Music Theory Without Headaches
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
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1:26 Your doggy looking at you while you play piano is sooo cute
Bobby 🐶❤️
He sure enjoys Nahre's playing.
Oh.
I thought it was a funny looking cat. 😂
Watch this comment get more thumbs up than all of the comments about the fabulous music lesson! :)
He looks super confused, like ‘this Sonata’s in C *major*, what’s going on?’
5:50 I find it easiest to hear the modes by playing all of them in the same key. That was when i truly started to hear the difference
7:10 You always play the most beautiful examples, which, I'm guessing are your own compositions or improvisations. So emotional and colorful.
Nahre Sol never gives me a headache.
Whew! 🙃
_mic drop_
This is incomprehensible for anyone who doesn't already know this stuff, and is very far from making things "easy." It's the opposite, in fact. This is the way to make understanding the rules of harmony as difficult as possible.
Sorry to hear! :(
@@NahreSol In case you are interested, my comments aren't in the purpose of insulting you personally. They really aren't. I'm just distressed at how poor of a grasp music teachers have on music. It's a widespread problem that has made learning music much more difficult than it actually is. You don't have to believe this remark, and you can chalk it up to me being egotistical if you want, but if you had a two hour music lesson with me you would be a little crushed to realize how cheated you and so many others have been.
Yeah, I'd have to agree with this. Just start with the basics of what intervals are and how the different interval spacings in a scale give it a different emotional feel. And then how the spacing of the intervals in a key build the different chords in that key. I liked hearing the song variations using different scales/modes as they give a good example of the emotional results of the different intervals, but that's several steps further down the road.
Good teaching Nahre! Frank Gambale ( famous guitar virtuoso ) once said "Modes should be called Moods." You kind of bring that out in your history section of the Church Modes. I refer to that when teaching modes and I reorganize them from brightest to darkest, starting each one on the same root note. It helps the student in memorizing the formulas.
Thank you!!!
Great "little guy" placement in the shot. Makes it even easier to understand.
Bobby says hi! 🐶
That Lydian Mozart is sooo goood!
Thank you!!
It’s very John Williams
The artist and piano teacher that we all needed years ago. At least I can play some catch up now. Thank you Nahre.
I really appreciate that… Have a great weekend!
I’m a composer, but sometimes I feel like a fraud. The reason is that I have a fairly weak grasp of music theory. Most of what I do is intuitive. Somehow, people have liked it enough to hire me. So I really appreciate this. Anything I can learn makes me stronger. I do know what modes are, but I didn’t really grok what they meant until I found myself composing something in mixolydian. I didn’t know it was mixolydian at the time of course. I just knew it sounded like I wanted. But that can only get you so far. Actually knowing what you’re doing is a far better way to go about things. Thanks.
Nothing about music is inherently theoretical or logical. Music theory is a product of the human need to name and label absolutely everything bc not knowing something scares us. Intuition is what music has always been about. Sure, use music theory as a tool, but don't ever doubt your own validity as a composer/musician again, just because you don't have a grasp of the, frankly, often very arbitrary rules and concepts people have come up with in an attempt to make sense of it all. Some of the most musical people throughout our planet's history couldn't even read music. Good luck
Thank you for your personable comment…!! I agree with you - anything we can learn just strengthens what’s already there inside of us!
@@euomu Everything about music is logical - it's a sort of an abstract language using patterns. Music as well as language and math, is an expression of the universal principles our mind works by. Theory is the rationalization and categorization of those principles. It's the science or grammar of music.
I think the most nuanced perspective on theory versus intuition, is that sometimes you need theory to help you when intuition or inspiration isn’t quite enough. This is very true if you’re a media composer, who works on a deadline. Sometimes, the creative juices just don’t cooperate.If you have some music theory in your toolbox, then you can kind of reverse engineer something. By which I mean, use some music theory as a kind of proscriptive rather than descriptive set of rules.
@wingflanagan music theory helps you expand the scope of your intuit.
When you have nice little labeled packages in which you can instantly compress music you're looking at, you can "zoom out" much more comfortably with all the pieces still making sense.
With that, your intuit and creativity will still be able to work because everything will be simpler and more digestible.
It's basically the difference between trying to tweak spaghetti code vs tidy code.
Music theory just despaghettifies what you see in a piece.
genuinely the best way i've ever seen this topic explained. it never really clicked before, despite reading on it over and over, but you did it so directly and concisely. the use of tetrachords as a simple rule for breaking down the scales and the argument of colour vs chord language for deliniating modes modes scales has completely lifted the fog for me. thank you, this is exciting
Thank you kindly!!
