Anyone know music theory?

[brncao]

I'm 18 and I'm mostly self-taught. I know some things about music theory, but there's one thing that's bothering me and I want to learn it.

It's dissonance vs. consonance, suspensions, and non-chordal tones. What I'm trying to do is insert 16 semiquaver notes into each bars, Without making it sound wrong. the semiquavers are really fast, and I want to know how can I accomplish this using music theory, without having to guess at them.

[dbjorck]

Hi!

You can't get a music theory lesson in a single post. Check out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consonance_and_dissonance

Brgds

Danny

[MikeinNC]

True. Music Theory is a pretty involved course. But the 16th notes that you refer to will be "passing notes" which will rapidly move between "consonant" (restful , harmonious notes in a chord) and "dissonant" (non-harmonious notes that tend to resolve to a restful chord tone) and will most likely not bother your ear at all. That's a very simplified explanation.

[brncao]

thanks mike. that helped somewhat. So when does it become a dissonant and a consonant within a measure?

[dbjorck]

Hi!

That is still an extremely difficult question. It depends on a lot of stuff. Mainly on the harmonics (chords), but also how the notes progress, speed/rhythm, musical style, and even culture. It's explained in the link I gave.

Brgds

Danny

[Carlo]

Hi!

In an attempt to put your question in a more structured context, I would like to recommend you to consult a valuable book on harmony, namely "Harmony", by Walter Piston, whose fifth edition, revised by Mark DeVoto, is published by W.W. Norton.

It's a classical and thourough treatise on harmony that, despite its age (the first edition goes back to the 40's), is rightly considered a true reference book by all serious musicians.

I suppose it will help you to find out the most useful and productive approach for the kind of problems you're interested in.

Best regards,

[MikeinNC]

Very simply put, the basic notes that make up the chord are considered to be restful. In a C major chord: C,E,G are restful, and notes in between are passing tones that will generally resolve to a rest tone...when studying basic Bach style harmony there are even rules about the direction that these notes resolve. For example, in the key of C major a B natural will almost always resolve to a C, but sometimes with a few passing tones added before it does so. But you know what? Just use your ear. In today's music if it sounds good, it's OK. Getting a theory book to study is good advice.

[hpeterh]

The basic problem can be explained physically and mathematically.
A "Quinte" e.g. c1-g1 has a frequeny ratio of 2:3, so the quart g1-c2 has a ratio of 3:4 and the terz c-e has a ratio of (approximately) 4:5 and the small terz e-g is 5:6. And, of course the octave c1-c2 is 1:2 aka 2:4.

More complicated ratios are more difficult to recognize an sound less harmonic. Normally whole number relationships sound harmonic in accords and accord progressions.

More complicated relationship give higher tension (if not disharmony), however, music without tension consisting only from harmony would sound very boring (if also the rythm doesnt contain tension)

Thats my private thoughts, it is not official theory ;-)

Peter

[brncao]

er that was confusing hpeterh lol. How about I start out with quarter notes, once I get that down, I subdivide it into 8th notes, then subdivide it again inserting 16th notes in between? will that work? I don't know how these composers get such a brilliant mind in composing songs with durations less than 16th notes. The funny thing is that I can create a song in my head with 16th notes and yet I can't get it down onto the score (Finale 2007) lol

[dbjorck]

Hi!

Tell you what, give us the 16 notes you have in mind, and the chord progression you're planning if you have one, and we'll give you feedback on if it's harmonious or not. How much harmony theory do you have? For instance do you understand progressions and notations like 'I-IV-V-I'?

Brgds

Danny

[brncao]

i dont have any harmony theory at all...

[hpeterh]

There are a lot of ressources online.

I like to know the physical background:
http://home.austin.rr.com/jmjensen/musicTheory.html
http://books.google.de/books?id=tsnW3iiUc3AC&dq=On+the+Sensations+of+Tone+as+a+Physiological+Ba sis+for+the+Theory+of+Music&pg=PA1&ots=0g_LoKSu77&sig=RrM8iT5Msctci-ByYeEUs1Epm0E&prev=http://www.google.de/search%3Fq%3DOn%2Bthe%2BSensations%2Bof%2BTone%2Ba s%2Ba%2BPhysiological%2BBasis%2Bfor%2Bthe%2BTheory %2Bof%2BMusic&sa=X&oi=print&ct=result&cd=1#PPP1,M1

(I am currently reading the latter in german language its available here:
http://www.ubka.uni-karlsruhe.de/cgi-bin/psview?document=wasbleibt/27162822&format=2&search=Helmholtz+Tonempfindungen)

It is better to know the physical background, because historical musictheory is a mixture made up from heuristics philosophy and physical facts and hard to understand, very often you have to believe it. The book of Helholtz is very old, but still rewarding to read because he explains his experiments in depth and becaue he himself was a good piano player.
(Your mileage might differ)

Here is some introduction into music theory:
http://personal.inet.fi/private/tomas.karlsson/lessons.html

HTH,

Peter