Bitesize theory
This is my first take on how to provide this. Your feedback will help firm this up.
The “Theory” button is used to present or hide bitesize theory (for the current scale, chord, or interval on-instrument) or about note names if the instrument is empty. For now, only a few samples have been created. Otherwise you will see a page “Bitesize theory. Yes or No?”
One term you absolutely need to understand for theory is “pitch class” (see below)
- For how to locate and label notes “Clear” the instrument then click “Theory”.
- For theory behind a music construct (some scale, chord, or interval) then create that construct,then click “Theory”.
What is a pitch class?
When theory discusses a scale, say, it presents a few notes with music notation. Typically starting at middle-C (“C4”). Here are these few notes that theory presents for C major, on piano (click this ear-eye icon)
But it is implicit that every C, every D, …, every A, every B belong to C major.
To see this, click the Toolkit button, and then select “layouts > everywhere”
All the C’s (C2, C3, C4, …) are said to belong to the pitch class C. All the D’s (D2, D3, D4, …) belong to the pitch class D. And so on.
C is the scale’s tonic. Any of the C’s are a tonic of the scale.
What about detailed theory?
This is available in blog and lesson content, presented in split-screen. The detail depends on the settings provided by the menu “Settings > My Playing Level…”.
You have to choose split-screen using the icons at the top of emuso to see this detail. Either way, emuso tracks what you are doing on-instrument, and if you choose split-screen, the initial content presented relates to this.
