The Language of Music

Music is a very, very simple language to read. It deals with the first seven letters of the alphabet and generally only counts up to four, making it a very easy code to crack.

Debunking the Myths

There is a stigma surrounding music that it is hard to read and that music theory is dull and awkward.

"It's not. It's a piece of cake if it's done correctly."

Nobody has really come up with an easier way of notating music than the traditional method we know.

The Simple Units

• Note Values:
  • Crotchets: 1 beat (in 4/4)
  • Minims: 2 beats
  • Semibreves: 4 beats

If I clap a pulse, crotchets would be the shortest, while minims and semibreves are much longer.

The Importance of Pulse

Pulse is essential when you play music. Developing a solid pulse is probably the best asset a musician can have because:

"Without pulse, it's like trying to hang washing on an invisible washing line. You just don't know where the notes are going to be placed."

With a pulse, you know exactly where the notes are going to be. This is the ruler with which you measure your note lengths.

Using a Metronome

A metronome is a really useful tool to have. You can get digital or mechanical metronomes, which are great practice tools to keep you in time.

"If you're in time with the metronome, you are correct. If you're not, you're wrong."

Note Naming Conventions

For our viewers in America:

• Crotchets are your quarter notes.
• Minims are your half notes.
• Semibreves are your whole notes.

In the UK, we use:

• Crotchets, Minims, and Semibreves.

Another difference is terminology regarding sections of music:

• Bar (UK) = Measure (USA)

Understanding Time Signatures

The time signature determines how many beats per bar. In 4/4 time:

• We have four crotchet beats per bar (or four quarter note beats).
• This equates to two minims or one semibreve.

"If you grasp that from day one, the rest of the music theory will just fall into place."

Music Notation Basics

As mentioned earlier, music notation involves the first seven letters of the alphabet: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. These are written on what's called the stave or staff, which consists of five lines.

Notes on the Staff

The notes appear on the lines and in the spaces:

• Lines (from bottom to top):

  • E, G, B, D, F
  • (Mnemonic: "Every good boy deserves favour")

• Spaces (from bottom upwards):

  • F, A, C, E
  • (Spells out the word "face")

How simple is that?

Getting Started with Lessons

When we start into the lessons in the book, we won't deal with anything nearly as complicated. It will be really, really basic, and we'll learn:

• One note per lesson in the early stages to fully absorb the concepts.

The material in the book is written so that even with one note, you'll be playing something that sounds like a proper piece of music. Each piece comes in duet form so that the teacher or another pupil can play along.

Backing Tracks

Additionally, there's a backing track featuring recordings of all band and orchestral instruments to really make you feel like you're playing in a group.