Free Sheet Music Index

Tell your music teacher about these printable solos and save a little on music books.

’Meet the Composer’ Biographies

The biographies are written just for kids, and include lesson plans specifically designed for non-musician homeschooling moms.

‘Meet the Composer’ Free Printable Worksheet

Print the free worksheets after you read the biography. Get them started and then put on a great composer CD. It's a great way to get them to listen to the music.

Printable Note Naming Worksheets

Drill your child's note naming skills with these free printable worksheets.

Printable Intervals Worksheets

Drill your child's interval identification skills with these free printable worksheets.

Free Educational Desktop Wallpaper

Teach the instruments of the orchestra and then let the wallpaper drill the basics.

Free Music Video Lessons

Learn to play 'Hot Cross Buns' on the Recorder with an easy to understand step-by-step video lesson.

The Scale

Much like diminished 7th chords, there are only 3 different diminished scales (subject to enharmonic changes).  They are as follows:

Eb or F#/Gb or A or C diminished scale: [ Eb, F, F#, G#, A, B, C, D, Db ]

D or F or Ab or B diminished scale: [ D, E, F, G, Ab, Bb, B, C#, D ]

Db or E or G or Bb diminished scale: [ Db, Eb, E, F#, G, A, Bb, C, Db ]

If you can't see what I mean by there are only 3 different diminished scales, let me explain. Lets look at the first scale.  If we start on the Eb we get an Eb diminished scale [ Eb, F, F#, G#, A, B, C, D, Db ]. But if we start on the A, we get an A diminished scale [ A, B, C, D, Db, Eb, F, F#, G#, A ].  Therefore the same set of notes can give us multiple diminished scales.

Here is one pattern that can be used to play the scale on guitar:

Exercise 1

The first exercise plays the scale linearally across one string.

Exercise 2

The next exercise is from the Dream Theater song Octavarium.  The exercise starts at 1:08 into the video.

Octavarium- Dream Theater

(click to enlarge)

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I've often spent countless hours pondering about the concept of "melody".

Many songwriting books will tell you that writing great melody is a gift - some have the "gift of melody" while others don't.

My question, then, is how do you define this gift of melody? Is there really such a thing?

Well, we know for sure who had the gift of melody. The first few names that come to my mind are Richard Rodgers, Paul McCartney, John Rutter, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tchaikovsky, Schubert, and Paul Simon.

But when it comes to actually defining what this gift sounds like, it gets a bit more difficult.

You see, the mysterious thing about melody is that we know a good one when we hear it, but we can't necessarily always construct a good one on our own.

I'm not exactly sure why this is so. You see, logically thinking...if we know what makes a good melody work, then it would follow that we should be able to all write great melodies too right?

In reality, that is not always the case.

You see, that's why I find songwriting so fascinating. It's such a nebulous concept. You never know when the next great song is going to come, and you never know where it's going to come from. It could come from anybody at anytime. It doesn't mean that those with higher musical education will necessarily write better melodies.

Do you think you have the gift of melody?

...

Notes: It has been said that Beethoven's musical gifts, as monumental as they were, did not lie in melody. If you compare Beethoven with Schubert, you can make a case that Schubert had the more natural gift for melody.

Same goes with Paul McCartney and John Lennon. I am willing to make a case that despite John being an awesome songwriter, it was Paul who actually had the greater gift for melody. John was a great songwriter, no doubt, and he had his moments of melodic genius as well, but if you were to take a look at the big picture, I think Paul had the more obvious gift for melody.

Tchaikovsky was one of the most gifted melodists I've ever heard bar none, and I suspect I'm not alone in this view. It is simply mind-boggling how he came up with such breathtaking melodies.

Stephen Sondheim is a legendary writer on Broadway, a god-like figure to some, but melody wasn't exactly what his musicals were known for. Some have noted that you don't leave a theatre humming a Sondheim melody. This is in contrast to say, Andrew Lloyd Webber, who has given us some of the most memorable West End tunes in the last two to three decades.

I was the same until I’d been playing for three years or so and decided start learning some theory to help take my playing up a notch. It has been many years since and I’d like to share some things that I used to get started, and to guide you through the first basic steps of learning to apply music theory to your guitar playing.

