Learn to arrange music from scratch

Music Theory

sound

Musical sound: produced by the vibration rules of objects

Noise: produced by objects vibrating irregularly

roll call	do	ri	mi	fa	so	the	xi
notation	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
musical alphabet	C	D	E	F	G	A	B

C major	C	D	E	F	G	A	B
A major	A	B	C#	D	E	F#	G#
notation	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
roll call	do	ri	mi	fa	so	the	xi

piano keyboard

Composed of 88 keys: 7 white keys, 5 black keys (7 groups, remove the left and right three keys)

semitones: adjacent keys

Whole tone: one key apart

ascending and descending number

• Sharp number: #

• flat sign: b

• Double sharp number: X

• Double flat number: bb

recovery number

• Symbol: ♮, (Natural)

Keyboard partitions (from left to right)

• Bass area
  • Large character group two: A2, B2
  • A group of large characters: C1, D1, E1, F1, G1, A1, B1
  • Big characters: C,D,E,F,G,A,B
• Alto
  • Small words: c,d,e,f,g,a,b
  • A group of small characters: c1, d1, e1, f1, g1, a1, b1
  • Two groups of small characters: c2, d2, e2, f2, g2, a2, b2
• treble area
  • Three groups of small characters: c3, d3, e3, f3, g3, a3, b3
  • Four groups of small characters: c4, d4, e4, f4, g4, a4, b4
  • Five groups of small characters: c5

The middle C in the piano is: c1

The middle C in the arrangement software is: C3

note duration

whole note	1	X - - -
half note	1/2	X -
quarter note	1/4	X
eighth note	1/8	X

the beat

4/4 time

• quarter note beat

• There are 4 beats in each measure: strong, weak, second strong, weak

• quarter note beat

2/4 beat

• half note

• There are 2 beats per measure: strong and weak

• quarter note beat

3/4, 6/8 beats belong to three beats

• 3/4: strong weak weak
• 6/8: strong weak weak, next strong weak weak

Song tempo (BPM)

The specific time value cannot be obtained only through the note time and beat

BPM: the unit of beats per minute
$$60/speed=tempo\left(S\right)$$
for example:

• 4/4 beat 60BPM 60/60 = 1s Each beat is 1 second and one beat is a quarter note
• 6/8 beats 120BPM 60/120 = 0.5s, each beat is 0.5s, one beat is an eighth note

dotted note

$$dottedXnote=Xdiaeresis+half\; of\; an\; Xfret\; note$$

$$dotted4notes=quarternote+half\; of\; a\; quarternote$$

Expressed as: X
$$dotted8notes=8thnote+Half\; of\; an\; 8th\; note$$$$is$$
expressed as:X·

triplet

divide a whole into thirds

• 8th note triplet: split a quarter note into thirds
• Quarter note triplet: split a half note into thirds

debug

Natural major 1 = C (starts with do)

• Arrangement law of natural major key: whole half whole whole half

C major	C	D	E	F	G	A	B
D major	D	E	#F	G	A	B	#C
G major	G	A	B	C	D	E	#F

Natural Major (Black Keys)

• #C key = bD key
• #D tune = bE tune

Generally speaking, the modes triggered by black keys start with flat X (relatively easier to write)

Natural minor 6 = A (starts with la)

• Arrangement law of natural minor: whole half whole half whole half whole

pitch

• distance between two tones
  • How many degrees is the number of white keys
  • C -> E is third degree
  • The black key is to restore the key first, and then convert
  • #D -> bB Six degrees
• pure
  • 1 degree: C to C
  • 4 degrees: C to F 6 keys
  • 5 degrees: C to G 8 keys
  • 8 degrees: C to high C
• big
  • 2 degrees: C to D 3 keys
  • 3 degrees: C to E 5 keys
  • 6 degrees: C to A 10 keys
  • 7 degrees: C to B 12 keys
• Small: Large - 1
  • 2 degrees: C to D 2 keys
  • 3 degrees: C to E 4 keys
  • 6 degrees: C to A 9 keys
  • 7 degrees: C to B 11 keys
• reduce
  • Pure - 1
  • little 1
• Multiplier: Minus - 1
• increase
  • pure + 1
  • big + 1
• Multiplier: increase + 1

