Not Just Notes on a Page: Learning Music Theory Practically
- Kayla Collingwood
- Jun 3
- 7 min read
Updated: Jun 4
If the phrase “music theory” brings up memories of dry worksheets or confusing Italian terms, you’re not alone. However, at its core, music theory is simply understanding the building blocks of music – and music is all around us, all the time!
This post invites you to explore the foundations of music theory in a practical way. We’ll explore key concepts including:
Pulse
Rhythm
Metre
Tempo
Pitch
Melody
Harmony
No need to read music (although that’s a great skill to add later) – this is all about feeling music first.
About Me
Who am I? Hi! I’m Kayla Collingwood, founder of Sound Garden and a passionate classical singer, educator, and creator. I didn't grow up around classical music myself, so I understand that it can seem overwhelming and unfamiliar at first!
Why trust me? Because I've spent my career not just performing classical music but helping others discover its joys. I've dedicated myself to breaking down barriers to this extraordinary genre of music. Whether you're completely new to classical music or have some music theory knowledge already, I want music learning to be a great experience for you!
Take a look around the rest of the site after you finish reading this post - I'm glad to have you here!
🎶 1. Pulse & Metre: The Heartbeat of Music
At the root of all music is pulse – a steady beat that we can feel in our bodies. Like a heartbeat, it keeps the music moving.
Metre is how those beats are grouped – into twos, threes, fours, and so on. It’s the structure that gives the music its underlying pattern.
🎯 Try this:
Step 1: Feel the pulse
Stand up and walk to a steady beat, like in "The Syncopated Clock" by Leroy Anderson.
The walking helps you internalise the steady beat – this is your pulse.
Step 2: Discover duple and quadruple metre (groups of 2 or 4)
Listen to the Russian children’s song Chasiki from The Fixies.
Clap every second beat: Clap – (rest) – clap – (rest) – this is duple metre (groups of 2).
Now clap every beat: Clap – clap – clap – clap – this is quadruple metre (groups of 4), with the first beat often feeling strongest.
Step 3: Explore triple metre (groups of 3)
Sway from side to side to "Waltz of the Hours" from the ballet "Coppelia" by Delibes.
Count: 1–2–3, 1–2–3 – that’s triple metre, often felt in waltz-like music.
Feeling the pulse, and how it’s grouped into metre, in your body helps you understand the structure of music – long before you ever see it written down.
🥁 2. Rhythm: Patterns in Time
If pulse is the steady beat, rhythm is the pattern of sounds and silences that happen over it.
🎯 Try this:
Say and tap this phrase: “I like music / yes I do!”
Say it rhythmically, not robotically.Tap it on your knees, or try clapping and stamping.
Well done – you’ve just created rhythm using speech and body percussion!
Listen:
Play the Finale from Rossini’s William Tell Overture.
Can you hear this rhythmic pattern? “ti ti ta / ti ti ta / ti ti ta ta ta”
Notice how the rhythm fits over the pulse – some sounds are quick, others are long. That’s rhythm in action.
You don’t need to know what a quaver is yet – if you can feel it, speak it, and move it, you’re already understanding rhythm.
🐢 3. Tempo: Fast, Slow, and Everything in Between
Tempo is the speed of the beat – how fast or slow the pulse moves. It changes the feel of the music entirely, even when the rhythm stays the same.
🎯 Try this:
Step 1: Start at a walking pace
Tap the beat of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star – one tap per second is perfect. Sing it in your head or aloud – this is a moderate tempo.
Step 2: Speed it up!
Now tap the beat faster, as if you’re rushing. The same song suddenly feels lively and fun!
Step 3: Slow it right down
Tap very gently and slowly, like you’re floating underwater. Now the song feels calm, peaceful, or even dreamy.
✨ Tempo Cheat Sheet
Tempo Word | Approx. Speed (Beats Per Minute) | Feels Like | Try Moving Like... |
Largo | 40–60 BPM | Very slow and calm | Tiptoe or move in slow motion |
Andante | 76–108 BPM | Walking pace | Walk gently to the beat |
Allegro | 120–168 BPM | Bright and lively | Jog on the spot or skip around |
Sound Garden : classical music immersion
Just a short word about Sound Garden! Founded by classical singer Kayla Collingwood, Sound Garden is an online hub to engage with classical music, no matter your age or level of knowledge or experience! Through online content, digital products, and more, Sound Garden's aim is to provide resources for discovering classical music in all its forms.
