BasicTheory

Welcome to the basic theory section... this will take you through some of the easier parts to music theory. It is more suited to the 'beginners', but should help some of the more advanced folks remember the basics!

So, the chances are you're new to this whole music theory thing. You have maybe just started playing or have been playing for a bit of time but have never really grasped the theory behind it, or maybe you are just curious about what music is all about... hopefully this section will get you started on your way to total music enlightenment!

Probably one of the biggest challenges to any beginner is the ability to read music... of course, you won't learn it all overnight, because in learning how to read music you are actually learning a whole new language. Don't let this put you off though, because it doesn't take as long to learn as it sounds... here are the basics.

Note Values
Below we've got the 5 most common note values (there are others, but we wont go in to those just now).

Semibreve - sometimes referred to as a whole note, lasts the duration of four crotchet beats.

Minim - a half note, this lasts the duration of two crotchet beats.

Crotchet - a quarter note, each lasting one crotchet beat.

Quaver - this is an eighth note, each of these last one half of a crotchet beat.

Semiquaver - often referred to as a sixteenth note, it lasts a quarter of a crotchet.

So far you may realise that in fact, note values are related a lot to fractions. So if you're good at fractions, great! this may be a little easier for you. But if you're not then don't panic, because you can quite easily pick all this up without a real understanding of fractions. I was never that great at fractions myself, but I managed!