music name

• C tonic
• D upper tonic
• E middle
• F subordinate sound
• G dominant
• A lower alto
• B lead tone

triad

A chord in which three notes are stacked in thirds

• three tones
  • Root note: the lowest note
  • Tritone: a third above the root note
  • Pentatonic: the fifth above the root note
• three degree relationship
• chord
  • Major triad: root note -> major third -> third note -> minor third -> fifth note C: CEG
  • Minor triad: root -> minor third -> third -> major third -> fifth Cm: C bE G
  • Diminished triad: root -> minor third -> third -> minor third -> fifth Cdim: C bE bG
  • Augmented Triad: Root -> Major 3rd -> 3rd -> Major 3rd -> 5th Caug: CE #G
• C major chord
  • CEG Level 1 (major triad) tonic chord
  • DFA Level 2 (Minor Triads)
  • EGB Grade 3 (minor triad)
  • FAC 4th degree (major triad) subordinate chords
  • GBD level 5 (major triad) dominant chord
  • ACE Grade 6 (minor triad)
  • BDF Grade 7 (Diminished Triads)

seventh chord

A chord in which four notes are stacked in thirds

• four tones
  • root note
  • Tritone
  • pentameter
  • seven tones
• Major seventh chord: major triad + major third
  • Cmaj7：C E G B
• Major and minor seventh chords: major triad + minor third
  • C7：CEG bB
• Dominant seventh chords: the root note of major and minor seventh chords is dominant
  • There is only one dominant tone in each key , so there is only one dominant seventh chord
  • In a key, except for the dominant seventh chord , other major and minor seventh chords have out-of-tuning
  • F to C7: CEG bB D
• Minor Seventh Chord: Minor Triad + Minor Third
  • Cmin7：C bE G bB
• Minor major seventh chord: minor triad + major third

nine chords

A chord in which five tones are stacked in thirds

• five tones
  • root note
  • Tritone
  • pentameter
  • seven tones
  • Nine tones
• Major Ninth Chord: Major Seventh + Minor Third
  • Cmaj9：C E G B D
• Minor Ninth Chord: Minor Seventh + Major Third
  • Cm9：C bE G bB D
• Dominant Ninth Chord: Dominant Seventh + Major Third
  • F调C9： C E G bB D
• Dominant Seventh Flat Ninth Chord: Count Ninth Chord Ninth Flat Flat
  • F调C7b9： C E G bB bD
• ADD9 chord: triad + ninth
  • Cadd9：C E G D

suspended chord

• hanging second chord
  • The chord formed by replacing the original third with the second
  • Csus2：C D G
• hanging fourth chord
  • A chord formed by replacing the original third with a fourth
  • Csus4：C F G

Suspended chords are generally used for tuned 1st-level chords and 5th-level chords

Inverted chords

A chord whose root note is not at the lowest note is called an inverted chord

A chord whose root note is at the lowest note is called a chord in position

• G major without inversion: GBD

• First inversion: the third is the lowest note, the fifth is in the middle, and the root is last

  • G/B：B D G

• Second inversion: the fifth note is the lowest note, the root note is in the middle, and the third note is last

  • G/D：D G B

• Third inversion: with the seventh as the lowest note

No matter what the inversion, the root never changes

pause

• A rest is a mark used on the music score to mark the music's temporary pause or stillness and the length of the pause
• notation
  • All rests: 0 0 0 0
  • Dichotomous rest: 0 0
  • quarter rests: 0
  • Eighth rest: 0

tie line, tie line

• Tie line: multiple notes of the same pitch are connected together to become one note (the arc opening downward on the note)
• Connecting line: a word with multiple sounds, connecting the first sound and the last sound