Music Theory for Musicians and Normal People
by Toby W. Rush
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This page includes links to each of the individual Music Theory pages I've created in PDF form. This is a work in progress; I am writing new ones regularly and fixing errors and omissions on existing ones as I find them. If you find them useful for your theory studies, you are welcome to use them, and if you find errors or have suggestions, I invite you to contact me. Enjoy!
These pages are available for free under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license. In short, you are welcome to copy them, print them, share them and use them; however, you may not alter them, take credit for them, or sell them.
This collection is a work in progress, but if you would prefer, you can download all the current pages as a single PDF. (Updated 10 March 2016!)
Each and every one of these pages is available is an 18" x 24" poster. Buy one or collect them all at the Toby W. Rush Online Store! You can also find a theory-related shirts, hats, bags, buttons andstickers at the T-shirts And Other Stuff page. If you'd prefer to just send a donation, click Sparky below to do so. Thanks!
A version of these pages using British/Australian terminology is available! Click a flag below for more.
Interested in helping translate these pages to your own language? Awesome! Follow this link for details.
Music Theory Fundamentals
What is Music Theory?
And why are all these cool and attractive people studying it?
Notation: Pitch
Or how five little lines came to rule the world.
Notation: Rhythm
Because nothing says "play that note shorter" like a bunch of weird-looking flags.
Notation: Meter
Feel the beat! Now, categorize the beat.
Beaming
Nobody knows beaming like Sparky knows beaming.
The Major Scale
Let's add some happy little notes to our canvas.
Key Signatures
Not the kind you sign your credit card receipt with, though I suppose you could try it.
The Circle of Fifths
You know, for kids!
Diatonic Intervals
The journey of a thousand octaves begins with a half-step.
Perfect Intervals
Why do we have to call them "perfect?" We're just encouraging them.
Imperfect Intervals
Let he who is without invertable inflection cast the first stone.
Analyzing & Writing Intervals
Still confused? Sparky's got your back.
Minor Scales
Gentlemen, raise your leading tones!
Dynamics and Articulations
Being bossy always sounds better in Italian.
Complex Meter
How to ruin a perfectly good dance.
The Common Practice Period: Diatonic Harmony
Triads
Little bite-sized three-note packages of harmonic deliciousness.
Triads in Inversion
You can't expect a cat like Haydn to stay in root position.
Figured Bass
Designed for two purposes: accompanying baroque pieces and torturing theory students.
Triads Within Tonality
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got those roman numerals.
Introduction to Part-Writing
Ladies and Gentlemen, Johann... Sebastian... BACH!
Part-Writing: The Vertical Rules
Range and spacing and doubling. Oh my!
Part-Writing: The Horizontal Rules
Let's play it safe out there, kids.
Part-Writing: Using Inversions
You don't have to use inversions, but all the cool kids are doing it, so...
Part-Writing: Melodic Minor
Consult your doctor to find out if melodic minor is right for you.
The Harmonic Cadences
All good things must end.
Harmonic Progression
When it comes down to it, we're all just struggling to make our way back to tonic.
Diatonic Common Chord Modulation
Take it up a step, Barry!
Non-Harmonic Tones
ANALYZE ALL THE NOTES
Suspensions
Incidentally, dogs can only hear dissonances in black and white.
Diatonic Seventh Chords
There's always room for one more note.
The Dominant Seventh
Creating a yearning for resolution since the 17th century.
Extended Harmonies
More tertial harmony than you can shake a stick at.
The Common Practice Period: Development & Form
Motivic Development
The deadline-dreading composer's most valuable secret.
Binary Form
Two's company.
Ternary Form
The best things come in threes.
Sonata Allegro Form
Hundreds of European symphonists can't be wrong.
The Common Practice Period: Chromatic Harmony
Altered Chords
No MSG added, though.
Borrowed Chords
"Hey, neighbor, do you have a half-dimished seventh chord I could use?"
The Neapolitan Six
As opposed to the Neapolitan Three (chocolate, strawberry and vanilla).
Secondary Dominants
The force is strong with these.
Augmented Sixth Chords
If you invert one, it becomes an Australian sixth... because the soprano is down under! (cue rim shot)
Altered and Enharmonic Modulation
The best evidence yet that theorists are gluttons for punishment.
Secondary Subdominants
Okay, now we're just making stuff up.
Romantic Era Techniques
Not listed: wearing frilly shirts and contracting syphilis.
Sixteenth Century Counterpoint
Introduction to Species Counterpoint
A man, a plan, Palestrina.
Species Counterpoint: Melody
Let's start at the beginning, shall we?
Species Counterpoint: Species I
Note against note, mano à mano.
Species Counterpoint: Species II
Let's get some dissonance all up in here.
Species Counterpoint: Species III
Holy quarter notes, Batman!
Species Counterpoint: Species IV
It's a tie! It's lots of ties.
Species Counterpoint: Species V
All together now.
Species Counterpoint: Three Voices
Good things always come in threes and usually involve contrary motion.
The Twentieth Century
The Modern Modes
Because you didn't have enough scales to worry about already.
