| Music Theory (1-34) :: Music History (35-40) :: Composition, Orchestration, etc. (41-44) :: Index :: Music Dictionary :: Composers Biographies :: Scorch Viewer |
| Welcome Page | Welcome! :: Free Manuscript Paper :: Alternative Terms in Different Countries :: Copyright |
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Music Theory & History Online Contents - the page you are now at |
| 1 |
Staff, Clefs & Pitch Notation |
The Grand Staff :: Naming The Notes ::
Staff or Stave :: The Clef Sign :: The Treble Clef :: The Bass Clef :: The Alto Clef
Other Clefs (lesson 14) :: The Score :: Why Middle C? :: Helmholtz Pitch Notation :: English Octave-Naming Convention
Franco-Belgic Octave-Naming Convention :: Scientific Pitch Notation :: Naming The Octaves :: MIDI
Shape Note Notation :: Tonic Sol-fa ::
Oz Pitch-Naming Convention
::
Integer Notation |
| 2 |
Notes & Rests |
Duration :: Anatomy of a Note Sign :: Chart of Note & Rest Signs :: Dotting & Double-Dotting :: Beams & Beaming
Ties :: Origin of Music Notation :: Additional Notes on the History 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 and Meter |
Time Signature and Meter :: 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 :: Note Reading & Keyboard Layout Test :: 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/Meter :: 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 |
| 17C |
Chords |
supplement :: Chords (including chord transposer) |
| 17S |
1000+ Scales |
supplement :: 1000+ Scales (including scale transposer) |
| 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 ::
Articulation & Phrasing on Percussion Instruments
Dot & Wedge in Clavichord Music :: Pedalling on the Piano :: Table of Dynamic Markings :: Table of General Musical Markings |
| 22 |
Chords & Cadences |
Cadences :: Perfect Cadence :: Plagal Cadence :: Imperfect Cadence :: Interrupted/Deceptive Cadence
The 'Six Four' Cadence :: Feminine Endings :: Antecedent & Consequent :: Summary of Cadences |
| 23 |
Ornamentation |
Introduction :: Accidentals and Ornamentation :: 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
Sounding Range of Orchestral Instruments :: Chart of Sounding Range and Clefs Used :: Sample Scores |
| 27 |
Pitch, Temperament & Timbre |
Pitch :: History of Musical Pitch :: Harmonic or Overtone Series :: Inharmonicity :: Pythagorean Series :: Meantone Scale
Equal Temperament :: Just Intonation :: Naming Intervals ::
Historical Temperaments :: Temperament and Pitch Calculator
Beats and Tuning :: Information on Temperaments :: Timbre/Tone Colour :: Classification of Common Musical Instruments |
| 27C | Interval Calculator | supplement :: Interval Calculator |
| 27T | Analysis of Temperaments | supplement :: Analysis of Temperaments used in the Temperament and Pitch Calculator in lesson 27 |
| 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 :: Keyboards :: Viols :: Instrument Names in Other Languages
Instrument Names & Their Abbreviations :: Orchestral Layout :: Sounding Range of Orchestral Instruments
Chart of Sounding Range and Clefs Used :: Conducting |
| 30 |
Guitar Tablature & Notation |
Reading Chord Charts :: Writing Notes :: The Origins of Tablature Notation :: Writing Chords
Transposing Chord Names :: Special Effects :: Voicing Chords :: The Lute |
| 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 |
The Voice :: Words & Meaning :: Tonal Languages and Music :: Words & Syncopation :: Words & Phrasing
Scoring for Voices :: Wordless Singing |
| 33 | Counterpoint |
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, etc. (41-44) :: Index :: Music Dictionary :: Composers Biographies :: 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, etc. (41-44) :: Index :: Music Dictionary :: Composers Biographies :: Scorch Viewer |
| 41 | Practical Guide to Composition |
Musical Form - A Summary :: Alan Belkin's Practical Guide to Composition |
| 42 | Artistic Orchestration |
Artistic Orchestration by Alan Belkin :: Garritan Interactive - Principles of Orchestration by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov |
| 43 |
Ear Tests and Drills |
| 44 |
Jazz Improvisation Almanac by Marc Sabatella |
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Music Theory & History Online Index |
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Music Dictionary Online |
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Composers Biography (work in progress) |
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Manuscript Paper (you can print) |
