Preface Introduction 12

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1 Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers Contents 4 Preface Introduction What is Music Theory? The Most Important Rule of Music Theory Our Method: No Pianos, No Singing Do As I Say and Do A Bit About Me The Keyboard Layout Why Do We Care About Pianos? A Brief History of the Piano Roll Editor Finding the Piano in the Piano Roll Editor Navigating The Keyboard Semi-Tones Black and White Keys Flats, Sharps, and Naturals Enharmonic Notes Whole-Tones The Semi and Detune Knob on our Synth Finding C Why C? Locating C Middle C Why Do We Care about Middle C? Let s Get a Little Technical Octaves What Are Octaves? Sonic Similarities 40

2 Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers Introduction Contents The Ratios on a Guitar Octave Key Points The Perfect 5th Finding a Perfect 5th Why Are They Perfect? What Do They Sound Like? Try it - Power Chord Riff with Perfect 5ths Try it: Melody with Eastern Inflections Being In Key What Does it Mean to be In Key? The Elements of a Key The Key as a Template Half-Steps and Whole Steps in Keys The Pattern of a Key Major Scales and Major Keys The Root Try it Supertonic: The 2nd Scale Degree The Mediant: The 3rd Third Scale Degree The Subdominant: The 4th Scale Degree The Dominant: The 5th Scale Degree The Submediant: The 6th Scale Degree The Leading Tone: The 7th Scale Degree The Ableton Live Scale Device Song Analysis The Basic Triad Major vs Minor 87

3 Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers Contents Octaves & The Guitar Moby, Porcelain Diatonic Chord Progressions The Pattern Diminished Triads A Note About Chord Abbreviations The Chords of C Major Producing with the Diatonic Chord Progression Inversions Root Position Inversion Types Moby, Porcelain, Take Two Producing with Inversions The Other Intervals Interval Inversions The 4th The 6th The 2nd Suspended and Add Chords th Chords Producing with 7th Chords The Structure of a 7th Chord The Four types of 7th Chords The Diatonic Chord Progression with 7th Chords The Dominant 7th Chord Chord Function, Tendency, and Resolution The Psycho Chord 129

4 Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers Contents Roman Numerals Roman Numeral Notation Using Roman Numerals Examples of Roman Numerals Song Analysis: Zedd, Daisy The Bass Line Finding the Key The Chords The Analysis Minor Keys The Minor Scale Pattern Minor vs. Major The Minor Key in Music Production Relative Keys Minor Diatonic Chord Progressions Song Analysis: Skrillex, Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites The Main Section The Second Section The Third Section Could this be in E b Major? Minor Scale Variations The Ripple Effect Fifth-Related Chords The Harmonic Minor Scale Chords in Harmonic Minor The Augmented Chord 165

5 Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers Contents The Melodic Minor Scale Song Analysis: Noctuary (Bonobo) The Bass Line Passing Tones & Arpeggios The Chords The Analysis The Circle of Fifths What the Diagram Shows Us Writing Outside of the Key Changing Keys Modal Borrowing Going Further Song Analysis: Ghosts N Stuff (Deadmau5) The Bass Line (0:45) The Key The Chords What is Wrong Here? Don t Forget About Inversions The Second Section The Analysis Accompaniment Styles Arpeggios Automatic Arpeggiators Arpeggiated Inversions Steady Rhythm Alternating Bass Note Rhythms Other Standard Patterns 194

6 Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers Contents Song Analysis: Windowlicker (Aphex Twin) The Bass Line The Chords The Pattern The Analysis Using Dissonance Defining Dissonance Diabolus in Musica Adding Dissonance Prolonged Resolution Song Analysis: No Way Back (Richie Hawtin) No Chord Progression The Elements The Pitches The Analysis Texture & Density Texture in Chords How Many Notes? Extended Harmony Song Analysis: Everything You Do Is A Balloon (Boards of Canada) Density & Lines The Chords The Key The Last Chord The Analysis 227

7 Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers Contents Modes What is a Scale? A Little History Mode Shifting Mode Qualities Using Modes Song Analysis: Get Lucky (Daft Punk) The Chords The Key Modal Harmony The Analysis Chromaticism Epilogue 242 Acknowledgments 244 Appendix: Common Chord Progressions 245 Glossary of Terms 246 Index 256 List of Musical Examples 260 About the Author 261