Theory confuses me a lot! I need to know theory for my test coming up. I don't get the following:

-scales (I don't understand how you getthe key signatures
-major. minor, perfect, diminished, and augmented triads and intrevals (how do you tell or make them major, minor, perfect, diminished, or augmented without a piano?)

If anyone has tips or anything, please help me!
Thank you!

Tips for theory...
Umm, what is it that you dont get with the key sigs
-Just remember that only the 4th, 5th and 8th are perfect unless its a minor
-To find out if an interval is a major or a minor, take the bottom note as the major key, and check the key signature or any accidentals to see if it is a minor or a major
-Diminished is when the triad is lowered/flattened
-Augmented is when the triad is raised

Sorry, if im unclear or too rough in explaining... i'll probably post any other tips i know a bit later :)

Building a scale is pretty basic. Every note, starting from the tonic of the scale, progresses in steps. They are a whole step, whole step, half step, whole step whole step, whole step, half step. The fastest way to recall this is to remember the order of flats and sharps, write your scale making sure you're going line-space-line or space-line-space, depending on your case, then finally, add your accidentals to the appropriate notes. The order of sharps and flats in a key signature can be remembered as BEADGCF for Major Flat key signatures and the reverse for sharps (FCGDAEB ).

The "PM" Chart is also the best way to name intervals. The PM or "Perfect Major" chart goes like this...

........d <- P -> A
d <- m <- M -> A

...looking at a scale diatonically, all intervals relative to the tonic of a scale are Perfect or Major. The only Perfect intervals are the 4th of the scale (subdominant), the Fifth of the scale (dominant), and the 8th or Octave. Those are the only ones that get the name perfect in a diatonic scale. The rest, diatonically, are major intervals. Now to decide what the quality of an interval is, first look at the bottom most note. Next, use that note as your "pretend" key signature and say "if I was in the key of ____ then this note above the tonic would be the ____ of the scale." Go to the PM chart now. If you said it was the 4, 5, or 8 of the scale, then start at P, if it was anything else, start at M. Now ask yourself, "is this top note diatonic in the pretend key signature?" If yes, then you're done and the answer is either P or M. If not, look at the note carefully. Is the note raised a half step from where it should be diatonically or is it lowered? If it is raised, then move to the right and your answer should be A for Augmented. If it is lowered, move to the left. If you started on P, then your answer would be diminished. If you started on M, then you have to ask was it lowered a half step again? f not, then the answer is minor. If so, then the answer is diminished.

I'll tell you about triads and such if no one else comments tomorrow.

Notice, this is all for major scales.

Tips for theory...
Umm, what is it that you dont get with the key sigs
-Just remember that only the 4th, 5th and 8th are perfect unless its a minor
-To find out if an interval is a major or a minor, take the bottom note as the major key, and check the key signature or any accidentals to see if it is a minor or a major
-Diminished is when the triad is lowered/flattened
-Augmented is when the triad is raised

Sorry, if im unclear or too rough in explaining... i'll probably post any other tips i know a bit later :)

4th, 5th, and Octaves can be minor??? I thought they could only be perfect? Don't understand what the second point says. As for the triads, does only one note need to be raised or lowered or what?


Building a scale is pretty basic. Every note, starting from the tonic of the scale, progresses in steps. They are a whole step, whole step, half step, whole step whole step, whole step, half step. The fastest way to recall this is to remember the order of flats and sharps, write your scale making sure you're going line-space-line or space-line-space, depending on your case, then finally, add your accidentals to the appropriate notes. The order of sharps and flats in a key signature can be remembered as BEADGCF for Major Flat key signatures and the reverse for sharps (FCGDAEB ).

The "PM" Chart is also the best way to name intervals. The PM or "Perfect Major" chart goes like this...

