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Music Theory

Blog

This blog collects musical curiosities, both historical and theoretical, and articles that help with the parts of music theory that are hardest to grasp. It complements the music dictionary and the interactive exercises.

Practical theory

How to Read Chord Symbols

What C, Am, G7 or Cmaj7 mean: the letters, major and minor, the seventh numbers, slash chords (C/G) and a summary table for decoding any lead sheet.

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Practicing with a metronome

How to Practice With a Metronome

The method for raising the tempo little by little, plus exercises on the staff (a scale with different rhythms and the subdivision pyramid) to gain accuracy and technique on any instrument.

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Harmony

Harmony

Step-by-step harmony exercises, from the most basic chord connections to more complex progressions, with audio and commented solutions.

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History

Free resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What topics does the Music Theory blog cover?
Historical and theoretical curiosities: the origin of the note names, chord symbols, intervals, key signatures, practice methods with the metronome, harmony exercises (connections with and without a common tone) and free resources that complement the interactive exercises on this site.
What level are the harmony exercises for?
They are aimed at early to intermediate conservatory students. They start with the most basic chord connections keeping a common tone and move on to connections without a common tone, suitable for students who already know triads and keys.
What is a chord connection with a common tone?
It is the connection between two chords that share at least one note, which stays in the same voice without moving. The other voices move by step or by the smallest possible interval, which gives a smooth and natural connection.
Do the harmony exercises include audio?
Yes. Each exercise includes audio of both the exercise and the solution, so you can hear the result and compare it before looking at the written solution.
What is the Hymn to St. John and how does it relate to music theory?
It is a medieval Latin hymn whose words are traditionally attributed to Paul the Deacon, in the 8th century. Guido d’Arezzo used the first syllable of each line (ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la) to teach singers, and those syllables became the note names used in fixed-do countries today.