The Simple Math of Music Theory

Music theory is supposed to be hard - it's not. It's actually very simple. I teach you how to build the major and minor scales with very simple algebra.

[Dr_Kenneth_Noisewater]

I’m an engineer. I started learning guitar and eventually found a book on music theory that was tremendously helpful. I ended up with a spreadsheet with the modes, chords, scales, and a basic chord-builder, etc. I still can’t play guitar.

[chrisjoosten]

This only makes sense to those who have studied theory already. If you're a beginner, you're gonna end up a tad miffed by this guy, to put it lightly.

[joshuacampbell]

For those wondering how any of this could possibly be useful: Forming connections. Looking at topics from weird perspectives is fundamental to efficiently learning-by-doing and making personal breakthroughs, both in that topic and in others. As a kid you probably spent dozend of cumulative hours digging through your Lego bin looking for a specific brick and instead finding half the pieces you were looking for *yesterday*. Same deal with mental connections and especially breakthroughs, they appear most consistently when you're focusing on something else and some set of conditions triggers a sense of familiarity.

[Marco-kdjk]

These visualizations are phenomenal. Hope to see your channel grow more soon!

[richardrabatin]

Once you try to connect music theory to your ears, it's no long 8th grade math; it's years of work.

[briansansone]

The geometric visuals are great. It has helped me understand the relationship of the frets to the strings. I always wondered why a guitar seemed so different than a piano. I wondered why it's layed out like it is. Its the way it has to be for western music. This was enlightening.

[rodentdentia]

This video really makes the major scale visually understandable. The circles make it look sonic and they hit all the correct frets. A great bit of history in there too.

[chadgaliano]

That last complete image is astoundingly beautiful. It would be great wall art... serving as a functional reference also.
I've known of the relation of most of the harmonics on the strings, but never ever seen it laid out so visually stunning. I can see why it all makes sense now. Thank you!!

[dougwong]

wow, welcome back!
I just found your channel about a week ago and it has been a revelation. Just when I thought this had become a legacy channel and then this upload shows up. Please keep it up

[kodowdus]

Per Lydian chromatic theory, "the" major scale built on perfect fifths would be the Lydian scale. (And therefore, as Miles Davis once said, the center note of the piano keyboard should be "middle F" rather than "middle C"...!)

[hyungtaecf]

Thank you so much for this content. I really know a lot about music theory and had even studied about these measures before but it was the first time I realized the importance of the perfect intervals and their relation mathematically to compose the major and minor keys. You just helped me so much to organize all the content in my head. Thank you so much!

[trczztd]

This is absolutely golden. Thank you so much for this. That last picture I actually have done when working with geometry a couple of years back. This makes so much sense. Huge thank you

[DM-pvrw]

Thank you so much. I have always shied away from learning music theory because so much of it just seems like "memorize this" without explaining why. I can't tell you how many times my teacher just listed off the intervals, calling some major, some minor, some perfect, and just wanting me to know their names like it meant anything to me. So many things in music theory for me have just been "this is what we call it when this happens" and it feels like no matter how many things I memorize I still don't know how they fit together or what their purpose is. Thank you for explaining it like the science that it is, instead of making me learn it like a language.

[floridaman]

Amazing. The ends of the circles are also the natural harmonics, by touching strings there you set the string into another vibration mode. The visuals are beautiful too nice job!

[johanfreesk]

This is absolutely golden. Thank you so much for this. That last picture I actually have done when working with geometry a couple of years back. This makes so much sense. Huge thank you 🙏

[TheAkdzyn]

Hello,
I genuine enjoy the perspective you offer. I think anyone who complains that the video is unnecessarily complicated is unnecessary complicated themselves because, clearly, this video is about exploring music through a mathematical lens. It's meant to offer a different perspective to those who already know music theory not teach beginners the fundamentals. There are thousands of videos that explain music theory in "simple" ways on YouTube and having the choice to explore it this way offers unique insights for me. The diagram was especially appreciated.

However, I did note one error worthy of correction: The etymological roots of the term scale in music are not from weights but late middle English from the Latin word "scala" meaning ladder. I'd also appreciate also appreciate recognition of the equal temperament and how, despite it being the standard, does not apply in this context. Thank you.

[LaLibertéEclairantLeMonde]

Pythagoras just adapted his maths to existing musical scales. He did not invented them as widely reported.
The picture next my username shows a statue of a man playing a harp.
This statue is dated 2800 BC. Do you think a harp can be constructed and played without the use of scales?
Now, Pythagoras lived some 2200 years after that statue was made.
So little we know about history

[jimofaotearoa]

I saw a Luthier do something similar once with a compass and protractor ... he was working out the spacing of the frets so i'd imagine he was just working out step one of this same system. Very interesting video. Seeing it all visually explained like that is mindblowing. Well done.

[hjvarfjell]

I just stumbled across this channel and it's just awesome. For us who need to know why things are the way they are, as opposed to just read and rehearse rules or facts, to be able to learn them this is gold. Thank you. Now comes the question. Why did you stop and where did you go? You truly made some really good and useful videos. So if you ever decide to make some more I'm sure a lot of people would be happy.

[alexandrepoisson]

Terrific video. Thank you 🙏 In fact the very BEST that I’ve found, on where the major scale comes from, and why. The circles do really help!