To find out more about the Easy Music Theory course, click [here] Back to Past Issues page Easy Music Theory Newsletter Free, from Spring Day Music September 2002 To SUBSCRIBE to receive this newsletter in your email, go to www.EasyMusicTheory.com/newsletter.html The Easy Music Theory Newsletter September 2002 A Publication of Spring Day Music www.EasyMusicTheory.com (c)2002 Spring Day Music Welcome! This is the September edition of the Easy Music Theory Newsletter. It covers August/September, in case you were wondering what happened to the August edition. You're receiving this newsletter because you own Gary Ewer's Easy Music Theory on CD-ROM, or because you've signed up through our web site. Unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this newsletter. Try our Listening Challenge! How good is your ear? Well, you just might find out at http://www.EasyMusicTheory.com/contest.html July's contest was won by Robin Kirkey from Maryland, USA. Congratulations, Robin. A music CD is on its way to you now. If you think you just might be able to identify a waltz, well, go to http://www.EasyMusicTheory.com/contest.html and find out. <<< Did you know that you can view a demo video sample of the Easy Music Theory on CD-ROM? Just go to http://www.EasyMusicTheory.com and check the news section on the left of the page. >>>   ============================ IN THIS ISSUE 1. New Product Announcement: The Easy Music Theory Survival Guide 2. Four Sure-Fire Steps to Learning Music Theory 3. I Want Some Stuff! 4. You're in Good Company! 5. Beats and Breakdown Notes 6. Question of the Month: How Loud is Too Loud? 7. Skill-Testing Question ============================ 1. NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT: Presenting the Easy Music Theory Survival Guide. We've been working on this one for awhile. We call it the "biggest little book of music theory on the planet". It's not a music theory course - it's a summary of all the music theory information you've been learning. We have a special offer for existing Easy Music Theory course owners, and a fantastic offer for those who purchase the course before September 30. Details at http://www.EasyMusicTheory.com/survival.html We know that information overload can be a problem when you're learning music theory. So we've come up with a sixteen page booklet that is crammed full of information you'll want to have by your side whether you're a songwriter, a student, a guitarist, pianist, choir member - whatever. This booklet is great for any music student. What's in this booklet? You'll be amazed at what we've been able to fit in this publication: music definitions, a grand scale reference diagram, a tuning chart for piano and guitar, how to tune your instrument, our popular guitar chord chart, major, minor, and modal scale reference charts, how to transpose (including modes), how to use the circle of fifths, clef reference charts, key signature references, how to determine keys from the key signature, how to identify chromatic and diatonic semitones... and more ... and more! It also includes a very handy "Common Interval Reference Chart". It works like a map distance chart. Find one note in an interval on the left, scan over till you find the second note, and voila! There's the interval. If you need to know what other interval "sounds like" a minor third (it's an augmented second, by the way), we've got a reference chart of intervals that sound alike. Interval inversions, chord inversion, dotted rhythms, time signatures - they're there too. We've also included a reference chart of the music resources we currently offer - articles, charts, etc. This list will come in handy. The booklet also contains an index for the Easy Music Theory course that many of you are studying right now. It all ends with a comprehensive listening list. If you wanted to listen to music of the Baroque period, or the Romantic period but don't know who composed then, we do - and we've put this list in too. NOTE: THIS BOOK IS BEING OFFERED FREE TO ANYONE WHO PURCHASES THE EASY MUSIC THEORY ENHANCED COURSE FROM SEPTEMBER 27 TO SEPTEMBER 30, 2002. The course can be purchased at http://www.EasyMusicTheory.com/buyemt1.html. For more information about the Easy Music Theory on CD-ROM course, go to http://www.EasyMusicTheory.com ================================ How do you compliment a terrible singer? Just tell them, "I can tell your voice is pure, because you strain it every time you sing! :-) ================================ 2. Four Sure-Fire Steps to Learning Music Theory Here's the simple four-step method for becoming an expert on any music theory topic. Step 1: Open your printed copy of a lesson. Step 2: Watch the lesson video on your computer, while following along in the printed material. Taking notes helps too! If you're new to the lesson topic, watch it again. And again and again if you need to. And follow the printed materials too. We've designed the printed materials so that they follow the video lesson quite closely. Step 3: Now, reinforce your knowledge by doing the worksheets. Some will take minutes, some hours, some days. It's up to you, and the pace you set for yourself. To get