Digital Music Theory

Welcome to your digital music theory experience!

This introductory music theory course includes 5 videos that will get you up to speed on the rudiments of music theory and teach you the principles needed to feel more confident in your musical knowledge. Topics covered will include:

  • Learning pitch location on a keyboard

  • Key signatures

  • An intro to intervals and sight-singing

  • Units of basic rhythm

  • How to talk to accompanists and make great audition cuts.

Whether you are prepping for you upcoming music theory class or simply desire to gain more independence and confidence as a musician, we’re glad you’re here! Since these videos are self-led, we recommend coming back as much as you need to ace theory and impress your music director!

Led by MCA Acting for the Song Coach Erica Spyres

Pitch Notation Basics

  • 12 pitches - A, B, C, D, E, F, and G

    • Notes between are sharps or flats. Pitches that sound the same and have different names are enharmonically related

  • All 12 pitches form a chromatic scale

  • Clefs - treble and bass

    • Treble line notes EGBDF; space notes FACE

    • Bass line notes GBDFA; space notes ACEG

  • Major scale intervals - whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half

  • Minor scale interval - whole, half, whole whole, half, whole, whole

Rhythmic Notation Basics

Note/Rest values:

  • Whole = 4

  • Half = 2

  • Quarter = 1

  • Eighth = 1/2

  • Sixteenth = 1/4

Time signatures

  • Bottom note = type of note that gets the beat

  • Top note = number of beats per measure

Musical Road Map

  • Key Signatures

    • For sharps, remember sharps look up 

    • For flats, look at the next to last 

    • Accidentals - indicate a note outside of the key

    • Exceptions

      • key of C (no sharps/flats)  

      • key of F (1 flat)

      • minor keys 

        • minor third down from the major key 

    • Circle of Fifths - find relative minor key

  • Staff Notation: Bar Lines, Repeat Signs, DS, Firmata

  • Italian terms - Legato, Moderato, Piu, Poco, Molto, Accelerando, Ritardando, Rallentando, Subito, A tempo 

  • Dynamics - F - FF, P - PP, MP - MF, Crescendo, Decrescendo/Diminuendo 

  • Accents, tenuto, staccato, Sfz

Intervals

Practice intervals to improve your sight-singing by using common songs from musical theatre repertoire.

Keyboard Basics & Breaking Down the Song

  • Finding Middle C on a staff and a piano

  • Reading Music

    • Take your time LITTLE PIECES TO BIG PIECES

    • Rehearse it separately for pitches and for rhythm

    • Mark your music

    • Structure - AABA, ABABCB

    • Notice the key

    • Notice the time signature