My Theory Professor Has Me Confused

[deaf pea]

It's a circle. Who cares where you start when you are explaining it? When you understand the concept, you will also understand that it makes no difference whatsoever where it "starts".

Well said!

It's a circle - there is no beginning or end. You should practice starting from different places.

True . . .



.

 

[lament]

You can look at it that way. You sorta got to turn your head and squint, but you can look at it that way.

Reasoning goes something like this:

From a modal point of view things really start with the Lydian F G A B C D E.

Now add a flat to the key signature and you get the Ionian: F G A Bb C D E.
Add another flat and you get the Mixolydian: F G A Bb C D Eb.
then Dorian: F G Ab Bb C D Eb
then Aeolian: F G Ab Bb C Db Eb
then Phrygian: F Gb Ab Bb C Db Eb
and finally Locrian: F Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb.

You get some enharmonic spelling weirdness when you try and move this around the circle of 5ths, and the utility in a tonal context is pretty much nil.

I do like to teach that as an order of modes though, showing how you get from one to the next by flatting notes of the scale.

Pretty!

 

[ashtray]

Yes. F C G D A E B. What is unclear?

Oh - now I understand what you mean. Ok... yes, starting with F, and going in 5ths, you hit all the keys that have "natural" root notes. But starting with F, the key has 1 flat. And then you're missing the keys of F# and C# if you're trying to get at least all the keys with sharps.

Anyhow - theory is a lot of fun to mess around with, argue about, and have discussions about. Definitely good to know a bunch of - but not get "all caught up in it" (unless you're a professional musician in a situation where you need to live and bleed music theory).

 

[Jim Carr]

...Mostly college theory profs have way too much time on their hands.

[OT]
I worked 80 hours a week for ~29k a year. Not enough time, or money.
[/OT]

The circle (or cycle) of 5ths starts anywhere. If you want to view it as a cycle of key signatures, you can still start where you want, it is just easier to use as a memory aid if you start on "no sharps or flats" aka C major. Verbose enough?

 

[EADG mx]

Not to mention C is the standardized starting point and it just makes sense to keep it that way.

 

[cassanova]

[OT]
Verbose enough?

yup