Music Theory Simplified

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About Course

Music theory often feels like a puzzle with a few too many pieces. ‘Music Theory Simplified’ offers a new perspective and turns ‘theory’ into something you can easily understand and practically apply. Created by a professional music composer, this approach focuses on most musicians’ search for the practically usable intermediate to advanced components of theory in the real world. With countless deconstructions and examples of popular Indian songs and without the jargon, this course is designed for anyone who loves popular Indian music and wants to learn more about music theory in an enjoyable way while starting from the basics.

[Captions and quizzes are being added to all courses and will be available soon]

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What Will You Learn?

  • The Physics of Sound: Understand the 12-note Equal Temperament system, the science of frequency and how it contrasts with Indian Classical tuning.
  • Intervals & Intuition: Move beyond "semitone maths". Learn to identify intervals by their emotional quality, internalising the DNA of melody and harmony.
  • Scales & Modes: Master the Major, Natural, Harmonic and Melodic Minor scales. Explore specific moods using Modes to expand your emotional palette beyond the standard box.
  • Chord Architecture: Construct complex chords, from suspended chords to the tension of Diminished chords and lush Extensions (7ths, 9ths, 11ths).
  • Functional Harmony: Understand why chords create tension and release. Master concepts like Secondary Dominants and Inversions to create smooth, professional voice leading.
  • Cinematic Techniques: Learn the "dark arts" of composition, including Chromatic Mediant Modulation, Negative Harmony and how to distinguish between true Modulation and Borrowed Chords.
  • The Circle of Fifths: Master this essential map to navigate key changes, calculate sharps/flats instantly and understand harmonic relationships for songwriting.
  • The Energy Graph: Arrange tracks effectively by visualising dynamic curves. Learn to structure Verses, Choruses and Bridges to manage listener gratification and energy flow.
  • Melodic Craft: Discover the strategies behind memorable melodies, utilising Motifs, Contour and phrasing.
  • Texture & Counterpoint: Create rich, professional arrangements by layering independent melodic lines (Counterpoint) rather than just relying on block chords.
  • Rhythm & Notation: Navigate complex Time Signatures (4/4, 6/8, 7/8), rhythmic subdivisions and gain a working knowledge of reading notes on the staff.
  • Analyse the Hits: Modern Classics (Rehna Tu, Tamizha Tamizha / Bharat Humko, Roja, Airtel Tune, Dil Chahta Hai, Kaisi Hai Yeh Rut, Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin, O Re Piya) and Retro Gems (Nakhrewali and Tere Bina Jiya Jaye Na).
  • Professional Case Studies: Step inside a working professional's studio. Explore the actual DAW sessions of original ad campaigns (including Cadbury and Good Knight) to see how a composer interprets briefs and crafts a complete narrative in 30 seconds.
  • The Indian Context: A unique approach that connects Western Music Theory concepts to their Indian parallels, relating Major/Minor scales to Thaats and intervals to Shuddha/Komal Swaras, making complex theory intuitive for musicians with an Indian musical background.
  • The Technical Foundation: Gain essential knowledge of Digital Audio (Sample Rates, Bit Depth, Quantisation) to ensure productions meet professional technical standards.

Course Content

Music Theory Simplified
Music theory often feels like a puzzle with a few too many pieces. 'Music Theory Simplified' offers a new perspective and turns ‘theory’ into something you can easily understand and practically apply. Created by a professional music composer, this approach focuses on most musicians’ search for the practically usable intermediate to advanced components of theory in the real world. With countless deconstructions and examples of popular Indian songs and without the jargon, this course is designed for anyone who loves popular Indian music and wants to learn more about music theory in an enjoyable way while starting from the basics.

  • 1. Why Music Theory
    01:01
  • 2. The Keyboard
    02:33
  • 3. The Tuning System and The Basics of Sound
    02:40
  • 4. Intervals
    11:55
  • 5. The Major Scale
    13:27
  • 6. Triads
    15:27
  • 7. Harmonizing a Scale
    14:24
  • 8. Intervals Continued with Song Examples
    17:19
  • 9. Natural Minors, Relative Minors and Parallel Minors
    05:33
  • 10. Learning through Deconstruction – O Re Piya
    01:47
  • 11. Harmonic Minor Scale and Suspended Chords
    09:19
  • 12. Melodic Minors
    03:27
  • 13. Learning Through Deconstruction – Functional Harmony and Tamizha Tamizha: Bharat Humko (Part 1)
    29:37
  • 14. Extended Chords and Whole Tone Scale
    04:59
  • 15. Learning through Deconstruction – Inversions and Nitin’s Cadbury Ad 1
    13:33
  • 16. Functional Harmony in Minor Scales
    06:50
  • 17. Modes
    21:38
  • 18. Learning through Deconstruction – Dil Chahta Hai
    26:48
  • 19. Learning through Deconstruction – Modulation and Rehna Tu
    21:01
  • 20. Enharmonic Nomenclature
    02:50
  • 21. Circle of Fifths – Sharps
    12:03
  • 22. Pentatonic Sclaes, Blue Note and 12 Bar Blues
    09:43
  • 23. Learning Through Deconstruction – Chromatic Mediant Modulation
    29:20
  • 24. Learning Through Deconstruction – Extended Chords and Tamizha Tamizha: Bharat Humko (Part 2)
    09:09
  • 25. Secondary Dominants
    11:39
  • 26. Advanced Modes and Scales
    07:29
  • 27. Circle of Fifths – Flats
    06:32
  • 28. Initial thoughts on melody
    05:12
  • 29. What Makes a Good Melody
    22:52
  • 30. Diatonic Chords of the Harmonic Minor Scale
    13:46
  • 31. Notes on the Staff
    05:40
  • 32. Time Signatures and Rhythm
    41:01
  • 33. Tone, Timbre, Texture and Counterpoint
    09:54
  • 34. Cadence
    16:45
  • 35. The Old Way of Naming Harmonic Inversions
    01:55
  • 36. Half Cadence – More Examples
    04:28
  • 37. Learning through Deconstruction – Nakhrewali
    11:58
  • 38. Learning through Deconstruction – Nitin’s Cadbury Ad 2
    15:17
  • 39. Advanced Modulation Trick
    09:18
  • 40. Learning through Deconstruction – Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin
    25:55
  • 41. Modulation vs Borrowed Chords
    01:45
  • 42. When is a Relative Minor Movement a Modulation?
    02:31
  • 43. How to Know Whether It Is a Modulation or Tonicization
    00:43
  • 44. Triads vs Extensions
    03:15
  • 45. Learning through Deconstruction – Nitin’s Good Knight Ad
    23:01
  • 46. How to Get Inspired
    10:26
  • 47. Random Thoughts
    08:41
  • 48. Structure – The Energy Graph of a Song
    10:48
  • 49. Negative Harmony
    14:28
  • 50. Bonus Content – Audio Basics
    11:25
  • Music Theory Simplified – Session Notes

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