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

‘Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire’ as music theory

A genius professor rewrote ‘Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire’ as a lesson on music theory

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?

Tone Deaf Comics theory sheet

This genius music theory cheat sheet is all you’ll ever need

Music theory analysis

david cameron humming musical analysis

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

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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

What is an earworm?

What is an earworm and how do you get rid of one?

Maxim Vengerov – here’s why musicians use vibrato

Why do musicians always use vibrato?

How did music notation begin?

How did music notation begin?

What is a scale?

What is a scale?

Violinist name Ava Bahari plays with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

What’s the difference between a symphony, a concerto, and a sonata?

Why were piano keys once white and black – and why did they reverse?

Why are piano keys black and white? And when did they change?

A 150-year-old Beethoven symphony helped to invent the CD.

A CD can hold exactly 74 minutes of music, thanks to Beethoven

Beethoven

Why are orchestras arranged the way they are? Photographed: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Why are orchestras arranged the way they are?

Exploring the meaning and history of the concept of ‘music’

What does ‘music’ mean, and what is the origin of music?

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

Why do orchestras tune to an oboe’s ‘A’?

Why do orchestras tune to an ‘A’?

Bach and the Circle of Fifths

What is the circle of fifths?

What are the keys in music?

What are the keys in music?

This bizarre one-octave ‘microtone’ piano will change your perception of pitch and harmony forever

This one-octave ‘microtone’ piano will change your perception of pitch and harmony forever

Videos

What are the clefs in music?

What are the clefs in music?

Explaining flat, sharp and natural notes in music

What’s the difference between a sharp and a flat note?

Latest on Classic FM

New Jesse Eisenberg film ‘A Real Pain’ is scored entirely by Frédéric Chopin

New Jesse Eisenberg film ‘A Real Pain’ is scored entirely by Frédéric Chopin

Chopin

Children learning to read and perform music as part of the initiative from the RBC.

Over 300 primary school pupils can now read and write music, thanks to top music school

Christopher Macchio will sing at the Inauguration.

Who is Christopher Macchio, the operatic tenor singing the national anthem at the US inauguration?
Yo-Yo Ma and Marion Cotillard in Notre Dame

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and French actor Marion Cotillard perform an intensely mystical duet

Yo-Yo Ma

The Lost Music of Auschwitz

Hear haunting music composed at Auschwitz for the first time in 80 years

The greatest opera singers of all time

25 best opera singers of all time

Sir Simon Rattle.

When Simon Rattle raised the roof of a brand-new Symphony Hall with unforgettable Mahler

Simon Rattle

Arnold Schoenberg’s archive has been destroyed by the LA fires, including photographs, letters, and over 100,000 scores.

Over 100,000 Arnold Schoenberg scores destroyed by LA fires in ‘profound cultural blow’

Ruth Slenczynska

100-year-old piano virtuoso Ruth Slenczynska is the last surviving pupil of Sergei Rachmaninov

Rachmaninov

Mohand Al Ashram, a Palestinian singer and Oud player, sits in front of a small classroom of children.

Palestinian music teacher uses drone sounds to teach school children in haunting video

Videos

Latest music theory features

A musical analysis of 'No Time to Die'

A detailed musical analysis of Billie Eilish’s new Bond theme, ‘No Time to Die’

Ages ago

Bach memes

10 Bach memes that will accurately teach you music theory

Ages ago

Bach

Matt Marzano sustains a note for five minutes using circular breathing

‘Mind-blowing’ tuba player holds a five-minute note using circular breathing

Ages ago

Videos

Fenn Rosenthal’s ‘Dinosaurs in Love’ has been viewed over 2 million times

Toddler’s viral ‘Dinosaurs in Love’ song is actually very good. Here’s why.

Ages ago

Classical theory cartoons

6 irresistibly clever cartoons to explain classical music theory

Ages ago

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...

Ages ago

Lifestyle

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

Can you guess the opera these cartoon characters are singing?

Ages 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

Ages 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

Ages 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?

Ages ago

Lifestyle

Latest features

See more Latest features

John Williams facts

John Williams facts: Movie scores, family, age and awards

Williams

Ambassador Suzuki singing the Welsh national anthem

Japanese UK ambassador sings Wales’ national anthem in Welsh, delighting crowds

12 days ago

Videos

Is Timothée Chalamet really singing and playing in new Bob Dylan biopic?

Is Timothée Chalamet really singing and playing in new Bob Dylan biopic?

12 days ago

Doreen Carwithen is known as the world’s first full-time female film composer

Meet Doreen Carwithen, the world’s first fully-professional female film composer

12 days ago

Bill Skarsgård worked with an opera singer to produce terrifying ‘vampire voice’ for Nosferatu

Bill Skarsgård worked with an opera singer to produce terrifying ‘vampire voice’ for Nosferatu

13 days ago