For the purposes of this article I’m going to assume you’ve taken the first step towards learning theory and learnt where all the notes are across the neck. If not, then go do that now! Knowing the notes is extremely important to start applying theory.

The first thing I did was learn scales and how they are put together starting with the major key, I used C major.

The major scale is made from seven different notes. The first note is called the root note, the note that you start the scale with. The root note is where the scale gets its name from. In this case the root note is C, and so the scale is C major. Each fret on a guitar is a half note, or a semitone. To play a major scale go up the neck in the following increments;

Root, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, and then a half back to your root one octave higher. The third note in the scale is the note that decides whether it is a major or a minor scale. In a minor scale the third note is one semitone lower in pitch than in a major scale. Try playing it to hear the difference.

The notes in a C major scale you should notice are; C, D, E, F, G, A, B. See a pattern? There are no flats or sharps in the C major scale, which is why I decided to start there when I began learning.

The next step takes a lot of time and a lot of practise. Take these notes and find them all over the neck. Try to learn the scale in as many places as you can, make sure you get really comfortable with it.

You’ll find that once you’re totally at home with the C major scale it should be quite easy to move the shape and patterns around to find other scales. Try moving every note you know from C major up two frets on the guitar. You’re now playing the D major scale. Move one half step down from C major and you’re playing the B major scale. This is how I learnt my scales. I took shapes and patterns I knew and simply moved them round the neck, learning each key one at a time. Over time I learnt which notes were the fourth note, the third note, etc. As you play more you’ll get a feel of what notes are good to start and end phrases on, where you can bend to and just generally what notes will sound better over each chord.

The next thing that I did is what really made music theory click for me. I started to learn the minor keys. I started with A minor, the notes are A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Notice anything familiar? The notes of A minor are just the same as C major. In fact, if you take the 6th note of any major scale and play the notes up to the 6th one octave higher you’re playing the minor scale. So after learning the major scales I came to realise I knew all the notes for the minor scales as well. Obviously they share the same notes but of course, you need to phrase them differently when you play. The only way I can really recommend this is with experimentation. If you’re looking to learn a minor scale then the increments are;

Root note, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step and then whole again to the root note one octave higher.

There should be plenty to get you going here, it took me months to get my scales and notes to where I needed them to be. Ideally after some practise you should feel comfortable jamming in any key. If I shout that we’re playing in B flat minor then you should be able to play there! Good luck practising and remember to take everything slow to start with.

I was the same until I'd been playing for three years or so and decided start learning some theory to help take my playing up a notch. It has been many years since and I'd like to share some things that I used to get started, and to guide you through the first basic steps of learning to apply music theory to your guitar playing.

For the purposes of this article I'm going to assume you've taken the first step towards learning theory and learnt where all the notes are across the neck. If not, then go do that now! Knowing the notes is extremely important to start applying theory.

The first thing I did was learn scales and how they are put together starting with the major key, I used C major.

The major scale is made from seven different notes. The first note is called the root note, the note that you start the scale with. The root note is where the scale gets its name from. In this case the root note is C, and so the scale is C major. Each fret on a guitar is a half note, or a semitone. To play a major scale go up the neck in the following increments;

Root, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, and then a half back to your root one octave higher. The third note in the scale is the note that decides whether it is a major or a minor scale. In a minor scale the third note is one semitone lower in pitch than in a major scale. Try playing it to hear the difference.

The notes in a C major scale you should notice are; C, D, E, F, G, A, B. See a pattern? There are no flats or sharps in the C major scale, which is why I decided to start there when I began learning.

The next step takes a lot of time and a lot of practise. Take these notes and find them all over the neck. Try to learn the scale in as many places as you can, make sure you get really comfortable with it.

You'll find that once you're totally at home with the C major scale it should be quite easy to move the shape and patterns around to find other scales. Try moving every note you know from C major up two frets on the guitar. You're now playing the D major scale. Move one half step down from C major and you're playing the B major scale. This is how I learnt my scales. I took shapes and patterns I knew and simply moved them round the neck, learning each key one at a time. Over time I learnt which notes were the fourth note, the third note, etc. As you play more you'll get a feel of what notes are good to start and end phrases on, where you can bend to and just generally what notes will sound better over each chord.

