Music Theory for Beginners - Lesson 1 - Learn the Steps of Major Scale on Piano

Summary

In this DIY music theory video, the host introduces the basics of music theory, emphasizing its importance for piano players. Key concepts covered include whole steps and half steps, which are the smallest and largest movements on a piano keyboard, respectively. The video also explains sharps and flats, which adjust a note by a half step. A major scale construction formula is introduced: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half steps. The host promises to connect this theory with practical piano playing and encourages viewers to subscribe for more lessons on music theory and piano.

Takeaways

• 🎼 **Music Theory's Role**: Music theory is essential for understanding how music is constructed and for playing piano effectively.
• 🔍 **Understanding Distance and Movement**: Key aspects of music theory include the distance between notes and how they move in relation to each other.
• 🎹 **Whole Steps and Half Steps**: A half step is the smallest movement on a piano keyboard, while a whole step is equivalent to two half steps.
• 📈 **Ascending vs. Descending**: When moving a half step up, you may hit a black key, but when moving down, you typically hit a white key due to the keyboard's layout.
• 🎵 **Constructing Major Scales**: Major scales can be constructed using a specific formula of whole and half steps: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half.
• ⚖️ **Enharmonic Equivalence**: Notes like E sharp and F flat are enharmonically equivalent, meaning they are the same note but represented differently.
• 🎶 **Sharps and Flats**: Sharps raise a note by a half step, while flats lower it by a half step, and they are commonly used in music composition.
• 👉 **Practical Application**: Understanding music theory aids in finger placement, recognizing correct notes, and composing music.
• 🔑 **Formula for Major Scales**: The major scale formula can be applied to any starting note to construct a scale, emphasizing the importance of the starting note.
• 📚 **Continuing Education**: This lesson is part of a series that will delve into more complex aspects of music theory, such as chords and chord progressions.

Q & A

What is the purpose of this music theory course?

The course aims to teach the basics of music theory, focusing on how music is structured and the relationships between notes and chords. It is designed to complement the 'Do-it-yourself Learn to Play Piano' course.

Why is music theory important when learning to play the piano?

Music theory helps pianists understand what they're playing, improving their ability to play the correct notes and compose music. It also aids in analyzing music and learning from other composers.

What are the two main concepts introduced in this lesson?

The two main concepts discussed are 'distance' between notes and 'movement' of notes, which are essential for understanding how music is structured.

What is a 'half step' in music theory?

A half step is the smallest movement on a piano keyboard, moving to the closest adjacent note, either black or white.

What is a 'whole step' in music theory?

A whole step is the distance of two half steps combined. On the piano, it involves skipping one note between the starting and ending notes.

Why are some half steps between white keys and some between a white and black key?

Some white keys, like B and C, or E and F, are next to each other without a black key between them, so half steps between these are from white to white. Other white keys have black keys between them.

What is a 'sharp' in music theory?

A sharp (♯) raises a note by one half step. For example, C sharp is the black key directly to the right of C.

What is a 'flat' in music theory?

A flat (♭) lowers a note by one half step. For example, D flat is the black key directly to the left of D.

What are enharmonic equivalents?

Enharmonic equivalents are notes that sound the same but are written differently, such as D sharp and E flat.

What is the formula for constructing a major scale?

The major scale formula is: whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step. This formula helps create the correct intervals between notes in a major scale.

Outlines

00:00

🎶 Introduction to Music Theory and Its Importance

The video introduces the do-it-yourself music theory course, which complements the piano-playing course. The instructor explains that understanding music theory is essential for advancing piano skills and composing music. Music theory involves understanding the relationships between notes and chords, primarily focusing on note distances and movements. This knowledge helps with playing correct notes and creating music. The first lesson will cover whole steps, half steps, major scales, and introduce sharps and flats, which are key concepts in music theory.

05:02

🎵 Understanding Half Steps on the Piano

This section explains the concept of a half step on the piano. A half step is the smallest possible movement between two notes, moving either up or down the keyboard. For instance, moving from C to the nearest black key is a half step up, while moving down from C to B is a half step down. The instructor demonstrates this using different notes like D, E, and A, highlighting how the presence or absence of black keys affects the direction of the half step. The key takeaway is that half steps are the smallest increment of movement on the keyboard.

