Do you know music theory?

[malform11]

Dozens of cultures developed their music system, independently. They all arrived at a basic 12-tone scale, with a few quartertones (example: in blues, a slight bend of the minor third.)

In physics, one must obey all laws simultaneously. In music, one can break other laws if they abide by only one law.

(example: slides and bends hit countless tones between scale notes)

When I transcribe guitar music, I run into this often. A  previous transcription train-wreck, which attempted to transcribe in Aflat or Eflat.

Guitarists tune a guitar down a half step rather than play in flat keys. Transcribing for a flattened instrument always makes the transcription accurate and playable.

Keyboards like wierd keys, Cm or Bflat. The guitar player would play C#minor or B with a flat guitar.

On guitar, the standard scales and chords are easy to follow and remember.

Stringed instruments also tend to rely on open notes.

Exotic chords are realized by fingering part of a chord allowing open strings to ring. In the key of E one can drone the open E and B with their chords, creating 6th, 9th, 11, or 13 chords without having to think about them.

There are four basis forms of music, exotic scales conform, as a variation, to one of them. Major, dominant, minor, and diminished.

Variations are like Major/minor, playing a minor 3rd and a Maj 7th, or a minor 2 and regular third.

The third determines minor. The seventh determines major.

Major tends to be soothing, happy, but maybe a little complicated. Stairway to heaven, Under the Bridge. Most rock songs are dominant, simpler, and allows for easy pentatonic fills and solos ACDC. Rhythmes can be a little darker,like Pink Floyd.E F# G F#.

Minor is darkest, or most emotional. Some Floyd, Alice in Chains, Megadeth, Spanish and classical guitar.

Diminished in rock is usually only the diminished note, 5flat. Metallica.

Truly diminished is normally only found in classical music, or some complicated Jazz. Primus is the only band i know of that writes in diminished (like the theme to SouthPark). Notice how quirky they sometimes sound?

The universiality of music fascinates me. Unless you believe that the laws of physics are different in different ares or at different times, you should understand that laws of music would be the same anywhere or anytime throughout the universe.

Most people never get off the starting line with Alien existance. They spend a lifetime saying, i thing aliens exist. They never say, so if they exist, then what?

Intellectuals, investigators, inventors, writers, etc, can entertain a thought without believing in it. This is neccessary to be objective, and examine all possiblities without prejudice.

You don't argue against the premise, that defeats the purpose.

The premise, for those who can handle it without throwing a fit, is that aliens exist. Then what?

 Any being that can come all the way here should be smarter than we are. [if that hurts, then you have an ego problem]. On Earth, intellegent creatures of all kinds are known for their play time. Aliens logically should be more thoughtful artistic, creative just as the smarter people on Earth tend to be.

 In the movies aliens have personalities, senses of humor, play weird music like in the Cantina in Star Wars, or 10 forward on Star Trek.

Yet people eventually leave the theatre, or turn off the TV. They then revert to the belief that aliens are quiet, mindless people in grey suits who do nothing but pilot small UFO's by mind control. They don't love their mates or kids or have any arts, sports or culture.

Assume that there are aliens, and they are not mindless. i would love to hear their music, watch their programs and hear their jokes.






 

Edited July 30, 2017 by malform11

[Thoth101]

I play guitar when I can find some time. I know some theory. I usually warm up with scales. I really like the A minor and the E minor. It helps to have all the keys memorized on the fret board. The good thing about the guitar because it is the same from 0 to 12 then 12 to 24 if you have 24 frets which I like to have. I have a Gibson Les Paul double cut.