really comfortable with the concepts, go back at any time and view the video again. The point isn't to race through the course. The point is knowledge. Step 4: Do the quiz. If you pass the quiz, you know your stuff! If you miss anything, going back to step 1 will be good for you! ================================ 3. I Want Some Stuff! Okay, here's a list of what you can get from us here at Spring Day Music right now: a. Gary Ewer's Easy Music Theory on CD-ROM. Our flagship product. If you're a musician and don't have it - you need it. Pure and simple. Go to http://www.EasyMusicTheory.com to find out about it. Go to http://www.EasyMusicTheory.com/buyemt1.html to purchase. You won't regret it. b. The Guitar Chord Chart. It's *free*. Send an email to articles@easymusictheory.com with the three words: guitar chord chart in the subject line. c. *Free* article: "Calling All Musicians: Why You Need Music Theory" which is an essential read for anyone who thinks that music theory is for "laboratory" musicians. Nothing could be further from the truth. Go to http://www.easymusictheory.com/whymusictheory.html d. The Natural Sign. It's *free*. All about the use of the natural sign in music. Go to http://www.easymusictheory.com/natural.html e. Jazz primer. It's *free*. This is the subject of the question of the month in the June 2002 newsletter. Get the article by going to our newsletter archives at http://www.easymusictheory.com/newsletter_archives.html . Then listen to an example at http://www.easymusictheory.com/jazz.html f. Practice chart. It's *free*. Get it at http://www.EasyMusicTheory.com/practice.pdf g. A *free* short article on how to resolve rhythm difficulties. Get it at http://www.EasyMusicTheory.com/rhythm.html h. Our newsletter, of course. (It's *free* too!). If you're reading someone else's, get your own at http://www.EasyMusicTheory.com/newsletter.html . i. Transposition chart - *free* - gives you information you need when writing parts for instruments in other keys (like Bb trumpet, Eb Alto Sax, etc.). It's at http://www.easymusictheory.com/transposition.html ================================ The class laughed when I sat down at the piano with my hands tied behind my back. They didn't know I played by ear. :-) ================================ 4. You're in Good Company! Did you know that when you use Gary Ewer's Easy Music Theory on CD-ROM, you're joining a huge and ever-growing throng of music enthusiasts who want to learn, *really* learn, about music? Many of our customers are everyday folks with day jobs, wanting to know what makes music work. They sing in choirs, they play in weekend bands, they are song writers, they play guitar, piano, flute, sax, accordion, banjo, trumpet, trombone, and so on. We also have all kinds of people who are actual music students at the junior high, high school, college, and university levels. Easy Music Theory is truly a course for the masses! We get a lot of email from people who tell us that Easy Music Theory is the best music course available anywhere on the planet. While we have to, ahem, humbly agree :-) we think you might find it interesting to read some of our testimonials at http://EasyMusicTheory.com/testimonials1.html . No matter what your music background, there's something for you in Easy Music Theory on CD-ROM. Of course, you should go topic by topic, beginning to end. But it's specifically set up topic-by-topic, so that you can isolate the things you want to concentrate on. ============================== 5. Beats and Breakdown Notes Some folks find "simple" and "compound" time signatures confusing. We find that it helps to watch the video for Lesson 13 again and again, getting more familiar with the topic each time around. (The video lessons are part of the CD-ROM course, more info at http://www.EasyMusicTheory.com) Time signatures are those 2-number figures at the start of a piece of music - like 2/4, 33/4 4/4, and so on. "Simple" time signatures tell us the number of beats in the bar, and what kind of note gets the beat. The short explanation is this: in 2/4 time, there are "2" beats, and the "4" tells us that the "quarter note" gets the beat. Why does "4" mean quarter notes? It's fully explained in Lesson 6 of Easy Music Theory. The video is especially helpful. "Compound" time signatures are, for example 6/8, 9/16, 12/8, and so on. The "6" in 6/8 tells us how many "breakdown" notes there are in the bar - in this case, 6. The "8" tells us that the breakdown note value is the eighth note. To cut to the chase, in 6/8, the six eighth note breakdown notes are grouped into two beats. Check out lesson 13 in either the free lessons at http://www.EasyMusicTheory.com/13ts.html , or better yet, follow the video for Lesson 13 of the CD-ROM course. Finally - what does music in these time signatures sound like? Well, simple time signatures give music a "straight-ahead" feel, while music with compound time signatures has a "triple-time" or "waltz" feel. This month's Easy Music Mix contest at http://www.EasyMusicTheory.com/contest.html is all about identifying music with simple time signatures, and music with compound time signatures. Your assignment is to try the