MU 101

Two basic dynamic markings

"forte" = loud "piano" = soft "mezzo-" = to make more subtle (half, medium) "-issimo" = to make more extreme (very)

Accidentals in notation

-When writing on the five line staff, you put the accidental before the note (on the same line or space as). Such as #O - When writing the pitch name below the staff, it is placed after the letter of the note. (such as G#)

indeterminate pitch

-no discernible principal frequency -examples: white noise, static, and sound of snare drum or cymbal

Bar lines

-vertical lines on the staff used to mark periodic units of time. Accidentals are applied to a pitch until the next bar line. -A natural is used to cancel an accidental before the next bar line. -To cancel part of a double accidental- such as double sharp to single sharp- just write the new accidental (sharp).

Note Value that you count as the beat

1 = whole 2 = half 3 = quarter note 4 = eighth note etc...

Two ways to describe temp

1) Beats per minute (BPM) 2) Word to feel the tempo, normally Italian because this practice came into being when Italian musical culture was influential.

Two most important ways to describe pitch in music theory

1) Give it a name 2) Represent the pitch in musical (graphic) notation

3 4 time signature

3, top number = number of beats in a bar 4, bottom number = note value that is the beat (here, it is a quarter note)

Chromatic step

A chromatic step involves two pitch names with the same letter (G and G# for example).

Diatonic step

A diatonic step involves two pitch names with adjacent letters in the musical alphabet (G and Ab, for example). Two pitch names with letters in the alphabet farther away than this are not a step at all.

Dot

A dot may be placed to the right of any note value to increase its duration by 50%. Example: a "dotted whole note" = a whole note plus a half note, or three half notes Put dot on staff: if note in the space, put in space to right of it. -If note on line, put in space to the right above that line

Duplet

A duplet is a division into two of a single beat that is usually divided into three. They almost always occur in compound meters. One writes a single diagonal "2" (with or without the brackets) above or below the beat to indicate a duplet.

A meters name

A meters name is made up of two words. The first corresponds to the type (simple or compound) The second tells us how many beats are the in the bar Examples: Simple Triple (A meter with three beats per bar. Each beat is divided into two subdivisions) Compound Duple (A meter with two beats per bar. each beat is divided into three subdivisions)

Ties

A tie is a curved line connecting two adjacent notes of the same pitch, drawn on the opposite side of the note from the stem. In performance, these two notes are played or sung as one note with the combined duration of the two notes tied together.

Time Signature

A time signature allows us to quickly read the rhythms that follow. It is made up of two numbers, one on top of the other. No line between them like a fraction would.

Triplet

A triplet is a division into three of a single beat that is usually divided into two. Triplets almost always occur in simple meters. In notation, the slight diagonal number "3" (with or without the brackets) is added above or below this beat.

G clef or Treble clef

AKA the treble clef. The reference G is always aligned on the second line up from the bottom, aligned with the middle of the curly part of the G clef.

Stem

All notes except whole notes have a stem/ -Stems are drawn down if the note is on or above the middle line of the staff -Stems are drawn up if the note is below the middle line -Stems extend an octave in length -when stems go up, attach to right side of notehead -when stems go down, attach to left side of notehead

Bass Clef

Also an F clef, F is on the second line from the top.

Notehead

An oval with a slight diagonal

Alto clef

C is in the middle line, this is also a C clef

Beats

Certain events in music occur in regularly spaced intervals of time

Compound meters

Compound meters are defined as those where the beat is divided into three equal subdivisions, or where the subdivision is three times as fast as the beat (3:1).

Whole Step vs half step on piano keyboard

Difference between C and D, because they have a half step black key between them. With no black key between two white keys, that is a half step. It is also a half step from the white key to the black key next to it.

Enharmonic equivalents

Different pitch names that refer to the same sound (pitch) are called enharmonic equivalents. Ex: C# and Db

M.M. = 62, Compound Quadruple

Dotted quarter note is the beat, there are 62 dotted quarter notes per minute

Flags on note values

Each time a note value is divided into two, one "flag" is added

The Fermata

Fermata is Italian for "stop" (as in bus stop). Looks like this pic or under the note upside down. Fermata = hold the rest longer than the note

Flags

Flags are used for note values smaller than a quarter. -always drawn to the right of the stem.

Rests

For every note value indicating sound, there is a corresponding rest indicating silence.

Treble clef

G clef, so G is on second line from bottom, going up every half line in order of alphabet.

