Music theory explains why and how certain notes and chords go together. More specifically, it’s the study of how music works and the “rules” we can follow.

You don’t need music theory to become a good or successful musician, but knowing the basics can help you improve faster and in a way that makes the process of making music easier.

Victor Wooten, Grammy award-winning bassist and music educator, said he got better by taking music theory classes, and he realized it wasn’t all that complicated.

“I found out that music theory is easy,” he said. “It’s not hard.”

His point is, some teachers can complicate music theory when they don’t need to. So in this article, we’re going to keep it as simple as possible.

And as Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier says, it’s never too late to learn music, music theory, or how to play an instrument.

There are so many layers of music theory that you could dig through, and maybe someday you will.

But for now, let’s start with the most basic elements you need before expanding your knowledge.

Rhythm is like the heartbeat of music. It’s what makes you clap, tap your foot, or bob your head.

Here are some basic terms and concepts related to rhythm you should know:

• Tempo: Tempo is the speed of a song, and it’s measured in beats per minute (BPM). It tells you how fast or slow a song moves.
• Beats: Beats are the “1, 2, 3, 4” in a song. It’s the steady, rhythmic pulses that form the backbone of the rhythm and are often carried by the drums or percussion.
• Measure (AKA Bar): Each set of beats is grouped into a measure, also called a bar. It acts as a way to organize the rhythm of a song. For example, in a 4/4 time signature, each measure has 4 beats.
• Time Signature: The time signature sets the rhythm’s structure by telling you how many beats are in each measure and what type of note gets one beat. Common time signatures include 4/4, 3/4, and 6/8.
• Syncopation: Syncopation happens when you emphasize certain beats, or parts of beats, that aren’t usually (or naturally) accented. It creates an unexpected twist.

Notes are the sounds you hear in music, and each one has its own name: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Imagine a piano. If you play an A on the piano and work your way up to G, you’ll notice the notes get higher.

There are also sharps and flats.

A sharp (written ♯) raises a note by one-half step (the next closest note on the piano, either a white or black key). For example, playing a C♯ means you play the black key directly to the right of C.

A flat (written ♭) lowers a note by one-half step. So, playing a B♭ means playing the black key directly to the left of the B.

The cycle of notes in music repeats. So after G, the cycle starts over at A – this is called an octave.

For example, if you play an A and then you play the A in the cycle above it, that’s one octave up. You can also go down and reach the A in the octave below. (And this applies to any of the notes, not just A).

You can think of a key like the “home” of the song. For example, if a song is in the key of C major, then hitting the C note makes the melody sound like it’s resolved – like the song has returned home.

The key of a song can be in any of the letter notes or their corresponding sharps or flats.

A scale is like a musical ladder. It’s a group of notes that go up or down in a certain order.

The two types of scales you should start with as a beginner are major scales and minor scales.

The major scale usually sounds happy while the minor scale usually sounds sad.

To get you started, here are all the notes in the major scales for each letter note (not including sharps and flats):

• A Major Scale: A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G# – A
• B Major Scale: B – C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A# – B
• C Major Scale: C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C
• D Major Scale: D – E – F# – G – A – B – C# – D
• E Major Scale: E – F# – G# – A – B – C# – D# – E
• F Major Scale: F – G – A – Bb – C – D – E – F
• G Major Scale: G – A – B – C – D – E – F# – G

And here are all the notes in the minor scales for each letter note (not including sharps and flats):

• A Minor Scale: A – B – C – D – E – F – G – A
• B Minor Scale: B – C# – D – E – F# – G – A – B
• C Minor Scale: C – D – Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb – C
• D Minor Scale: D – E – F – G – A – Bb – C – D
• E Minor Scale: E – F# – G – A – B – C – D – E
• F Minor Scale: F – G – Ab – Bb – C – Db – Eb – F
• G Minor Scale: G – A – Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G

Intervals explain the distance between two musical notes represented by the letters.

Let’s look at the musical alphabet: A B C D E F G

To find the interval between two notes, we would count how many letters there are from one note to the next.

So for example, the interval between A and C is a 3rd because there are three letters (A, B, and C).

