Music theory

[spiderjump]

Anyone open to discussing and learning music theory? Music theory is one of my favorite subjects.

 

[Defmusicman]

Anyone open to discussing and learning music theory? Music theory is one of my favorite subjects.

Hello Spiderjump! I like discussing music theory too even though I'm not an expert on the subject. I've never tried discussing it on a forum like this, only done it in live, face to face settings. It's worth a try, though.

 

[spiderjump]

Well, lately I have been trying to wrap my head around the use of extended chords and voice leading. The use of triads and their 7ths is pretty simple, including their inversions.

Extended chord discussions would be great.

Also I have been looking into Milton Babbit's music theory of tone serialization. How does one decide what series of tones to use when writing a melody?

I just like trippy music.

 

[Defmusicman]

Deciding what series of tones to use when writing music is really an individual thing. Like my instructor was fond of saying...."It's really in the ear of the composer". There's no real "right" way to play music. If it sounds good to you and if you can stay in key with a few pick up notes here and there to keep it interesting, go for it. You can throw in some extended scale runs into higher or lower octaves to add a little flavor.

Like I said, I'm not an expert on music theory, I'm just a humble bass player looking to lay down a groove in the rhythm section.

Plus, with a full time job and a family to raise, I don't really have that much time to practice/study anymore.

 

[KristinaB]

I can no longer claim to be an expert on music theory after all these years, but when I was taking classes, it seems I learned more with my mother, that I was more knowledgeable than my instructor and he often called our house for help. It's been too long and I don't keep up. I still play the piano and a few other instruments, but don't do much more with music since I am total deaf now.

 

[spiderjump]

You guys say it is an individual musician choice what to play. I already understand that. I lOVE playing trippy music by avoiding the use of dominant and diminished triads. The point of avoiding those two chord types is to avoid defining the key or tonal center. My guitar music playing progresses through the use of mostly powerchords or P5. Yes I do use dominant and diminished sparingly when necessary to point the music direction through voice leading.

I just want to understand how Milton Babbit drew up the "Babbit matrix" and applied that to playing music. I love chromatics, Dimebag Darrel RIP. I want to learn how to manipulate chromatics through the use of the babbit square.

HOW did Milton come up with tone series when composing music? I did look up how Milton invented atonal music with the grid and google threw back alot of "We will calculate your custom babbit grid." That didn't teach me anything.

Key words: atonal music, disambiguous music, chromatics, half-whole and whole half scales, tone series, diminished and augmented root notes, etc.