swim

i wrote this for people who vaguely know a little,

cut time
written as a C w/ a vertical line through it or 2/2
a half note recieves a beat
a quarter note recieves half a beat
if you understand 4/4 then this makes sense, everything gets half the value that it would in common time, other word for 4/4
triplet
is when three notes of equal length hit in designated time
ie, triplet eighth notes are equal to a quarter note
triplet quarter notes are equal to a half note
triplet half notes are equal to a whole note
6/8
usually directed in two but if the music is slow enough directed 6
because the bottom number in cut time is 2 a half note recieves a beat, because the bottom number in common time is 4 a quarter note recieves a beat and, because the bottom number in 6/8 is 8 an eighth note recieves a beat. and for common knoledge the top number tells you how many notes are in a measure.
6/8 has a triplet feel when direct in 2. and if you think about it, it makes sense. there a six beats per measure and youre dividing in 2, that give you 3 beats for each time the conducter's hand hits and three beats in a designated time is a triplet. (i have to explain dots to make this make sense)
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we're going to pretend that looks like a dotted half note.
a dot takes half of the notes value and adds it to the note.
so in common time a dotted half note would equal 3 beats. a dotted whole note equals 6. and a dotted quarter equals 1 and a half beats aka 3 eighth notes.
so wtf did i go on a tangent for that. a dotted quarter in 6/8= quarter in 4/4
7/8 and other wtfs
9/8 and 12/8 are read exactly the same as 6/8 but with added beats, 9/8 has a 3 beat feel, and 12/8 has 4 beat feel.
5/4 is read exactly like 4/4 except with an added beat
7/8 is a bitch for me to explain because ive only played a little in it. go listen to pink floyd-money.
unlike 6/8 in 7/8 it is very common for each note to be directed. usually in paterns of 2,2,3.
...7 eighth notes per measure is really the best way i know how to explain this
why are there so many differnt time signatures if many are similar
the emphasis on notes, it would be ridiculous for a waltz to be written in 4/4

2 beat bar Strong Weak
3 beat bar Strong Medium Weak W
4 beat bar Strong Weak Medium Weak
6 beat bar Strong Medium Weak Strong Medium Weak

Major Scales
major scales are based off of a formula: wwhwwwh. ok, that doesnt mean anything to you. im pretty sure everyone knows wtf a guitar is and understands the concepts of frets, well, each fret you move up you move up a half step, and a half step is represented by h in the formula. every 2 frets you move up is a whole step, a whole step is represented by w in the formula.
tetrachord
a tetrachord is 4 notes with intervals wwh
when you put two tetrachords together with a whole step between them you get a major scale.
relative minor
relative minor is based off of major scales the formula is just slightly shifted
whwwhwww
(see determining what key you're in to see the difference between minor and major)
harmonic minor
there really isnt a formula for this one but for the sake of being consitent ill show what it would be, but there's an easier way for me to make sense.
harmonic a minor: A B C D E F G# A
whole
half
whole
whole
half
whole +half
half
the easy way is that just sharp the 7th degree.
chromatic scales
going up by half steps and coming back down. there is only one chromatic scale but when its played a piece
to be more coherant here's a list of "all" the notes with half step intervals
A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G# A
A Bb B C Db D Eb E F Gb G Ab A
now i half to explain enharmonics
an enharmonic is the same tone written a different way. i suppose ill just list them.
A#=Bb
C#=Db
D#=Eb
F#=Gb
G#=Ab
there are also double sharps and flats which is easy to understand if you understand what youre doing when you flat or sharp a note, when flat a note you lower the note by a half step and when sharp it you raise it. in my opinion double sharps and flats are ridiculous and the composer went wrong somewhere and is being lazy to fix it. if you want a list of these pm me but theyre useless. but just for example G##= A
-note- when there are no flat or sharps attached to a note it is called natural (ABCDEFG)
in orchestras it does make a difference if the note is Bb or A# because they use fretless instruments and there is a tiny tiny difference but to average ear theyre the same. a piano and concert bands use tempered scale- taking it for granted that both notes are the same
scale degrees
in major and minor scales there are eight notes in a scale. the scale degrees represent each note in the scale, in concert band usually 1-8 but it can go beyond.
ie C Major:
C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
this is usefull when arranging music in changing key.
determining what key you are in
there are 36 keys that mostly used when writing music, most people stay in major, relative minor, and harmonic minor. (good job that means 12 keys for each)
key signature and chords determine what key you are in
key signature is b and e's are flat or f,c, and g's are sharp
there is an order to the flats and sharps. always the same, never changes.
(i could explain why it works but it would take for ever, maybe later)
order of sharps: FCGDAEB
order of flats: BEADGCF
youre, quick, that's right, theyre each other backwards.
a chord by definition is 1,3, and 5 played together.
youll see other things such as 1,3,5,7 or 1,3,5,8 or 1,3,5,7,9 or 1,3,5,9 and many others

Major scales
Cb Major: Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb Cb
Gb Major: Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb
Db Major: Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db
Ab Major: Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab
Eb Major: Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb
Bb Major: Bb C D Eb F G A Bb
F Major: F G A Bb C D E F
C Major: C D E F G A B C
G Major: G A B C D E F# G
D Major: D E F# G A B C# D
A Major: A B C# D E F# G# A
E Major: E F# G# A B C# D# E
B Major: B C# D# E F# G# A# B
F# Major: F# G# A# B C# D# E# F#
C# Major: C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C#

if you noticed when i gave you the order of flat and sharps it applys here.
the circle of fiths apply to major and relative minor scales
Major:
Cb- 7 flats
Gb- 6 fats
Db- 5 flats
Ab- 4 flats
Eb- 3 flats
Bb- 2 flats
F- 1 flat
C- natural
G- 1 sharp
D- 2 sharps
A- 3 sharps
E- 4 sharps
B- 5 sharps
F#- 6 sharps
C#- 7 sharps

if you look at this and start at F and look at the order of sharps, everytime you move done in the order you add a sharp
if you look at this and start at Bb and look at the order of flats, everytime you move done in the order you add a flat

Relative Minor scales

F Minor: F G Ab Bb C Db Eb F
C Minor: C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
G Minor: G A Bb C D Eb F G
D Minor: D E F G A Bb C D
A Minor: A B C D E F G A
E Minor: E F# G A B C D E
B Minor: B C# D E F# G A B

ill add minor and a bunch of other stuff later im kinda hungry ive been typing this for a while.