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Finding Fifths

Lesson 9 from: Music Theory for Electronic Musicians

J. Anthony Allen

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Lesson Info

9. Finding Fifths

Next Lesson: Being "In Key"

Lesson Info

Finding Fifths

All right, let's talk a little bit more about how to find 1/5. So I've loaded up now just a piano sound. So I have here see C two so a fairly low see? So let's add 1/5 to it. So the fifth of see we learned was G. That's always going to be true. The perfect fifth above sea is G. But if we don't have that memorized, we can easily figure it out because we can count. 12345 So that puts me on G. That means it's a perfect fit, and that's what. Okay, let's try that again. Now remember, we only count the white notes, but this time let's start on D. Okay, let's find the perfect fifth above D. So same deal only counter white notes. 2345 Now I have ah, fifth above D. I have the interval of 1/5 is what we're gonna hear, hear extend that out so we can hear what that sounds like a little bit longer. Let's keep going. Here's an E. So if I want to find the interval above E. Of 1/5 12345 It's a B. Okay, Lets keep going. So if I have an f on I find 1/5 above that one, Teoh 345 It's a seat. Ah, a couple...

more, G, If I go fifth above that, I'm gonna end up on a D A. 1/5 above that is gonna Teoh e and I go 1/5 above Be counting only white notes. I have this. Okay, Now, you may have noticed if you were listening carefully that this one b and F sounds different than the rest. Um, let's go back, Teoh. So let's just listen to the quality of of the two notes here as the fifth of a Now listen to it. Here. It's a little grocer, right? This is actually fairly dissonant where the rest have this kind of very clean sound. The reason is, remember when I said this one the fifth is usually safe to add to something, um, but not as safe as inactive. You're never gonna hit a problem like this with an octave. But the reason is when we're in a key, Ah, which we are right now because we're only doing the white notes there's one spot and it happens to be right here in this key that the fifth doesn't work the way we expect it to work. This gets back to why we use the word perfect when we're talking about 1/5 right? Because all the fifth we've heard up till now have been perfect fifths. They have this very clean sound to him. This one, however, is not a perfect fifth. Ah, this is a different kind of fifth. If we wanted a perfect fifth, What we actually have to do is move this one up, 1/2 step on that gets us into a black note. Now it's going to be that perfect sound. Uh, so why is that? When different? Why does that have to go to a black note? Let me explain and to do, of thorough explanation of why that's true. We kind of have to bounce over and start talking about ah, what it means to be in a key. So put this B F situation on hold for just a minute, file that away in your head, and then we're going to jump over. We're gonna talk about keys and then at the end of talking about keys. I think you're going to see why we have to do this in this case. Hopefully if I do this well, this situation will make sense to you. Keep it in mind, though, as we're learning keys that as if when we count up on those perfect fifths, we get to be and it suddenly doesn't work. OK, keep that in mind as we move on to talking about what it means to be in a key and how to figure out what key were in.

Ratings and Reviews

exoslime
 

this is great and very helpfull class, i make and wirte music for more than 2 decades and never gave much about theory, i trusted my feelings to what sound good and what not. Bu t recently i became interested but it all seemed very difficult to me and i didnt got the points behind music theory and how everyhing works together. This class was a game changer for me.. music theory is so simple if you have somebody to explain it in words so that you finally can understand it, and thats Anthony, he is a brilliant guy and he explains it in a simple way that you can easily understand whats going on. This is perfectly the case with this course, the sections are short and to the point, not much talking around and leaving the path, you can make fast progress end learn how music theory works, this is a 5 Star ***** course and hopefully there is more to come

Emane Filali
 

Fabulous course. As a person with dyslexia, trying to remember the notes and chords as letters only is impossible. I love the visual way the chords are demonstrated and explained. I was originally put off by the "electronic" aspect, thinking it was only for learning how to use piano edit roller. However, as a beginner in playing the piano, this course is applicable to all who want to learn and understand music theory in an interesting visual way. Looking forward to next lesson. Will definately be purchasing the course after. Fantastic tutor and course.

Giulio Lazaretti
 

Very good class!! Makes it much easier to understand and apply the rules of theory. Anthony is also very wise to suggest to trust your ears, even if what you've written doesn't fit into those same rules. I am so very grateful for you putting this together, Anthony, and for making it available for the general public, Creative Live. I am also very glad I was given the opportunity to learn english in my home country (Brazil), in which many barely know how to read and write in our own native language (portuguese) due to our public education being so bad (which, by its turn, has to do with the myriad of vile creatures that inhabit our representative chambers). Tks XoXo!

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