ABSTRACT
In this chapter we explore some music theory, concentrating on pitch and harmony. This will help us to appreciate some of the structural patterns in musical compositions. We begin by discussing musical intervals and chords, which describe how different pitches are related and combined. We then describe the basic guidelines that have been used for centuries to create music within the diatonic keys (the major and minor keys described in the previous chapter). Following those guidelines produces music that we shall refer to as diatonic music.1 A commonly used technique for composing diatonic music is tonal sequencing. Tonal sequencing is a prime example of a mathematical procedure in musical composition. We conclude the chapter by examining sequencing when the chromatic scale is used, which is known as real sequencing.
