The musical alphabet is the fundamental building block of music theory and the foundation for reading music, scales, and intervals. In this video we explore the sequence of the seven natural notes (A through G), how they repeat in cycles, and their relationship to sharps and flats.

The musical staff provides the fundamental framework used to write and read music notation. This lesson explains the five lines and four spaces of the staff, how notes are placed on it, and the importance of clefs in defining pitch.

Enharmonic equivalents can be thought of as two notes with the same pitch but different letter names and notations. Enharmonic equivalents are common in scales, chords, and key signatures, and are important for understanding harmonic context.

This video covers the fundamentals of basic rhythm, an essential element in music that organizes sounds through time.

Eighth notes are a common rhythmic value that divides the beat into two equal parts and can be used to create more active and syncopated rhythms.

A further subdivision of the quarter note, sixteenth notes divides the beat into four equal parts, creating fast and detailed rhythmic patterns in music.

The dot is a simple yet powerful musical notation symbol that increases a note’s duration by half its original value.

The tie is a curved line connecting two notes of the same pitch to combine their durations into one sustained sound.

Accidentals—sharps, flats, and naturals—affect musical intervals by raising or lowering notes and altering their quality and sound.

This lesson introduces you to musical intervals—the distance between two notes in pitch. The video explains how intervals are named, measured, and visually identified on the staff.

In this lesson we delve into the concept of musical intervals, focusing specifically on intervals of a second. An interval of a second occurs when two notes are one letter apart, such as D to E or B to C, spanning two positions on the staff.

In this lesson we focus specifically on intervals of a third. An interval of a third occurs when two notes are two letter names apart, such as A to C or G to B, spanning three positions on the staff.

Perfect fourths play a vital role in scale and chord construction. In this lesson we explore the concept of the Perfect fourth, one of the most common and stable intervals in Western music.

This lesson explores the perfect fifth—a foundational musical interval used in everything from classical harmony to modern pop. Spanning five letter names and covering seven half steps, the perfect fifth is one of the most stable and consonant intervals in music.

Used in chord construction and melodic phrasing, the interval of a sixth is a broad and expressive distance between two notes.

Important for understanding seventh chords and advanced music theory, the interval of a seventh is one of the widest and most dramatic intervals in music.

Recognizable by its strong sense of resolution and unity, the perfect eighth (also known as the octave) is a foundational and highly consonant interval in music.

Diminished and Augmented intervals are two essential but often misunderstood interval types. Building on Major, minor, and Perfect intervals, this video explains how these altered intervals are formed by decreasing or increasing half steps.

This video offers helpful tips and tricks for quickly identifying musical intervals with confidence and accuracy.

Ledger Lines are the short lines added above or below the staff for notes that exceed the boundaries of the standard five-line staff.

Major scales and key signatures are fundamental concepts in music theory that establish the tonal center and set the sharps or flats used throughout a piece.

The foundation for tonal harmony and key structure, the Ionian mode, which is identical to the major scale and serves as the foundation of Western tonal music.

Good for improvisation and alternative harmony, the Dorian mode is a minor-based scale with a unique, slightly brighter sound than the natural minor.

Great for creating dark, intense musical moods, the Phrygian mode is known for its dark, exotic sound, often heard in Spanish, metal, modal jazz, and Middle Eastern-influenced music.

Ideal for composing bright, ethereal melodies, the Lydian mode is a bright and dreamy scale built from the fourth degree of the major scale.

Popular for dominant-sounding harmonies and riffs, the Mixolydian mode is a scale that resembles the Major scale but features a lowered 7th degree, giving it a bluesy, dominant sound.

Essential for minor key compositions, the Aeolian mode (more commonly known as the natural minor scale) is often used for conveying sadness, tension, or introspection.

Explored in experimental and modal music contexts, the Locrian mode is the most unstable and dissonant of the seven modes.

Triads are the fundamental three-note chords that form the building blocks of harmony in Western music.

Chord inversions are variations of triads where different chord tones are placed in the bass position. Learning inversions is key for advanced harmony and arranging.

Recognized for its rich and mellow tonal quality, Major seventh chords are four-note chords built from the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th scale degrees of a corresponding Major scale.

Used extensively in jazz, soul, and R&B music, the Minor Seventh Chord is a warm and expressive four-note chord built from a minor triad and a minor seventh that conveys a moody, mellow, or soulful atmosphere.

Frequently used in blues, jazz, and classical cadences the Dominant seventh chord creates strong tension that resolves to the tonic and serves as a crucial harmonic tool in Western music.

Common in minor key progressions and jazz harmony, the Half Diminished Seventh Chord is a complex yet essential harmony often used in jazz and classical music.

Common in classical, jazz, and film music for modulation, the diminished seventh chord is a dramatic and highly tense four-note chord built entirely from minor thirds.