Music Theory Chapter 1

Tenor Clef

A C-clef positioned on a staff so that the fourth line from the bottom indicates middle C(4). Typically read by bassons, cellos, and tenor trombones in their higher registers

Alto Clef

A C-clef positioned on a staff so that the middle line indicates middle C(4)

How do the piano's white and black keys help you determine whole and half steps?

A key directly next to a key, white or black, is a half step. Two keys away is a whole step.

C-clef

A movable clef that mau be placed on a staff to indentify any one of the five lines as middle C(4)

Accidental

A musical symbol that appears before a note to raise or lower its pitch

What's the difference between a pitch and a pitch class?

A pitch is a tone, and a pitch class refers to all of the octaves of that tone, including enharmonic equivalences

Clef

A symbol that appears on the far left of every staff to designate which line or space represents which pitch and the octaves

Pitch

A tone sounding in a particular octave

Musical Alphabet

ABCDEFG

Natural

An accidental that cancels a sharp or a flat

Flat

An accidental that lowers a pitch a half step

Double Flat

An accidental that lowers a pitch one whole step below its letter name

Sharp

An accidental that raise a pitch a half step

Double Sharp

An accidental that raises a pitch one whole step above its letter name

Bass Clef

Clef positioned on a staff to indicate F; its twp dpts surround the F3 line

Pick a melody from music in your repertoire. Identify all its pitches by octave number, and locate at least two pitches notated on ledger lines.

Do the thing

Starting on D, count backward for two octaves in the musical alphabet. Count forward in thirds for two octaves, starting on G.

Do the thing

Give two guidelines for notating ledger lines.

Draw them the same space apart as lines on the staff; don't place lines above above a note if it's high, and don't place lines below a note if it's low

Ledger Line

Extra lines drawn through stems and/or note heads to designate a pitch above or below a staff

Counting in Thirds

Go up or down three notes, including the starting one (A-C-E-G-B-D-F-A)

Dynamic Markings

Indicate the loudness or softness of a piece

Pitch Class

Notes an octave (or several octaves) apart that share the same name. Pitch-class names assume octave and enharmonic equivalence

Treble Clef

On a staff, the treble clef (G-clef) denotes the line for G4, by means of the end of its curving line; typically read by flutes, clarinets, oboes, horns, sopranos, altos, violin, and piano right hand.

Enharmonic Pitch

Pitches with the same sound but different letter names (Bflat and Asharp)

How do the staff and clefs work together to identify pitches?

The clefs denote where the notes land on the staff

Whole Step

The combination of two adjacent half steps

Octave Equivalence

The concept that two pitches an octave apart are functionally equivalent

Octave

The distance of 8 musical steps

How are octave numbers assigned? What is the octave number for middle C?

The first C is C1, and the rest of that octave is 1, until the next C, which is C2, and so on. Middle C is C4

Staff

The five parallel lines on which music is written

Half Step

The musical space between a pitch and the next-closest pitch on the keyboard

Interval

The musical space between two pitches or pitch class

On a keyboard, what special relationship do B and C have? E and F?

These notes are only a half step apart

What's the function of C-clefs, accidentals, and ledger lines?

They help to denote which pitch exactly is being played

Grand Staff

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