Those examples toward the end were especially helpful for me to distinguish color in different contexts! Thank you for all the extra effort to so often include those sorts of demonstrations!
I appreciate it, thank you!!
So so so helpful! Thank you, Nahre! Your perspective on theory is so enriching for the music community! 😊
I appreciate it!
Nice video. In my opinion you can make things even simpler (beginner friendly) by distilling it down to a few rules of thumb:
- music tends to always contain tension and release, or the idea of harmonic resolution, most obviously the dominant V to I. This is like the foundation to almost everything that makes the music satisfying
- for each note in a key eg. C major, there is a chord starting on that note that serves some kind of harmonic role, and there's a lot of ways you can move between chords (chord progressions), but it basically always comes back to the idea of tension and release
- you can switch keys, aka modulation, and this can be done in an arbitrary way, but usually, at least in classical/romantic/baroque music, it's done with this idea of closely related keys, meaning keys that have almost the same key signature. Eg. c major and g major only differ in the F key being sharp or not. there are tricks to move between keys like this and it's incredibly common to see a piece modulate to the V, for instance start in Db minor and then the "B" section is in Ab minor. You can observe this all over the place, yet it's IMO subtle enough to not really ever be overused (compared to certain pop music tropes for instance)
- the melody is like the heart or emotional centerpiece of a piece of music, yet it tends to always serve the harmony, meaning you tend to find strong downbeats correspond to chord tones in the melody. However, you can also force the harmony to serve the melody, and I find this occasionally in jazz for instance
- each music theory concept can be a bit confusing, but try to understand it in the simplest terms, and make sure you process the knowledge through your ear always and not just, well, in theory. For any piece or song that you like, ideally if it sounds "simple", try to trace back what is happening to the theory concepts that you're comfortable with. You can do this purely by ear or with a score of course if you have one available and if you're more comfortable with that
- once you know the rules and can apply them at will, you can think about breaking them according to your own taste
- finally, try not to become a pure theory nerd, remember music is still about telling a story and having some emotional arc at the end of the day. Many great artists have done this with the absolute simplest compositions imaginable
Having learned scales first and learning of the existence of modes much later I came to see today’s scales as an outgrowth and streamlining of church modes. After listening to your examples of modes I regret having never been taught their applications. I rather enjoyed how you demonstrated them.
Your videos are always top tier, even the "simple" ones I still find something interesting to learn
amazing lessons ! thanks so much, it appears now to me much clearer !
Wait! Keep going with that sonata !
😅
The dog, listening to the music, is the living proof that even animals enjoy Mozart. :)
It's reported that cows and homeless people also do. I'm not one of all these, so I don't prefer that bratty court composer.
Except exceptions
Mozart sonata, but in minor. That's cool, and sheet music also. Nahre, you're fantastic!
I appreciate it!!
I cannot tell you how timely this video is because of work I’m doing on with my private Hugh school trumpet students - in music theory.
Context, relationships, tonal centers, have not been clear to them until recently.
We’re combining ear training and improvisation with learning chord changes, and a-ha moments happen most impactfully when they hear and see relationships at the same time.
My class has a thing where we choose a skill to develop for almost a whole school year and I chose music theory. Your videos and your book was really helpful! We're doing the presentation next week! Thanks for your help👍😄
It's fun seeing you describe tetrachords since I learned music by ear and improvisation AFTER classical piano lessons, and then I went to band in high school and more piano lessons. Seeing names to concepts I noted myself is always validating.. but also great for looking at this information from another angle. I now have a more lucid, aware view of what I already knew when I hear it told from another perspective. Thank you for your videos over the years.
I'm a simple man: a new Nahre Sol video = I watch
😊 Thank you…!!
💯
That Lydian and Dorian slapped! 😩😩😩 Thanks for teaching me tetra. This went over my head at uni.
So enlightenting and classy content just Nahre herself!
I think the concept of tetrachords is very useful and instructive. Very good vid as always.
Gorgeous examples! That sweater is so cute! 🧡❤️
Thank you for your videos. They’re so inspiring! I started a career in music when I was young, but had to drop it due to life. Now in my mid forties I decided to pick it up again! With a full time job I signed up for a class once a week! My teacher is great! I’m currently learning the Hayden concerto in D while working on other skills through smaller pieces and exercises, and my teacher is teaching me theory as well. Your videos help enrich his teachings! Through them I keep finding more depth in the music I’ve always loved. It fills my soul. So thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your wonderful knowledge and talent with us!
