Welcome to Music Mechanics where you can find FREE weekly videos about how music is constructed, including:
- conventional college music theory
- modern theory
- songwriting
- composition
- arranging
- orchestration
- improvisation
Got a question about an episode? Post a comment on any Music Mechanics video! Be sure to check back weekly for more exciting Music Mechanics videos!
MUSIC MECHANICS: Music Theory
Ever wonder how music and sound is put together? In this video we will discuss the fundamentals of sound including oscillation, vibration, sine waves, zero crossing, compression and rarefaction, crests and troughs, wavelengths, cycle, frequency, octave, and hertz/kilohertz.
In this episode we will discuss amplitude, volume, sound pressure level (SPL), decibels (dB), “in phase” (constructive interference), “out of phase” (destructive interference), phase cancellation, simple tones, complex tones, the fundamental frequency, pitch, partials, the harmonic series, modes, harmonics, overtones, equal temperament tuning, intonation, and just tuning.
Welcome to MM3! In this episode we discuss pitched and pitchless instruments, inharmonic partials, tone/timbre, transients, noise, musical tones, and dynamic markings.
In this episode we’ll explore timbre a little more along with the 8 factors affecting an instrument’s sound quality that allow us to identify that instrument. We will also cover vibrato, duration and density and I’ll even give you a link where you can download my FREE, 221 page book on sightreading rhythms where I discuss the 43 essential rhythmic subdivisions you need to know to be able to read about 99% of the music out there. Let’s begin our discussion by continuing with timbre.
Welcome to MM5, the last in the series about the nature of sound. In this episode we’ll discuss musical and audio density, spatial location, panning, and ambisonics. Then we’ll jump into the kind of music theory we’ll discuss along with an explanation of what music theory is, how it originated, neumes, mensural notation, and why music theory is relevant to you.
Welcome to MM6, the beginning of conventional music theory! In this episode we’ll cover the piano keyboard, white and black keys, pitch, notes, the location of the notes on the keyboard, octaves, middle C, the staff, lines, spaces, measures, bar lines, pulse, ties, clefs, the G, F and C clefs, the bass, baritone, tenor, alto, treble, mezzo soprano, and soprano clefs, and ledger lines.
In Music Mechanics 7 we’ll cover the grand staff, the brace, 8va, 8vb, 15ma, 15mb, accidentals, an introduction to half steps, flats, sharps, naturals, double flats, double sharps, the rules for accidentals, courtesy accidentals, enharmonic equivalents, and pitch-class.
In Music Mechanics 8 we’ll talk about notes, stems, flags, beams, rudimentary notation principles, half and whole steps, define what an interval is, and begin discussing scales.
Welcome to MM9! In this episode we’ll discuss how to use the major scale formula to correctly create and write major scales, the term diatonic, diatonic and non-diatonic scales, the chromatic scale, ascending and descending accidental rules, tetrachords, and the major tetrachord.
In MM10 we’ll explore the major scales, correct fingerings on the piano, enharmonic scales, scale degrees, and scale degree characteristics. We’ll also cover terms such as root, keynote, octave, tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, leading tone, and subtonic.
In Music Mechanics 11 we’ll discover the natural minor scale, the natural minor scale formula, minor scale fingerings, enharmonic natural minor scales, major and minor scale characteristics, minor tetrachords, and relative major and minor scales.
Music Mechanics 12 explores parallel major and natural minor scales, key signatures, relative major and minor keys, cautionary key signatures, the circle of fifths, and enharmonic key signatures.
Music Mechanics 13 continues with the Circle of Fifths, “cheats” to quickly determine a key signature, the correct method to notate accidentals in a key signature, an introduction to rhythmic notation, defining what “common” rhythms are, tempo and metronome markings, the beat (or pulse), practice advice, and rhythmic notation symbols defined.
Music Mechanics 14 continues with rhythmic notation, discussing time signatures, a waltz, 4/4 (common time), 2/2 (cut time), ties, dots, double dots, beamed notes, rhythmic notation duration comparisons, downbeats, upbeats, 1/2 note triplets, and 1/4 note triplets.
In Music Mechanics 15 we’ll review the definition of “common” rhythms, discuss the improper practice of “hiding” the beat, and we’ll introduce the 43 ESSENTIAL rhythmic subdivisions you need to know to be able to sightread rhythms proficiently.
In Music Mechanics 16 we’ll cover permutations of the 43 common subdivisions, discuss identical attack families, syncopation, swung 1/8th notes, and counting tricks to perform 1/4 and 1/2 note triplets easily.
Music Mechanics 17 introduces the beginnings of harmony with intervals, including an interval’s number, quality, major/minor/augmented/double augmented/diminished/double diminished intervals, and the interval formula.
Music Mechanics 18 discusses how to handle problematic interval identifications, shorthand notation for interval qualities, enharmonic intervals, harmonically (vertically) or melodically (linearly/horizontally) presented intervals, steps, skips, the perfect prime, semitone, tone, ditone, tritone, simple and compound intervals, a table of compound interval simple equivalents, and common compound intervals.
In Music Mechanics 19 we’ll cover interval inversion, harmonic and melodic interval inversion, how to determine or create an interval below a given note, transposition, the definition of chords and harmony, triads, tertian harmony, dyads, power chords, shorthand notation for triads, and chord symbols for triads.
In Music Mechanics 20 we’ll cover how to create a triad on any root, the major/minor/augmented/diminished triads, enharmonic triads, tips to create triads quickly, chord factors, seventh chords (including the major 7th, dominant 7th, minor 7th, half-diminished 7th, fully-diminished 7th, augmented 7th, and minor with a major 7th), seventh chord formulas, and the older academic theoretical names for seventh chords (such as a minor-major seventh).
In episode 21 we’ll discuss shorthand notation for the seventh chord formulas, how to create a seventh chord on any root, the seventh chords with their corresponding right hand piano fingerings, enharmonic seventh chords, tertian and non-tertian seventh chords, quick seventh chord creation tips, and other seventh chords along with their formulas.
In this episode we’ll talk about chord symbols for seventh chords, the reasons for proper notation practices, chord inversions for triads and seventh chords, octave displacement, and the root position and first, second, and third inversions.
In this episode of Music Mechanics we’ll discuss how to write chord symbols for inversions, slash chords, chord voicings, voices, the SATB voicing nomenclature, doubled chord factors, and we’ll show some typical voicings for triads and seventh chords.
In this episode we’ll talk about closed position voicings as well as open position voicings, voicing tendencies as concerned with the register of the chord, and drop voicings.
MUSIC MECHANICS: Virtual Instruments
In this first installment we discuss virtual instruments, attack, sustain, release, sample libraries, mock-ups, digital audio workstations (DAWs), articulations, modulation wheel (mod wheel), foot controllers, program change messages, ambience, and audio plug-ins.
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MUSIC MECHANICS: Business Edition
Music Mechanics (Business Edition) Episode 1: John Ferraro – YouTube
In this first Business edition episode I interview veteran drummer John Ferraro who’s extensive credits include working with Larry Carlton, Eddie Van Halen, Boz Scaggs, Barry Manilow, David Benoit, Dick Van Dyke, films such as “Anchorman 2”, and commercials for Nascar. We talk about the music business in general as well as specifics regarding the touring and recording industries.
Music Mechanics (Business Edition) Episode 2: Andrea Miller – YouTube
In this episode I interview Andrea Miller who’s extensive credits include working with Al Jarreau, David Foster, and the Salem Pops Orchestra. We talk about the music business in general as well as specifics regarding the live performance and studio recording industries from a vocal perspective.
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