Today, in 2023, there are millions of professional musicians and songwriters. On sites such as Soundcloud, YouTube, and Spotify, music fans can stream and download their favourite tracks and albums by artists that they follow.
Some of the biggest artists will get radio play of their tracks on regional and national stations but smaller bands can still make an impact on the music scene by performing at local venues and promoting their music online.
Modern music offers the listener a varied selection of genres that will appeal to every taste and some songs describe all of life’s emotions and stages. Regardless of the musical genre you like the most, your favourite tracks will likely all obey some key concepts of musical theory. In this article, three of the main concepts of music theory will be explored in detail.
A Bridge Section
Many music lovers will not have a clear idea of what is a bridge in a song. Put simply, you can imagine a bridge as something that connects two passages of music in a song. Just like a physical bridge, a musical bridge is a connecting device that brings together two parts. In music, the bridge is designed to allow a piece of music to “flow” naturally between different sections without being jarring to the listener’s ear. Not all songs will require a bridge. However, they can be of great benefit to generate interest in the song and are often used to link to passages in music when there is a key change. If you want to learn more about what makes an effective bridge section, with examples from modern hit records, then click here.
Playing in a Set Key
In a typical rock, metal, or blues band, the group will be playing a range of instruments that perfectly harmonize with each other. The rhythm guitarist will commonly be playing chords and occasionally adding notes to form the rhythm section. The bass guitarist will be creating riffs and runs that complement the rhythm guitarist’s chords and the lead guitarist will be making other riffs and solos that stand out and “cut through the mix” of the band. With several instruments playing together, it is vitally important that they all complement each other musically. This is achieved by ensuring that everyone plays in the same musical key. For example, if the rhythm guitarist is playing major chords that have no sharps or flats, they will most likely be playing in the key of C major. The bassist and lead guitarist will play notes from this scale to complement the chords produced.
Using Scales
Scales are an incredibly important part of musical theory, especially for bassists, lead guitarists, and singers. Put simply, a musical scale is an ascending selection of notes that have set intervals between them. Scales can be repeated across a guitar fretboard as they continue from one octave to the next. When a musician masters the key scales on guitar (such as the pentatonic minor and major scales), they then have the knowledge to play in key with other band members who are playing chords or singing by using the same set of notes. In blues music, the pentatonic scales are extremely popular, and in some forms of metal music, the harmonic minor scale is used to create dark and interesting progressions and guitar riffs.
