The Origins of Tablature Notation :: Writing Chords :: Special Effects
Voicing Chords

31 

Key Centres

The Nature of Tonality :: Major Keys :: Minor Keys :: Triad Progressions :: Modes :: Combining Major and Minor Keys
Modal Interchange :: Using Dominants :: Diminished Seventh Chords :: Melodic Substitution :: Reharmonisation :: Modulation
Alan Belkin's General Principles of Harmony

32 

Words & Music

Words & Meaning :: Words & Syncopation :: Words & Phrasing :: Scoring for Voices

33 

Counterpoint by Alan Belkin

34 

Drums & Drumming

Percussion Instruments :: Rhythmic Patterns :: The Importance Of Tempo :: The Bass Guitar

Music Theory (1-34) :: Music History (35-40) :: Composition & Orchestration (41-42) :: Index :: Music Dictionary :: Scorch Viewer

35 

Music before the 16th Century

From Earliest Times :: Greeks & Romans :: Early Christian Church :: Music of the Dark Ages (475-1000)
Music of the High Middle Ages (1000-1350) :: Music of the Late Middle Ages (1350-1500) :: Music of the Proto-Renaissance

36 

Music of the 16th Century

Early Renaissance Timeline :: Humanism :: Music Theory :: Music Printing :: The Renaissance and the French Court
Origins of Early Opera and Ballet :: Music in New Spain :: Sixteenth Century Chinese Opera
more in preparation

37 

Music of the 17th Century

in preparation

38 

Music of the 18th Century

in preparation

39 

Music of the 19th Century

A Survey of 19th Century Music :: Romanticism :: Orientalism :: Nationalism, Folk Song & Primitivism
Looking Back - The Early Music Revival :: Late 19th Century Symbolism :: 19th Century American Music
Bringing Back Voices From the 19th Century :: Performance Practice and Aesthetics of the 19th Century

40 

Music of the 20th Century

Progressing into the 20th Century :: Neo-Romanticism :: Breakdown of Tonality :: Impressionism :: Neo-Classicism
Machine Music :: Computer Music :: Twelve Note Method :: Influences of Jazz :: Microtonal Music :: Electronic Music
Indeterminacy :: Minimalism :: Music Theatre By Eric Salzman :: Experimental Music Today
Summary of Terms & Concepts in 20th Century Music :: Musical Analysis

Music Theory (1-34) :: Music History (35-40) :: Composition & Orchestration (41-42) :: Index :: Music Dictionary :: Scorch Viewer

41 

A Practical Guide to Composition by Alan Belkin

42 

Artistic Orchestration by Alan Belkin

43 

Ear Tests and Drills

  

Music Theory & History Online Index

  

Music Dictionary Online

  

Composers Biography (work in progress)