10:02

🎹 Exploring Whole Steps and Their Role in Music Theory

The video continues with an explanation of whole steps. A whole step is made by combining two half steps. For example, from C, moving up two half steps brings you to D, and a whole step below C is A#. The instructor walks through various examples on the keyboard using notes like D and E. This section emphasizes that a whole step spans two half steps, and understanding this is fundamental for navigating between notes in music theory.

15:05

♯ Sharps, Flats, and Enharmonic Equivalence

This section introduces sharps and flats, which modify notes by a half step. A sharp raises a note by a half step (e.g., C to C#), while a flat lowers a note by a half step (e.g., D to Db). The instructor explains enharmonic equivalence, where two notes, like E# and F, sound the same but are named differently. The concept is demonstrated with various notes, reinforcing the idea that understanding sharps and flats is crucial for reading music and playing accurately on the piano.

🎼 Constructing the Major Scale Using Whole and Half Steps

The video discusses the C major scale and its construction using whole and half steps. Starting from C, the pattern follows two whole steps, a half step, three whole steps, and another half step to return to C. This formula can be applied to any major scale as long as the order of whole and half steps remains consistent. The instructor demonstrates this by constructing a D major scale, explaining that the same formula works, but the resulting notes will differ due to the starting note.

🎶 Wrapping Up Lesson One: Basic Music Theory Concepts

The instructor concludes lesson one, recapping the key concepts of whole and half steps, their application in building major scales, and the role of sharps and flats. These concepts are foundational for understanding music theory and will be essential for future lessons, which will explore chords and chord progressions. The instructor encourages viewers to practice these basics and promises to cover more advanced topics in the upcoming lessons.

Keywords

💡Music Theory

Music theory is a systematic study of the materials and the mechanics of music. It is used to describe the elements of music, such as notes, chords, scales, and their relationships. In the video, the instructor emphasizes that music theory is essential for understanding how music is constructed, which is crucial for both playing and composing music. The script mentions that theory helps in understanding what one is playing and in analyzing and composing music.

💡Whole Steps and Half Steps

Whole steps and half steps are fundamental concepts in music theory that describe the distance between notes on a musical scale. A whole step consists of two half steps, which is the smallest interval on a piano keyboard. In the script, the instructor explains that understanding these intervals is crucial for learning scales and for moving between notes effectively on the piano.

💡Major Scale

A major scale is a type of musical scale that follows a specific pattern of whole and half steps. In the video, the instructor discusses how to construct a major scale using the formula of whole steps and half steps, which is 'whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half.' This formula is a key concept in the video, as it provides a method for creating any major scale starting from any note.

💡Sharps and Flats

Sharps and flats are musical symbols that raise or lower a note by a half step. In the script, the instructor explains that a sharp (♯) raises a note by a half step, while a flat (♭) lowers it. These symbols are essential for understanding written music and for playing melodies accurately. The video provides examples of how to find sharps and flats on the piano keyboard.

💡Enharmonic Equivalence

Enharmonic equivalence refers to the phenomenon where two notes that are spelled differently but sound the same. For example, E sharp is enharmonically equivalent to F, and D sharp is equivalent to E flat. This concept is explained in the video as a way to understand the relationship between sharps, flats, and the notes they modify.

💡Intervals

Intervals in music theory are the distances between two notes. The video script discusses intervals such as whole steps and half steps, which are the building blocks for understanding more complex musical structures like scales and chords. Intervals are crucial for recognizing and creating melodies and harmonies.

💡Piano Keyboard

The piano keyboard is the physical layout of the piano, consisting of white and black keys. In the video, the instructor uses the keyboard to demonstrate the concepts of whole steps, half steps, sharps, and flats. The keyboard serves as a visual and tactile tool for learning music theory and for practicing piano.

💡Scale Formula

The scale formula mentioned in the video is a sequence of whole and half steps that define the structure of a major scale. The instructor explains that by following this formula, one can construct any major scale on the piano. This formula is a practical application of music theory that helps in learning and playing scales.

💡Chords and Chord Progressions

While not explicitly detailed in the provided script, the instructor mentions that future lessons will cover chords and chord progressions. Chords are combinations of notes played simultaneously, and chord progressions are sequences of chords that create the harmonic foundation of a piece of music. Understanding these concepts is vital for playing and composing music with harmony.

