Music Theory and History

Lydian Mode

The Lydian scale is the scale that appears when a major scale is played with the fourth note (fourth scale-degree) as the root. Thus, a C major scale played from "F" is an F Lydian scale. This is why the term "mode" is more appropriate than "scale". The F Lydian mode is the same as a C major.

Mixolydian Mode

the scale that appears when a major scale is played with the fifth note (fifth scale-degree) as the root.

1 2 3 4 5 6 b7

Aeolian Mode

Natural Minor

Dorian Mode

a major scale that is started from the second note (second scale-degree). Thus, a C major scale played from "D" is a D Dorian scale.

Ionian Mode

Major scale

What are the modes?

1 Ionian (I)

2 Dorian (II)

3 Phrygian (III)

4 Lydian (IV)

5 Mixolydian (V)

.6 Aeolian (VI)

7 Locrian (VII)

Think: I didn't pay last months apartment's lease

Phrygian Mode

the scale that appears when a major scale is played with the third note (third scale-degree) as the root.

Locrian Mode

the scale that appears when a major scale is played with the 7th note (seventh scale-degree) as the root.

Notable classical era composers?

1. Beethoven

2. Mozart

3. Haydn

4. Schubert

5. Weber

Notable romantic era composers?

1. Berlioz

2. Mahler

3. Tchaikovsky

4. Rimsky-Korsakov

5. Wagner

6. Dvorak

7. Liszt

8. Sibelius

9. Puccini

10. Mendelssohn

Notable modern era composers?

1. R. Strauss

2. Ravel

3. Stravinsky

4. Debussy

5. Respighi

6. Bartok

7. Shostakovich

8. Prokofiev

9. Gershwin

10. Barber

11. Ives

12. Janacek

13. Holst

14. Britten

15. Hindemith

Notable Baroque Composers?

Johann Sebastian Bach

George Frideric Handel

Antonio Vivaldi

Larghissimo

very very slow (24bpm and under)

Grave

very slow (25bpm-45bpm)

Largo

broadly (40bpm-60bpm)

Lento

slowly (45-60bpm)

Larghetto

rather broadly (60-66bpm)

Adagio

slowly and stately "at ease" (66-76 bpm)

Andante

at walking pace (76-108bpm)

Allegretto

moderately fast (112-120 bpm)

Allegro

fast, quickly, and bright (120-168bpm)

Vivace

lively and fast (168-176 bpm)

Presto

very very fast (168-200 bpm)

Concert Pitch Instruments (C)

No transposition in concert pitch i.e. C

Piano, Guitar, Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, Trombone, Tuba, Mallet Percussion

Bb Instruments

Transpose up a major 2nd from concert pitch i.e. C to D

Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Trumpet

Eb Instruments

Transpose down a minor 3rd i.e. C to A

Alto Saxophone

F Instruments

Transpose up a perfect 5th i.e. C to G

English Horn, French Horn

How to understand transposing concert pitch instruments

C is concert pitch and the home base instrument.

Transposing Bb, Eb, or F instruments think: what is the smallest distance to get back to "C"?

Now the amount of half steps up or down that you took is how much to adjust the transposition by!

Ex: Transpose a C instrument playing D for a Bb instrument.

1) Bb to C Instrument's smallest distance is 2 half steps up.

2) So if C Instrument is playing a "D'" the Bb instrument will play an "E"

pentatonic scale

1 2 3 5 6

whole tone scale

each note is a whole step apart from another

C D E F# G# A# C

Celtic Music, English and Irish folk music's alternative guitar tuning is?

modal D

D-A-D-G-A-D

folk and blues music's alternative guitar tuning is?

open G

D-G-D-G-B-D

Celtic music, Rock and Heavy metal's alternative guitar tuning is?

modal G

D-G-D-G-C-D

open D tuning is an alternative guitar tuning popular with what genres?

D-A-D-F#-A-D

a variety of styles can be played in this tuning of guitar and is popular most with slide guitar playing

retrograde inversion

a musical term that literally means "backwards and upside down": "The inverse of the series is sounded in reverse order."