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I learned independently but would probably have learned a lot faster with a tutor. The moment it "clicked" for me, so to speak, is when I bought this book: Music Theory for Computer Musicians. I immersed myself in that book and read it in no time. For me it worked wonders just staying away from the computer and endless tutorials to just jump in for a deep dive.
Reading tab is a lot easier than you'd expect. Just be aware that a lot of tab is usually not 100% correct, use it more like a guide and listen to the song in small chunks and go back and forth between the tab and music to figure it out. My favorite book on the fretboard is called The Guitar Fretboard Workbook, this book teaches you how to find any note instantly (eventually) by focusing on what are called root positions. I will let you know that using this method I have never once had to memorize every single note of on every fret on every string like so many books and teachers suggest, this method is light years better. I also recommend justinguitar.com as a main learning source. Additionally, I love using the game/program Rocksmith Remastered which is just downright fun, however, it's not going to be as useful of a teaching tool as real study.
Music theory for computer musicians. It is classical theory but written in a piano roll in case you can't read music. Great book in my opinion. Read it all the way through and it helps every day.
https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Computer-Musicians-Michael-Hewitt/dp/1598635034
I should add that there are a few minor errors in the book. Nothing factually wrong, just a few mislabeling of images.
The Chord Wheel: The Ultimate Tool for All Musicians (TOUS INSTRUMENT) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0634021427/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_RT1BHVCPP332SRMDSFEV
I hope I’m allowed to link things from Amazon here. Sorry If I’m not mods.
I think this is a really good book for entry level enharmonics theory
Ariane Cap's book "Music Theory for the Bass Player" is probably a good place to start.
Some of the book is very rudimentary, but it's as good a place as any to start. Buy it on Amazon.
I suggest reading a jazz theory book. I think that if you got through this Mark Levine book it wouldn’t be nearly as big of a mystery: https://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Theory-Book-Mark-Levine/dp/1883217040/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=jazz+theory+book&qid=1610722853&sr=8-1
This isn’t tied specifically to bass but it has a load of good info. Then if you want to get a Real Book (bass clef version), you can start really playing and improving jazz lines in bass easily.
Absolutely the following book: This is Your Brain on Music
This highly readable and engaging book discusses the nature of music, including a bit of theory, how we process music neurobiologically, and how we perceive music mentally. It's a must read...
This is what you want. It works from the inside out, but it’s the same concept, plus it has key signatures. Personally I’ve always found chord wheels to be overly complicated, but I learned theory fairly young, and discovered these afterwards.
Edit: this one also has the advantage of rotating to highlight all the diatonic chords in that key.
'Music theory for computer musicians' It teaches the theory behind harmony and melody.
As far as playing goes, there's no substitute for putting your hands on keys as often as you can. Try learning songs you like.
The Jazz theory book is pretty good (UK Amazon link: The Jazz Theory Book https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1883217040/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_1iIPBb6419EEZ)
Otherwise the ABRSM music theory books are pretty good as well but a little boring to read...
No. Not only because there are so many, but the word "should" is highly debatable.
In one sense you don't "need" to know any theory at all. It just depends on how much you "want" to know, which depends partly on what kind of music you're playing, and how much you want to get into improvising, composing or arranging. Or how much you talk to more qualified musicians. And on your own curiosity of course.
Basically, just buy a book - like this - and see how far you get (or want to get). Or if you want a free resource, try this. Again, take it as far as you want to.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393095398/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glc_fabc_Z6RQMEBV8ZER8W7RZAZA
Twentieth century harmony, it goes quite in depth on very contemporary theory. It's helped fill in the gaps for me, and I'm a music instructor. Cool to see someone studying theory as a hobby btw that's a road less traveled.
Learn the notes on the fretboard. Frets 0-4 at least, on each string; work up from there.
Learn notation.
Start with major scales, in this order: C, G, D, A, E. Then F and Bb. Play each one on the guitar as you're learning it, and play it around the chord shape (or shapes) you know for each of those major chords. (If you already know scale patterns for these keys, make sure you know the chord shapes in each one.)
Learn the I, IV and V (and V7) chords in each key. Then the vi, ii and iii. You may know this already, but check to confirm, filling in any gaps.
The more you know the fretboard (notes, chord shapes or scale patterns), start to knit it all together into those keys. I.e., pick one key, and check how many of the notes and shapes for each chord you can find, everywhere on the fretboard. (This is obviously more about fretboard knowledge than theory per se, but think of theory as the names - or more names - for things you may already know by sound and pattern alone. IOW, you're studying a map of a terrority you already feel is "home", but you're learning a few place names and street names you didn't know before.)
Take various songs you already know, and start to look at them from a theory perspective. What key are they in? How does each chord relate to that key? Are there any chords which don't fit the scale associated with that key? (Probably there are...) No rules are broken there, just different rules being followed. The more theory you learn, the more you will be able to label everything that's going on.
Recommended book (covering most of the above points in order): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leonard-Guitar-Method-Theory-Online/dp/063406651X/
well hi again. No, I've been going strong for a year, but I really want to invest myself in music theory and to grasp the whole idea of tempo and scales and what makes what.
