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Hi, I’m Yuta Yoshimatsu. I go by the name Plugmon and work as a GUI/Sound designer. Now I launched the website, SoundQuest.
1. What is SoundQuest?
SoundQuest is a free website on music theory originally created in Japanese. It began as a project I started back in high school, long before I became a designer, and over the years, it has grown in scale. It has been translated into Chinese and Korean by volunteers, and now, I finally released an English version (this time translation is done by myself).
However, the main translation is not yet complete and is still in progress. I opened the site to the public because there’s enough content to do so, but it’s still a version labeled as “beta”. I will continue to translate artricles gradually from here on out.
Community
The site also features a community with bulletin boards and profile functions, where users can ask questions and interact about music theory and softwares. While the site itself is open to everyone, the community requires a free membership registration. This is to ensure safe and secure communication.
Gateways
In the middle of the learning course, there are pages called “gateway” where you can test your understanding of the material learned up to the points by yourself. In addition to orthodox questions like reading chord names, there are also “listening questions” where you solve problems by listening to audio clips.
Learning, testing, and communicating. SoundQuest aims to integrate the necessary processes for learning theory into one website.
2. What is Liberal Music Theory?
SoundQuest advocates for a new theory movement called “Liberal Music Theory”. Simply put, this is a grand endeavor to build a new comprehensive school of thought that integrates classical harmony, jazz theory, and the trends and techniques of today’s popular music (e.g., rock, EDM, hip-hop, funk, reggae) into one unified contents.
Just have a look at TOC and you’ll see. There are articles on Power Chords, Amplitude Envelope, and even Pitch Structure in Rap Flow! I am constructing the ideal theoretical framework for “21st-century” popular music here.
When it was first released in Japan, it was met with skepticism and resistance. However, it has now begun to gain wide acceptance. Today, if you Google “音楽理論” (music theory) in Japan, the SoundQuest page appears at the top of the search results.
Liberal Music Theory is recommended for anyone who has struggled with the discrepancies between conventional music theory and the styles of the latest pop music. As for its features, I have prepared pages tailored for both learners and educators. I hope you resonate with and find interest in the concepts of L.M.T.!
3. Beta, and the Road Ahead
This site is currently in “beta” in every sense— not only is the translation incomplete, but the bulletin board system and the testing system also still need extensive verification to ensure they function properly in various environments. If you find any bugs, please post them in the “Bug Report Thread“. Your reports will greatly help improve the site.
The Japanese version, with the support of many users, took four years to enhance its articles and improve its features before progressing from beta to stable. I hope that the English version will grow significantly as well😇
A Free Textbook for Everyone
SoundQuest originated as a student hobby and was not created for business purposes. Therefore, all content is completely free, and you don’t even need to register just to read the texts.
I have no plans to make it a paid service in the future as well. I want to spread this new school of thought and encourage young people to read this text extensively.
In some countries, due to currency value, it may be truly difficult to buy theory books priced at $50, or even $20. Especially young artists, you know, are always struggling with money.
SoundQuest aims to provide a place where anyone, just with an internet, can enjoy learning rich theoretical content.
If you’ve enjoyed this project, please consider donating on Ko-fi. Your support will, in turn, support the growth of young creators.
Again, Welcome to SoundQuest and have fun!!(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)