🎵 4. Pitch: Highs and Lows
Pitch is what makes a note sound high or low. It’s one of the most recognisable elements in music – we naturally hear the difference between a deep cello and a high flute, or a low bass voice and a high soprano.
We describe pitch using systems like note names (C, D, E...) or solfège (Do, Re, Mi...), which help us understand how pitches relate to each other.
🎯 Try this:
Step 1: Sing a simple melody
Start with the first two notes of Amazing Grace:
🎶 A-ma... (stop there!)
The first note (A-) is lower, and the second note (-ma) is higher.
Now try singing those two notes again, but replace the words with:“Do – Fa”.
That leap you just made is called an interval – specifically, a perfect fourth. You felt a jump in pitch from one note to another.
Step 2: Explore pitch by stepping up
Try singing the first five notes of the major scale using solfège:
🎶 Do – Re – Mi – Fa – So
Start on a comfortable note in your voice.
Notice how the melody steps upwards with each syllable.
Now try singing back down:🎶 So – Fa – Mi – Re – Do
You’re creating a ladder of pitch, moving step by step from low to high and back again.
👣 Make it physical
You may like to add Curwen hand signs as you sing each pitch.
This method helps your brain map sound to space, making pitch easier to remember and understand. You can practice by singing and signing along to "Do-Re-Mi" from "The Sound of Music"!
🎶 5. Melody: A Journey Through Pitch
Melody is the part of the music you hum in the shower or find stuck in your head. It’s made up of pitch (how high or low a note is) and rhythm (how long or short each note is). When those two elements come together, they create a musical line – a tune – that carries emotion, meaning, and memory.
🎯 Try this:
Step 1: Hum a melody
Choose a folk song or a familiar tune – for example, The Skye Boat Song or Amazing Grace.
Hum the melody from start to finish.
Notice the rise and fall in pitch – that’s what gives the melody its shape.
Step 2: Add rhythm awareness
Now hum the song again, but this time tap the rhythm on your knees or clap softly while humming.
You’re now aware of how the notes move and how long they last – you’re combining pitch and rhythm to create melody.
🖋️ Melody tells a story
In vocal music, composers often shape melodies to reflect the words being sung – a technique called word painting.
For example:
In “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, the word “somewhere” rises up, as if reaching for a distant place.
In “Spring” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, the violin melody jumps and skips, mimicking birdsong and nature waking up.
Even without words, melodies can tell stories and express feelings – joy, sorrow, playfulness, or mystery – through the direction and shape of the notes.
🎧 6. Harmony: When Notes Combine
Harmony happens when two or more notes sound at the same time. It gives music depth, richness, and emotional nuance – like adding shadows and highlights to a painting.
While melody is the part we tend to follow, harmony supports it and gives it context. Think of harmony as the scenery that surrounds a main character on a journey.
🎯 Try this:
Option 1: Hear harmony in a round
If you have one or more other people to try this with, you can sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat as a round:
One person starts the melody.
The second person begins the same melody after the first line ("Row, row, row your boat...).
🎶 What happens? The overlapping melodies create harmony – even though you’re all singing the same tune! This layering is a simple, beautiful way to experience harmony in action.
No partner? No problem – look up a recording of a round or canon (like Frère Jacques) and listen to how the voices interweave.
Option 2: Create a drone
A drone is a sustained note that sits underneath a melody.
Choose a note that feels comfortable to sing (like middle C or G) or play on an instrument.
Keep that note sung/played consistently.
Now play or sing a simple melody over the top – like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
The steady hum creates a harmonic foundation, and your ear will notice how different notes interact with it – some blend sweetly, others create gentle tension.
Try listening to traditional Indian music or bagpipes – both use drones to create powerful harmonic textures.
✨ Summary: Learning by Doing
You don’t need to read music to understand it.All of these ideas – pulse, rhythm, pitch, and more – can be felt, sung, moved, and played before they’re ever written down.
Concept | Experience First | Then Learn to Label |
Pulse & Metre | Walking, clapping, swaying | Duple, triple, quadruple metre |
Rhythm | Speech and tapping | Note values |
Tempo | Fast/slow movement | Largo, Andante, Allegro |
Pitch | Singing, hand signs | Intervals, solfège |
Melody | Humming and playing | Melodic contour, notation |
Harmony | Rounds, drones | Chords, intervals |
🎤 Want to keep exploring?
You can book a Classical Music Immersion call with me – Kayla Collingwood – classical singer, educator, and founder of Sound Garden. These sessions are guided, interactive listening experiences, tailored to your interests and the areas of knowledge you would like to expand!
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