........d <- P -> A
d <- m <- M -> A

...looking at a scale diatonically, all intervals relative to the tonic of a scale are Perfect or Major. The only Perfect intervals are the 4th of the scale (subdominant), the Fifth of the scale (dominant), and the 8th or Octave. Those are the only ones that get the name perfect in a diatonic scale. The rest, diatonically, are major intervals. Now to decide what the quality of an interval is, first look at the bottom most note. Next, use that note as your "pretend" key signature and say "if I was in the key of ____ then this note above the tonic would be the ____ of the scale." Go to the PM chart now. If you said it was the 4, 5, or 8 of the scale, then start at P, if it was anything else, start at M. Now ask yourself, "is this top note diatonic in the pretend key signature?" If yes, then you're done and the answer is either P or M. If not, look at the note carefully. Is the note raised a half step from where it should be diatonically or is it lowered? If it is raised, then move to the right and your answer should be A for Augmented. If it is lowered, move to the left. If you started on P, then your answer would be diminished. If you started on M, then you have to ask was it lowered a half step again? f not, then the answer is minor. If so, then the answer is diminished.

I'll tell you about triads and such if no one else comments tomorrow.

Notice, this is all for major scales.

Really don't understand this, but I know BEADGCF. The order of the sharps is that backwards. I also know the whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half thing. What confuses me about that is that if I want a B Major scale, I start on B and go to D flat, because B and C are natural half steps. I'm pretty sure D flat is not in B Major.

Oh and just saying if I was unclear about the scales, I ment if someone told me to play a F Major scale or a F Sharp Major, how would I know what the key signature is?

What confuses me about that is that if I want a B Major scale, I start on B and go to D flat, because B and C are natural half steps. I'm pretty sure D flat is not in B Major.

Oh and just saying if I was unclear about the scales, I ment if someone told me to play a F Major scale or a F Sharp Major, how would I know what the key signature is?

1. You weren't following the line-space-line or space-line-space rule. In the B Major scale, C is the next note but to make it a whole step above, you add a sharp so C# is the next note in the B Major Scale. Db, though it has the same pitch as C#, is incorrect. It would be like saying, "The pen is over their."

2. How do you know what the key signature is? Memorization. That's the only way. Draw yourself a circle of fifths if you have to visualize it.

1. You weren't following the line-space-line or space-line-space rule. In the B Major scale, C is the next note but to make it a whole step above, you add a sharp so C# is the next note in the B Major Scale. Db, though it has the same pitch as C#, is incorrect. It would be like saying, "The pen is over their."

2. How do you know what the key signature is? Memorization. That's the only way. Draw yourself a circle of fifths if you have to visualize it.

1. Incorrect. You don'thave to memorize them. Maybe this will help. actually, if it has sharps, go up one half step up from the last sharp. (e.g) if it has four sharps, the last sharp is G# right? Go up a half step to get A major. for flats, the key signature is the second to last flat. (E.g.) E flat major has three flats. In order, B flat E flat and A flat right? The second to last flat is e flat so the key is E flat major. The only two scales you should have to memorize key signatures for would be C major (no accidentals) and F major (one flat) tell me if you find this confusing and i will try to add pictures and stuff to help.
BTW when's your test? To figure out its relative minor, go down a minor 3rd (3 half steps)

2. minor thirds consist 3 halfsteps. Major consists of 3 whole steps. I am pretty sure 4, 5, and octaves are always perfect regardless (at least octaves for sure). I have never heard of a minor octave. Diminished is two minor thirds (minor third and diminished fifth) and augmented is two major thirds. Here's a link http://www.answers.com/topic/diminished-chord. Major triad is one major third then one minor third. Minor consists of a minor third first then a major third. There's also a suspended triad but you usually don't see it in normal music. Good luck on your test!:sweat::lol:

Just putting in my two cents:

Learning scales shouldn't be very hard at all; you just "learn" them, in my opinion. . . now, of course, I know what they make up, but I don't need any tricks to help me "memorize" them, so I don't see why you really need some other ways to remember them by.

