fundamentals of music theory
sharp
#; indicates that the note has been raised in pitch; added to the white key name in order to name the black key immediately above )to the right of) the white key
accent sign
>; indicates downbeat
scale
a group of ascending or descending notes
meter
a pattern of fixed beats; the number and value of those beats in a measure; objective
diatonic scale
a scale that uses successive letter names and contains five whole steps and two half steps
time signature
gives meter of a piece; upper number indicates how many beats are in each measure and lower number indicates which kind of note equals one beat
staff
group of fine lines
semi-tone
half step
major scale
half steps between scale degrees 3 and 4 and between 7 and 8 and all others are whole steps
melody
a succession of pitches that forms a recognizable unit
ledger lines
added to notate pitches above or below the five-line staff
strong beats
aka accented beats; we can often recognize measure divisions when it is followed by week beats
grand staff
aka great staff or piano staff; when treble and bass clefs are joined
stepwise
aka proceeds by step; when the 2nd makes up the steps of a scale
weak beats
aka unaccented beats; follows the strong beat in a measure
music
an art based on the organization of sounds in time
tone
another word for pitch
natural
cancels a previous accidental
fermata
indicates that the not is to be held for a longer duration than its normal value; aka hold or birdseye
flat
indicates that the note has been lowered in pitch; added to the white key name in order to name the black key immediately below (to the left of) the white key
tonal
music based on the system of tonality
flag
distinguishes an eighth note from a quarter note
measure
each group of beats; enclosed between two vertical lines called bar lines
dotted note
equal to the value of the original note plus half that value
downbeat
first and strongest beat of a measure
anacrusis
partial opening measure; when a piece of music begins in the middle or last part of a measure, before the first downbeat; also called pickup or upbeat
chromatic scale
scale built solely of ascending and descending half steps
beat
the basic rhythmic pulse of music; physical not intellectual
middle c
the c midway on the piano keyboard that lies exactly between to 2 staves
interval
the distance between any two pitches
tonality
the fact that all of the pitches used in a piece relate to one central note
tonic
the most prominent pitch to which all others are drawn; the only one that gets repeated in a major scale; 1st degree of the scale
scale degrees
the notes on a diatonic scale
rhythm
the organization of music through time; subjective
timbre
the quality that distinguishes one instrument from another playing the same tone at the same dynamic level
tempo
the rate of speed of the basic pulse
half step
the smallest measurable distance in the traditional western system of music; on a keyboard, it is the distance between two immediately adjacent keys; E-F and B-C are the only half steps on the white keys all others are between white and black keys
note
the symbols we see that represent the rhythms we hear
rhythmic notation
the system we use to indicate the number of actions in music, the amount of time each action takes, and the relationship of these actions to a basic ongoing pulse (beat)
harmony
the vertical structure resulting when two or more pitches or lines of music sound simultaneously
repeat sign
two bars with two dots; when a group of notes is enclosed by them, they are repeated without any lapse of beat
whole step
two half steps
treble clef
used to notate high notes, aka G clef
bass clef
used to notate low notes, aka F clef
registers
we speak of different octaves of the same pitch as being in higher or lower ________
precautionary accident
when a natural sign is used to identify any note whose pitch is in doubt because of a previous accidental
leap
when intervals larger than a 3rd occur
skips
when intervals of a 3rd occur
inverted
when the lower note of an interval is replaced by the same note an octave higher, or when the higher note is replaced by the same note an octave lower
harmonic interval
when two pitches of any interval sound at the same time
melodic interval
when two pitches of any interval sounding one after the other
whole tone
whole step
double flat
lowers the pitch one whole step
note/notating/notation
means by which musical sound is represented on a page
metronome
mechanical device that supplies a basic pulse at specific tempos
melodies
musical action in time; the combination of rhythm and a series of pitches in a unified flow
G B D F A
names of lines in bass clef
E G B D F
names of lines in treble clef
A C E G
names of spaces in bass clef
F A C E
names of spaces in the treble clef
enharmonic spelling
notating the same pitch with a different name
double sharp
raises the pitch one whole step
accidentals
symbols that alter the pitch of a note; sharp, flat, natural, double sharp, double flat
rest
symbols that represent the absence of musical sound
pitch
the highness or lowness that we hear in a sound
octave
the interval separating two pitches of the same name; all pitches that are an _______ apart have the same letter name