Books are better for that because they take you through the whole story a video only shows you a page or a chapter at most.
Are you trying to learn music or learn guitar, as sometimes you need to bias your search. I’d get a beginner theory book first (https://www.amazon.com/Music-Theory-Guitarists-Everything-Wanted/dp/063406651X) then I’d move on to this one (https://www.amazon.com/Hal-Leonard-Guitar-Method-Complete/dp/0881881392).
I'm like you, a hobbyist having fun on journey of musical discovery. I will say this, since beginning music production a year ago, I started out constructing songs solely by ear and my own taste. They sounded pretty okay for someone with no experience whatsoever. I found it actually very encouraging and quite exhilarating.
But I did reach a point where I did want to know more theory. My wife is trained musician and she always kind of recommended learning some. I'm not much of a book person, but casually browsing Amazon yielded this guy: Music Theory for the Computer Musician
25 bucks well spent. Not only is it fairly well written, it's geared exactly toward folks like us. Honestly, I found kind of cool to learn how the interplay of sound and its relationship to frequency makes all the music we love. It isn't an end all, be all. But I do create music differently now and with a little more intention, more able to predict how something might sound rather discovering it by trial and error.
I don't think there's anything wrong not knowing it, but knowing some is definitely a benefit to your process. Good luck.
Do you know your way through Ableton already or are you looking to learn more about the in's and out's of Ableton?
If you know how to use Ableton already, I highly recommend spending more time delving into music theory over DAW tutorials (especially if you are producing deep house which has more complex chord structures). I bought the following book off Amazon and was happy with what I learned off music theory (allow the beginning starts off a little slow if you have been producing for awhile):
If you are wanting to learn more about the in's and out's of Ableton, I'd recommend saving some money and looking up tutorials on YouTube on how to accomplish what you are looking to do. If you have any questions regarding Ableton plugins, there is likely a YouTube tutorial on it for free.
Ah, I wasn't aware. Music Theory for Computer Musicians is also a great resource. It doesn't explore much beyond the basics, but it's great for beginners since it builds gradually and doesn't overwhelm with information.
Hi and welcome! Never too late with starting to make music! What DAW did you choose? I would definitely go with at least 49 keys! I have the Nektar Panorama T49 - pretty good and comes with aftertouch. All the best!
https://www.amazon.de/Music-Theory-Computer-Musicians-CD-ROM/dp/1598635034
I prefer video tutorials regarding music theory, because mostly you can listen to examples in one go. I can recommend "thinkspace education" from guy mitchelmoore. Free youtube and payed courses. :)
This is my favorite book to recommend to people who just want to learn the barbones basics of theory. From learning all the notes on the fretboard to building scales, then using those scales to build triads, seventh chords, extended cords, modes. It's got everything you need to build an extremely solid foundation of basic theory, and I can't recommend it enough.
Have you read 'This is Your Brain on Music' by Daniel J. Levitin? Sounds like it's similar to the work you're doing.
http://www.amazon.com/This-Your-Brain-Music-Obsession/dp/0452288525/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448051552&sr=8-1&keywords=This+is+Your+Brain+on+Music
I haven't gotten around to reading it myself yet, nor am I any good at playing/understanding jazz, but people around here seem to recommend Mark Levine's book on jazz theory quite often: http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Theory-Book-Mark-Levine/dp/1883217040
For 20th century music, there is Vincent Persichetti.
As the others say, it's academically debatable whether those composers are either "classical" or "contemporary", strictly speaking. But that's splitting hairs. :-)
thanks for the rec! is it this one? I cant seem to find it otherwise
The music theory they would teach u at a school yes it can intimidating. But the most basic music theory is nessesary just to understand exactly what your essential goal is to make, MUSIC.
If your local store doesn't have it. it can be found at amazon:
>For short, there's plenty of psychology on how music makes us feel. That's if you feel it and not just listening.
Whilst I do spend a lot of time being very involved with the music I listen to, the intended effect of any given piece of music doesn't always translate.
The ideas and emotions you put into your music don't always get picked up as such by the listener.
I might listen to an energetic trance track with uplifting chords that the producer hoped that would energise me ... but in reality my brain goes "erggh .. fuck me this is annoying".
If you want to delve into how music works on your brain, I highly recommend reading "This is Your Brain on Music".
> a comprehensive book covering everything in a way that’s easy to understand
No such thing. (1) no one book covers "everything", and (2) - if i did - it would certainly not be "easy to understand."
Do you already play an instrument? Piano (or any keyboard) is ideal, guitar second.
If it's guitar, you probably need a guitar-friendly book, like this.
If piano, then any beginner theory book should do, because conventional theory usually assumes you are piano-literate, illustrating concepts in double-stave notation.
I suggest getting two or three books in any case. Different authors have different angles, even at beginner level. It's all the same info, of course, but writing styles will work for you, some won't. Meanwhile, check out reputable (and free) websites, like https://www.musictheory.net/
This is an interesting book on human psychology and music if you are interested. Its a short read but it goes into some of the things you are asking here.