Music Theory

Barlines and measures

Barlines are vertical lines.
Measures are the spaces between the barlines.

Stem Rules: Note head is below the 3rd line.

Stems go up on the right.

Stem Rules: Note head is above the 3rd line.

Stem goes down on the left.

Stem Rules: Note head is on the third line.

Stem can go up or down.

Stem Rules: How long is the stem?

The stem must go through 3 additional lines or spaces. (An octave.)

Staff

A staff is composed of 5 lines and 4 spaces.

Counting Lines and Spaces

You count from the bottom to top.

Flat

Lowers a pitch 1/2 step.

Sharp

Raises a pitch 1/2 step.

Natural Sign

Cancels a flat or a sharp.

Double Bar Line

Is drawn at the end of a section or a piece of music. Shown is the FINAL Double Bar Line.

Music Alphabet

A B C D E F G

Dotted Note Rules: Note head is on a space.

The dot is drawn in the same space as the note head.

Dotted Note Rules: Note head is on a line.

The dot is drawn in the space ABOVE the note head.

Flag Rules

The flag is always on the right side of the stem regardless of the direction of the stem.

Parts of a note.

Beamed Note

Beat

A steady, recurring pulse is called a ________.

Fermata

To hold.

Tempo

How fast or slow the music is counted.

Dynamics

The loudness or softness of music.

Melody

Is the line, or tune, in music, a concept that is shared by most cultures

Interval

The distance between any two pitches in a melody.

Countermelody

A melody that may be accompanied by a secondary melody (Literally means against the melody).

Phrase

Is a unit of meaning within a larger structure

Cadence

A resting space after a phrase, which punctuates the music in the same way that a comma or a period punctuates a sentence.

Rhythm

Is what moves music forward in time; Each individual note has a length, or duration- some long, some short

Beat

Is the basic unit of rhythm, its a regular pulse that divides time into equal segments (Some beats are stronger than others-> Accented beats)

Meter

The organizing patterns of rhythmic pulses which are
marked off in measures (Measures are marked off by vertical measure lines --> | )

Downbeat

First accented beat of each pattern

Simple meters

Beat in which the rhythm has duple subdivision

Duple Meter

The most simple meter; Has two beats (First beat is accented and the second is not)

Triple Meter

A rhythm that has three beats (One accented beat and two weaker ones)

Quadruple Meter

Contains four beats per measure, with a primary accent on the first beat and a secondary accent o the third.
-It has a broader feeling then duple

Compound meters

Subdivide each beat into three, rather than two, sub-beats

Upbeat

The last beat of a measure

Offbeat

When the accent is shifted from the strong beat to the weak beat. (In-between the strong beats)

Chord

When three or more tones are sounded together

Harmony

Describes the simultaneous sounding of notes to form chords and the progressing from one chord to the next

Scale

A particular collection of pitches arranged in ascending or descending order

Octave

an interval of eight notes

Triad

A particular combination of three tones (Do-mi-so)

Tonic

The first and last notes of a scale (Serves as a home base around which the others revolve and to which they ultimately gravitate.

Dissonance

A combination of tones that sounds discordant, in need of resolution; can sound harsh

Consonance

A concordant,or agreeable, combination of musical tones that provides a sense of relaxation and fulfillment; pleasing to the ear

time signature

tells how many beats are in each measure and what kind of note gets one beat

measure

space between two barlines

eighth notes

two eighth notes connected with a beam, equal to one beat

eighth rest

gets one half count of silence

bar line

divides the staff into measures

bass clef

Used for the lower sounding pitches. Also called F clef.

crescendo

gradually increasing in volume, also written as cresc.

double bar

shows the end of a piece of music

diminuendo

gradually decreasing in volume, also written as dim.

dotted half note

gets 3 counts of sound

eighth note

gets one-half count of sound

fermata

hold the note or rest longer than its time value

forte

loud volume

half note

gets 2 counts of sound

half rest

gets 2 counts of silence

flat

lowers the pitch of a note by one-half step

mezzo forte

medium loud volume

natural

cancels the effect of a flat or sharp

piano

soft volume

quarter note

gets one count of sound

quarter rest

gets one count of silence

repeat

go back and play again

sharp

raises the pitch of a note by one-half step

staff

the 5 lines and 4 spaces on which music is written

treble clef

Used for the higher sounding pitches. Also known as the G clef.

whole note

gets 4 counts of sound

whole rest

gets 4 counts of silence

diminuendo

gradually decreasing in volume

accent

play the note with more emphasis

fortissimo

very loud

key signature

flats or sharps placed between the clef sign and time signature

legato

play smooth and connected

mezzo piano

medium loud

pianissimo

very soft

staccato

play the notes short and detached

ritardando

gradually slowing down

tie

2 or more notes of the same pitch, connected with a curved line, add the time values together and play as one note

Barlines and measures

Barlines are vertical lines.
Measures are the spaces between the barlines.

