2025/09/07
Introduction
In this article, I will introduce seven essential pieces of music knowledge and theory that beginners—whether new to music in general or to playing an instrument—should learn first. Along with these topics, I will also explain the benefits of learning them and the disadvantages of not doing so.
Click here to take the music proficiency test.
1. Reading and Writing Sheet Music (Pitch)
The first step is learning how to read and write sheet music in terms of pitch.
If you don’t understand what pitch each note on the staff represents, you can’t even begin to play music. For example, when a treble clef (G clef) is used, the note on the bottom line (the first line) is E, while the note on the top line (the fifth line) is F. The space between the first and second lines is called the first space, and the note there is F.
In the case of the bass clef (F clef), the bottom line represents G, the top line is A, and the first space is also A.
Click here to take the music proficiency test.
2. Reading and Writing Sheet Music (Rhythm)
Next is understanding the duration of notes.
Even people with no musical experience are usually familiar with the concept of note symbols (such as “tadpole” notes in Japanese). These symbols indicate how long a sound should be held.
-
A whole note (an open notehead without a stem) lasts a full measure.
-
A half note (an open notehead with a stem) lasts half as long—2 beats.
-
A quarter note (a filled notehead with a stem) lasts 1 beat.
-
An eighth note (with a flag) is half the duration of a quarter note.
If you add a dot to the lower right of a note, its duration increases by half of its original length:
-
A dotted half note lasts 3 beats.
-
A dotted quarter note lasts 1.5 beats.
In today’s world, many people rely on YouTube videos to learn how to play songs by copying what they see, which may seem sufficient at first. However, sheet music contains much more information than just pitch and duration. Learning to interpret this information and express the composer’s intentions is essential for a deeper understanding of music.
Click here to take the music proficiency test.
3. Notes on the Guitar or Bass Fretboard
This point is specific to string instruments like the guitar and bass.
It’s important to learn where to play each pitch (e.g., where to play a C, D, or E) on the fretboard, and how to raise a note by an octave.
For players of piano or trumpet, it might be surprising to hear that guitarists often rely on something called TAB notation, which shows exactly which string and fret to play using numbers. While this allows people to play without understanding pitch relationships, it often results in guitarists not knowing what notes they are playing.
It’s like playing piano without knowing which keys correspond to which notes, and just pressing keys as instructed. This leads to a shallow understanding of music and hinders musical growth.
Click here to take the music proficiency test.
4. Scales
For example, the familiar “Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do” is called the C major scale.
Learning scales offers many benefits:
-
Enables improvisation
-
Helps you understand how musical phrases are constructed
-
Allows you to compose music
Understanding why certain phrases use specific scales, and how different scales create different musical moods, makes playing and listening to music much more enjoyable.
Examples:
-
Pentatonic Scale (C-D-E-G-A): Sounds more “rock-like”
-
Okinawan Scale (C-E-F-G-B): Creates a Japanese, island-like vibe
-
Arabic Scale (C-D♭-E-F-G-A♭-B): Sounds exotic or Middle Eastern
-
A Minor Scale (A-B-C-D-E-F-G): The basic minor scale
-
Harmonic Minor (A-B-C-D-E-F-G#): Sounds classical, often used in metal
There are also other fascinating scale systems such as church modes, widely used in different cultures. Once you begin exploring scales, you’ll want to learn more.
Click here to take the music proficiency test.
5. Chord Construction
Understanding chord construction is especially important for players of instruments like the piano, guitar, or ukulele.
While chord diagrams show you where to place your fingers, this can turn into pure memorization. Without understanding chord structure, it becomes hard to memorize many chords or create new ones.
By learning how chords are built, you can:
-
Lower the third of a major chord to get a minor chord
-
Raise the third to create a suspended 4th chord (sus4)
-
Add the 7th for a major seventh chord
-
Lower that 7th to make a dominant seventh chord
-
Lower both the 3rd and 7th for a minor seventh chord
On the guitar, you can sometimes memorize many chord shapes without understanding their structure. But on the piano, where notes appear as repeating black and white keys, it’s nearly impossible to memorize many chords without understanding how they’re built.
Click here to take the music proficiency test.
6. Key Signatures
A key signature is a sign that shows which key a piece of music is in. It appears at the beginning of the staff, after the clef.
-
If there are no sharps or flats, the key is C major, meaning the piece uses the notes C-D-E-F-G-A-B.
-
If there are sharps on F and C, the key is D major, using D-E-F#-G-A-B-C#.
By checking the key signature before playing, you can anticipate which notes are likely to be sharp or flat, making it easier to perform the piece accurately.
Click here to take the music proficiency test.
7. Chord Functions
Lastly, let’s talk about chord functions, which refer to the role each chord plays within a given key.
For example, in the key of C:
-
The C chord is the tonic (home base)
-
The F chord is the subdominant (leads to the dominant)
-
The G chord is the dominant (wants to return to the tonic)
In the key of F, however, the C chord becomes the dominant, and F is the tonic.
Benefits of understanding chord functions include:
-
Making it easier to memorize chord progressions
-
Helping you compose music that sounds natural
Without this knowledge, it’s like memorizing hundreds of codes without understanding their meaning or function. But when you understand chord functions, you can predict what chords are likely to come next—just as native speakers can guess the end of a phrase like “Arigatou gozaima…” will likely be “su” or “shita”.
In composition, understanding chord functions allows even those without strong musical instincts to write pleasant, natural-sounding progressions.
Click here to take the music proficiency test.
Conclusion
In this article, we covered essential music knowledge like reading sheet music, understanding chord structures, and learning scales. These concepts are like smartphones in today’s world.
In the past, people lived without mobile phones and still managed to meet up or go to the movies. But today, it’s hard to imagine how they did it without Google Maps or messaging apps.
Once you acquire music theory, you may start to wonder:
-
“How did I think I was playing music without being able to read sheet music?”
-
“How did I memorize chords without understanding their construction?”
-
“What was I basing my compositions on before I knew scales?”
Unfortunately, as people gain more experience, they often justify avoiding theory by saying things like, “I’ve gotten by just fine without it so far.” But the earlier you learn these seven fundamental areas, the more rewarding your musical journey will be.
Click here to take the music proficiency test.