💡Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Learning

The video is part of a DIY music theory course, which implies a self-guided approach to learning. The instructor encourages viewers to learn at their own pace, using the provided materials and examples. This DIY approach is empowering, as it allows individuals to take control of their learning process and apply it to their musical practice.

Highlights

Introduction to a DIY music theory course designed to complement piano learning.

Explanation of music theory as a method to describe and understand music composition.

Importance of understanding the relationship between notes, chords, and other musical elements.

The significance of distance and movement between notes in music theory.

How music theory aids in playing music by improving understanding and finger placement.

The role of music theory in composing music and understanding its structure.

The concept of enharmonic equivalence and its application in music theory.

Introduction to whole steps and half steps as fundamental movements in music theory.

Practical demonstration of identifying half steps on a piano keyboard.

Difference between moving up and down the piano keyboard in terms of half steps.

Explanation of whole steps as combinations of two half steps.

The formula for constructing a major scale using whole steps and half steps.

The role of sharps and flats in music theory and their impact on note pitch.

Practical demonstration of sharps and flats on a piano keyboard.

The concept of enharmonic equivalence between sharps and flats.

Guidance on applying the major scale formula to any starting note.

Mistake clarification regarding the starting note in the major scale formula.

Anticipation of lesson two focusing on chords and chord progressions.

Transcripts

[Music]

