Course Syllabus

<p id="">Introduction</p>

<p id="">In this lesson, we get an overview of the music theory course about to be presented. Daniel Lelchuk, Cello Lead at tonebase, gives us an overview of the course and explains why piano is the fundamental instrument with which to approach concepts of music theory.</p>

<p id="">Course Overview</p>

<p id="">In this course overview, Ben Laude sets the stage for an investigation into the remarkable system of tonality, especially music composed in major and minor keys. Using the keyboard as a convenient tool for visualizing tonal relationships, Laude emphasizes the importance of transposition in internalizing the basic concepts of music theory and putting them to practical use.</p>

<p id="">Whole Steps &amp; Half Steps</p>

<p id="">Whole and half steps are the building blocks of scales, which in turn generate the vast universe of tonal possibilities. In this lesson, Laude reveals the whole and half steps at play in “Happy Birthday” and other famous tunes, before showing the three simplest ways to step across an octave. In studying the chromatic, whole tone, and octatonic scales, Laude brings into relief the special properties of the major scale, the topic of the next lesson.</p>

<p id="">Cello: Whole Steps &amp; Half Steps</p>

<p id="">In this lesson, Daniel Lelchuk teaches us about the chromatic scale fingerings for cello. We also learn about the finger shape and distances the left hand fingers need to properly differentiate between whole and half steps.</p>

<p id="">The Major Scale</p>

<p id="">Of all the ways of stepping through an octave, the major scale has proven to be the most fruitful in the history of tonal music. In this lesson Ben Laude breaks down the crucial whole and half-step pattern that defines all major scales, and analyzes the scale degrees used in numerous tunes – from popular folk songs to famous melodies by Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven.</p>

<p id="">Cello: The Major Scale</p>

<p id="">In this lesson, we learn about the fingerings for major scales. We also learn how useful it can be to think about intonation in relation to the open strings.</p>

<p id="">The Major Scale (Further Practice)</p>

<p id="">Continue exploring the Major Scale with these further practice tips.</p>

<p id="">Minor &amp; Other Modes</p>

<p id="">While the major scale has given rise to a rich variety of music, it contains within itself an even greater genetic potential. In this lesson, Ben Laude takes you on a tour of the many colorful modes you can spin out of the major scale, culminating in the rich and complex minor scale.</p>

<p id="">Cello: The Minor Scale</p>

<p id="">In this lesson, we explore possibilities of "expressive intonation" via the various minor scales. Unlike the piano, string players have the ability to bend pitches based on the context and phrase, and Lelchuk encourages us to explore these expressive possibilities.</p>

<p id="">The Circle of Fifths</p>

<p id="">While studying whole and half-step patterns reveals how all major scales are fundamentally similar and transposable, the question remains how all these different scales overlap and interweave. In this lesson, Ben Laude shows how a given major scale shares segments with neighboring major scales. Using “tetrachords” and the principle of enharmonic equivalence, Laude shows you how to circumnavigate the circle of fifths through every major and minor key.</p>