I signed up for it at school. I've heard its really cool but difficult.
If you have taken it before, could you probably explain to me what to expect?
Cheers :)
928X90
well my piano teacher goes by theory levels (Im on level 6 right now...I think there are 10 until you're considered "proffesional") and basically when you start music theory, you learn a number of things.
First, you learn the different key signatures of different scales.
For example, you learn that c major has no signs. e major as 3 sharps, g major has 1 sharp, etc.
Once you've learned the key signatures for each MAJOR scale (that includes sharps and flats) You go onto the MINORS. you learn that A minor has no signs, d minor has 2 flats, etc.
once you learn all of your minors and their key signatures (that include both sharps and flats) you learn relative major/minor scales.
Relative major/minor scales are basically two scales (one major, one minor) that have the same key signature.
A major and c minor would be relative scales, because they both have no signs.
You learn each scales relativities, (there are a few tricks to figuring out what a major's relative minor is, and the other way around) you are ready to memorize teh CIRCLE OF FIFTHS.
The circle of fifths isn't that complicated, but if you don't know it (preferrably by heart) theory is going to be the hardest thing in the world for you.
once you get past scales and their key signatures, you start to learn things like intervals, dominant 7th keys, tonic dominant and subdominant chords, etc. You also get quizzed a little bit on music history. Music history is basically knowing the different periods in music: classical, romantic, contemporary, boroque - and who composed during each music period.
Music theory involves many different elements, which is why many teachers like breaking these elements up into "levels". Each "level" takes about half a year, and you can buy theory books that go over everything in theory for levels 1-10. :)
sorry most of that probably didn't make any sense, but I've been learning theory for 4 years now! lol
i took a music appreciation and a music theory class in high school. they were both great, same teacher. music appreciation was laid back and easy and fun and interesting. music theory went sort of slowly, it was a very elementary level course and it was my last class of the day for the second half of my senior year. i liked it a lot, it was a nice easy senior year class.
i took another music theory class in college. i didnt finish it though, not because i didnt like it but because i withdrew from all of my classes that quarter. it was rather boring though. the instructor/professor was a kind of cocky musician and the class had both music and non-music majors.
my guess as to the set up of a music theory class would be that the first few weeks you're just going to learn scales and the circle of fifths. then you'll learn about basic counterpoint, maybe write some inventions and basic composition exercises. im not sure what comes after that but there are like 6 more courses you can take at my university beyond the one i took. you'll probably learn about music history and different types of chords as well.
I had to take it as a class for my choir. I graduated to level 4. Yeah it is pretty hard, but I enjoyed it a lot.
Yes, I had Music as a subject. It was 99% theory because there were no instruments (limited school budget old style haha) but it was fun.
yeah I took music 100 at a community college. We basically learned how to read and notate music. It's not too hard to understand, but there's a lot to remember
no, but i plan on taking it in high school (i'm not going yet, though).
