C
E
G
B
G
B
D
F
A
E
D
C
B
A
C
D
E
F
G
Accidentals
Symbols used to alter the pitch. (Flat, Sharp, & Natural Signs)
Grand Staff
A two-part staff consisting of the treble staff on top and the bass staff on the bottom. These staves are connected by a bracket.
Barlines and measures
Barlines are vertical lines.
Measures are the spaces between the barlines.
Treble Clef Lines
Every Good Boy Does Fine (E G B D F )
Treble Clef Spaces
F A C E
Bass Clef Lines
Grandma Boogies Down Fifth Avenue (GBD FA)
Bass Clef Spaces
All Cows Eat Grass ( A C E G )
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.
Phrase
Is a unit of meaning within a larger structure
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)
Downbeat
First accented beat of each pattern
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
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
A
A
A
B
B
B
C
C
C
D
D
D
E
E
E
E
F
F
F
F
G
G
G
G
F
A
C
E
G
B
G
B
D
F
A
E
D
C
B
A
C
D
E
F
G