Post-Tonal Theory: Pitch Class

Today we begin looking at Post-Tonal Music Theory (or, fourth semester theory). Atonal music can be super confusing at first. Don't worry, we're starting off slow: we're just looking at Octave Equivalency and Pitch Class today.

MUSIC COMMUNITY
_____________________

COURSES AND RESOURCES
____________________________

CONNECT WITH ME
________________________________

Hey, I'm Jesse, a composer and music theorist. I believe that Music Theory is a practical and valuable artform for all musicians throughout their lifetime. On this channel, I am making videos to help all musicians grow in their understanding of music theory and how it can make them a better musician.

[xMonad]

Thanks for taking the time to do this.

[monroe]

Hey thank you so much for making this series, I am studying to test out of a Harmony IV class to graduate on time from college and you are am absolute life saver!!!

[kentbrooks]

This just took me back to Dr. Ingrid Arauco's 20th Century Theory Class at UNC-Chapel Hill. It was an experience!

[paxwallace]

I just want to make the observation that the hippist recapitulation of post 12 tone advanced tonality happened and continues to happen via jazz. Like the mid 60s ballads "Iris" or "Fall" by Wayne Shorter or the Arrangements for Miles by Gil Evans, or most things by Kenny Wheeler and/or John Taylor, and Ralph Towner. Or Phronesis more recently or Marc Coplands polytonal interpretations of Jazz Standards like Blue and Green. And selected non commercial things by Chick Corea like Now he Sings Now he Sobs. Or 3 Quartets

[tubeamp]

Dang im confused and i thought i was beginning to grasp music theory rather well.

[intranexine]

As a hobby Dubstep producer that got into music theory only after already messing with a DAW for about a year, most of this feels actually pretty intuitive to me.
In a pianoroll there is no sharps AND flats, only one or the other, and they are just funky names for 5 of the twelve notes to me, not really related to the Note they're named after.
Learning things like a minor 7th being 10 semitones was actually really important for me to make sense of regular music theory so 1-3 being 10 actually seems immediatly familiar to me.
It's interesting how your introduction to composition shapes your way of understanding it. It seems like sheet music really shapes the understanding of pitch of those that learn it before another method of transcribing music. I basically think in midi and didn't really believe people could see Bb and A# as anything but an unnessecarily confusing double naming, but it seems there is really a difference to people that grew up learning sheet music.
My favorite pitch class, if I understand this right, is definitely 1, clichet for Dubstep, I know, but still, love it.

[joshuabroyles]

My favorite pitch class is 9. Not a very exciting answer, I know. But it's an extremely common pitch class for reasons.

[numberTurboFan]

pretty sure you can email food using amazon

[philipgreenwood]

I'm trying to convert scale degrees into integer notation to create melodic combinations. Then hit problems

Take EFG musical notes
These could be scale degrees 1-b2-b3, 3-4-5, etc. Nice, it's easy
So I then convert into integer notation:
0, 1, 3
Easy

But, when I start making melodic combinations things go awry:
1 b2 b3 = 0, 1, 3
b3 b2 1 = 3, 1, 0 OR 0, 10, 9 ?
b2 b3 1 = 1, 3, 0 OR 0, 2, 11 ?
Do I set the first note as 0 or not?

Then when I move octaves I cannot indicate this.
Or with 0, 1, 3 how do I know this is an ascending melody and not jumping up and down octaves?

I want to use integer notation but the problems above make it difficult

[robertcass]

Hey I am Just Here, But I keep coming back! He's is a Brainy Act

[derekdouglas]

My favorite pitch class has to be a Cx#

[mikegeld]

Dude, , , , I got nothing from this, I think u made it all up 👎