Music theory

What is music theory?

What is music theory?

Music theory is the foundation of great music, and the all-important set of rules that most music follows – from harmony and melody, to rhythm.

Find all our latest music theory features and analyses here.

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Music theory features

Circle of fifths new asset

What is the circle of fifths?

QUIZ: Could you pass Grade 5 music theory?

QUIZ: Could you pass Grade 5 music theory?

Lifestyle

muses greek mythology

Modes: What are they and how do I use them?

Music theory song

One song that teaches you everything about music theory

Music theory analysis

david cameron humming musical analysis

We’ve done a musical analysis of the tune David Cameron was humming outside Downing Street

Exclusive
Lady Gaga sings at Joe Biden's Inauguration

We asked a professional soprano to appraise Lady Gaga’s national anthem at the Biden inauguration

How good is Billie Eilish’s singing voice, from a classical music perspective?

How good is Billie Eilish’s singing voice, from a classical music perspective?

All I Want For Christmas Is You

A music theory analysis of Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’

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Most shared music theory features

Amazing key changes in pop music

These are the 10 greatest key changes in all pop music

‘Auld Lang Syne’ was written by Scottish poet Robert Burns, and is usually sung to fireworks on New Year’s Eve

What are the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne, and what does Auld Lang Syne actually mean?

Can you answer these quiz questions using just the musical notes?

Can you answer these quiz questions using just music notes?

Lifestyle

Are you smarter than a 16-year-old? Find out below...

Can you answer these GCSE Music questions? Find out if you would pass first time...

Lifestyle

Amadeus Café, Mahon

This restaurant wanted to put some beautiful music on their menu… and made a really bad choice

Ivan Fischer improves 'Happy Birthday'

Conductor completely tears apart ‘Happy Birthday’ and makes it a million times better

Iván Fischer

Why do pianos have 88 keys?

How many keys does a standard piano have? It’s 88 – here’s why...

Rachmaninov’s second piano concerto inspired the songwriter of hit pop power ballad ‘All By Myself’.

Why ‘All By Myself’ sounds uncannily like Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2

Rachmaninov

Latest on Classic FM

Nina Simone, Marian Anderson and Sheku Kanneh-Mason (left to right) are just some of the famous faces that have left their mark on the classical music world

25 Black musicians who have shaped the classical music world

Who was Luciano Pavarotti? Facts about the legendary Italian tenor

Who was Luciano Pavarotti? How this Italian tenor became the world’s most famous opera star

Luciano Pavarotti

Angelina Jolie (right) stars as legendary Greek soprano, Maria Callas (left) in the upcoming musical biopic about the singer

Angelina Jolie to star as legendary Greek operatic soprano Maria Callas in new musical biopic

Maria Callas

Who was Felicia Montealegre, Chilean actress and Leonard Bernstein’s wife?

Who was Felicia Montealegre, Chilean actress and Leonard Bernstein’s wife?

Bernstein, L

This week’s on-air highlights – including Album of the Week and Drive Discovery.

This week’s Classic FM radio highlights – including Album of the Week and Drive Discovery

Violinist Esther Abrami and pianist Khatia Buniatishvili – beautiful and moving pieces of classical music

10 most beautiful and moving pieces of classical music

Freddie De Tommaso sings ‘Nessun dorma’ for the Ryder Cup

Freddie De Tommaso sings a glorious ‘Nessun dorma’ at dawn, on Rome’s famed golf course

Bid to win a Yamaha piano and lesson with Konya Kanneh-Mason, and Cornwall manor house stay

Classic FM Auction: Bid to win a Yamaha piano and private lesson, and Cornwall manor house stay

Charity

Classic FM announces new book ‘The Very Young Person’s Guide to Ballet Music’

Classic FM announces new book ‘The Very Young Person’s Guide to Ballet Music’

Everything you need to know about German film composer, Hans Zimmer.

Inside Hans Zimmer’s greatest film scores, family, and awards so far

Zimmer

Latest music theory features

David Bowie Life on Mars

David Bowie’s isolated vocals from ‘Life On Mars’ reveals the true power of his tenor range

8 months ago

What does this song teach us about music theory...?

Why ‘Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire’ is the perfect song to teach music theory

9 months ago

Bats have a wider vocal range than Mariah Carey, at an astonishing seven octaves

Bats have a wider vocal range than Mariah Carey, at an astonishing seven octaves

10 months ago

Music literacy matters T-shirt

‘I like to eat puppies’ – viral t-shirt shows why musical literacy is important

Ages ago

JS Bach Happy Birthday

‘Happy Birthday’ – but it’s in the style of a Johann Sebastian Bach fugue

Ages ago

Bach

Latest quizzes

See more Latest quizzes

Are you smarter than a musical 18-year-old? Find out below...

Can you answer these A-Level music questions? Find out if you would pass first time...

4 months ago

Lifestyle

Who are Sideshow Bob and Bugs Bunny playing in these operatic parodies...

Can you guess the opera these cartoon characters are singing?

5 months ago

Lifestyle

What song did Olivia Olson sing in Love Actually? Take our quiz if you know the answer...

The Ultimate Christmas Movie Music Quiz

9 months ago

Lifestyle

We can accurately guess your birth month from your classical music preferences

We can accurately guess your birth month from your classical music preferences

11 months ago

Lifestyle

How far can you get in this classical music ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ quiz?

How far can you get in this classical music ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ quiz?

11 months ago

Lifestyle

Latest features

See more Latest features

The most memorable times classical music featured in the hit cartoon ‘Bluey’

Bluey soundtrack: what are all the pieces of classical music used in the TV show?

7 days ago

Yuja Wang is one of the greatest pianists of the 21st century.

Who is Yuja Wang, and what makes her so good at the piano?

7 days ago

Yuja Wang

Maxim Vengerov, Lise Davidsen, Yo-Yo Ma: among today’s leading classical artists

The 30 greatest classical musicians performing today

7 days ago

A depiction of Jesus holding a lamb

What are the lyrics to ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’ and who wrote the hymn?

7 days ago

Whitney Houston and Luciano Pavarotti stunned crowds with an opera duet.

When Whitney Houston surprised the world with an extraordinary Verdi aria… with Luciano Pavarotti

8 days ago

Luciano Pavarotti