contest challenge, now! Simple and compound time signatures are one of those things that are better heard than talked about! ============================== Say, what is a burning oboe good for? Setting a bassoon on fire. :-) ============================== 6. Question of the Month: How Loud is Too Loud? (Protect your ears!) If you listen to music and/or play in a musical ensemble, you are potentially at risk for hearing loss. Hearing loss happens when you encounter loud sounds, and the bad news is: this kind of damage is usually permanent. So if you like to listen to your Walkman or go to loud concerts, read on. It¹s not too late to limit the damage to your ears. People who work heavy machinery, or are in an environment where loud noise is fairly constant, have usually been inflicted to some degree with hearing damage. This damage can come from encountering 85 decibels over an eight-hour period. Eighty-five decibels doesn¹t seem that loud - about the level of noise encountered in a noisy restaurant. If you go to high school dances, you are subjecting your ears to 100-110db. Your walkman is probably capable of playing at a level of 110-120db. Doctors tell us that two aspects must be taken into consideration when calculating the possibility of damage to one¹s hearing: the loudness of the sound, and the length of time the sound is endured. Believe it or not, that high school dance I mentioned, at 110db, will begin to damage your ears after one and a half minutes! A walkman will damage your hearing in less time than that. The solution is simple - turn your walkman down. If you are a student, speak to your student council about noise levels at the dance. You can buy foam hearing plugs for use in your band rehearsals for a dollar or two. If you are an employee in a noisy environment, you have the right to request ear protection. The point must be reiterated here that hearing damage is usually permanent. Once you have damaged the tiny hairs in your ears that help the proper conveyance of sound, those hairs do not repair themselves, and your hearing is forever impaired. It¹s not too late, however, to limit the damage. See your doctor if you experience noises (whistling sounds, clicking noises, etc.) There may be ways to limit the damage. Hopefully you have not yet experienced problems with your hearing. To keep it that way, always remember - turn it down! As a guide, here are some common everyday sounds, and their average decibel Level: Whispering: 30db; Normal conversation: 60db; Flushing the toilet: 65-75db; Vacuum cleaner: 65-85db; Car horn: 110db; Percussion section of the school band: 120-130db Please Note: This is an IMPORTANT topic. So important, we've put a copy of it at http://www.EasyMusicTheory.com/tooloud.html . Hearing damage can be permanent! If you know of any musicians who could be subjecting themselves to loud noises, you may want to refer them to the "tooloud" link. ====================== 7. Skill-Testing Question Beethoven hands you piece of music in 4/4 time. You look at the last bar, and see that it has three beats in it, not four. First you say, "I thought you were dead!" Then you say, "Hey, that music is wrong!". Beethoven says, "Nope, it's correct!", and Beethoven is right. How? The answer is covered in the Lesson 14 worksheets (CD-ROM course), question 9. =========================== That's it for this month's Easy Music theory Newsletter. Questions or comments? We're all ears at emtinfo@easymusictheory.com. Unsubscribe by sending a blank email to unsubscribe@EasyMusicTheory.com Don't forget about the Easy Music Theory Survival Guide, at http://www.EasyMusicTheory.com/survival.html =============================== Gary Ewer's Easy Music Theory represents the finest in music theory instruction. If you play an instrument or sing in a choir, you can expand your musical horizons by learning music theory. Get all the information at http://www.EasyMusicTheory.com =============================== Why not forward this email newsletter to a friend? Until next month... study and practice! You can do it! This newsletter is copyright (c) 2002 Spring Day Music, a division of Corporate Impact Inc. Contact us at 902-830-3994, or emtinfo@easymusictheory.com Newsletter editor: David Ewer Music education content: Gary Ewer and David Ewer Gary Ewer's Easy Music Theory(tm), Easy Music Theory(tm), and Gary Ewer's Easy Music Theory on CD-ROM!(tm) are trademarks of Spring Day Music Did you know you can watch Gary teaching music theory? Gary makes music theory easy! Buy Gary Ewer's Easy Music Theory on CD-ROM, and you'll get more of the teaching you've come to enjoy from Gary, plus all-new worksheets (these are great!), new quizzes, and answer sheets. But the greatest feature of the double-CD-ROM course is the awesome videos of Gary teaching each lesson. Don't miss out. Click here to learn more, or click here to purchase now. It's completely guaranteed! www.EasyMusicTheory.com Spring Day Music 902-830-3994 emtinfo@EasyMusicTheory.com ©2001 Spring Day Music. All rights reserved Gary Ewer's Easy Music Theory is a trade mark of Spring Day Music, a div. of Corporate Impact Inc. Contact us at emtinfo@EasyMusicTheory.com