May 26, 2004

Have you ever wondered what all those notes mean? I have been teaching music to people of varying ages, abilities and tastes for a long time and this is far and away the best music theory resource I have seen online. From the basics of pitch, duration and time to the nature of a musical score it is all here.
posted by Jerry Garcia 20 years ago
  • Excellent find, Jerry! This will keep me busy for weeks. I've tried to understand modes before, but have never gotten my head around it.
  • Great resource... now I've finally figured out what the time meters mean. I've always been interested in music with unusual meters... the site rightly shows that "Mission Impossible" is in 5/4 time, while Pink Floyd's "Money" is in 7/4 time. I always thought 7/4 time would be undanceable and awkward but you can definitely jam to "Money".
  • I've always thought of 7/4 as 4/4+3/4 or vice versa depending on the accents and the structure of the tune. It's easier to cope (and dance) that way! But then I've always love the Grateful Dead's "The 11"... (beware a large download) 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11! Just count and you're right into it! For a minute or two anyway...
  • Catchy five-time: Dave Brubeck, Take Five. Also Gustav Holst, Mars (movement I from The Planets suite) Seven-time: Bartok could write it as 4+3. I've alse seen him write it as 2+3+2 (#6 of the 15 Hungarian Peasant Dances), where it feels like six-time with a lag on the fourth beat. (dah dah dah DAAAH, dah dah / dah dah dah DAAAH, dah dah / etc) Hey Jerry, haven't seen you around for a while. Why'd you change your nick?
  • Actually the whole Dave Brubek "Time Out" Album is full of non-standard time signatures. My fave is "Blue Rondo a la Turk" in 9/8.
  • Hi goetter, I changed my nick because "pdad" made an ass of himself and though I am an ass I'd rather be a well-behaved monkey hereabouts. And BTW, Bartók is my favourite composer. :-) My father, may he rest in peace, suggested two pieces of music when I got serious about learning music (theory): Brahms First Symphony and Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra. My father was this guy. Hard to beat so I try to keep a low profile except when I drink like I am tonight. He liked a tipple or two as well. Poor fucker died of ALS. :-(
  • I loved the link and all but haven't there been a ton of Worth1000 links on BoingBoing. Advertising?
  • ThankyouThankyouThankyouThankyouThankyouTHANKYOU! Seriously, I've been looking for something like this for a while.
  • This is great, Jerry Garcia.