rebeccabraundigitalportfolio.files.wordpress.com · web viewthis is called a tetrachord. it is...
TRANSCRIPT
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Rebecca Braun
Basic Musicianship
December 1st, 2016
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Table Of Contents
● Basic Intervals
○ Page 10
● Basic Rhythms
○ Page 6
● Clefs
○ Page 4
● Key Signatures
○ Page 13
● Major Scales
○ Page 2
● Minors
○ Page 12
● Time Signatures
○ Page 9
● Triads
○ Page 11
● Writing Scales on a Staff
○ Page 8
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1. Major Scales
There are 14 majors scales that are used in music. Those scales are:
1. C D E F - G A B C
2. F G A B♭ - C D E F
3. B ♭C D E♭ - F G A B♭
4. E ♭F G A♭- B ♭C D E♭
5. A ♭B ♭C D♭ - E ♭F G A♭
6. D♭ E♭ F G♭ - A♭ B♭ C D♭
7. G♭A♭B♭ C♭ - D♭E♭F G ♭
8. B C♯ D♯ E - F♯ G♯ A♯ B
9. E F♯ G♯ A - B C♯ D♯ E
10. A B C♯ D- E F♯ G♯ A
11. D E F♯ G - A B C♯ D
12. G A B C - D E F♯ G
13. C♭ D♭ E♭ F♭ - G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭
14. C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ - G♯ A♯ B♯ C♯
Notice that every scales is split in half. This is called a tetrachord. It is often split like this
to help make learning easier.
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2. Clefs
A clef is a symbol placed at the left hand side of a staff indicating the pitch of the notes
written on the staff. There are three common clefs that are used: Treble, or G Clef, Bass, or F
Clef, and Alto Clef.
Each clef has a different placement of notes on the staff. It is often helpful to create an
acronym to help you remember the placement of notes. For example, you can use the acronym
Every Good Boy Does Fine to help remember the order of the notes that go on the lines in treble
clef. The word FACE is also used to describe the notes that go in spaces.
You can use the acronym Good Boys Do Fine Always to remember the notes on the line
in Bass Clef. All Cows Eat Grass is helpful for remembering notes in spaces.
Below are the notes and corresponding acronyms for alto clef.
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3. Basic Rhythms
A musical note is a sign that represents the duration and pitch of a certain sound. The
most common notes are quarter, half, whole, eighth, and sixteenth. In common time (which will
be described in a later chapter) a measure, or a section of time in a piece, consists of four beats.
A quarter note will be considered one beat, or one quarter of the measure. A half note will be one
half of the measure or two beats, a whole note is four beats, or the whole measure. An eighth
note is half of a quarter note, so it gets half of a beat. A sixteenth gets 1/4th of a beat, adding to
sixteen total in a common time measure.
Quarter Note Half Note Whole Note Eighth Note Sixteenth Note
Every musical note has a corresponding rest, or period of silence. They have the same
names, and represent the same amount of time. For example, a quarter note gets one beat, and a
half note gets two. A half note must always go on top of the middle line of a staff and a whole
note must always be placed under the 4th line.
Quarter Rest Half Rest Whole Rest Eighth Rest Sixteenth Rest
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Every piece of music begins with a bar line. Bar lines are lines that separate measures.
There are many different kinds of bar lines. A single line means the end of a measure. A double
bar line in the middle of a piece separates sections of music. A double bar line that has one thin
and one thick line represents the end of the piece. If there is a double line with two dots (that
look like a colon) the reader is to repeat a section.
Bar Line Repeat Sign
In addition, every measure in common time has 4 beats, and there must be something
written on beat three. Beats two and three must always be separate.
Ledger Lines are lines that are added above or below a staff that allows for higher or
lower pitched notes to be played.