Hehe :heh:, my apologies, i studied my notes wrong, only majors can become minor, so the only perfects are unisons, fourths, fifths and octaves....

Umm, back to explaining how figure out if an interval is either a major or minor:
For example: your interval is C and Ab, (which is a 6th), you take the bottom note as the major key so in this case that would be C major because of the C, then you think, in C major is the A a flat, the answer is no so therefore it is a minor 6th, if the interval was a C and an A then that would be a major 6th...
so i hope you understand that

Umm, diminished and augmented triads.... i see that that1player has already explained that :)

Ok, now scales:
I guess the best way to know which key signature belongs to which scale is by memorising them, by saying memorise i dont mean that you actually sit there and learn them, but you should just know while you are learning music... but these are the only tips i could think of right now:
1. Is what that1player said in the first point
2. Relative minor and major keys, since they have the same key signature:
-finding the relative minor of a major key count down 3 steps
-finding the relative major of a minor key count up 3 steps

Soooo, good luck on your test!!! :D Wish you all the best!!!:thumb:

Hehe :heh:, my apologies, i studied my notes wrong, only majors can become minor, so the only perfects are unisons, fourths, fifths and octaves....

Umm, back to explaining how figure out if an interval is either a major or minor:
For example: your interval is C and Ab, (which is a 6th), you take the bottom note as the major key so in this case that would be C major because of the C, then you think, in C major is the A a flat, the answer is no so therefore it is a minor 6th, if the interval was a C and an A then that would be a major 6th...
so i hope you understand that

Umm, diminished and augmented triads.... i see that that1player has already explained that :)

Ok, now scales:
I guess the best way to know which key signature belongs to which scale is by memorising them, by saying memorise i dont mean that you actually sit there and learn them, but you should just know while you are learning music... but these are the only tips i could think of right now:
1. Is what that1player said in the first point
2. Relative minor and major keys, since they have the same key signature:
-finding the relative minor of a major key count down 3 steps
-finding the relative major of a minor key count up 3 steps

Soooo, good luck on your test!!! :D Wish you all the best!!!:thumb:

lol that would be awesome minor unison and minor octaves (WTF????). :lol:

Wouldn't a 'minor octave' just be a seventh?

I get the scales now because of the two tricks ^^. Triads and intrevals still confuse me. My teaacher said something about the natural half steps, but I don't remember it :\. My test is the first Sunday of April.

lol that would be awesome minor unison and minor octaves (WTF????). :lol:

LOL! Yeah, that would be such an awesome minor unison and octave ^_^


Wouldn't a 'minor octave' just be a seventh?

Yeah.... but then what would the seventh be? :lol:
Lol, come to think of it, i wonder why i said that unisons and octaves can be minors... hehe, i kinda lack common-sense :heh:


I get the scales now because of the two tricks ^^. Triads and intrevals still confuse me. My teaacher said something about the natural half steps, but I don't remember it :\. My test is the first Sunday of April.

First Sunday of April.... that's a while away, so im pretty sure you would master everything in theory by then ^_^
Btw, im glad you understood the scale business thing and what in particular about triads and intervals that you dont understand?

For triads:

Triads consist of the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of every scale, and any "manipulated" versions of those. C Major Scale (without the 8th):

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j266/Bbclarinetist/TriadI.png

- A major triad consists of just these.
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j266/Bbclarinetist/Triad11.png

- A minor triad is like a major triad except the third is lowered by one half step.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j266/Bbclarinetist/Triad2.png

- A diminished triad is like a minor triad except the fifth is lowered by one half step.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j266/Bbclarinetist/Triad3.png

- An augmented triad is a major triad, but with the fifth raised a half step higher.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j266/Bbclarinetist/Triad4.png

For triads:

Triads consist of the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of every scale, and any "manipulated" versions of those. C Major Scale (without the 8th):

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j266/Bbclarinetist/TriadI.png

- A major triad consists of just these.
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j266/Bbclarinetist/Triad11.png

- A minor triad is like a major triad except the third is lowered by one half step.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j266/Bbclarinetist/Triad2.png

- A diminished triad is like a minor triad except the fifth is lowered by one half step.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j266/Bbclarinetist/Triad3.png

- An augmented triad is a major triad, but with the fifth raised a half step higher.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j266/Bbclarinetist/Triad4.png


Wow, that really helps. Now I just don't get how you tell a interval is major, minor, diminished, or augmented.

