Musician's Guide to Fundamentals: Chapter 1 - 6 Review

Octave:

"(1) The distance of eight musical steps; the interval size 8. (2) The particular part of the musical range where a pitch sounds (e.g., C4, or middle C, is a C in a particular octave)."

Anacrusis:

"A beat that precedes a downbeat, sometimes shown in an incomplete measure (the rest of the measure is notated at the end of the section). Also called an upbeat or pickup."

The Circle

"A circular diagram representing the relationship between keys; clockwise motion around the circle shifts a key up by a P5 and removes a flat or adds a sharp; counterclockwise motion shifts a key down by a P5 and removes a sharp or adds a flat."

Rest:

"A duration of silence."

Beat subdivision:

"A further division of the beat division into two parts; for example, for a quarter note in simple meter, the beat divides into two eighths and subdivides into four sixteenths."

Beam:

"A line that connects two or more note stems within a beat unit."

Metronome:

"A mechanical device that clicks at an even rate, where the number of clicks per minute may be adjusted; used to establish a tempo for musicians to practice with a steady beat."

Pitch:

"A musical sound in a particular octave or register."

Accidental

"A musical symbol that appears before a note to raise or lower its pitch chromatically. See sharp, flat, natural, double sharp, and double flat."

Key signature

"A pattern of sharps or flats (or no sharps or flats) that appears immediately following the clef on a staff, showing which notes, in any octave, are to be sharped or flatted consistently throughout the piece. The key signature helps identify the key of the piece, but each signature is used for two keys—one major and one minor."

Chromatic scale

"A scale consisting of all twelve pitches within the octave; the distance between each note and the next is a half step."

Whole-tone scale

"A scale with the pattern W W W W W W it has only whole steps between adjacent scale members."

Diatonic half step

"A semitone spelling that uses different letter names for the two pitches (e.g., D and E )."

Diatonic half step

"A semitone spelling that uses different letter names for the two pitches (e.g., D and Eb)."

Chromatic half step

"A semitone spelling that uses the same letter name for both pitches (e.g., D and D#)."

Major tetrachord

"A series of four notes that form an ascending W W H pattern; building block of a major scale."

Major scale

"A seven-note scale beginning do with the pattern of whole and half steps W W H W W W H; it shares the same key signature as its relative minor."

Flag:

"A short arc attached to the right side of a note stem, at the opposite end from the note head; each flag divides the duration of a note in half (e.g., a sixteenth note has two flags and is half of an eighth note, which has one flag)."

Meter signature:

"A sign that appears at the beginning of a piece, after the clef and key signature: the upper number indicates the meter type and the lower number indicates which note gets the beat; also called a time signature."

Quarter rest:

"A silence represented by ; equal in duration to a quarter note."

Sixteenth rest:

"A silence represented by ; equal in duration to a sixteenth note."

Eighth rest:

"A silence represented by ; equal in duration to an eighth note."

Whole rest:

"A silence represented by hanging below the fourth staff line; equal in duration to a whole note."

Half rest:

"A silence represented by sitting on top of the third staff line; equal in duration to a half note."

Solfege Moveable Do

"A singing system in which a particular syllable is associated with a particular scale step (do is always , re always , etc.) no matter what the key."

Tie:

"A small arc connecting note heads of two (or more) identical pitches to indicate the durations are to be combined together, without rearticulating the pitch. Used to notate durations extending across a bar line and for durations that cannot be represented with dotted notes."

Note head:

"A small oval used to notate a pitch on the staff. Hollow, or white, note heads normally represent a longer duration than black, or filled, note heads."

Conducting pattern:

"A specific pattern, one for each meter, that conductors outline by moving their arms in the air to help keep performers playing together in time."

Whole note:

"A stemless white (hollow) note head (o); its duration is equivalent to two half notes."

Quarter note:

"A stemmed black (filled) note head (); equivalent to two eighth notes."

Eighth note:

"A stemmed black (filled) note head with one flag or beam (); equivalent to two sixteenth notes."

