Basic Music Theory for Beginners – The

Complete Guide
BY Rory PQ | October 24, 2018
This basic music theory guide looks at fundamental concepts musicians use to
understand, analyze, perform, and create music.

What is Basic Music Theory?

Music theory is a study that allows us to understand the language of music. It is a set
of guidelines and practices used to recognize the different ways to express emotions
with sound. Music theory also helps us interpret musical compositions, communicate
with other musicians, and become confident in creating or performing music.

Learning basic music theory is also essential for enhancing creativity and developing a
keen sense of musical awareness. It is a challenging, but rewarding set of skills to learn.
Knowing how music works will make the music production process easier and help you
become an effective music producer.

This basic music theory guide examines key signatures, pitches, intervals, scales,
chords, and other music fundamentals. It also provides insight into the basic building
blocks of music that form harmony, melody, and rhythm.

Musical Notes and Intervals

Let’s start this basic music theory for beginners guide by going over the foundations of
harmony and melody. This section describes all the available notes and the specific
relationships between them.
The Music Alphabet

Notes are the building blocks for all music. The musical alphabet consists of seven
letters: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Each note has a unique pitch.

The 12 Keys of Music

There are 12 notes on the piano keyboard: A, A#/B♭, B, C, C#/D♭, D, D#/E♭, E, F,

F#/G♭, G, G#/A♭.

White Keys

The white keys on your keyboard play the “natural” notes in a scale (A, B, C, D, E, F, G).
Playing only white keys places you in either the key of C major or A minor.

Black Keys

The black keys on your keyboard play the “flat” and “sharp” notes in a scale (A#/B♭,
C#/D♭, D#/E♭, F#/G♭, G#/A♭). Each note has a symbol: ♭ for flat and # for sharp.
Playing a combination of white and black keys allows you to write in all available keys
signatures.

Intervals

An interval is a distance between two notes. There are several different intervals. We
measure these intervals by the number of half steps, whole steps, and their position in
the scale. A half step interval is one semitone. A whole step interval is two semitones.
Two half steps make a whole step.

Moreover, intervals are the foundation of both harmony and melody. Playing two or
more notes at the same time creates harmonic intervals (chords). Playing a single note
one after the other creates melodic intervals (melodies).

Furthermore, we describe intervals by number (distance) and prefix (quality). The

interval number represents the number of half-steps between two notes. These
numbers are (unison), 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th (octave).

Intervals are also described by quality using a prefix. The five interval qualities are
major, minor, perfect, augmented and diminished.

Octaves

The next highest or lowest pitch of the same note. For example, an octave up from C1
on a piano is C2. An octave down would be C0. There are 12 semitones in the octave.
Key Signatures

Key signatures tell you what notes in a scale are sharp or flat. They also help you
identify the key of a song, which is the tonal center. For example, a song in the key of A
minor uses notes from the A minor scale. There are twelve key signatures, each
derived from the twelve available notes.

Musical Scales and Modes

Musical scales are the fundamental building blocks of music. Understanding musical
scales and their functions is essential when learning basic music theory. This section
looks at the two most common scales, their scale degrees, and the seven music modes.

What is a Scale?

A musical scale is a set of notes within an octave arranged by their pitch. The
ascending or descending interval relationships among the note pitches define every
scale. Moreover, the notes from a scale are used to form melodies and harmonies.

There are several types of scales. However, the two main types are the major scale and
the minor scale. You can build both major and minor scales from any note. How you
build them all depends on the pattern of intervals you use.

Major Scales

Natural major scales are bright, uplifting, and happy sounding. The seven notes in all
major scales follow the same interval pattern: W-W-H-W-W-W-H (whole-whole-half-
whole-whole-whole-half). There are twelve possible natural major scales.

Minor Scales

Natural minor scales are dark, sad, and emotional sounding. The seven notes in all
minor scales follow the same interval pattern: W-H-W-W-H-W-W (whole-half-whole-
whole-half-whole-whole). There are twelve possible natural minor scales. In addition,
there are three variations of the minor scale: natural, harmonic and melodic.

Scale Degrees

Each note in a scale has a name that relates to its function and a number to indicate its
position on the scale. There are seven scale degrees. These names apply to all major
and minor scales.

Music is all about the creation and release of tension. The function of a scale degree
relates to the amount of tension it creates. It also helps you decide what note(s)
should follow to resolve the tension.