The next thing that I did is what really made music theory click for me. I started to learn the minor keys. I started with A minor, the notes are A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Notice anything familiar? The notes of A minor are just the same as  C major. In fact, if you take the 6th note of any major scale and play the notes up to the 6th one octave higher you're playing the minor scale. So after learning the major scales I came to realise I knew all the notes for the minor scales as well. Obviously they share the same notes but of course, you need to phrase them differently when you play. The only way I can really recommend this is with experimentation. If you're looking to learn a minor scale then the increments are;

Root note, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step and then whole again to the root note one octave higher.

There should be plenty to get you going here, it took me months to get my scales and notes to where I needed them to be. Ideally after some practise you should feel comfortable jamming in any key. If I shout that we're playing in B flat minor then you should be able to play there! Good luck practising and remember to take everything slow to start with.

When you play middle-C on a piano, you are not just hearing the note middle-C. You're also hearing E, G, another C an octave higher, the D and E above that, F#... You're hearing several different notes sounding simultaneously, all part of a single note.

It's called the Overtone Series (also referred to as the Harmonic Series). Its implications are far-reaching: In my list of notes above, notes that the first 3 overtones of the note C are C, E, and G. These three notes form a "C-chord." C is the tonic note, E is the third, and G is the fifth. The overtone series forms the foundation of Western music's concept of harmony and chord structures. In this example, the note C is referred to as the "fundamental" of the series.

Overtones are also part of a note's "timbre" or tonal coloring. Timbre is an instrument's sound. It's why a D# on a clarinet sounds different from a D# on a guitar. ("formants," the resonating aspects of an instrument, also play a part.)

All of this seems somewhat logical, but the fact remains that a single note played on a musical instrument is not a single note at all--it is many notes. Our ears resolve an entire overtone series into one, single tone. Not only that, if you were to play the entire overtone series of C simultaenously, but leave out the note C, our ears will still hear everything as "C." It's as if our ears fill in the gaps where they expect the fundamental to be. The notes E, G, D, G, F#... all imply "C" in the world of harmony.

Why? How? These are deceptively deep questions about the nature of sound and human evolution and, like all deep questions, don't yet have an answer...

Call me crazy, but I firmly believe every musical key has its own unique identity.

They are like different people to me, each with their own distinct personality.

My scientific-minded friends may say "Look dude, it's just a difference in frequency". But nope, in my opinion every key has personality.

I believe when you're a composer and you're choosing a key to compose in, it's more than just about i) whether it fits the singer's vocal range or ii) whether it's easy to play (like C Major, yeah baby!!!). No, there has to be far greater consideration than just that.

(But I'll have to be honest and admit that there are many times when I choose a key because of its simplicity to play.)

Have you ever sung a song in a certain key, and then one fine day you decided to transpose to another key just for the fun of it, and you suddenly felt that the song had a totally different "feel" to it? I certainly have.

Anyway, without further ado, let me now talk about what I think of some of the keys which are closer to my heart.

Of course, the way I perceive these keys may be different from the way you perceive them. It's a personal perception kind of thing...like how the names "Cindy" or "Kelvin" might conjure up different thoughts to different people.

...

C Major

The evergreen. This key never gets old. The safest-sounding, never-goes-out-of-fashion key you can think of. If it were a colour, it would be white. Easy to play, easy on the ear, and easily recognisable. Clear, concise and clean-cut sounding. You can never go wrong with C Major. It's almost like the "universal" key.

Difficulty Level: 0/5 for piano, 2/5 for guitar

Notables: Sonata in C Major K545 (Mozart), Etude Op.10 No.1 (Chopin), Let It Be (The Beatles), Imagine (John Lennon), One (U2), Don't Look Back in Anger (Oasis)

D Major

The romantic key. In my opinion, D Major is the key of "romance". If you wanna write a love song, it's a good idea to use D Major. It's got a warm, intimate, sentimental feel to it. Maybe it's the F# in the third degree of scale, I dunno. Nothing beats the feeling of hearing a D chord go to F#m (and then to G and A).

