unit 1 - basics of music theory

APUNTES GRUPO BILINGÜE 1º ESO MÚSICA

IESO JUAN PARTIÑO TORRES (MIGUEL ESTEBAN) CARLOS RODRÍGUEZ PARRÓN 1

UNIT 1 - BASICS OF MUSIC THEORY

Lesson 1: STAFFS, CLEFS AND LEDGER LINES • The staff is the foundation upon which notes are drawn. • The modern staff is comprised of five lines and four spaces • Every line or space on the staff represents a white key on the keyboard.

• Clefs assign individual notes to certain lines or spaces. • Two clefs are normally used: The Treble and Bass clefs.

• The first clef we will discuss is the Treble Clef (also called the G Clef). • The staff line which the clef wraps around is known as G. Any note placed on this line becomes G. You need to look at the way the treble

• The note on the space above G is A. (Remember, there is not an "H" note). • The note on the space above A is B. • This process continues. • We just ran out of room to place notes, what happens now? ??? • Ledger Lines will solve our dilemma. • A ledger line is a small line that extends the staff when we run out of room. • With the ledger line drawn, we can place the A.

• Next is the Bass Clef (also called the F Clef). • The staff line in between the two dots of the clef is F. • We can now fill the rest of the staff with notes.



Lesson 2: NOTE DURATION – NOTE VALUES • Definition: the length of time that a note is played is called its note duration, which is determined by the type of note. We are talking about the relative duration of a musical note. Another definition: The note value is the duration of a note, or the relationship of the duration of the note to the measure. The duration of a note is as follows in common time or 4/4 time: • Types of notes:

• The whole note (SEMIBREVE in the United Kingdom) has the longest note duration in modern music.

• The half note (MINIM in the United Kingdom) has half the duration of a whole note. Two half notes

occupy the same amount of time as one whole note.

• The quarter note (CROTCHET in the United Kingdom) is a fourth (or a quarter ) of a whole note. Two

quarter notes equal the duration of a half note.

• Notes smaller in duration than a quarter note have flags. Each flag halves the value of a

note.

• An eighth note (QUAVER) has one flag; therefore, it is half the

value of a quarter note.

• A sixteenth note (SEMIQUAVER) has two flags, halving the value again.

• Although it is possible to have notes with three or more flags, they are rarely used. (thirty-second note OR DEMISEMIQUAVERS, and the sixty-fourth note HEMIDEMISEMIQUAVERS)

• The above chart displays the relationship of all five note types discussed in this lesson.



Lesson 3: MEASURES MEASURE • Definition of measure: A measure is the smallest metrical divisions of a composition, containing a fixed number of beats, marked off by vertical lines on the staff. Vertical black bars called bar lines divide the staff into measures. The above staff has been split into two measures.

(Bar line definition: meaning bar or the lines drawn perpendicularly across the staff to divide it into measures) (Beat definition: the regular pulse of music, which may be dictated by a metronome, by the hand or baton of the conductor) Lesson 4 – REST DURATION - Definition of rest: Rests are used to show periods of silence in a measure. Each type of rest shares a duration with a certain type of note. We draw the rests in the middle of the staff (look the chart) • For example, both a quarter rest and a quarter note occupy the same amount of time. While the note would make a sound, the rest is silent.

ACTIVITIES (Lesson 1, 2, 3) 2. Read the next exercises and complete the sentences with the correct rest a) b) c) d) e)

f)



g) h) _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Lesson 5: DOTS AND TIES - Dots - Ties We are going to speak about two types of markings used to alter a note's duration.

DOTS (DOTTED NOTES) - Definition of dot: it’s a mark that represents a duration in musical notation. We draw it to the right of the notehead. When placed to the right of the notehead, the dot indicates that a note should have half again its original duration. For example, if a dot is placed to the right of a half note, the note would then have the duration of a half note plus a quarter note.

