John Paul Ito

Teaching

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Theory Fundamentals

Theory Fundamentals

This page contains video lectures on music theory fundamentals, together with supporting materials (the indented items).

Excellent worksheets, with answer keys, can be found on Gene Biringer's music theory website.

Note for CMU students and other fixed-do users: when doing worksheets on scale degrees, disregard the exercises that use solfege syllables.

To find a theory tutor at CMU, consult this page.

Topic 1: Pitch and Pitch Notation

  • Lesson 1: Pitch and Pitch Class
  • ◦ ASA pitch designations

  • Lesson 2: Pitch Notation and Clefs
  • Clefs

    • Topic 2: Major Scales and Keys

  • Lesson 3: Major Scales; part 1
  • Lesson 3: Major Scales; part 2
  • Major Scales
  • Scale Degrees in Major
  • Population Graph
  • Lesson 4: Practice with Major Scales
  • Lesson 5: Keys and Key Signatures; part 1
  • Lesson 5: Keys and Key Signatures; part 2
  • Lesson 5: Keys and Key Signatures; part 3
  • Key signature scheme
  • Circle of fifths
  • Key signatures, key signatures in clefs

    • Topic 3: Intervals

  • Lesson 6: Intervals; part 1
  • Lesson 6: Intervals; part 2
  • Lesson 6: Intervals; part 3
  • Intervals
  • Lesson 7: Practice with Intervals
  • Error: ca 8:00, I was clearly thinking of the submediant, not the subdominant...
  • Lesson 8: More on Intervals; part 1, Inversion
  • Inversions
  • Lesson 8: More on Intervals; part 2, Compound Intervals
  • (Intervals <= 8ve are "simple intervals")
  • Lesson 8: More on Intervals; part 3, Interval Counts in Major Scales

    • Topic 4: Minor Scales and Keys

  • Lesson 9: Minor Scales; part 1
  • Lesson 9: Minor Scales; part 2
  • Minor Scales
  • Lesson 10: Minor Keys
  • Circle of Fifths with both Major and Minor Keys
  • Lesson 11: Intervals in Minor Keys

    • Topic 5: Triads

  • Lesson 12: Triads
  • Triads
  • Lesson 13: Roman Numerals and Triads in Keys
  • Roman Numerals
  • Lesson 14: Triad Inversions and Figured Bass; part 1
  • Lesson 14: Triad Inversions and Figured Bass; part 2
  • Triad Inversions
  • Lesson 15: Practice with Triads

    • Topic 6: Seventh Chords

  • Lesson 16: Seventh Chords; part 1
  • Lesson 16: Seventh Chords; part 2
  • Seventh Chords
  • Roman Numerals for Seventh Chords
  • Lesson 17: Inversions of Seventh Chords and Figured Bass
  • Inversions of Seventh Chords
  • Lesson 18: Practice with Seventh Chords