Difficulty Level: 2/5 for piano, 1/5 for guitar

Notables: Canon In D (Pachelbel), Open Arms (Journey), Think of Me (Andrew Lloyd Webber), Pass It On (Christian Fellowship song)

F Major

Classic sounding. Good for church hymns and epic songs. There's a certain element of "spirituality" and "richness" to this key, for some reason. F Major is like your grandfather's leather couch - quaint, old-fashioned and classy.

Difficulty Level: 2/5 for piano, 4/5 for guitar

Notables: Hark The Herald Angels Sing (Christmas Carol), The Lord's My Shepherd (Church Hymn), Bridal Chorus (Wagner), Hey Jude (The Beatles), Ben (Michael Jackson)

G Major

Slightly less romantic than D Major, but brighter-sounding. It has a more optimistic quality to it. Valued for its "brightness" of tone. Apart from C Major, I think G Major is one of the most popular keys to play music in, cos of it's relative ease to play on both the piano and guitar.

Difficulty Level: 1/5 for piano, 1/5 for guitar

Notables: Ode To Joy (Beethoven), Making Love Out Of Nothing At All (Air Supply), The Times They Are A-Changin' (Bob Dylan), Live Forever (Oasis), I Remember You (Skid Row)

A Major

A Major is not a key which I encounter very often. Hence, I find it a bit unfamiliar and awkward. However, I do feel that it has it's fair share of "brightness" to it. I think it's because of the C# note in the tonic chord.

Difficulty Level: 4/5 on piano, 3/5 on guitar

Notables: Ticket To Ride, Here Comes The Sun, In My Life (all by The Beatles), The Greatest Love of All (Whitney Houston), Love Will Keep Us Alive (The Eagles), Polonaise in A Op.40 No.1 (Chopin)

Gb Major

Tread with caution! Because of its treacherous difficulty level, Gb Major is hardly ever used unless really necessary. It is used when G Major is perhaps a bit too "bright", and the key just needs to be brought down ever so slightly. It naturally has a slightly darker and more "mellow" effect than G Major...but that being said, it's amazing how Chopin managed to bring out the full brightness and brilliance of the key in his famous "Black Keys" Etude.

Difficulty Level: Are you kidding me?!?

Notables: Candlelight Carol (John Rutter), Impromptu in Gb Op.90 No.3 (Schubert), Etude Op.10 No.5 "Black Keys" (Chopin), Etude Op.25 No.9 "Butterfly" (Chopin)

Bb Major

A good alternative to C Major. Bb Major might be commonly used when perhaps C Major is a bit too high for the vocals...so Bb Major is a nice key to bring it down to. There is a bit of a "mellow" and "rich" quality to Bb Major which I like. You can always feel the difference whenever you bring down a song from C Major to Bb Major.

Difficulty Level: 3/5 on piano, 4/5 on guitar

Notables: For the Beauty of the Earth (John Rutter), Edelweiss (Rodgers & Hammerstein), I Could Have Danced All Night (Lerner & Loewe)

Eb Major

I have a particular fondness for using Eb Major when composing. Not necessarily in the main key of the song, but sometimes I modulate to Eb Major in the middle portion of a song (I've done that at least twice already). Sometimes I just plain compose a song in Eb Major. It has a special quality to it which I can't really describe, to be honest. It's slightly "romantic" at times, and it also has its fair share of "clarity" and "brightness" because of the Eb and Bb in the tonic chord. All in all, I am quite fond of Eb Major. It never fails to create some magical surprise whenever I use it.

Difficulty Level: 3/5 on piano, 5/5 on guitar

Notables: Can't really think of any at the moment!

]]> http://justinwahkan.wordpress.com/?p=10 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:40:28 +0000 Justin http://justinwahkan.wordpress.com/?p=10 I came across these tools on the web.  They can be useful for beginner musicians to practice ear training and harmonic understanding.

The first tool is iTheory:

This package is a library of audio samples which are intended to be loaded onto an iPod.  The samples are sounds of different intervals which randomly switch so the user can test their aural chops.  It operates like a multiple choice test letting you hear and see the correct answer.  Its a great tool for students trying to improve their confidence with ear training while on the go.