Moreover, remembering all the different pitches in major and minor scales is difficult.
Referring to the steps of the scale by numbers rather than notes makes it easier.
Learning more about these functions takes us into advanced music theory. For now, it
is good to know the names:

 1st – Tonic
 2nd – Supertonic
 3rd – Mediant
 4th – Subdominant
 5th – Dominant
 6th – Submediant
 7th – Leading Tone

Music Modes

Musical modes are scales derived from a parent scale. There are seven music modes.
Each mode is a slight variation of a scale. They use all the same notes and interval
patterns as the parent scale. The main difference is the root note used to build the
scale. Starting a scale on a different note defines the tonal center, giving it distinct
melodic characteristics.

The seven musical modes are:

 I – Ionian (major scale)

 ii – Dorian (major scale starting on the 2nd degree)
 iii – Phrygian (major scale starting on the 3rd degree)
 IV – Lydian (major scale starting on the 4th degree)
 V – Mixolydian (major scale starting on the 5th degree)
 vi – Aeolian (natural minor scale or major scale starting on the 6th degree)
 vii – Locrian (major scale starting on the 7th degree)
Learning musical modes goes beyond basic music theory and is more advanced.
However, getting familiar with these terms and basic functions is helpful.

Chords and Chord Extensions

Chords are the harmonious building blocks of all songs. They evoke emotion and
provide the foundation for creating melodies. Knowing how to build chords and
understand how they interact with each other is important when learning basic music
theory. This section looks at basic chords types, chord extensions, and inversions.

What are Chords in Music?

A chord is a combination of two or more notes played at the same time. They’re built
off a single starting note called the root. You can create chords from all twelve notes.
There are also four basic types of chords in music:

 Major – Has a major third and a perfect fifth above the root
 Minor – Has a minor third and a perfect fifth above the root
 Diminished – Has a minor third and a diminished fifth above the root
 Augmented – Has a major third and an augmented fifth above the root

Triad Chords

The most common chords are triads. A triad is a chord made of three notes. Triads
have a root note, a third (four semitones above the root), and a perfect fifth (seven
semitones above the root). Triads are also the foundation for more complex chords.

Major Chords

Major chords have a root note, a major third, and a perfect fifth. A chord with these
three notes alone is called a major triad. For example, a C major triad has the notes: C-
E-G. You can also add notes to build more complex chords.

Minor Chords

Minor chords have a root note, a minor third, and a perfect fifth. A chord with these
three notes alone is called a minor triad. For example, a C minor triad has the notes C-E
♭-G. You can also add notes to build more complex chords.

Diminished Chords

Diminished chords sound tense, dissonant, and dramatic. They have a root note, minor
third, and a diminished fifth (six semitones above the root). For example, a C
diminished triad has the notes: C-E♭-G♭.
Augmented Chords

Augmented chords sound dissonant, unsettling, and mysterious. They have a root
note, major third, and an augmented fifth (eight semitones above the root). For
example, a C augmented triad has the notes: C–E–G#.

Seventh Chords

A seventh chord adds a note to the basic triad. Seventh chords have a root note, a
third, a perfect fifth, and a seventh. For example, a C major seventh has the notes: C–
E–G-B. There are also five main types of seventh chords: major, minor, dominant,
diminished, and half-diminished.

Chord Extensions

Chord Extensions are notes added to the basic triad beyond the seventh. These notes
extend into the next octave. Extended chords create a richer, more harmonically
complex sound than basic major and minor triads. They also provide additional voice
leading possibilities, which makes chord progressions sound more interesting. There
are four chord extensions: the 9th, 11th, and 13th.

Chord Inversions

Chord inversions are variations of the same chord. The more notes a chord has the
more possible inversions. Transposing notes in a chord to different octaves creates an
inversion. Chord inversions add variation, excitement, and smoother transitions to
chord progressions.

Chord Progressions

A chord progression or a harmonic progression is an ordered series of chords. Chord

progressions support both the melody and the rhythm. They also provide the
foundation for creating harmony and melody.

Roman Numeral Analysis

Roman numerals are used to indicate the chords in a progression. They identify the
musical key and the root note for each chord. Uppercase Roman numerals represent
major chords, while lowercase numerals represent minor chords. For example, a chord
progression in the key of C major would look like I-vi-IV-V (C-Am-F-G). Delving deeper
into this topic goes beyond basic music theory. However, it helps to introduce this
numerical system.

Voice Leading

Voice leading is the linear movement between melodic lines or voices to create a
single musical idea. This technique focuses on the smooth movement of notes from
one chord to the next using common tones. Moreover, it minimizes the vertical and
horizontal transition between notes in a chord progression or melody. These smaller
moves sound more natural and pleasing.