Introduction

When speaking of how he and other geniuses deal with the extraordinarily complex concepts behind 'Quantum Theory Physics,' the renowned Stephen Hawking once said "You never really understand a theory, one just gets used to it." Welcome to the World of Music Theory.

The science of music is based on the fact that over the years our culture has (through simple appreciation) promoted music composed in a manner that demonstrates a natural purity definable in terms of mathematics. Tone and timber are simply part of nature. To put it more simply, it doesn't take much study to realize what sounds good to our ears musically is so naturally expressed in a scientific manner that it hardly seems a coincidence. Sadly, though theory can be a musician's greatest asset, studying the 'science' of music often seems to displace the 'art' of music.

While the Chord Wheel is not meant to replace textbooks dedicated to music theory, it will provide you the immediate access to the practical benefits of such knowledge which would otherwise require extensive study. The following is meant as a quick reference guide only. If you are unfamiliar with these most basic terms and concepts, refer to any of the innumerable sources of music theory study. If you are already quite familiar with music and chord theory, you may want to skip to the Chord Wheel Instructions section of this document and/or refer to the instructions printed on the back of the Chord Wheel.