On top of this, intervals can be classified into different types based on their distance from the home note you play:

• Perfect: When you just count from one musical letter to another. So from A to C is a perfect 3rd.
• Major: When the letter note you count to is in the major scale of the letter note you started on. For example, the interval between C and E is a major third because E is the third note in the C major scale.
• Minor: When the letter note you count to is in the minor scale of the letter note you started on. For example, the interval between C and E♭ is a minor third, because E♭ is the third note in the C minor scale.
• Augmented: An augmented interval is one-half step larger than a major or perfect interval. For example, if you take a perfect fifth (C to G) and raise the top note by a half step (G to G♯), you get an augmented fifth.
• Diminished: A diminished interval is one-half step smaller than a minor or perfect interval. For example, if you take a perfect fifth (C to G) and lower the top note by a half step (G to G♭), you get a diminished fifth.

Chords are groups of notes that you play together. Think of them like musical “teams” of notes working together. The most common chord has three notes and is called a triad. Some chords sound happy (major), some sound sad (minor), and others sound mysterious or tense.

Melody is the main tune of a song. It’s what you hum or sing when you remember a song. Melodies are made by playing one note after another in some kind of pattern.

Harmony is when you play or sing two or more notes at the same time. Usually, the harmony goes along with the melody. If a melody is like the main character in a story, harmony is like the supporting characters that make the story fuller and more exciting.

Dynamics are about how loud or soft the music is. If the music is quiet, we call that “soft,” and if it’s loud, we call that “strong.” Musicians use dynamics to make a song more exciting by changing the volume, playing their instruments softer or stronger, or singing louder or quieter.

Timbre (pronounced “tam-ber”) is what makes a sound special. It’s the reason why a guitar sounds different from a piano, even if they’re playing the same note. Each instrument has its own unique voice, and that’s what we call timbre.

Song structure is like the blueprint for a song. It shows you how the song is built. Most songs have parts like verses (the part that usually tells the story) and choruses (the catchy part that gets stuck in your head). These parts are put together in a certain order to make the whole song. Think of it like how a story has a beginning, middle, and end.

You might’ve heard the term “middle C” thrown around in relation to music theory.

Middle C is the C note that’s (almost) in the middle of a piano.

Technically, it’s the fourth C on a full piano from the left (also called C4).

So, you might be thinking: “This theory stuff is cool and all, but do I really need it to make my own music?” Especially now, when so many beat makers, trap producers, and even hyperpop artists seem to cook up bangers by intuition or with the help of tech. The truth is, you can produce great music without being a theory expert. Modern tools – from easy DAW visuals to drag-and-drop chord packs – mean you can lay down a track by ear and vibe alone.

Grammy-winning producer Finneas (Billie Eilish’s brother) even admitted that he and Billie “don’t let theory inform how we write a song.”

But here’s the flip side: learning some music theory can be a game-changer, even for today’s producers. Think of theory as a toolbox or a cheat code – it gives you names and structures for those awesome sounds in your head, so you can recreate or tweak them faster. It won’t kill your creativity. In fact, it can help you unlock even more ideas.

When you know a bit of theory, you can communicate with collaborators (“Try a vi–IV–I progression here”) instead of saying “uh, make it sound more spooky there.” It also helps you understand why a certain beat or melody hits hard, so you can cook up more of those moments on purpose.

Most importantly, knowing the “rules” means you’ll also know how to break them in style. This is basically the ethos of genres like trap and hyperpop – they twist musical norms (weird rhythms, unexpected harmonies, absurd drops) to create fresh, exciting sounds. Music theory can actually help you here: it’s easier to push boundaries when you know where the boundaries are.

Even in the era of AI-generated music and ultra-polished production software, your unique human touch – bolstered by a bit of theory knowledge – is what turns generic computer-made loops into your signature sound.

Bottom line: You absolutely can make amazing music without cracking open a theory book first – many have done it and will continue to. But if you spend a little time learning the basics (keys, scales, chords, etc.), you’ll likely level up faster as a producer. You’ll have more creative control and confidence when experimenting, and fewer “why does this chord sound off?” moments.

So don’t sweat that you must know it all – you don’t. Use your ears and technology, but remember that music theory is just another resource at your disposal, one that can turn that good beat into something mind-blowing.

In this article, we’ve covered the basics of music theory. But there is a whole ocean of theory you can swim in, one that you don’t need to worry about just yet.

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you’ll start to understand why music works the way it does and you’ll have an easier time collaborating with other musicians.