MODUSMUSIC THEORY · PLAY · TOOLS · CREATEARTICLE LIBRARY
Articles, explanations and practical insight – from fundamental theory to composition.
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READING ORDER
Build a foundation with notes, triads and a first improvisation.
You do not need to know every name before you start playing. Begin with the distance between two notes – and listen to what it does to the music.
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A triad can change character when just one note moves a semitone. The third is a good place to start understanding chords.
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Building triads from scale notes gives you a family of chords. G major shows how notes, chord names and Roman numerals connect.
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The circle of fifths brings keys, key signatures and relative minors together in one map. Use it to understand chord connections, transpose your music and find a starting point.
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What do I, IV, V and ii–V–I mean? First learn to read Roman numerals and see how they describe the role of chords in any key.
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Before adding the seventh, understand the triad: major, minor, diminished, augmented, and their inversions.
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You do not need to use every note in the scale. A few notes, a clear rhythm and space between phrases are enough to get started.
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Connect chord colours, harmonic functions and modes.
Adding a seventh to a triad brings a new shade of colour. Chord symbols become easier to read when you distinguish the quality of the third from that of the seventh.
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Three chords can create a clear direction. Roman numerals show their roles in the key, so the same idea can move somewhere new.
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You can keep one familiar scale pattern through a progression while still following the harmony. The key is to see which notes in the pattern belong to the current chord.
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Starting a major scale on a new note shows how the modes are related. To hear a modal sound, that new note also needs to feel like the centre.
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Seven modes do not mean seven separate maps. Start with one pitch collection, learn to hear its tonal centre, and use characteristic notes to shape the sound.
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Keep E as home and compare C with C♯. Changing just one scale degree makes the difference between Aeolian and Dorian easier to explore with both your ear and your instrument.
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Go deeper into harmonic minor, voice leading and odd meters.
You can connect a progression by following the movement of each note. Some voices can stay in place while others move a short distance.
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A raised seventh gives minor tonality a clear leading note. The same notes can take on a very different character with the fifth degree as their centre.
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Seven eighth notes need not feel like a long count to seven. Small groups make it easier to find a groove and keep your direction.
Read articleREADING ORDER
Build a foundation with notes, triads and a first improvisation.
READING ORDER
Connect chord colours, harmonic functions and modes.
READING ORDER
Go deeper into harmonic minor, voice leading and odd meters.
LEVEL
Build a foundation with notes, triads and a first improvisation.
LEVEL
Connect chord colours, harmonic functions and modes.
LEVEL
Go deeper into harmonic minor, voice leading and odd meters.
TOPIC
Understand the distance between notes.
TOPIC
From triads to seventh chords.
TOPIC
Understand the connections between chords.
TOPIC
Explore note collections, tonal centres and characteristic notes.
TOPIC
Turn the note collection into your own phrases.
TOPIC
Find pulse, groupings and flow.
Try a different topic, level or search term.
16 complete English editions are available below. All 54 Norwegian originals are public.
A PATH TO FOLLOW
A suggested order through the articles. Start where it suits you — all topics are open.
Build a foundation with notes, triads and a first improvisation.
0 / 7 quizer fullførtView articles ↗︎02Connect chord colours, harmonic functions and modes.
0 / 6 quizer fullførtView articles ↗︎03Go deeper into harmonic minor, voice leading and odd meters.
0 / 3 quizzes completedView articles ↗︎The first article without a completed quiz. This order is a suggestion, not a requirement.
LEARN BY EAR
Take the idea further with piano maps, audio examples and practical chord shapes.
