Learning WOOOP

Ok, so I want to learn music theory, or at least improve my understanding of it, if that is a more correct way of describing my intention.

I have tried before and always found it difficult. Not in a 'my brain can't handle it kind of way'. Just in a 'there so much where do I start'.

So this post is going to be something for me to base my future learnings off.

So let us start with a definition from Wikipedia :

"Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques, across or within genres, styles, or historical periods. In a grand sense, music theory distills and analyzes the fundamental parameters or elements of music — rhythm, harmony (harmonic function), melody, structure, form, texture, etc.

So essentially, music came first, then music theory came afterwards to explain it. So music theory isn't a set of rules, merely explanations. You don't need to use music theory to create music, but afterwards you could use music theory to analyse why it works.


This is essentially why I am interested in it, I can write music without it, but I would like to understand how it works so that, when i have an idea in my head, I understand how it works and can therefore recreate it in 'real world'

Ok, so I have explained to myself what it is. All that is left is a list of things/aspects to learn and then on to the learning!

So first there will be basic terms and concepts, I have a fairly good understanding of most of these. ie Time signatures, notes, note lengths. Perhaps a good way to describe it would be the language of theory. Seeing as how I understand the majority of these terms, I won't focus on this specifically and just cover it as I go along, when new things pop up.

Then we have the music theory (this bit is going to be short and sweet, because the post is getting long and I am confusing myself):

Chords
Scales/Key Signatures
Rhythm/Meter (time signatures etc)
Chord Progressions

Weirdly when you write it as a few core ideas, it seems simple. Alas it is not, this post shall end now as I want to get on to thinking about how I am going to teach myself and where to start.