Night shift work outs for music theory

Jetfire

As part of my job, we are usually on a night shift and these tend to be very low demand type shifts with very phone calls. Ive been using this time to work on my music theory but I only have pen and paper or my phone on me so no guitars. Any suggestions for good way of working on my music theory in my down time using a pen and a pad or my phone? What I have been doing is making chord progressions using Chord Bot but Im wondering what else I can do ..

viz

Draw a piano keyboard, 3 octaves from low C to high C with middle C an octave above low C. 

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When doing the black keys, group them in sets of twos and threes. This layout is astonishing and brilliant. The piano is actually a model of western music theory. Anyway. 


http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab217/Vizzage/Mobile Uploads/image_zpsibf4hssf.jpeg

Draw a circle next to the piano and write down the circle of 5ths clockwise (the sharp side), down to the bottom F#, and anticlockwise (the flat side) down to the bottom G flat, noticing that F# is the same as ("enharmonic with") G flat. Always think of the C-of-5 as being written from the top, round both ways, until the bottom, not clockwise all the way round up to the top.

Note that Hey Joe is a good aide memoire for most of the C-of-5 clockwise. For anticlockwise, after the first F, most people just use the word "bead" but you have to remember they are all flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db). 

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http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab217/Vizzage/Mobile Uploads/image_zpsrjn8kvm0.jpeg

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Another way of remembering the C-of-5, from C all the way round, clockwise, is to imagine a 5-string bass. Start with C (for "circle", then pluck the strings from high to low (G, D, A, E, B ). Then detune by a semitone and pluck again (Gb, Db, Ab, Eb, Bb). Then finally it's F (for "fifths"!). But it's probably better to go top to bottom both ways round, remembering Hey Joe and FBEAD. 

Now try to think of songs in each common major key (C, G, D, A, E. Also songs in F, Bb, Eb if you can). Eg Mustang Sally, Brown Eyed Girl, etc clockwise. Anticlockwise could include We are the Champions, can't think of one in Bb right now. Killer Queen? Pianists often write in keys down the left hand side of the C-of-5. Oh! Bohemian Rhapsody, there you go. 

Draw a zigzag line on the piano picture, linking middle C to the G above, then down to the D just above middle C, then up to the A, etc. Note how the circle of 5ths works up a 5th, down a 4th, through all the white notes and then the blacks, before eventually ending on top C. Note that going up a 5th is the same as going down a 4th. 

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(Unfortunately my dog ate my homework at this point but you get the idea.)

Then write down the minor keys for each key on your C-of-5.
Clockwise: Am, Em, Bm ...
Anticlockwise: Am, Dm, Gm ....

Note how the minors are always a minor 3rd below their relative majors. Think of the guitar and note how A minor open chord is so similar to C major. And how E minor is so similar to G major. Think of songs in minor keys and note that they are usually relatives of common major keys (Comfortably Numb - Bm; Van Halen's Judgement Day - F#m; Watchtower - C# minor; Brick in the Wall - Dm; Texas Flood - Gm). What are their relative majors?

Then concentrating on the major keys on the C-of-5, going clockwise to the bottom for the time being, write the names of the sharps for each major key. To help you, look at the piano. Note where those sharps are. C major has no sharps. G major has one sharp - the F# (which is the 7th degree of the G major scale, or G's "leading note"). D has two sharps - that F# and a new one, the C# (D's leading note). Memorise "Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle" to help you. Sharps accumulate as you move round the circle. "Father, Charles, Goes ... ". Etc. 

Do the same for the flat keys (anticlockwise from C). Use the mnemonic "Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles's Father". Note that the added flats are all the 4th degree of each key's major scale. Flats also accumulate. 

Then, starting at C major, going round the C-of-5, write down each key's major scale, leaving enough space between each letter (you'll see why later). C would be C D E F G A B C. G would be G A B C D E F# G. Use the piano to help you, remembering to include the accumulated sharps of the previous key and make the leading note sharp. When you get to the bottom, do the anticlockwise set. So F G A Bb C D E F, etc. Remember to include each previous key's flats, and add the extra 4th note as a flat. 

Then it's time for the scale chords. You don't need to do this for every key, but for the common ones, write the chords for each degree of the scale. C major would be C maj, D min, E min, etc). Note that the I, IV and V degrees of the major scale give major chords, and the ii, iii and vi give minor. The 7th degree of the scale gives a diminished chord (minor 3rd, diminished 5th). So in the case of C major, that would be B dim. 

Do that for the first few C-of-5's keys (C, G, D, A, E, and F, Bb, Eb)

Then do the same for the relative minors (A minor would be A minor, B dim, C maj, D min etc), and replicate clockwise and anticlockwise. The minors have i, iv and v as minor; III, VI and VII as major. The ii is diminished. Note that the minor key's scale-chords are in the same sequence as the major keys' but again they're offset by a minor 3rd.

That should keep you busy.