Link.

Secondly, the Interactive Circle of Fifths.

This neat webpage displays the chord quality for each scale letter.  As the circle rotates it makes it easier to understand how the circle of 5ths work.  This visual representation might be useful for understanding the overlapping nature of 5ths.

Link.

[viddler id=f63bdafd&h=370&w=437]

This file is also on YouTube and The Internet archive.

 [viddler id=5839b81a&h=370&w=437]

This file is also on YouTube and The Internet Archive. 

Since I was on my own, I decided to bring my iPod along. Gave me a chance to get back to an audio book I had set aside. The 2.5 hour ride gave me exactly the time I needed to finish This is Your Brain on Music.

Learned an interesting fact about cognitive memory management. There are two types of memory: long term and short term or "working memory".

Apparently working memory is limited and can normally only sustain 9 items at one time. So our brain uses "chunking" to retain more complex memory structures in working memory, thanks to knowledge retained from the past.

For example, when memorizing a phone number we "chunk" the area code as one item rather than the 3 individual digits, since we know what an area code is for say Toronto.

So, ever since I've been trying to learn the theory behind what I'm playing. It's not easy to get your head around sometimes! What I've also been doing is applying what I know on piano to guitar and vice versa. For instance, today I made it my task to learn my scales on bass guitar (easily transferable to standard guitar). Yesterday I tried out chord picking patterns on the piano. It's interesting because I never linked the two instruments before. Until now I never really knew which notes I was playing on guitar either, just which shapes 'looked right'.

I'm hoping to continue this over the summer, then come September - fingers crossed - I'll have a good deal of this malarkey sorted! I'm excited to see what reading pieces will be like once I can see the inner workings behind the notes.

• a handy scale fingering chart for all of the major and minor scales
• a piano practice chart
• the Circle of Fifths and Key Signatures worksheet

Happy practicing to you!

The first entry is a detective, musical mystery that I am writing named String Symphony.

Enjoy!

You know. Boring stuff.

Oh, something interesting what I remember. I played football wit' mah homies, and the following things happened:

1. I used Ella H., Paloma, Wimimo, Bruna and Quiet Girl to make a wall of human flesh that no ball could cross whilst I was in goal.
2. Bruna - and I do not exaggerate - leapt 38 metres from the ball in a single bound when she saw it was coming towards her, letting a ball in.
3. I pushed her over, a side-effect being she fell on her back.
4. She then pretended to be on the brink of tears to "see whetherr or not 'e is mah enemie" (she speaks with a heavy French accent, you see), and my seeing through her ruse and keeping a blank expression as she ultrasonicked me (which is basically when she squeaks in anger so piercingly that the heads of all the bats in a 12.5-mile-radius asplode from noise overload) granted a 'guilty' verdict in the Court of Bruna and now probably all the women ever to have existed hate me. This is due to the Gossip or Blahblahblhlalhlblah Phenomenon.
5. I sat on the floor, confident that after the 3 goals the women then let in it was over for our team.
6. Billy tried to pick me up off the ground and in the process ripped my shirt.
7. I pummelled him a little.
8. Then Anthony whinnied about my mysogeny (or something), relating to the Bruna incident.
9. Then I pushed him on the floor a bit.
10. Then I was quite annoyed for a while.

But now I'm OK, and hopefully when I come in tomorrow I won't be killed to death by an angry swarm of women-folk.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:
It has been proven by Kristjan-science that due to my lack of confidence related to wimmins, combined with my apparent uncaring attitude towards them, that I will get a girlfriend in approximately 87 years.

