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