Music Theory 101: From Keys And Scales To Rhyth... May 2026

This guide covers the essential building blocks of music. Think of these as the "alphabet" and "grammar" of the language of sound. 1. The Foundation: Notes and Intervals

A (Semitone) is the smallest distance between two notes (e.g., C to C#). Music Theory 101: From Keys and Scales to Rhyth...

Sharps raise a note by a half step; flats lower it by a half step. 2. Keys and Scales This guide covers the essential building blocks of music

When you play three or more notes at once, you create a chord. The Foundation: Notes and Intervals A (Semitone) is

The set of sharps or flats at the beginning of a staff that tells you which notes to play throughout the piece. 3. Rhythm and Meter Rhythm is how music is organized in time. The Beat: The steady pulse you clap along to. Note Values: Whole Note: 4 beats Half Note: 2 beats Quarter Note: 1 beat Eighth Note: 1/2 beat Time Signatures: The two numbers at the start of a piece.

A (Whole tone) consists of two half steps (e.g., C to D).