Stem Rules: Note head is below the 3rd line.

Stems go up on the right.

Stem Rules: Note head is above the 3rd line.

Stem goes down on the left.

Stem Rules: Note head is on the third line.

Stem can go up or down.

Stem Rules: How long is the stem?

The stem must go through 3 additional lines or spaces. (An octave.)

Staff

A staff is composed of 5 lines and 4 spaces.

Counting Lines and Spaces

You count from the bottom to top.

Flat

Lowers a pitch 1/2 step.

Sharp

Raises a pitch 1/2 step.

Natural Sign

Cancels a flat or a sharp.

Double Bar Line

Is drawn at the end of a section or a piece of music. Shown is the FINAL Double Bar Line.

Music Alphabet

A B C D E F G

Dotted Note Rules: Note head is on a space.

The dot is drawn in the same space as the note head.

Dotted Note Rules: Note head is on a line.

The dot is drawn in the space ABOVE the note head.

Flag Rules

The flag is always on the right side of the stem regardless of the direction of the stem.

Parts of a note.

Beamed Note

Beat

A steady, recurring pulse is called a ________.

Fermata

To hold.

Tempo

How fast or slow the music is counted.

Dynamics

The loudness or softness of music.

Melody

Is the line, or tune, in music, a concept that is shared by most cultures

Interval

The distance between any two pitches in a melody.

Countermelody

A melody that may be accompanied by a secondary melody (Literally means against the melody).

Phrase

Is a unit of meaning within a larger structure

Cadence

A resting space after a phrase, which punctuates the music in the same way that a comma or a period punctuates a sentence.

Rhythm

Is what moves music forward in time; Each individual note has a length, or duration- some long, some short

Beat

Is the basic unit of rhythm, its a regular pulse that divides time into equal segments (Some beats are stronger than others-> Accented beats)

Meter

The organizing patterns of rhythmic pulses which are
marked off in measures (Measures are marked off by vertical measure lines --> | )

Downbeat

First accented beat of each pattern

Simple meters

Beat in which the rhythm has duple subdivision

Duple Meter

The most simple meter; Has two beats (First beat is accented and the second is not)

Triple Meter

A rhythm that has three beats (One accented beat and two weaker ones)

Quadruple Meter

Contains four beats per measure, with a primary accent on the first beat and a secondary accent o the third.
-It has a broader feeling then duple

Compound meters

Subdivide each beat into three, rather than two, sub-beats

Upbeat

The last beat of a measure

Offbeat

When the accent is shifted from the strong beat to the weak beat. (In-between the strong beats)

Chord

When three or more tones are sounded together

Harmony

Describes the simultaneous sounding of notes to form chords and the progressing from one chord to the next

Scale

A particular collection of pitches arranged in ascending or descending order

Octave

an interval of eight notes

Triad

A particular combination of three tones (Do-mi-so)

Tonic

The first and last notes of a scale (Serves as a home base around which the others revolve and to which they ultimately gravitate.

Dissonance

A combination of tones that sounds discordant, in need of resolution; can sound harsh

Consonance

A concordant,or agreeable, combination of musical tones that provides a sense of relaxation and fulfillment; pleasing to the ear

time signature

tells how many beats are in each measure and what kind of note gets one beat

measure

space between two barlines

eighth notes

two eighth notes connected with a beam, equal to one beat

eighth rest

gets one half count of silence

bar line

divides the staff into measures

bass clef

Used for the lower sounding pitches. Also called F clef.

crescendo

gradually increasing in volume, also written as cresc.

double bar

shows the end of a piece of music

diminuendo

gradually decreasing in volume, also written as dim.

dotted half note

gets 3 counts of sound

eighth note

gets one-half count of sound

fermata

hold the note or rest longer than its time value

forte

loud volume

half note

gets 2 counts of sound

half rest

gets 2 counts of silence

flat

lowers the pitch of a note by one-half step

mezzo forte

medium loud volume

natural

cancels the effect of a flat or sharp

piano

soft volume

quarter note

gets one count of sound

quarter rest

gets one count of silence

repeat

go back and play again

sharp

raises the pitch of a note by one-half step

staff

the 5 lines and 4 spaces on which music is written

treble clef

Used for the higher sounding pitches. Also known as the G clef.

whole note

gets 4 counts of sound

whole rest

gets 4 counts of silence

diminuendo

gradually decreasing in volume

accent

play the note with more emphasis

fortissimo

very loud

key signature

flats or sharps placed between the clef sign and time signature

legato

play smooth and connected

mezzo piano

medium loud

pianissimo

very soft

staccato

play the notes short and detached

ritardando

gradually slowing down

tie

2 or more notes of the same pitch, connected with a curved line, add the time values together and play as one note