Anybody know music theory?

Modus

Modus

Zaireeka!
Ok, I'm working through my first book on music theory. There are excercises that im working through and i havent had too much trouble until it came to the half steps thing.

Here is the question I'm having trouble with
If I had the note E and I wanted to go to the note that was down three half steps (minor 3rd) what would that note be?

I thought it was #C but the book says differently.

This is already getting confusing and I'm only on the second chapter of the book.

Modus
 
If the book doesn't think it's C#, throw it away and get another one. C# is, and always has been, a minor third below E.

What does it say, exactly?
 
Modus said:
Ok, I'm working through my first book on music theory. There are excercises that im working through and i havent had too much trouble until it came to the half steps thing.

Here is the question I'm having trouble with
If I had the note E and I wanted to go to the note that was down three half steps (minor 3rd) what would that note be?

I thought it was #C but the book says differently.

This is already getting confusing and I'm only on the second chapter of the book.

Modus
Click to expand...

you must have misunderstood it. maybe quote the book literaly, so we can see what you really mean.
 
ok here is what it says exactly:

Exercise:

Enter a new note a specified number of half steps from the previous note.

Starts off with the note E

Down three half-steps (minor 3rd) ____

Up one half-step (minor 2nd) ____

Up one whole step (Major 2nd) ____

Up two whole steps (Major 3rd) ____

Down seven half-steps (perfect 5th) ____

Down two whole steps (Major 3rd) ____

Up one whole step (Major 2nd) ____

Up seven half-steps (perfect 5th) ____

Down one whole step (Major 2nd) ____

(remember your going up or down according to the previous note, not just E)

And here are their answers: C, D flat, E, G, C, A, B, F, E
 
Something is seriously wrong with that book. I say throw it in the garbage. It is wrong several times in that one exercise!
 
Actually, they only got 3 out of nine correct.

Which book is this? I want to proceed directly to amazon.com to trash it in a review.
 
It's the complete idiot's guide to music theory written by Michael Miller. It was a birthday present from my mom, otherwise I wouldnt have bought a complete idiots guide. The name suits it.

I was reading through it a little bit and the next exercises are even worse!!! They contradict themselves in the same exercises!

Thanks guys for your help, for a minute there I thought I had a severe case of dislexia.


Anybody know of a good music theory book for a begginer?

Modus
 
You shouldnt need a book if you have the internet man.
Im no good with theory and I cant read music, but I know all the information is here at your fingertips. Alot of people suggest getting a little keyboard when your first learning because its easier to see whats going on..
 
I have a few good books listed on my composition resource page at http://www.allhands.com/main/resources.html

You could also just browse around Amazon.com, and look for books with lots of good reviews attached.

By the way, I'm surprised at the Complete Idiot's Guide being that bad. A lot of their subjects are well covered. Of course they each have different authors, so that could explain it.
 
Hold the phone!!

Ok, I was curious, and stopped by a book store at lunch.

Um, that wasn't by chance exercise 2-4 on page 24 you cited, was it? If so, you were looking at a TREBLE CLEFF, not a bass cleff, and the book is fine.

Now it's time to go back and re-read the preceding pages, because you've apparently missed something rather important.
 
Oh crap the bed!

Yeah I went out and got a few other books on the subject and I quickly realized that I was being a complete idiot. The book suits me.

Sorry for the waste of time.
 
Skysaw said:
I have a few good books listed on my composition resource page at http://www.allhands.com/main/resources.html
Click to expand...

Hmmmm.... I like the list you give there. Got about a third of those books. Good stuff.

Although at the level Modus is talking (no offence though, I had to start somewhere too), I wouldn't advice him Schoenbergs theory of harmony. A very good book, but if you use it as a starting point you will either give up pretty soon or struggle very hard and become a crazy freak. :D
 
Re: Hold the phone!!

Skysaw said:
Ok, I was curious, and stopped by a book store at lunch.

Um, that wasn't by chance exercise 2-4 on page 24 you cited, was it? If so, you were looking at a TREBLE CLEFF, not a bass cleff, and the book is fine.

Now it's time to go back and re-read the preceding pages, because you've apparently missed something rather important.
Click to expand...

Help me understand... How is C 3 half steps down from E in bass or treble clef? I have a piano, I have a bass, I can play them both (poorly) but that still seems like a major third to me (4 half steps)
 
Re: Re: Hold the phone!!

jdier said:
Help me understand... How is C 3 half steps down from E in bass or treble clef? I have a piano, I have a bass, I can play them both (poorly) but that still seems like a major third to me (4 half steps)
Click to expand...

It isn't.

What happened was that Modus saw a C and thought it was an E. The answer staff showed the next interval as an A, which he thought was a C. The book was indicating the interval from C to A which is a minor third. Modus interpreted it as E to C which is a major third.

The book didn't write out the letter names in either the question or the answer... only showed it on the staff. That was the misunderstanding.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top