Music Theory

What is sound

Vibration causes sound.

Sound is produced when an object vibrates, creating a pressure wave. This pressure wave causes particles in the surrounding medium (air, water, or solid) to have vibrational motion. As the particles vibrate, they move nearby particles, transmitting the sound further through the medium.

Musical Sounds

When a guitar string vibrates, it vibrates at a very specific frequency related to its length and tension, and by changing the tension we can choose exactly what frequency each string vibrates at – the same principle applies to all musical instruments, including piano, drums etc.

Frequency in Music notes

Octave

An octave represents the interval from one note to another of same kind. It is the distance from one note to the next note of the same name. It takes eight white keys to get to the next same note, hence why we call it an octave.

Octave Frequency

Frequency doubles as we move from one note of an octave to another note in the next octave.

Major Scale

Formula

(Root) WS – WS – HS – WS – WS – WS –HS (Root)

W, W, H, W, W, W, H

where,

WS = Whole Step

HS = Half Step

Scale	Notes	Staff Notation
C Major	C D E F G A B C
D Major	D E F# G A B C# D
E Major	E F# G# A B C# D# E
F Major	F G A Bb C D E F
G Major	G A B C D E F# G
A Major	A B C# D E F# G# A
B Major	B C# D# E F# G# A# B

Minor Scale

Formula

(Root) WS – HS – WS – WS – HS – WS –WS (Root)

W, H, W, W, H, W, W

where,

WS = Whole Step

HS = Half Step

Scale	Notes	Staff Notation
A Minor	A – B – C – D – E – F – G – A
B Minor	B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G – A – B
C Minor	C – D – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C
D Minor	D – E – F – G – A – B♭ – C – D
E Minor	E – F♯ – G – A – B – C – D – E
F Minor	F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F
G Minor	G – A – B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F – G