So I'm taking Music Theory I next semester.

AiCPearlJamWeen

I go to a community college (MCC for whoever has heard of it) and I am now taking Guitar I which deals with basic EASY chords (which I have known forever, but the class is more for beginners who have never picked up a g-tar) and classical finger picking and note reading (why I'm taking the class).

Anyways next semester I am taking Music Theory I. I was just wondering what I should get down this summer to be prepared to help me ace the class and get the most from it? I'm psyched to learn theory because it will help me tremendously with improvising.

ianvomsaal

Funny, you're gonna find the Music Theory I class to be more of a piano based theory class.
You need to learn your Key Signatures and Time Signatures, Intervals, how to build chords,
and you'll need to learn to read notation, but you'll find it's all based on piano.

Dogman3

The guitar and piano are interlinked though. If you can play guitar, you can half-ass through a piano. I can atleast. I know what keys are what note, and how to form chords.

AiCPearlJamWeen

Yea I figured it would be piano based. I'm probably going to take Piano after this Music Theory class.

ianvomsaal

not really . . .
Every single written note can only be played in 1 place on the piano, whereas most notes can be played in several places on the guitar.
(example: C1 is only found in 1-place on the piano - I can play it in 5 places on my guitar).

BinFrog

Go into the class with a basic understanding of:

The major scale and what the modes are

Major and minor chords, and a few ways to play them

Arpeggios (just know what they are and how they relate to the major scale and the chords)

ianvomsaal

Generally a Theory-1 class is also combined with an Ear Training/Sight-Singing class.
Theory-1: You'll need to have a knowledge of Basic Note Recognition (different kinds of notes, rests, and how long each is held for), Key Signatures, Time Signatures, Chord Knowledge (Triads like: Major, Minor, Augmented, Diminished - you'll need to know how to build these types of chords), Scale Knowledge (Major and Minor Scales, which basically revolve around Key Signatures), Intervals (Perfect 5ths, etc), and Basic Scale Degree's like: Tonic, Supertonic, Mediant, Subdominant, Dominant, Submediant, Leading Tone or Subtonic), Notation (being able to recognize notes by pitch, and being able to write them correctly - which evolves into writing 4-part harmonies and Ear Training).
There’s a lot that goes into any Music Theory class (depending on who’s teaching it) - unfortunately (most of the time) unless you’re a Music Major the class won’t serve much purpose (generally Theory-1 preps you for Theory-2, which preps you for Theory-3, which preps you for Theory-4 - and as I said these classes are typically designed for Music Majors).

- Ian