Music Theory Handbook
Scales, chords, harmony and rhythm made clear.
Fundamentals
Notes, intervals, notation and the staff.
How Musical Intervals Are Measured: Semitones, Names and Sizes
Learn how musical intervals are counted, named and measured in semitones, plus which intervals sound consonant and why their frequency ratios matter.
BasicsReading the Staff and Clefs: Lines, Spaces, Ledger Lines and Clef Signs
A clear guide to the five-line staff, the treble, bass, alto and tenor clefs, and ledger lines, with the note names you need to read music.
Scales & Modes
Major, minor, modes and exotic scales.
How the Major Scale Is Built: The Whole-Whole-Half Pattern Explained
Understand the major scale step pattern, why half steps fall between degrees 3 and 4 and 7 and 8, and how to build a major scale from any starting note.
ScalesNatural, Harmonic and Melodic Minor Scales Compared With Examples
Compare the three minor scale forms, see their step patterns in A minor, and learn why harmonic and melodic minor exist alongside the natural minor scale.
Chords
Triads, sevenths, extensions and voicings.
How Triads Are Built: Major, Minor, Diminished and Augmented Chords
Learn how triads are stacked from thirds, how the four triad qualities differ in semitones, and how to spell each one from any root note.
ChordsSeventh Chords Explained: Major, Dominant, Minor and Half-Diminished Sevenths
Learn how seventh chords add a third above a triad, the semitone pattern of each common seventh type, and how to spell them from any root.
Harmony
Progressions, cadences and functional harmony.
How Cadences Work: Authentic, Plagal, Half and Deceptive
How cadences work in tonal music: why the authentic cadence closes most strongly, and how half, plagal and deceptive cadences change an ending.
HarmonyRoman Numerals Explained: Reading Chords in Any Key
Roman numeral analysis labels each chord by its scale degree and quality, so you can read progressions in any key and see how harmonic function works.
Rhythm & Meter
Time signatures, syncopation and groove.
How Syncopation Creates Groove: Off-Beat Accents Explained
Syncopation places accents on weak beats or off-beats against the meter. Learn the main techniques, the backbeat, anticipation, and how they drive groove.
RhythmHow Time Signatures Work: 4/4, 3/4, 6/8 and Beyond
Learn what the top and bottom numbers of a time signature mean, how simple and compound meters group beats, and why 6/8 and 4/4 feel different.
Songwriting
Melody, form and turning theory into songs.
Common Song Forms Explained: Verse, Chorus, AABA and 12-Bar Blues
A practical guide to common song forms: verse-chorus, AABA, 12-bar blues and binary structures, with how each section works and where the bridge fits.
SongwritingHow Melodic Contour Shapes a Tune: Arch, Wave and Climax
Melodic contour is the overall rise and fall of a tune. Learn the main shapes, where the climax belongs, and how steps and leaps shape a melody.