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Theory Lessons
Theory Lessons lessons available through Curt Sheller Publications
What is Music Theory?
It's more like Music Fact!
Theory is the body of principles behind music. It includes scales and chord building, intervals, progressions, resolution, harmony, motion, power, color, chord substitution, keys and time signatures, rhythm, melody, etc.
Chord Spelling - An Alternate Approach
Lesson Code: ML02
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
The quickest and most directy way to determine the chord tones of any chord are to use the scale degrees of its major scale. For a major triad the chord tones are the 1st, 3rd and 5th scale degrees of its major scale. For a minor triad you simply flat the 3rd.
For a C major chord the 1st, 3rd, and 5th of the C major scale (C D E F G A B C) are the C E and G. For C minor it's C Eb and G.
By memorizing one sequence of notes, your major scales and a few chord building rules we can learn to spell ANY chord.
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Demystifying Cut Time by Chuck Anderson
Lesson Code: ML04
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Cut Time is a source of confusion for many musicians. What exactly does it mean and how do you apply it?
Too often cut time is thought of as having two beats in a measure. There are not two beats in a measure of cut time - there are four beats in a measure of cut time. So what makes cut time any different than common time 4/4 time?
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Lesson Info
Ear Training is the development of the active and passive capability to relate to music aurally. This includes the ability to recognize melodic and harmonic intervals, chords, chords progressions, rhythm, melody and harmony.
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Lesson Info
An Enharmonic Equivalent is where a musical pitch can have different names depending on the context in which it is functioning. An example is G# produces the same pitch as Ab.
Enharmonic equivalents will sound the same but are notated differently using standard music notation.
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Lesson Info
There is a load of information in traditional Key Signatures. Unlocking the principles in this circle leads to a better understanding of music and how think work.
A key signature is a series of sharp or flat symbols placed on the staff, designating the notes that are to be consistently played higher or lower than the equivalent natural notes. Key signatures are generally written immediately after the clef at the beginning of a line of musical notation. Each major and minor key has an associated key signature that sharpens or flattens the notes which are used in its scale.
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Key Signatures - A Major and F Sharp Minor
Lesson Code: UL47
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for A Major and F Sharp Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
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Key Signatures - Ab Major and F Minor
Lesson Code: UL55
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for Ab Major and F Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
Lessons Link
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Key Signatures - B Major and G Sharp Minor
Lesson Code: UL49
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for B Major and G Sharp Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
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Key Signatures - Bb Major and G Minor
Lesson Code: UL53
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for Bb Major and G Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
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Key Signatures - C Flat Major and A Flat Minor
Lesson Code: UL58
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for Cb Major and Ab Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
Lessons Link
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Key Signatures - C Flat Major and A Flat Minor
Lesson Code: UL58
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for Cb Major and Ab Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
Lessons Link
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Key Signatures - C Flat Major and A Flat Minor
Lesson Code: UL58
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for Cb Major and Ab Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
Lessons Link
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Key Signatures - C Flat Major and A Flat Minor
Lesson Code: UL58
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for Cb Major and Ab Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
Lessons Link
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Key Signatures - C Major and A Minor
Lesson Code: UL44
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for C Major and A Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
Lessons Link
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Key Signatures - C Sharp Major and A Sharp Sharp Minor
Lesson Code: UL51
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for C Sharp Major and A Sharp Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
Lessons Link
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Key Signatures - D Flat Major and B FLat Minor
Lesson Code: UL56
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for Db Major and Bb Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
Lessons Link
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Key Signatures - D Major and B Minor
Lesson Code: UL46
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for D Major and B Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
Lessons Link
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Key Signatures - D Major and B Minor
Lesson Code: UL46
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for D Major and B Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
Lessons Link
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Key Signatures - E Major and C Sharp Minor
Lesson Code: UL48
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for E Major and C Sharp Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
Lessons Link
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Key Signatures - Eb Major and C Minor
Lesson Code: UL54
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for Eb Major and C Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
Lessons Link
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Key Signatures - F Major and D Minor
Lesson Code: UL52
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for F Major and D Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
Lessons Link
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Key Signatures - F Sharp Major and D Sharp Sharp Minor
Lesson Code: UL50
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for F Sharp Major and D Sharp Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
Lessons Link
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Key Signatures - G Flat Major and E Flat Minor
Lesson Code: UL57
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for Gb Major and Eb Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
Lessons Link
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Key Signatures - G Flat Major and E Flat Minor
Lesson Code: UL57
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for Gb Major and Eb Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
Lessons Link
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Key Signatures - G Major and E Minor
Lesson Code: UL45
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Learn the recognize the key signature for G Major and E Minor. Learn their corresponding Major and Natural Minor scales with basic ukulele chords for each scale.
Lessons Link
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Practice Cycles and Sequences
Lesson Code: UL18
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Sequences and cycles for practicing scales, intervals, melodic sequences and arpeggios.
These sequences also help in learning where any interval is of a given note, the chord tones of chords and aide in memorizing scales.
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Lesson Info
The Major Scale or Ionian scale is a diatonic scale, made up of seven distinct notes, plus an eighth which duplicates the first one octave higher. In solfege these notes correspond to the syllables "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti/Si, (Do)", the "Do" in the parenthesis at the end being the octave of the root.
The simplest major scale to write or play on the piano is C major, the only major scale that does not require sharps or flats. The C major scale uses only the white keys on the piano keyboard.
Lessons Link
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Understanding Chromatic Intervals
Lesson Code: UL31b
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
An interval is the distance between two notes. An interval has a name and a type.
Chromatic Intervals are NOT taken from a major scale. They are derived from the diatonic intervals.
Lessons Link
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Understanding Interval Inversion
Lesson Code: UL31c
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
Inverting intervals using the Rule of Nine.
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Lesson Info
An interval is the distance between two notes. An interval has a name and a type.
Simple Diatonic Intervals are taken from a major scale.
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Which Way Is Up? - Up, Down, Ascending, Descending, etc...
Lesson Code: UL32
Published: December 31, 1969
Updated: December 31, 1969
Lesson Info
What is up, down, higher, lower, top, bottom, ascending, descending on a ukulele? Up, down, higher, lower, top, bottom, ascending, descending should refer to musical pitch and not to direction as we know it. Up and higher refers to the raising of musical pitch. Down and lower refer to the lowering of musical pitch. Top refers to the upper note of a chord voicing or musical phrase and bottom refers to the lowest note.
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Hard Copy Book: $12.95
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Ukulele for Guitar Players
This book is for current and former guitar players discovering the ukulele for the first time or returning to the instrument.
Ukulele for Guitar Players is a guide to transferring the accumulated experience and knowledge gained as a guitar played to the ukulele. Or exploring the possibilities that the ukulele offer. Covers chords, scale and an introduction to reading standard music notation on ukulele.
The ukulele is both a different instrument than the guitar and at the same time a lot like the guitar.
Guitar players that also play the ukulele find that it gives them a different and fresh look at how they also approach the guitar.
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P.S. You may think from the look of it that Curt Sheller Publications is a slick, profitable business, but it's actually not (maybe a car payment a month, cheap car). I spend a lot and time money creating the content, lessons and books for this site (a labor of love), so if you dig my content and want to see more of it. I could use your help by spreading the word and maybe buying a book or two if you haven't already, to help defray the cost of running the site. Thanks in advance for your help. This is a labor of love and I'd do it even if I didn't make a lot of money, hey I don't!
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