Thank you back!!!
that mozart sonata excerpt in all those different modes actually sounds really cool, and they dont seem to negatively impact the piece either!
Fantastic video!!! Thank You!!! The piano sounds far different when you touch it than when I do.
Yes ! 6:58 As a self taught amateur musician, this is the first time in years and tons of videos that I really feel like I understand what is a mode compared to a scale 😊 Thank you very much for your great pedagogical work that makes us understand and appreciate music better :)
Thank you so much. Tetra chords are like Tetris - amazed I unlocked all scales within minutes. Can’t wait to practice! I was worried to practice months 😅
Keep your great spirit and work 🎉
Illuminating!
This was awesome, It would be cool if you did something where you take a piece of music and put it in its relative key. That could be a series.
Any suggestions?? I did a mini version around 7 years ago 😅 time for a refresh
@@NahreSol Canon in D, Minuet, Moonlight Sonata, Ode to Joy, Fur Elise. When you did Mozart in Lydian it gave it a John Williams "ET" vibe.
As soon as the reading guide comes out I'ma buy all 3
Good job this is how modes should be analyzed. Showing chordal substitution changes the motif but has a trained ear curious!
Splendid
Appreciate it!!
Hi Nahre and Bobby, thank you for sharing an introduction to scales and modes! I love how it's structured with great demonstrations!!
Thank you!!!
Perfect timing, I've just had Boris Tchaikovskys modes stuck in my head for the last week, it's a very beautiful set that expertly demonstrates the modes in a musical context.
Thank you!!
After months of learning music theory for the first time I noticed a lot of things you mentioned.
Now I finally have the official name for when a minor scale turns oriental: Two different Tetrachords!
Your doggie is still expecting that treat!!
3:30 this sounds like some family-friendly movie ost. There are kids and a dog, maybe parents struggle to pay the mortgage this month but that's ok, they will figure something out.
I strongly disagree with presenting the modes using a single scale, eg C major. First, as you observe, it becomes hard to hear the mode without stating the root note. Second, it obscures the true ordering from bright to dark, which is Lydian, Ionian, Mixolydian, Dorian, Aeolian, Phrygian, Locrian.
If one first states that the modes can be derived from the white notes, but then says “but let’s listen to these all starting from the same note” one can give a much richer understanding.
The first thing we get is that to go from Lydian to Ionian we change the #4 to natural, to go from Ionian to Mixolydian we flatten the natural 7 to a dominant 7, to go from Mixolydian to Dorian we flatten the major 3, to go from Dorian to Aeolian we flatten the natural 6, to go from Aeolian to Phrygian we flatten the natural 2, and to go from Phrygian to Locrian we flatten the natural 5.
The first thing that jumps out is what are the characteristic intervals that distinguish the modes, eg that Aeolian and Dorian are both minor, but Dorian as a raised 6.
So with this presentation we can then see what are the differences in colour between the modes, order them in a coherent way, and see that fundamental pattern of 4, 7, 3, 6, 2, 5, 1 emerge in a different context. Then we can observe that if one flattens the 1 of eg C Locrian we get … B Lydian, and we observe that cycling through the 4, 7, 3, 6, 2, 5, 1 pattern cycles through all modes of all the major keys.
In short, trying to demonstrate the modes using a single scale a) makes it hard to hear (& identify) their true characters/differences, b) obscures lots of important information about choosing 7 from 12.
One question, isn’t four whole tones (as one sees in the first four notes of Lydian) also a tetrachord?
I always learn a lot here. I love your videos! Thank you, Nahre!
Nahre, you are incredible! Thank you so much for this video, it's so enlightening!
Ok, I know this is kind of a taster of a larger course, but for the video itself, I think it's a tried and failed experiment to expect anyone to realistically learn a single thing from a 10 minute video just going through from start to finish like this. If the rest of the course content it like this, that's concerning.
Yes, for people who already know it like us, it makes complete logical sense. But students just learning really do have to sit down and pause on, say, the tetrachord section, and do some exercises and activities to really nail the concept down; listening, reading, maybe writing, playing on their chosen instrument. Over days to absorb. Nothing ever gets done by just telling them and moving on. These videos come across basically just you reviewing your fundamentals to yourself.