Sixteenth note:

"A stemmed black (filled) notehead with two flags or beams (); two sixteenth notes equal an eighth note."

Half note:

"A stemmed white (hollow) note head; its duration is equivalent to two quarter notes."

Clef:

"A symbol on the far left of a staff that shows which pitch (and octave) is represented by each line and space. See also treble clef, bass clef, C-clef, alto clef, tenor clef."

Measure:

"A unit of grouped beats; beginning and ending with bar lines."

Stem:

"A vertical line attached to a note head; it generally extends upward if the note is written below the middle line of the staff and downward if the note is written on or above the middle line."

Bar line:

"A vertical line, extending from the top of the staff to the bottom, that indicates the end of a measure."

Sharp

"An accidental (#) that raises a pitch a half step."

Flat

"An accidental (b) that lowers a pitch by one half step."

Double flat

"An accidental (bb) that lowers a pitch two half steps (or one whole step) below its letter name."

Double sharp

"An accidental (x) that raises a pitch two half steps (or one whole step) above its letter name."

Natural

"An accidental that cancels a sharp or flat."

Slur:

"An arc that connects two (or more) different pitches. Slurs affect performance articulation but not duration. In piano music, they tell the performer to play the slurred notes smoothly; in vocal music, the slurred notes are sung on one syllable or in one breath."

Whole step

"An interval that spans two adjacent half steps."

Semitone

"Another word for half step."

Middle C:

"C4; the C located at the center of the piano keyboard."

Bass clef:

"Clef positioned on a staff to indicate F; its two dots surround the F3 line. (Also known as the F-clef.)"

Treble clef:

"Clef positioned on a staff to indicate G by means of the end of its curving line; it circles the line that represents G4. (Also known as the G-clef.)"

Enharmonic

"Different names for the same pitch (e.g., Eb and D#)."

Ledger line:

"Extra lines drawn through the stems and note heads to designate a musical pitch located above or below the staff."

Tempo:

"How fast or slow music is played."

Duplet:

"In compound meter, a division of the beat into two, instead of three, equal parts."

Two-beat triplet:

"In simple meter, a division of a half note into three equal quarter notes."

Triplet:

"In simple meter, a division of the beat into three, instead of two, equal parts."

Changing meter:

"Meter that changes from measure to measure."

Compound meter:

"Meter where the beat divides into threes and subdivides into sixes. The top number of compound meter signatures is 6, 9, or 12 (e.g., or )."

Simple meter:

"Meter where the beat divides into twos and subdivides into fours. The top number of simple meter signatures is 2, 3, or 4 (e.g., or )."

Compound duple:

"Meter with 2 beats in a measure, each beat divided into 3 (e.g., or )."

Compound triple:

"Meter with 3 beats in a measure, each beat divided into 3 (e.g., or )."

Compound quadruple:

"Meter with 4 beats in a measure, each beat divided into 3 (e.g., or )."

Symmetrical meter:

"Meter with beat units of equal duration."

Asymmetrical meter:

"Meter with beat units of unequal duration. These irregular beat lengths are typically (though not always) created by five or seven beat divisions grouped into unequal lengths such as 2 + 3 or 2 + 3 + 2."

Simple quadruple:

"Meter with four beats in a measure, each beat divided into two (e.g., )."

Simple triple:

"Meter with three beats in a measure, each beat divided into two (e.g., or )."

Simple duple:

"Meter with two beats in a measure, each beat divided into two (e.g., )."

Major key

"Music comprised of notes drawn from the major scale; the key is named by the first scale degree and type of scale (e.g., B major)."

Syncopation:

"Rhythmic displacement of accents created by dots, ties, rests, dynamic markings, or accent marks."

Dot:

"Rhythmic notation that adds half of a note's own value to its duration (e.g., the duration of a dotted half note equals a half note plus a quarter note)."

Diatonic scale

"Scales made by rotating the step pattern. The major and natural minor scales, and the modes (Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, and Locrian) are all diatonic scales."

Bar:

"See measure."

