Hey theory friend!
In this PMT session, your TA Birnie takes a real song and shows how music theory connects to your playing. Together, we explore how to identify the key of a song, understand chord progressions, choose the right scales, and use triads to make your playing more musical.
@Dave_Birnie Thanks for this lesson, I didnāt make it to attend it live and watched the recording just now. I found the explanations to be very clear, a very good refresher to my pre-knowledge and some new interisting things I didnāt knowā¦and Iām now more and more inspired to find triads on the neck and use them in my chord/melody wanderings.
I didnāt know the song but after the dissecting I thought it to be a very good example for the purpose of the lesson.
It is frustrating when you know the theory but you donāt know what to do with itā¦and itās so rewarding when you finally see how things fit together and they finally make sense in a practical way! This is what the lesson shows but some pre-knowledge is required otherwise it will get even more confusing! Nowā¦the hard work is getting the fingers make all those triads shapes 
Dave this was a fun lesson I apologize for not being able to stay. Physical Therapy is kicking my butt right now. 
I did want to say, I really enjoyed the āTheory analysis of a songā format. Maybe not everytime, or maybe dunno. It was also cool especially because you were focusing on āTrickfingerā and as everyone 
knows he is one of the greatest guitar players in the universe.
Great lesson Dave, full of great info on music theory and how to apply it. I always enjoy your live sessions.
I was reviewing the resource material for Dave Birnieās Practical Music Theory Course lesson on, āI know the theory: now what?ā
On the bottom of page 3 of the resource sheets, it shows music notation under the D Major pentatonic scale.
I see the 1st bar has notes D, E, F# and A. Would that be considered a D Major vs. a D9, as the E note is a semi-tone above the Root, or D, instead of an octave above the root note?
Bar 2 has notes B, D, E, and F#. Would that chord name be a B min or B min 9? Iām not sure if the E note is just being passed through.
Bar 3 has notes A, B, and D or Root, 5th and 6th. I marked it as a D6. Just wanted to know if it should be a D Maj instead.
That is an interesting question. I see why you are asking as the notes of 9ths do fit that, other than no C.
During that section dave was speaking about Key changes in the middle of a song. Determining what keys might be good.
I think the message in the comparison with these 2 pentatonic scales that dave was showing us, was how to determine what to look for in looking for a key to change to with in a song.
This example was showing that the pent scale notes in key used in both keys before and after the change in the Zepher Song. Both are similar enough that It as why you can use both keys in the same song. That is opposed to other keys that may have far fewer. Or even notes that might sound dissident or clashing. He gave use a short list of things to look for in swapping keys in a peace.
He actually outlined 4 different scales that we similar for these 2 keys 2 were pentatonic and 2 were major scales.
I dont know if this answer helped you at all, I know it did not relate to your question so i am sorry for that. But this Is what he was going over when he was talking about that part. Great question I hope dave or someone can expand on you thoughts. Good stuff.
Hey Jim,
If you were looking at these pentatonic notes as forming chords,
D-E-F#-A would generally be seen as as Dadd9, as there is no 7th.
Naming a chord in the form āD9ā always implies a 7th, which is missing here. You could call it a Dadd2, but Dadd9 would be more common.
Similarly for B-D-F# E. I would call it a Bmadd11.
I suppose if the E was in the bass, you might call it a Bm/E.
Cheers, Shane
Jim, itās simply the D major pentatonic scale notes. In this image I have grouped them in their penta form.
D, E, F#, A, B = 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Aside from the scale notation ā¦ to answer your chord questions ā¦
These four notes together would likely be called Dadd9.
Not D9 because that is the name form of a dominant 7 chord extended (which contains the b7 note = C).
Bar 2 has notes B, D, E, and F#. Would that chord name be a B min or B min 9?
If played altogether as a chord, B, D and F# make a Bm chord. The addition of the note E would be Bmadd11 because E = 4 = 11.
Bar 3 has notes A, B, and D or Root, 5th and 6th. I marked it as a D6. Just wanted to know if it should be a D Maj instead.
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A, B, D = 1, 2, 4 which is a strange type of chord altogether. Asus2sus4 (no 5)?
But, again, the notation shows the ascending notes of a scale. It is not grouping three bars of four notes that are meant to be viewed as chords.
Thanks Richard, that clears it up. Clay also said the same about the D add 9.
Hi Dave @Dave_Birnie,
I coul dnot attend live, and just caught up.
Great lesson it brings lots of music theory together and you explained in a clear and constructive way. I think this lesson will be helpful to a lot of us including me.
Thanks
Adrian
@Silvia80 @Ontime @jvlynch @AJSki2fly
Thanks for your positive feedback. Iām glad you enjoyed the lesson. 
Hi Jim,
Good questions. I think @Richard_close2u and @sclay have already answered them.
As Richard said, the notes for the D major pentatonic scale were not intended to be seen as chords. They were just the notes of the scale in two octaves. Hope that all makes sense now.