Minor = Lowered a half step
Major = A "Neutral" (There isn't any change)

Augmented and Dimished apply to triads, since they have to consist of 3 notes or more (if memory servers correctly on all of this by the way).

Augmented = Triad made up of two whole steps (as shown above) C - E - G# are all major thirds from the latest step. C E G# A# D F# is an example of a bunch of "augmented intervals."

Dimished = (Basically just the opposite of Augmented) Triad made up of two minor steps. (Once again, as shown above) C - Eb - Gb are all minor thirds from the latest step.

I think I explained these well; if not, either ask someone else, or ask me to rephrase. Still, I hope this helps. (I put this in the easiest terms I could think of.)

It's all fun ^^

Minor = Lowered a half step
Major = A "Neutral" (There isn't any change)

Augmented and Dimished apply to triads, since they have to consist of 3 notes or more (if memory servers correctly on all of this by the way).

Augmented = Triad made up of two whole steps (as shown above) C - E - G# are all major thirds from the latest step. C E G# A# D F# is an example of a bunch of "augmented intervals."

Dimished = (Basically just the opposite of Augmented) Triad made up of two minor steps. (Once again, as shown above) C - Eb - Gb are all minor thirds from the latest step.

I think I explained these well; if not, either ask someone else, or ask me to rephrase. Still, I hope this helps. (I put this in the easiest terms I could think of.)


I get triads, but can you give me an example of the major and minor intrevals? Sorry for being so stupid everyone.

I get triads, but can you give me an example of the major and minor intrevals? Sorry for being so stupid everyone.

You're not stupid! Never ever ever say that again, i mean this is pretty confusing stuff and you're getting it so yeah, have some confidence in yourself... and there's no need to apologise because we're all here to help you! :)

Major and minor intervals.... i'll go back to the example i gave earlier:


For example: your interval is C and Ab, (which is a 6th), you take the bottom note as the major key so in this case that would be C major because of the C, then you think, in C major is the A a flat, the answer is no so therefore it is a minor 6th, if the interval was a C and an A then that would be a major 6th...

So, the interval is C and Ab:
-The distance between these two notes is a 6th
-So, for sure you know that it cant be a perfect, so therefore it has to be either a major or minor
-To find out whether an interval is a major or minor, you take the bottom note as the major key of the interval
-The bottom note of your interval is C, so therefore, it's C major.... if the bottom note was Bb, then it would be Bb major and so you get the idea
-In C major, there's no such thing as an Ab.... so that means that this interval is a minor... Minor 6th

In the opposite case:
-If the interval was C and A... then it would be a major 6th, because in C major there is an A

You're not stupid! Never ever ever say that again, i mean this is pretty confusing stuff and you're getting it so yeah, have some confidence in yourself... and there's no need to apologise because we're all here to help you! :)

Major and minor intervals.... i'll go back to the example i gave earlier:



So, the interval is C and Ab:
-The distance between these two notes is a 6th
-So, for sure you know that it cant be a perfect, so therefore it has to be either a major or minor
-To find out whether an interval is a major or minor, you take the bottom note as the major key of the interval
-The bottom note of your interval is C, so therefore, it's C major.... if the bottom note was Bb, then it would be Bb major and so you get the idea
-In C major, there's no such thing as an Ab.... so that means that this interval is a minor... Minor 6th

In the opposite case:
-If the interval was C and A... then it would be a major 6th, because in C major there is an A

Okay, now I just don't know how to tell which note is the bottom one. Is it the one that's lower when you play it, or the one that's lower in the alphabet?? I durno I'm confused. Anyway, I'm really depressed and stuff because...I'd rather not go in specifics.

