If you're using this tutorial, I assume you already have an interest in music. Let me assure you that the more you learn about music theory, the easier learning an instrument, singing in a group, or helping kids with their music becomes. If you'll regularly spend time working on a lesson and completing the homework problems, you will be surprised at how fast you will become very knowledgeable in your new language…music.
Since the piano is a great way to understand the relationships of notes, I will regularly refer to it in diagrams while describing a note. Music is made up of notes, rests, and other symbols. Music theory, like every thing else, takes study and practice. Remember to often spend time going to previous lessons to review. If you're interested in music theory, it's probably a good idea for you to get a keyboard or piano for around the house. If it's not a major goal to become a pianist, you can just look in your local paper under the musical instruments section of the classifieds and probably see a used piano selling for as low as $300 - $400 within a month or so. If you don't have and will not be getting a keyboard or piano, you can just draw a larger scale of the piano graphic below and use that for the theory course. If you go to a music store and buy music paper for writing music, it will make going through these lessons a lot faster and easier.
The lessons will contain a lot of material and a lot of practice. It's not made to be understood and finished at one sitting. Take days or a week to spend time "learning" what's on the lesson before going to the lesson. If you spend 30 minutes on it three or four times a week, you should be able to start a new lesson each week.
Now, let's get on with learning Music.
dana@danalumley.com
© 2003 Dana Lumley