Other assumptions such as where you say the b7 is 'less effective in this context' (3:00) - according to who? Why that assumption? To a beginner that's just as valid as the raised 7th. Same with describing Lydian as 'majestic'. It didn't sound majestic to me, tbh. Changing a single note does not make something majestic. Really, going into modes in a video targeted at beginners is going to give a LOT of headaches. To me I can hear Lydian coming from a mouse in a field, but to a newbie it's almost indistinguishable from Ionian.
I love what you do and all, but I tire of these music educational channels that seem to assume their students are musical geniuses can can just absorb everything in one breath. Adults will have a much better time with things like this but realistically how many adults are learning music theory?
Looking forward to voice leading and chord progressions -- music is dynamic !
Thank you for so much great information... I love your channel, your lessons and your dog too! Big fan!
Thank you so much for this clarification Nahre💕. It is life changing in such a good way of applying the approach! 💖
Thank you!!
I have been watching your videos for about a year now . Absolutely useful instruction and advice. First saw your happy birthday in the style of multiple composers - stunning ! 😀 . Now I have been playing or trying to play (lol) the Mozart k 545 for the past few months. Tonebase ( now life time member ) is helping a lot ! Ben Laude explained these in the intro class .. I hope you get to a million views ! Best of luck ..if you were in Durham NC - would camp outside for lessons .. Not sure if you teach older adults - but have a PhD in physics from my 20’s so may be able to learn a little bit .
Thank you kindly!!
03:30 | J'aime beaucoup cette idée. J'adore cette variante. Félicitation ;) et merci
Music theory has never given me a headache, I find it absorbing and highly interesting.
Great to hear 😄
I started learning piano 2 months ago. This is nice.
Thank you.
But this isn't for total beginners
Way too advanced for me. I need Music Theory for Super Idiots.😢
I appreciate keeping the doggy in frame
Remarkable!
I wish that I had had Nahre as my teacher when I was young(er)
Thank you!!
Thanks for a very interesting and informative video!
Did not expect to enjoy the harmonic minor version of Mozart's Sonata so much! haha
Thank you!!
Congrats Nahre , 🎉🎉🎉 on this session of piano pocket pedagogy, a well crafted and lively touch of knowledge plus fun 👍
Thank you very much!!
Nahre, you are a beast 🩵
Thank you this is wonderful !
I just learned that little furry sweet-faces enjoy music education.
Excellent lesson! Thank you! The Lydian version of the Mozart Sonata sounds amazing but then again each version sounded great! Thank you, again! I will be checking out your lessons!
Thank you kindly!! ☺️
Great job!
Wow! I'm a fan of Lydian Mozart! You're the best Nahre!
Thank you for the comment!! 😊
Thank you for this ❤
Thank you back ☺️
This dog is blessed to live with a pianist ❤
Someone told me that a mode is a permutation of existing scale and if the scale/mode cannot be created using a permutation (by staring from different place), it's a scale.
So in their view all modes are scales, but not all scales are modes.
I can't create harmonic minor from any permutation of natural major/minor, nor from any of the church modes, thus it's a scale. And harmonic minor has 7 modes of it's own that each cannot be created from the church modes etc.
But i'm not sure how accurate this description is, but it has served me well for now :)
Mozart Sonata in Lydian sounded awesome!❤
Thank you!!
Thank you so much!
Thank you back!!
4:09
Awesome, you played Mozart Sonata but Dorian again! I can't tell you how many times I've watched your original video where it first appeared.
Thank you!!
I’m sure I’m not the only one who had to watch again due to the puppy.
😊😊😊
Great as always, Nahre! I'm curious how you'd approach something that's clearly in a mode that's neither Aeolian nor Ionian, but still approaches the sonorities through a functional chord-progression-y lens. I know that historically that wasn't done--that functional chord-progression-y lenses come out of a two-mode world, but it is something one _can_ do! (Actually your Lydian Mozart, which is really lovely, could even count as an example!)
Insane respect for you mentioning “The Improvizer” that’s me.
😄
whatever video i watched about scales it was never complete, never the full picture, only some facts and examples. and here it comes again ...
Bobby follows this explanation better than I do. 😵💫😕
Give it another try! 🥲
"interesting" - puppy 1:40
This video feels like you have crammed in several videoes in the mentioned course into one - cutting examples where they feel needed, and not having talking explanations for some of the info on screen (for example the tetrachords in the mode examples, like phrygian tetrachord). I already know the theory of everything you spoke about, and I still found it hard to follow your leaps in this video. I have faith that your course is better structured - but then this is not the best way to market it. Making a video with a thourough beginning and then jumping to sneak peaks of the next steps/videoes in the course would have made me trust your pedagogy more. I really enjoy your focus on applying the theory to actual music (and you play and improvise wonderfully!), and I think you had some interesting ways to think about modes, so I think that with a bit more structure and a slower pace that your theory-vidoes can be really helpful and enjoyable for many!