Okay, now I just don't know how to tell which note is the bottom one. Is it the one that's lower when you play it, or the one that's lower in the alphabet?? I durno I'm confused. Anyway, I'm really depressed and stuff because...I'd rather not go in specifics.

Sorry..... i should have been clearer in what i was saying.... by bottom i meant the lower note :)

Sorry..... i should have been clearer in what i was saying.... by bottom i meant the lower note :)

The lowest note that is seen in the interval, chord, triad (whatever it is) am I right?

Thanks, I understand now. I have one quick question and I'm done. Even though this doesn't relate to this, I need to know the answer. Let's say my left hand is playing a half note of "D", and my right hand need to play a quarter note on that also. I'm confused on how that works.

Thanks, I understand now. I have one quick question and I'm done. Even though this doesn't relate to this, I need to know the answer. Let's say my left hand is playing a half note of "D", and my right hand need to play a quarter note on that also. I'm confused on how that works.

On the exact same d???? please rewrite more clearly.

On the exact same d???? please rewrite more clearly.

Yeah, in the song BT, you play a B as a half note, but then you have to play that same B one beat later with your right hand.

Just play the note when it says to. After all, if you held a chord, and a 16th note passaged played the notes in that chord, you wouldn't skip what's written, you'd just play the notes written -- when notes are played while already being played, that usually means to sustain the note that length of time, you get what I mean?

If you think this is confusing, don't play Debussy.

DEBUSSY!!!!! ... if you have trouble in playing hands together, you're gonna have a hard time with Debussy
Ummm, just play accordingly to what you see on that sheet of paper :)

Just play the note when it says to. After all, if you held a chord, and a 16th note passaged played the notes in that chord, you wouldn't skip what's written, you'd just play the notes written -- when notes are played while already being played, that usually means to sustain the note that length of time, you get what I mean?

If you think this is confusing, don't play Debussy.

Depends on the piece actually. Sometimes it is easier to just not play the note (like a rest) while still holding the note down. Does that make any sense? Ah we all love Debussy esp The Girl With Flaxen Hair:heh:.

Not to be a pompus, but you never NOT play a note in the score. (However, there are exceptions, but 99.7% of the time you play the damn score as written.)

What's debussy? Just saying none of you answered my question.

What's debussy? Just saying none of you answered my question.

Sorry....
Debussy is a well-known composer... i think he's time was around the late 19th century or early 20th century, he was one of those impressionist/modern composer... ummm, usually in his work, both of the hands are pretty active so yeah :)
Anyways.... back to your question:

Yeah, in the song BT, you play a B as a half note, but then you have to play that same B one beat later with your right hand.
Well, dont you just hold the B for 2 beats and on the second beat you play the B in your right hand? Wait, no.... if it's the same B, then the B should be held for longer, meaning that you would hold it for 3 beats

Anyways.... back to your question:

Well, dont you just hold the B for 2 beats and on the second beat you play the B in your right hand? Wait, no.... if it's the same B, then the B should be held for longer, meaning that you would hold it for 3 beats


Sorry for being unclear, the B is held on the left hand as a half note, and while the half note is still being held, I have to play it with my right hand.

It's the exact same note right? Are the two notes tied? (Is there a slur over the top of these two notes?)
If so... then you would have to hold it for the value of two of the notes added together.

I don't think so. You either lift up the hand that is holding the note and play the written one or else keep holding it and pretend there is a rest in the hand not holding it. It really depends on how noticeable it is.

It's not tied or slurred. I think you play it the way that1player said. Anyway, thank you.

Play the second note. End of discussion.