Full name of a step

Has two parts: 1) It is either chromatic or diatonic 2) It is either whole or half Example: picture is a diatonic half step

Pitch frequencies

Higher principal frequency = higher pitch Lower " " = Lower pitch

When use G clefs, C clefs, and F clefs (in general)

In general, G clefs are used for voices or instruments with a high range of pitch, C clefs for middle ranges, and F clefs for low.

dynamic

In music notation, a dynamic is a written indication of how loud or soft the music should sound. Dynamic markings tell us about volume and expression.

Note value tree

Look at page 32 in book

Eighth note

Made up of stem, flag, and notehead.

A bar or a measure

Meter refers to a repeating structure. This structure lasts a given number of beats, and thus a certain amount of time, and we hear it repeat over and over. This unit of time is called a bar or a measure.

Octave numbers on piano keyboard

Octave numbers and Helmholtz notation both change at C. Such as A0 B0 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 A1 B1 C2 D2...

Treble clef staff notation

On the lines going up: Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge On the spaces in between going up: FACE

Bass or F clef staff notation

On the lines going up: Good Burritos Don't Fall Apart On the spaces in between going up: All Cows Eat Grass

M.M. = 109, Simple Quadruple

Quarter note is the beat, then there are 109 quarter notes per minute

Tenor clef

Same as Alto but the symbol is raised one line, putting C on the second line from the top.

Note values

Shapes that tell us, relatively, how long a note lasts.

Simple meters

Simple meters are defines as those where the beat is divided into two equal subdivisions. Otherwise put, the subdivision is twice as fast as the beat (2:1).

Slurs

Slurs look a lot like ties, but serve a different function. Unlike ties, the curved lines are placed above or below notes of different pitches. They indicate the notes should be performed legato ("smoothly, connected")

Pitch

Sound that has a discernible, principal frequency

Ledger lines

Temporarily extend the staff

The downbeat

The first beat of the bar ("1" or "the downbeat")

Grand staff

The grand staff refers to a treble clef and bass clef connected by a line and a curly brace. Used for piano music and "short scores", where multiple parts (instruments and voices) are notated together.

Meter

The pattern in which beats are organized

F clef

The reference F is always aligned between the two dots of the F clef. This is the 2nd line from the top.

C clef

The reference middle C is always aligned with the very middle of the C clef

"Octave higher" G clef

This notated G will sound one octave higher than the reference G4, indicated by the tiny "8" above the clef.

"Octave lower" G Clef

This notated G will sound one octave lower than the reference G4. Note the tiny "8" added below the clef to indicate this. This is most commonly used for tenor voice in vocal scores. They sing an octave lower than what they see.

double-dotted note

Two dots after the note. It equals (original note + half the original + half of that half)

Metrical accent

Unlike other accents, a metrical accent exists only because we expect something strong to happen; it is not based on a specific event, such as a louder note or a higher pitch.

Beams

Very commonly, notes smaller than a quarter are written with beams (horizontal lines connecting notes) in place of flags. Number of beams = number of flags In instrument music (and sometimes vocal music), notes that equal the duration of a single beat will be beamed together. Makes reading the rhythm easier.

Accent

When any aspect of music stands out of its immediate context, we perceive an accent. Example: Something is suddenly loud.

Multirest

When several bars of rest are needed, a multirest sign is used. This sign is placed in one bar and consists of a horizontal line and the number of bars rest above.

Upbeat, a pick-up, or an anacrusis

When something occurs before the downbeat, that material is called either an upbeat, a pick-up, or an anacrusis. Any notes that make up an anacrusis are counted as part of an incomplete measure.

Middle C

White key to the left of two black keys in the middle of the piano keyboard

Clefs

a symbol that indicates the location of one of the three highlighted reference pitch names (G clef, C clef, F clef)

Subdivisions

faster beats, placed below the beat.

Staff

group of five lines

Natural

just the pitch. Not higher. Not lower.

Time signature for compound meters

look at 4 dotted quarter notes per bar. Can't do dotted quarter notes, but can do the subdivision of 3 eight notes. So instead of time series 4 over dotted quarter, you write 12 over 8. 12, on top = twelve subdivisions in a bar 8, on bottom = We count eight notes as the subdivision

Flat

lowers a pitch by one half step

Double Flat

lowers a pitch by two half steps

Octave higher and octave lower

ottava alta = octave higher, wherever the note is put it five lines up ottava bassa = octave lower, put note five lines down

Slower beats

place above the beat

Sharp

raises a pitch by one half step

Double sharp

raises a pitch by two half steps

Accidentals

symbols that are added to the pitch name to go half step above. Used for black keys on the piano without having to create brand new pitch names.

Note heads

the solid or hollow ovals on the staff

Tempo

the speed of the beat

C on a piano keyboard

the white key to the left of any group of two black keys is a C

octave

two pitches eight letter names apart (F and the next F, for example) are an octave apart.