The Fundamentals section is designed to provide you with the basics of music. Right now, there are two available areas: scales and arpeggios. The scales section includes pdf files of all the major, natural minor, and harmonic minor scales with Jordan's fingerings. The arpeggios section provides you with pdf files for all the major and minor arpeggios based of the major and minor triads. These files also include suggested fingerings.
Welcome to the world of music theory. In writing this area of the OC, I am trying to provide a comprehensive overview of basic music theory and traditional chord analysis. There are a few inherent challenges associated with writing a theory section, and I would like to discuss those briefly.
First, music constantly evolves. The theory I learned in school related most specifically to classical music. If you analyze romantic, impressionistic, or serial music, however, it becomes increasingly more difficult to apply the same theory to these new approaches to composing music. Now, with the development of rock and pop music, new theoretical questions arise. Do power chords have a function (in the traditional meaning of "chord") or do they actually serve as an emphasis of melody? How do sus chords function? My initial goal for this section is to give you a decent understanding of theory relating to traditional analysis. When I complete this area of the theory section, I will attempt to consolidate the material to make sense within our present musical environment.
Secondly, this material is labeled "theory." Essentially, this means that nothing I write is set in stone. The explanations I provide represent my understanding of music. What I hope is that you will gain some new insight into areas of theory you are unfamiliar with and learn to develop your own true understanding of music. Please enjoy what I have to offer, and feel free to provide me with comments and feedback.
- Chris Romero