Accent:

"Stress given to a note or some other musical element that brings it to the listener's attention. Accents can be created by playing louder or softer, using a different timbre or articulation, speeding up or slowing down, or slightly changing rhythmic durations."

Upbeat:

"The beat that precedes a downbeat; named for the upward lift of the conductor's hand. Also known as an anacrusis."

Octave equivalence:

"The concept that pitches eight steps apart (sharing the same name) sound similar."

Dynamic level:

"The degree of loudness in performance. Extends from ppp (very soft) to fff (very loud)."

Half step

"The distance between a pitch and the next closest pitch on the keyboard."

Interval

"The distance spanned between two musical pitches, as measured by the number of steps counted between their letter names (e.g., C to E is a third, D to C is a seventh)."

Beat unit:

"The duration assigned to the basic pulse."

Rhythm:

"The durations of pitch and silence (notes and rests) used in a piece."

Downbeat:

"The first beat of a measure, which has the strongest accent or emphasis; named for the downward motion of the conductor's hand."

Staff:

"The five parallel lines on which music is written. Plural form is staves."

Meter:

"The grouping and division of beats in regular, recurring patterns."

Register:

"The highness or lowness of a pitch or passage; the particular octave in which a pitch sounds."

Enharmonic equivalence

"The idea that two or more possible names for a single pitch (e.g., C#, Db, Bx) are musically and functionally the same."

Musical alphabet:

"The letters A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, which are used to name musical pitches."

Half step

"The musical space between a pitch and its next closest pitch on the keyboard (e.g., F-F# or B-Bb); normally a white to black key, or vice versa, except E-F or B-C."

Letter name:

"The name for a particular pitch, A–G, that corresponds to its place on the staff or a musical instrument."

Scale step

"The position of a note in a scale; identified by scale degree names or scale degree numbers (e.g., tonic, )."

Beat:

"The primary pulse in musical meter. Normally represents an even and regular division of musical time."

Note:

"The representation of a musical sound with a note head on the staff. The position of the note head indicates the pitch; whether the note head is black (filled) or white (hollow) and the presence of a stem, beam, or flag indicates the duration."

Beat division:

"The secondary pulse in musical meter; beats may be divided into two parts (simple meter) or three parts (compound meter)."

Transpose

"To renotate a melody or harmony at a different pitch level or in a different key while maintaining the intervals between its elements."

Enharmonically equivalent intervals

"Two intervals that can be respelled with enharmonically equivalent notes (e.g., A2 and m3)."

Rhythm clef:

"Two short, thick, vertical lines at the beginning of a single-line staff; used to notate unpitched percussion parts."

Grand staff:

"Two staves, one in treble clef and one in bass clef, connected by a curly brace; typically used in piano music."

solfege, fixed-do

,"A singing system in which a particular syllable is associated with a particular pitch (do is always C, re is always D, etc.) no matter what the key."

F Major

1 flat

Bb Major

2 flats

D Major

2 sharps

Eb Major

3 flats

A Major

3 sharps

E Major

4 sharps

Db Major

5 flats

B Major

5 sharps

Gb Major

6 flats

F# Major

6 sharps

Cb Major

7 flats

C# Major

7 sharps

leading tone

7th scale degree

Ab Major Scale

Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab

The clef that represents middle C as it's third line

Alto Clef

B Major Scale

B C# D# E F# G# A# B

The clef that represents lower notes

Bass Clef

C whole tone scale

C D E F# G# A# C

The Enharmonic Major Key Signatures are

C#/Db, F#/Gb & B/Cb

Middle C

C4

D Major Scale

D E F# G A B C# D

E Major Scale

E F# G# A B C# D# E

Eb Major Scale

Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb

F# Major Scale

F# G# A# B C# D# E# F#

Gb Major Scale

Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb

Dominant

Scale Degree 5

The clef that represents middle C as it's fourth line

Tenor Clef

The clef that represents higher notes

Treble Clef

Tonic

scale degree 1

Supertonic

scale degree 2

Mediant

scale degree 3

Subdominant

scale degree 4

Submediant

scale degree 6