Sheila Joynes Teaches Music Theory - On Video!

Sheila Joynes is delighted to announce that all the Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3 modules in her long-awaited video course Sheila Joynes Teaches Music Theory are now ready for download.  She is now working on the videos for Grade 4.

How much do the videos cost?

Sheila's aim has always been to make these videos available to as wide an audience as possible.  From the outset, it has been her policy that an entire course of modules - covering one whole grade of music theory should cost less than one single music lesson.

Why does anyone need tuition in Music Theory?

As skilled as any musician may become on their chosen instrument(s) they will never be totally competent unless they know the theory behind the music, how it is written and played.

If you're trying  to teach yourself guitar or piano (etc.) from books, these never really explain properly how to interpret the music you see written.  Sheila has also noticed that the more advanced you become, the less the books explain!  These videos will fill in a LOT of gaps if you're trying to make sense of written music!

If you are working your way through the musical grade examinations, you may find you cannot go past a particular level in your instrument until you have passed a particular grade of Music Theory examination.

What's in the videos?

Level 1 Module 1

• Note values - Semibreve or Whole Note*, Minim or Half Note, etc.*

• Time signatures

• Bar/Measure lines*

Level 1 Module 2

• Ties

• Dotted notes

• Beaming notes

• Writing a Rhythm - how to gain examination marks

Level 1 Module 3

• Treble and Bass Clefs

• Lines and Spaces

• Writing Notes, (stems etc)

• Ledger Lines

Level 1 Module 4

• Tones and Semitones

• Accidentals

• Cancelling Accidentals

• Scales

• Key Signatures

• The major keys of C, G, D and F

Level 1 Module 5

• Tonic Triads

• Intervals (Degrees of Scale)

• Performance Directions

• Italian Terms

• The Download Address of Sheila's free Level 1 Trial Examination Paper and instructions

Level 2 Module 1

• Introducing Triplets

• More about Time Signatures

• More about Ledger Lines

• Transcribing from the Bass to Treble Clef and vice versa

• Writing more complex 4 Bar Rhythms

• Grouping Notes - making the rules as clear and simple as possible

• How to tackle correcting music with mistakes (a regular Grade 2 examination question).

• Addresses of Sheila's downloadable PDFs

Level 2 Module 2

• The Major Keys up to three sharps and flats

• The Minor Keys
  - Harmonic Minors
  - Melodic Minors

• How the Minor keys are related to the Majors

• Introduction to the "Circle of 5ths"

• More about Intervals

• Some new Performance Directions and Italian Terms

• Addresses of Sheila's downloadable PDF

• Address of the Grade 2 Mock Examination Paper and self-assessment answer sheet.

Level 3 Module 1

• All about the new Key Signatures you will need to know for Grade 3.

Sheila describes, writes and explains all about the nine major keys you will be expected to know for your Grade 3 Music theory examination.

She also explains all about the nine minor keys that are the "relatives" to these nine majors and demonstrates these at the piano.

Level 3 Module 2

• Introducing Compound Time

This is such an important (and potentially tricky) subject, that Compound Time warrants a whole 29 minutes to itself.

Sheila walks you through the subject, explaining the 'whys' as well as the facts, to make sure you understand fully.  Essential information for passing a Grade 3 Music Theory Examination.

Level 3 Module 3

• A recap and test about Compound Time

• The Anacrusis

• Phrases

• Demisemiquavers

• More about 4 Bar (4 Measure*) Rhythms

• More about Intervals

Level 3 Module 4

• More about Ledger Lines - going higher up and lower down than we have before

• Transcribing from the Treble to the Bass clef and vice versa

• Transposing (as opposed to transcribing) up an octave and down an octave

• The new Italian musical terms and signs you need to know at Grade 3

• Sheila also teaches you to become a Music Detective.  You may be asked to work out what key a piece of music is written in.  Sheila shows you where the clues are!

• Being the last module of the series, Sheila gives you the address of her mock Grade 3 Examination Paper as well as the answer sheet, the FAQ and PDF documents that accompany this video.

Level 4 Module 1

• A recap of simple and compound time signatures

• Introducing a new simple time signature

• Introducing a new note length and its rest

• Rewriting simple time into compound time

• Rewriting compound time into simple time

• Correcting grouping and correcting incorrectly written compound time music

• Some examples of 9/8 and 12/8 music - both played and written

Level 4 Module 2

• The Alto Clef

• New Key Signatures with up top 5 sharps and flats

• Double Sharps

• Double Flats

• Enharmonic Equivalents

• Chromatic Scales
   

Level 4 Module 3

• The technical names for the notes of the scale

• Primary triads

  • Chords I  IV and V

  More complex intervals

  • Recap on major triads

  • Recap on minor triads

  • Augmented triads

  • Diminished triads

Level 4 Module 4

• Four bar rhythms

• Writing a rhythm to words

• Ornaments

• Performance Directions

Everything you will need to know from beginner to Grade 8

• Major keys with sharps

• Major keys with flats

• How to instantly recognise any major key signature

• Key signature mnemonics

• The circle of 5ths (with some amazing computer graphics)

• The minor keys

• Addresses of Sheila's downloadable PDFs

* Teaching Language

A question some have asked already is, "Does Sheila use terms such as 'Semibreves, Minims and Bars' or 'Whole Notes, Half Notes and Measures'?"  The answer is, both!  Sheila explains clearly that there are different terms in use worldwide and uses both interchangeably and together in her teaching.  Those familiar with either set of terms will feel right at home.  This in itself is a valuable lesson, given today's globe-trotting musical population.