This is a new song by The Omega Project entitled "Been You"

[audio http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/5/17/1916358/Been%20You_.mp3]

Listen to and buy more of The Omega Project's music @ Omega Project Music

This is one of The Omega Project's songs entitled "Future, Present, Past"
[audio http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/5/17/1916358/Future%20Present%20Past.mp3]

Hear and buy more of The Omega Project's music @ OmegaProjectMusic.com

This is one of my new songs, in honor of my unborn child

[audio http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/5/17/1916358/Jeremiah%201.5.mp3]

Hear more of my music @ Omega Project Music

Dear Dude,

I’ve been playing guitar seriously for about 2 years. I had my guitar before that but, I didn't play it much. It's not my first instrument so it wasn’t that hard to start. Ever since I've started I've been absolutely obsessed. I taught myself how to play, and got a little advice from the Internet. However, I've run into a couple problems. I tried to take lessons once and the guitar teacher basically told me that whatever is comfortable is right. I mean, as far as I'm concerned I could have been playing the guitar backwards and he wouldn't have known. So I stopped. Ever since I've worked really hard on playing with good technique and rhythm. However, sometimes I worry that no matter how much I practice, and no matter how good I get technically that I might not ever join a band (I’m only 16) because I have never learned or studied music theory. I mean, I know music theory as cello goes... but I never took the time to learn music theory for guitar. I can't read treble clef so I wouldn't be able to read the music. So my question is, do you think that I have to learn music theory if I want to join a band? Did you? Because I have no problem playing’ stuff by ear but I’m afraid that's not enough.

Thanks,

Play-By-Ear Guitarist

Dear Play-By-Ear-Guitarist,

To learn theory or not to learn theory that is the question. Or at least, one I hear all the time. It’s just so fashionable to be a classically trained musician (fuck especially in metal). Although it may be fashionable, learning theory can be a lot of work. Very rarely do I meet someone in a band that actually has any musical training or has studied music theory. Does that shock you? Well it’s the truth. Most dudes who rock in pro metal bands have not taken formal classes in any type of theory. So is it better to have learned or not learned theory? Do those guitarists have an upper hand? Are you going to have problems joining a band because you can’t read or don’t have an understanding of music theory? These questions all demand answering as soon as we open this Pandora’s box.

Have I had studied music theory? Yes, the high school I went to had a very progressive music program and I took as many as two music theory classes. It’s funny because we really just used the class as a chance to torture the teacher for an hour or so. See it was me, a few punk dudes, a few metal dudes, and a few band dudes (band as in the band camp kind of band). While I may have absorbed some of the classes by just being there, really we just fucked around most of the time. My point is that no matter how focused and into music I was I just couldn’t translate that passion or understanding into music theory.

Did I learn by playing by ear? Yes, and more importantly I communicate my music to other musicians by ear as well. Where some people might write music down I tend to record or even play music when I need to communicate an idea to another musician. Actually, most bands I have worked with communicate this way too, although some use a combination of writing and riffing. So cast those fears aside little man. There are plenty, plenty, dudes rocking in bands worldwide who have never studied or even understand the first thing about music theory.

On the other hand, I have also observed musicians who not only can communicate in the above ways but, have also studied music and are able to communicate with other musicians in that way. In my opinion those musicians have an advantage. I think its fair to say that regardless of many wasted hours in that music theory class there is a bit of knowledge that sunk in. So yeah, you definitely don’t have to learn music theory if you want to join a band. But, you’re probably better off at least taking a shot. You obviously have learned music in some form (you mention the training on the cello) so you should be able to apply at least that same sort of thinking (or learning pattern) to learning the guitar. I mean as you put it yourself (your only 16) you got a lot of rocking ahead so don’t fear learning theory. Just try it out, you may find it helps your music grow while giving you another voice to communicate with other musicians.

The Dude

OK... as we discussed in our recent posts (basic music theory, guitar power chords, et.al.) it was suggested that we visit the subject matter of... Music Transposition.

To transpose music simply means... to change the pitch of each note without changing the relationships between the notes. Now, relationship between notes is one thing, another topic we'll touch on is, how it actually changes the 'feel' of the original composition. But, first let's take a look at the basic fundamentals.

So... why Transpose?...

If you as a singer, or if your vocalist’s is struggling with notes that are too high or low, changing the key to put the music in a range that would result in a much better performance, by adjusting for the right key for ones vocal delivery, is one reason to transpose.

Of course, instrumentalists may also find that a piece is easier to play if it is in a different key. Players of both bowed and plucked strings generally find fingerings and tuning to be easier in sharp keys, while woodwind and brass players often find flat keys more comfortable and in tune.

