Basic Music Theory

Author: Miao Tianrui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: To help readers gradually and systematically advance in music theory learning, this book adopts the form of a textbook. The entire book is divided into three units: Unit 1, which discusses pitch, duration, meter, and rhythm within the range without accidentals. Unit 2, which begins to involve accidentals, covering major and minor scales, modal scales, altered notes, modulation, and transposition. Unit 3, which includes three independent topics: an introduction to musical forms, harmony, and musical acoustics. This book emphasizes the study and research of Chinese folk music. In terms of modes (scales), forms, harmony, and modulation, it particularly highlights the characteristics of folk music. For example, in scales, a dedicated chapter (Chapter 9) is devoted to explaining modal scales in detail; in forms, traditional folk song forms are specifically discussed; in harmony, the analysis of harmonic patterns in modal scales (especially the pentatonic and hexatonic modes) is emphasized; in modulation, the modulation techniques in traditional Chinese instrumental music are explained, and so on. All exercises also frequently use examples from Chinese folk music, as well as songs and compositions created by combining major and minor scales with Chinese modal scales (particularly the pentatonic and hexatonic modes). However, this book does not overlook European classical music. Examples from European classical music are often cited in the exercises of each chapter and in specific instances within certain chapters.