hi everybody back again uh this is my uh

do-it-yourself learned music theory

course I guess that's the title uh I'll

figure out an official title later um

but anyway this is supposed to be like

kind of its own mini course um but it's

also supposed to it's intended to be

used uh along with the do-it-yourself

learn to play piano course um and I and

I'll add uh annotations to the videos to

tell you when you should be watching ing

these videos uh before you continue with

your progress with your piano playing

because music theory uh and playing

piano kind of go together and to

continue on and learn new things you'll

have to know some music theory uh as

well uh so what is music theory well

music theory is basically a way to uh

describe music a way to look at music in

a way that music is put together uh by

looking at the relationships between

notes chords and all sorts of things um

two of the main things you're going to

be looking at when we're looking at

music theory or two of the things you're

going to be observing is uh the distance

between notes and the movement between

notes uh it gets a little more

complicated than that but for now we're

going to be talking about those two

things distance and movement where notes

are moving to uh music theory is very

helpful in playing music uh in that you

have a better understanding in what

you're playing

um and that kind of helps you with with

where your fingers have to go where your

hands have to go um understanding if

you're playing the right notes or not um

because you know if so you know

something's supposed to sound like a

major chord and it sounds sad uh you'll

know that you're not playing it

correctly another useful thing it's uh

good for is constructing music if you

understand uh the components about how

music is put together you can compose

your own music uh takes a little while

and finesse to uh figure out how to do

that and of course there are many styles

of music and different kinds of music

theory but it's useful for uh composing

as

well um and and then like also like I

said it's very useful in just kind of

analyzing music and kind of copying what

uh some ideas from other composers when

you're either playing your own stuff or

composing your own stuff so that's why

we're learning music theory uh just to

get a better understanding about music

in general uh so like I said this this

is its own series but it also goes along

with the other series I've been doing uh

the learn to play piano do-it-yourself

series um as well um so there you have

it um this is the first lesson and in

this lesson we're going to be talking

about uh whole steps and half steps and

I'll explain what that is uh and we're

also going to talk about how to

construct a major scale using whole

steps and half steps there's a formula

that we use uh so we'll be talking about

that as well um so that's uh where we'll

go with the first lesson and then we'll

go uh from other places from there to

other places oh also we're going to be

talking about uh Sharps and flats which

you will see quite often uh in the music

you'll be playing and the uh examples

I'll put together for you uh later on

all right so today I'm going to teach

you a little bit about music theory and

some of the very basic uh aspects of it

um so one of the first things we're

going to talk about today is the

difference between a whole step and a

half step um so let's take a note here

let's play C you know the one we all

know and love there we go um and let's

say we want to move a half step up which

means a half step towards the higher end

of the piano so what you want to do is

you want to take your C and you want to

hit the next closest note touching to C

which actually is this black key right

here the closest one to it that it's a

half step is the smallest movement you

can make on the keyboard um so that is a

half Step Above C now let's take C again

and let's do a half step below

C so uh you may be asking well how come

when we were going up a half step we

were hitting a black key and we're going

down a black step we're hitting a white

key well um so when we're going up the

next closest note is this black note

here but notice how when you're moving

down there is no uh black note between B

and C so uh the closest note below

C is that b right there so that's why

when moving up you hit a black key and

moving down you hit a white key uh well

when we start with C when you start with

a different note uh it changes which

I'll show you in a second so let's say

we have D

here let's say we want to move a half

step up uh up this way so we've got our

half step is right here this black key

there so that's a half Step Above D so

let's take D again let's go a half step

below D well unlike last time there is a

black key separating the two white keys

so our our low the next closest lowest

note um next closest note sorry um I had

to struggle with words there is actually

going to be this note here um because

they're touching the closest note um so

just remember that a half step is the

smallest movement you can make on the

piano keyboard um so let's take

e well a half Step Above e is actually

going to be uh f um and it's going to be

another white note because we don't have

a black note separating them um so a

half step below E which is down this way

um is going to be this note

here uh because there's a black key

separating the two white keys so let's

take one more um here we have an

A and uh half Step Above would be this

note half step below would be this

note so the the main thing you want to

get out of the half step is that it's

the smallest increment of movement on

the piano um so we're going to talk

about whole steps now so let me just ask

you this question what happens when you

put two halves together you get a hole

right um so

let's take C again let's play a whole

Step Above C well there's a half step

plus another half step is a whole

step uh back to C again now let me ask

you this is this a whole step below

C well nope uh because it's only a half

step between those two because there's

no Blacky in between so a whole step

will actually be this one right

here let's try another another key shall

we uh let's pick

D sounds logical um so a whole Step

Above D is going to be e because we have

a black note in between whole step below

D is going to be which note take a

second to think about it remember that a

whole step is two half steps

so right there so a whole step below D

is going to be c um so that's the

explanation of whole steps and half

steps uh I will explain later

uh exactly what that's for um I

mentioned before that music theory is a

lot about um the distance between notes

and how notes move together um so using

half steps and whole steps is just a way

to uh describe uh you know the the

distance between two notes um so there

you have it whole steps and half

steps okay here in front of me we have

this uh interesting symbol here um it

looks like a number sign and this is

actually what's known as a sharp um and

you'll usually find this right before a

certain kind of note uh now I think I'll

release some uh practice uh examples

with these in it so I'll show you

exactly what I mean in that um but but

this is a symbol it means sharp and I'll

tell you what sharp actually means so

whenever we're talking about sharp a

note that's sharped we're talking about

moving it one half step this way towards

the top of the piano so let's say we

have the note C sharp well the first

thing you want to do is you want to find

the note

C and then you're going to Sharp it so

you're going to move one half step this

way like

that uh let's say we have e sharp right

actually let's skip that one that one's

a little bit different we'll do that in

