Music Theory Distilled - Part 1: Melody

This a bare-bones rapid introduction to the basics of music theory. The focus is on the useful aspects that any musician can apply in the real world. Clear visual aids are used.
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NOTE: THESE VIDEOS MOVE QUICKLY. They are meant to fill a perceived gap in the youtube music theory video pantheon for rapid/efficient transmission of the basics. Hence the pacing is fast and examples are few. They might move too quickly to serve as a clear intro to theory from a single viewing; they were intended to act as a kind of rapid reference rather than a solid course. Hopefully if you re-watch and pause/rewind as needed they can be more useful for you.

You may be interested in Choosing Chords for a Melody: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL618khw0A-t4IwLryYhxx4KSXYL7gdeai

Errata:

#1 - the "root of the scale" is more properly known as the "tonic". "Root" is in fairly common usage to refer to the first scale note, but is more properly used in the context of chords.

#2 - I state in the video that the 12 tone system underlies most melodic music on Earth. While the 12 tone system (as opposed to the narrower 12 tone equal temperament system) is the foundation for more music than people sometimes realize, I definitely overstated its dominance. Arabic music, some classical Indian rāgas, Balinese music, and many other examples don't rely on 12 tone scales. Much modern music (even in those parts of the world) does indeed work with the 12 tone system, so it's a good idea to be familiar with it no matter where you live, but don't let me give you the impression that 12 tone reigns supreme.

#3 - With some exceptions, the "movable do" system, where the names refer to relative pitch locations, uses "Ti" for the seventh note. "Fixed do", also used in many parts of the world, uses "Si" for a B note. See here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solf%C3%A8ge#Modern_use

#4 - at 5:24 this video states that "there is no E# or Fb", etc. A traditional scale spelling convention states that there shouldn't be two of the same letter note in a scale, which does result in using note labels like E#. For example, in a C# major scale, the traditional spelling would use "B#" instead of C, and "E#" instead of F, but these note names confuse beginners, so they were omitted. It doesn't affect the theory or practice at all, but if you pursue the reading/writing of music, this convention comes in to play.

#5 - the video states that a scale is major if it has a natural 3 in it; a scale also needs a natural 5 note to be called "major". For example, the whole tone scale has a natural 3 and a sharp 5, and is not referred to as a "major scale": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_tone_scale

0:00 basics: pitch, notes, octaves
1:56 scales
2:36 scale labeling, sharps/flats/naturals
4:00 steps/half-steps
4:11 relative vs. absolute pitches, absolute pitch names
5:33 spelling a scale in absolute pitch names
7:04 natural minor, major/minor scales, other scales
7:48 key, minor pentatonic scale
8:20 modes
9:42 concluding thoughts
10:22 begging for money

Видео Music Theory Distilled - Part 1: Melody канала Casey Connor