BASIC THEORY FOR COMPOSING & DECODING SONGS

Comprehensive Music Theory and Song Decoding Course – Topics Covered

In this course, we will dive deep into essential music theory concepts that will help you enhance your understanding of music, composition, and improvisation. Whether you're a guitarist, keyboardist, or any other instrumentalist, these lessons will provide you with a strong foundation for playing and composing music. Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Formation of a Major Scale (Scale Formula) : Learn the step-by-step formula to build any major scale and understand its structure.
• Notes of Any Major Scale : Identify the notes within any major scale, essential for understanding melodies, chords, and harmony.
• Exploring Major Scales in 5ths : Discover how to find additional major scales using the circle of fifths, enhancing your ability to transpose and improvise.
• Basic Major and Minor Chord Formulas : Understand the building blocks of music with major and minor chord formulas, applicable to guitar, keyboard, and other instruments.
• Harmonized Major Scale (Chords Within a Scale) : Explore how to harmonize a major scale into chords, enabling you to craft progressions that fit within a key.
• Nashville Numbers System : Learn the popular Nashville Numbers system to easily identify and communicate chord progressions across various keys.
• Relative Minor : Understand the relationship between major and minor scales and how to transition smoothly between them.
• How to Transpose to Other Keys : Master the art of transposing music to different keys, allowing you to adapt songs to suit different vocal ranges and instruments.
• Formation of Advanced Chords (Sus2, Maj7, etc.) : Move beyond basic triads by learning how to form more complex chords like Sus2, Maj7, and others, adding depth to your playing.
• Representing the Minor Scale Using the Major Scale : Learn how to visualize and represent minor scales in terms of major scales to simplify your approach to scale relationships.
• Formation of Extended Chords (Maj9, Add11, Maj7 Add11, min7, Dom7, etc.) : Deepen your chord vocabulary with extended chords like Maj9, Add11, Maj7 add11, min7, Dom7, and more for richer harmonic possibilities.
• Extended Diatonic Chords : Explore advanced diatonic chords that extend beyond the basic harmonization of the major scale, perfect for complex compositions.
• Visualizing Diatonic Chords on the Fretboard : Learn how to visualize diatonic chords on the fretboard (or keyboard), making it easier to apply theory to your instrument.
• Strategies for Finding the Scale and Chords of a Song : Gain practical techniques for identifying the key, scale, and chords of any song, empowering you to learn and play by ear.