Instrumentalists with transposing instruments will usually need any part they play to be properly transposed before they can play it. Band instruments like: Clarinet, French horn, saxophone, trumpet, and cornet are the most common transposing instruments. Sometimes musical scores must be transposed in order for different instruments to play the same pitch. In order for a clarinet tuned to B flat to accompany a piano tuned to C natural, one of their scores must be transposed.

If you see C in the original score, then perform D with exactly the same relationship between notes. Sometimes when you transpose on sight, it helps to develop muscle memory of the proper notes in each key. If the song's original key is C and you need to transpose it to D in order to accommodate guitarists, then consider the D note as your new tonic. Everything else is based around D as your new starting and stopping point.

In general, a composers may simply just want to transpose the key of a song for dramatic effect or variety. Now, this is where variety is interesting, because it beckons our mention above of how transposing a musical piece actually changes its 'original' feel.

You see, when a composition was written, it incorporated the owners “frequency” (hertz) of the song, which was an integral part of the original composition sound. When you move a pitch (transpose) of someone's original work, you're actually creating a different feel through frequency changes, and in some cases the final transposed piece may not contain the original 'intent' of intensity prescribed by its originator. Especially, if the movements (score) are changed from Major to Minor model keys (vice-vrs.)... Keep these considerations in mind with your transposition.

Now, How Might One Avoid Transposition?...

In some situations, you can avoid transposition, or at least avoid doing the work yourself. Some stringed instruments - guitar for example - can use a capo to play in higher keys. A good electronic keyboard will transpose for you. If your music is already stored as a computer file, there are programs that will transpose it for you and display and print it in the new key.

However, if you only have the music on paper, it may be easier to transpose it yourself than to enter it into a music program to have it transposed. So if none of these situations apply to you, it's time to learn to transpose.

Note: If you play a chordal instrument (guitar, for example), you may not need to write down the transposed music. There are instructions below for transposing just the names of the chords.

Here are the most common situations that may require you to change the key of a piece of music:

How to Transpose Music?...

There are four steps to transposition:
1. Choose your transposition.
2. Use the correct key signature.
3. Move all the notes the correct interval.
4. Take care with your accidental(s).

Step 1: Choose Your Transposition. In many ways, this is the most important step, and the least straightforward. The transposition you choose will depend on why you are transposing.

If you already know what transposition you need, you can go to step two. Are you rewriting the music for a transposing instrument? Are you looking for a key that is in the range of your vocalist? Are you looking for a key that is more playable on your instrument?

Step 2: Write the New Key Signature

If you have chosen the transposition because you want a particular key, then you should already know what key signature to use. (If you don't, see Key Signature.) If you have chosen the transposition because you wanted a particular interval (say, a whole step lower or a perfect fifth higher), then the key changes by the same interval. For example, if you want to transpose a piece in D major up one whole step, the key also moves up one whole step, to E major. Transposing a piece in B minor down a major third will move the key signature down a major third to G minor. For more information on and practice identifying intervals, see Interval. For further information on how moving music up or down changes the key signature, see The Circle of Fifths.

I've essentially presented this information as a primarily conduit... as much has already been written about music transposition... and most have been put in complete forms where it best that I simply pass it on to you... as such,

Steps 3 & 4 can further be reviewed and explored at (and credit given to) Connexions, which is an outstanding environment for collaboratively developing, freely sharing, and rapidly publishing scholarly content on the Web.

Transposing music is not the most difficult element of basic music theory, but it does require a mastery of the various key signatures and modes to be done correctly. However, using reference tools, such as the Music Dial in order to assist in music transposition just might be your easiest way of applying these transposition requirements.

Have a Great Musical Day!
Ron Greene
Music Dials

]]> http://cardona.wordpress.com/?p=289 Sat, 03 May 2008 16:56:06 +0000 cardona507 http://cardona.wordpress.com/?p=289 Albert Hoffman, the man who first synthesized LSD in 1938 has died at the age of 102.  He called LSD his "problem child".  LSD has been one of our cultures Great Catalysts and it is a shame that its use is currently prohibited.  Albert Hoffman, thank you for broadening my horizons.