Thanks. You have marked as característical of Locrian the b2, b3, b5, b6 and b7, I've always thought the I grade chord that is diminished as most caracteristical of Locrian but listen to your example I have felt really Locrian the use of the first note as pedal note and then the others intervals, very interesting! ❤
Thanks
Thank you back!!
The Mozart sonata in minor sounds AMAZING!
Thank you!!
This is for advanced beginners but Great
5:17 - I prefer starting each of the Church Modes from a common root note, such as C, so as to hear the differences between each Mode clearly.
Same! I talk more about it on my website series!
C IONIAN is the best way to identify it and thank you for all that your give
Thank you!!
I don’t understand why educators talk about the Locrian mode. It was never used in the Medieval or Renaissance periods (since it outlines a tritone). It actually is only used in 20th century music and even then, it is quite rare.
Huh. I did *not* expect Tetrachord theory to pop up. It's a really prominent feature taught in MENA region music (not always fixed on four notes spanning a fourth, mind), which just kinda tickles me.
Tetra chords are great imo! Any suggestions to learn more about MENA region music and its theory??
The problem with rethinking major topics like teaching music theory is that "how I wish I would have been taught" is rarely as effective as it first seems. The fact is you weren't taught that way and you did end up learning. Who's to say that the difficult path to your current understanding wasn't the best way for you to learn? Maybe struggling with concepts is the best way to learn because it builds a feeling of ownership and agency. Every study of teaching and learning ends up suggesting that the most effective methods are flexible and responsive to individual learners, rather than imposing smart ideas about how people learn.
Hi Nahre, a bit more meta-communication, I think, would make it clearer to the viewer why you're are jumping between the things you're jumping between.
The start of the video almost made me think you were going to play Bach's BWV 997 Fugue in C minor HAHA
New to music here now i can play mozart! Who knew it was this easy😅
Foi importante; Agradeço.!
Thank you!!
I once bought your warm up exercises based on the Chopin etudes, which were great. But I'm unconvinced this guide here would provide significant value to someone already familiar with the modes. The website says "Whether you're a beginner or experienced player, you'll deepen your understanding, improve technique, and make scales feel natural in your playing", but how so?
As for presenting the modes I think it would be easier to hear the differences if you would start every mode from the same note, C for example.
I go more in depth with that on my website series!
Well, let me see...
(a) Music theory is now a lot more complicated than I thought (or, to be honest, than I would have thought if I was new to it all),
(b) I've been introduced to a lot of stuff I really don't need to know to enjoy playing pieces,
(c) Still being something of a beginner, I have no idea why, in playing K545 in other modes, the intervals in the melody have been altered so dramatically. For instance, in the Lydian, the fourth note merely drops from the G to the F#, where in the original it plunges to the B a semitone below the tonic C. I would have thought it could more closely follow the original in form, and it sounds entirely surprising and transformed. Similarly, the Dorian example, although closer to the minor version, is significantly transformed, rather than having a couple of notes nudged. I intuitively realise this is because of "something" - that probably Nahre understands - while I'm just left clueless what that something is. Could she have made up two different altered versions? Five? 56? I have no idea what I'm supposed to even take away from this.
(d) I have no idea what I'm supposed to take away from this, what the POINT is of my encouragement to identify different modes in the first place? So I can write tunes in different modes? Does it matter a freaking damn what mode anything is in, if I like it, learn it, play it...? Why just focus on the heptatonic scales/modes, when Western music often at least nods to the East with pentatonics, and we've a hundred years or more of exploration in every other possible tonic permutation?
(e) I now have that godawful earworm in my head, again!
can we have that minor version in full please. I've always hated that Sonata for its silly upbeatness but in minor I love it! can we make AI rewrite it?
0:08 what's that piece? wonderful! I wonder what 8:38 was as well!
I feel like it says a lot about Mozart's music that you can change the mode and it sounds as if he wrote it in that mode. Like, that doesn't always work with any piece of music. A lot of songs will sound "off" in some way.
True!
Harmony can really cause headache i remember i had that the day before my exam 😅
Well done. My only comment is K545 in a minor is Beethoven lol.