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4. Writing Scales on a Staff
Writing scales on a staff is easy if you know one basic formula. This formula is Whole,
Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Whole, Half. If a natural note ( ) goes up one half step it becomes ♮
sharp (♯). If a note goes down one half step, it becomes flat ( ).♭
In a major scale, there are two naturally occurring half steps, between the third and fourth
notes and between the seventh and eighth notes. In a C major scale, the half steps would be
between the notes B and C, and the notes E and F.
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5. Time Signatures
A time signature is at set of two vertically stacked numbers at the beginning (or a specific
portion) of a piece of music. The top number tells how many beats are in a measure. The bottom
number tells which note gets one beat. For example, in common time (4/4), every measure gets 4
beats and a quarter note equals one beat.
The bottom number can only be a number that has a corresponding note value. For
example, the bottom number can be a 2, 4, 8, or 16 because those types of notes exist. The top
number can be any number. It tells how many beats are in a measure.
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6. Basic Intervals
The first note in every major scale is called a root note, or a unison. The distance between
a root note and the second note is a major second. The distance between the root and the third
note is called a major third. The distance between the root notes and the fourth and fifth notes are
perfect. Notes six and seven from the root are major and the eighth note from the root is also
perfect.
Along with major intervals, there are also Minor, Augmented and Diminished intervals.
Every major interval has a minor interval, which is one half step down from the original note.
Then there is a diminished interval. This note is one whole step down from a major interval. An
augmented interval is one half step above the major interval. For example, in the C major scale,
the second note, or first major interval, is a D. The minor interval would be a D flat. The
diminished would be a D double flat. The augmented interval would be a C sharp.
Perfect intervals (The first, fourth, fifth and eighth notes) only have diminished and
augmented intervals. The diminished interval goes down one half step and the augmented goes
up one half step.
The fourth note in the C major scale is an F. The diminished interval would be an F flat.
The augmented interval would be an F sharp.
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7. Triads
A triad is a combination of 3 notes. It is most often some form of the Root, Third and
Fifth notes. A major triad produces a happy sound and is made up of the Root, Major Third and
Perfect Fifth notes. A C-Major triad would consist of the notes C, E, and G.
A minor triad produces a sad or distraught sound. It is produced by combining the Root,
Minor Third and Perfect Fifth notes. A C-Minor triad would consist of C, E♭, and G.
A diminished triad produces a dissonant, or unpleasant sound. A C- diminished triad
includes the Root, Minor Third and a flattened Fifth (or a Minor Fifth) would consist of the notes
C, E♭, G♭.
An augmented triad consists of Root, Major Third and Augmented Fifth notes. An
augmented C triad would be the notes of C, E and G♯.
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8. Minors
Every major scale has 3 corresponding Minor Scales. Those scales are melodic minor,
harmonic minor, and natural minor. In order to rewrite the major scales into their minor
equivalents, you must memorize formulas for each.
In order to make a scale a melodic minor, you change the major third to a minor third.
Instead of the scale being CDEF- GABC, it would change to CDE♭F- GABC.
To make a scale into harmonic minor you change the major third and major sixth notes
into minor third and minor sixth. The C scale would change to CDE♭F-GA♭BC.
A natural harmonic scale changes the third, sixth and seventh major notes to minor notes.
The C major scale would change to CDE♭F- GA♭B♭C.
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9. Key Signatures
A Key Signature is a combination of flats or sharps that come after the clef at the
beginning of each stave. It indicates the key of the piece. The Circle of Fourths and Fifths can
help you determine which scales have sharps and flats, how many they have, and where they go.
The Circle of Fourths tells you the order of flats. The Circle of Fifths tells the order of
sharps.
Circle of Fourths
Circle of Fifths
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INDEX:
● Basic Intervals
○ Page 10
● Basic Rhythms
○ Page 6
● Clefs
○ Page 4
● Key Signatures
○ Page 13
● Major Scales
○ Page 2
● Minors
○ Page 12
● Time Signatures
○ Page 9
● Triads
○ Page 11
● Writing Scales on a Staff
○ Page 8