a second so let's do FSH so here's F and

there's F sharp just moving one half

step this way uh what about a sharp

here's an a uh and then and here is a

sharp now let's do e sharp I mentioned

that this one's a little bit different

so here's e and where's e sharp well

remember before I was talking about

whole steps and half steps and how some

of the notes don't have a black note in

between so an e sharp is actually going

to be F and that term we have for that

is enharmonic equivalence or just

equivalence uh if you don't want to

sound too fancy or can't remember the

whole thing

um so e sharp is f so enharmonic

equivalent now let's take this

one uh the

flat and let's find a uh so a flat let

me explain the concept of flat whenever

we have a flat we're going to take the

note and move a half step the other way

towards the bottom of the piano so let's

say we have a d flat so whenever you

hear d flat or D sharp the first thing

you want to do is you want to find the

Basse note which is

D so d flat is going to be right there

so that's d flat what about G flat well

here's G there's g

flat what about F flat here's F well

there's no black notes in between those

so F flat is also e so enharmonic

equivalence again so let me uh tell you

another thing that'll blow your mind or

not so let's uh let's find a note so D

and let's find D sharp so remember sharp

is this one looks like a number sign D

sharp is

here so recognize where that is now

we're going to go back to the flat which

actually looks like a little B and let's

find E flat so there's D sharp and

here's e and here's E flat flat so again

anharmonic equivalence or just

equivalence whatever you like to say um

so D sharp is equal to E

flat uh on the

keyboard uh so there you have it a brief

explanation of Sharps and flats you'll

see those a lot in music as we continue

on uh I'll add those in our examples uh

as we move forward um so uh like always

leave me any comments or questions that

I'll be happy to answer

uh and there you have it Sharps and

flats okay so before we were talking

about whole steps and half steps uh

remember that a half step is the

smallest amount of movement on the

keyboard uh to move a half step you just

find the next closest note uh you can

either move up this way or down this

way uh like so uh and there's also whole

steps which is two half steps put

together um just like that so I'm going

to play the C scale um first I'm going

to do it without any kind of fingering

at all um so all you do for C scale it's

a little bit different for every scale

and I'll explain uh but C is the easiest

because your first note is C and your

last note to C and you're just going to

play C to C in all the white keys in

between so you're going to play c d e f

g a b C like that and you can also go

[Music]

down there you go so there is a formula

for this scale and that formula we're

going to say in terms of whole steps and

half steps um so let's take the first

note here but what's the distance

between the first note and this the

second note um well that is a whole step

because we have two half steps in

between the next note is another whole

step what about this note between the E

and the

F that is actually going to be a half

step because there's no note in between

so we have another whole step another

whole step another whole step what about

this very last one

here that's right it's a half step so

the formula is you start from the first

note and then you start counting the

formulas whole whole half whole whole

whole half now if you use this formula

you can play any major scale starting on

any notes so long as you're careful to

keep consistent um the order of of whole

steps and half steps um so let's take D

for

example well remember the first one's a

whole

step and remember the second one's a

whole step

two so it's actually going to be there

so we're going to have an FP in the in

the D scale

um and then we have half whole

whole hole so we have a C sharp there

because we have another whole step and

then we

have a half step so the same

formula can be applied to any scale you

just have to remember to keep the uh

formula the same so again the formula is

whole step whole step half step whole

step whole step whole step half step

again whole step whole step half step

whole step whole step whole step oh wait

I messed up here oh that I know why

because when you start counting you want

to start from the first note first you

don't want to say whole step and play

the first note that's a little bit of a

mistake if you do that you it won't work

out quite well so you want to play the

note first the story note first and then

you want to say whole step whole step

step half step whole step whole step

whole step half step like that uh and

you can do that starting on any note you

can practice around with that um I will

I think later on I I'll show you the

correct fingering there's a fingering to

go along with the scales uh as well

which I'll talk about later um so there

you have it um how to construct uh and

by the way this is for uh the major

scale is what we're getting across here

um there's a different formula for the

minor scale and then there's a of other

different modes or different scales like

Dorian and lydian that you may have

heard about that are used in in pop uh

pop music um so there you go that is the

formula for the major scale and uh there

you have it that concludes uh lesson one

of the do-it-yourself learn music theory

course uh that we have I've put together

for you um so like I said it's uh its

own course but it also goes along with

the do-it-yourself piano course and I'll

leave uh little notes and annotations to

direct you from the piano course to the

theory course and back and forth uh like

so um so today we talked about some very

very very basic things in music theory

we talked mostly about uh distance and a

little bit about movement if you

remember those are two important things

when you're first learning music theory

uh we talked about whole steps and half

steps and that a half step is the

smallest amount of movement you can move

on a piano and a whole step is simply

just two half steps put together and you

can move either uh whole or half step

one way towards the top of the keyboard

or you can move another way towards the

bottom of the keyboard um and we also

talked about the major scale and about

how the major scale is made up of whole

steps and half steps remember the

formula is whole step whole step half

step whole step whole step whole step

half step so two whole steps a half step

three whole steps a half step you can

think about it that way if you want to

group them together just remember you

play the starting note first first if

you don't do that uh and you start

counting from the first note it won't

work out so you can rewatch the video to

to see what I'm talking about uh in case

you missed it uh and then we also talked

about Sharps and flats which is just

kind of another way of moving a half

step one way or another um yeah and

that's pretty much it so anyway I hope

you look forward to lesson two lesson

two we're going to be talking about

chords and chord progressions so it

should be kind of interesting uh anyway

I'll see you guys and girls next time

and if you would please you don't have

to uh but if you would like subscribe

comment uh any activity positive or

negative but positive

preferably uh would be very helpful to

me and and let me know if you have any

questions I like answering questions I

can't get to everybody if I forgot about

your question I'm sorry try try sending

again and maybe you'll I'll see it but

there are so many out there and I'm so

busy but anyway uh I hope everybody has

a good one and I'll see you next

time