Beat Making Music Theory for Beat Makers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'tritone' and why is it sometimes avoided in beat making?
- A chord with three notes
- The interval of an augmented fourth/diminished fifth, historically called 'diabolus in musica' for its tense sound (Correct answer)
- A melody played three octaves above the root
- A three-bar rhythmic pattern
Correct answer: The interval of an augmented fourth/diminished fifth, historically called 'diabolus in musica' for its tense sound
The tritone—exactly three whole tones apart—creates intense dissonance and tension; while producers use it deliberately for dramatic effect, it can clash if used carelessly.
Question 2: What does 'transposing' a melody mean?
- Playing a melody backwards
- Moving all notes of a melody up or down by a consistent interval while preserving its shape (Correct answer)
- Changing the rhythm of a melody
- Applying reverb to a melodic line
Correct answer: Moving all notes of a melody up or down by a consistent interval while preserving its shape
Transposing shifts every note of a melody by the same interval—for example, moving an entire line up a perfect fifth—keeping its relative shape while changing its key.
Question 3: What is a '7th chord' in music theory?
- A chord played in the 7th bar of a song
- A four-note chord formed by adding the interval of a seventh above the root to a triad (Correct answer)
- A chord exclusive to jazz compositions
- A chord built on the 7th scale degree only
Correct answer: A four-note chord formed by adding the interval of a seventh above the root to a triad
A 7th chord adds a fourth note (the 7th interval above the root) to a three-note triad, creating richer, jazzier harmony used extensively in soul, R&B, and neo-soul beats.
Question 4: What is 'voice leading' in the context of chords in a beat?
- Adding vocal samples to a chord track
- Moving chord voices smoothly between chords by minimizing the distance each individual note travels (Correct answer)
- Assigning different instruments to play each note of a chord
- The process of pitch-correcting vocal samples
Correct answer: Moving chord voices smoothly between chords by minimizing the distance each individual note travels
Good voice leading moves individual notes within chords by the smallest intervals possible as harmony changes, creating smooth, natural-sounding progressions.
Question 5: What is the 'circle of fifths' and how is it useful for producers?
- A drum pattern that repeats every five bars
- A diagram showing relationships between all 12 keys, helping producers find related keys and chords (Correct answer)
- A synthesis technique using five oscillators
- A mixing tool for five-speaker surround sound
Correct answer: A diagram showing relationships between all 12 keys, helping producers find related keys and chords
The circle of fifths maps all 12 musical keys in a circular arrangement where adjacent keys share many notes, making it a quick reference for key changes and chord borrowing.
Question 6: What is a 'mode' in music theory relevant to beat making?
- The file format used to save a MIDI pattern
- A scale derived from the major scale by starting on a different degree, each with its own emotional color (Correct answer)
- The tempo automation curve in a DAW
- A type of drum pattern used in specific genres
Correct answer: A scale derived from the major scale by starting on a different degree, each with its own emotional color
Modes are scales derived from the major scale by starting on different degrees—Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, etc.—each with a distinct flavor used to create specific moods in beats.
Beat Making Music Theory for Beat Makers 2
What is a 'tritone' and why is it sometimes avoided in beat making?