Articles
I-IV-V-I Chord Progression: The Foundation of Western Music
Explore the I-IV-V-I chord progression, the foundational harmonic sequence that underpins countless songs across genres. Learn how this progression creates musical movement and resolution, its historical significance, and practical applications …
Major Chords: The Building Blocks of Happy Music
Major chords are fundamental building blocks of music with a bright, happy sound. This article explores their structure (root, major third, perfect fifth), inversions, extensions, and applications across genres, providing …
The Lydian Mode: Bright Colors in Modern Harmony
The Lydian mode, characterized by its distinctive raised fourth degree, creates a bright, optimistic sound that has captivated composers and improvisers throughout musical history. This comprehensive guide explores the theoretical …
Minor Chords: The Emotional Core of Music
Minor chords are essential elements in music, known for their melancholic and emotionally rich qualities. This article explores their structure (root, minor third, perfect fifth), variations, historical significance, and applications …
Major Scales: The Melodic Foundation of Western Music
Major scales constitute one of the fundamental pillars of Western music, providing the basis for melody, harmony, and composition across centuries. This article explores the structure of the major scale, …
Perfect Unison - The Foundation of Musical Intervals
Explore the perfect unison interval - the foundation of all musical intervals. Learn about its importance in tuning, harmony, and ensemble playing, with practical examples and applications.
Read more
Modal Scales: Ancient Paths to Modern Expression
Modal scales have shaped musical expression from ancient to modern times, offering distinctive tonal colors beyond major and minor scales. This article explores the seven traditional Western modes—Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, …
Suspended Chords: Creating Tension and Motion in Music
Suspended chords replace the third of a traditional chord with either the second (sus2) or fourth (sus4), creating a distinctive sound that suggests motion and resolution. This comprehensive guide explores …
Read more
Pentatonic Scales: Universal Simplicity and Expression
Pentatonic scales, with their five notes per octave, are part of the musical traditions of virtually all cultures. This article explores the two main variants—major and minor—analyzing their structure, sonority, …
Minor Scales: Exploring the Melancholic Tones
Minor scales are fundamental to Western music, providing tonal colors that evoke melancholy, mystery, or drama. This comprehensive guide explores the three main types of minor scales: natural, harmonic, and …
Read more
Altered Chords: Adding Color and Tension to Your Music
Altered chords add sophistication and tension to music through chromatic modifications of standard chord tones. This comprehensive guide explores their construction, common uses, and practical applications across genres, providing musicians …
The Chromatic Scale: Foundation of Western Music
The chromatic scale forms the foundation of Western music, containing all twelve pitches within an octave. This article explores its structure, historical development, notation, and practical applications across musical genres, …