(Since an eighth note is half the duration of a quarter note, we will substitute it for the 1/2 symbol above; As you can see, a dotted quarter note is equal to a quarter note plus an eighth note.). A dotted quarter can also equal three eighth notes.

TIES - Definition of tie: A curved line drawn over or under the heads of two notes of the same pitch indicating that there should be no break between them but they should be played as a single note. Ties merge



multiple notes of the same pitch. They are used to let the duration of a note travel across barriers

CHART FOR REFERENCE TO

AUGMENTATION DOTS. ACTIVITIES Complete the equivalences

1) += 6 2) = 3) + =

4) = 5) + = 6) + 2 =

7) 2 + 2 = 8) 3 + 2 = 9) + 3 =

10) ·= 10) · + · = 12) 2· + 2· =

13) 2 + 3· = 14) 6· = 15) + =

16) + 3 · = 17) · = 18) · + =

19) 4 + = 20) 3· = 21) · =



Lesson 6 TIME SIGNATURE - Time signature - Chart of notes values - Simple an compound meter

6.1 TIME SIGNATURE • Definition of time signatures: it’s the amount and type of notes that each measure contains. For example, a time signature of 3/4 would indicate that there are three quarter notes in each measure and the quarter notes receive the main pulse (or beat). It’s a symbol placed at the left side of the staff .

In the above example, the first measure is in 4/4 time and the second measure is in 3/4 time. The first measure (4

4) contains four quarter notes. In the second measure (34) contains three quarter notes.

The third example (68) contains six eighth notes. The fourth example (3

2) contains three half notes

Example: 41 Indicate there are four whole notes in each measure / 1

4 indicate there are 1 quarter note in each measure 42 indicate there are four half notes in each measure / 24 indicate there are two quarters notes in each measure

44 indicate there are four quarters notes in each measure /

68 indicate there are six quavers notes in each measure / 86 This time signature it’s a mistake because there isn’t

a note value name six (look the chart)

6.2 CHART OF NOTES VALUES

1: Whole note (Semibreve) 2: Half note (minim) 4: quarter note (crotchet) 8: Eighth note (quaver)

16: sixteenth note (semiquaver) 32: Thirty second (demisemiquaver) 64: Sixty fourth (hemidemisemiquaver)

6. 3 SIMPLE AN COMPOUND METER - Definition of Rhythm: it’s a general term used to describe the motion of music in time. The fundamental unit of rhythm is the pulse or beat. Even persons untrained in music generally sense the pulse and may respond by tapping a foot or clapping. (We will continue studying the rhythm at Unit 3) - Definition of Meter (meter) Signature: Meter may be defined as a regular, recurring pattern of strong and weak beats. This recurring pattern of durations is identified at the beginning of a composition by a meter signature (TIME SIGNATURE)



- Meter (Time) signatures are always notated with two numbers, one on top of the other, much like a fraction in math.

- The top number denotes the number of beats (or number of pulses) in each measure. - The bottom number denotes the note value that receives the beat. (The lower digit indicates a basic note

value (remember: 1= whole; 2= half; 4= quarter; 8= eighth …) SIMPLE METER: EACH BEAT IS DIVIDED IN TWO PARTS (SI MPLE DIVISION). The upper numbers in simple meter signatures are usually 2, 3 , 4. IN COMPOUND METER, EACH PULSE IS A DOTTED NOTE. This dotted note is divided into groups of three parts (compound division). The mos t common compound meter signature 6, 9 12. In cpmpound meter signatures the lower number refers to the division of the beat, whereas the upper indicates the number of these divisions per measure. Each time signature can be classified into a certain meter. • The terms duple, triple , and quadruple refer to the number of beats in a measure. • The term simple means that each of these beats can be broken into two notes.

For example, 2/4 time is classified as simple duple; - "Duple" refers to the two beats per measure. - "Simple" states that each of these beats can be divided into two notes. • 2/2 and 2/8 time signatures are also simple duple.

ACTIVITIES 1. How many notes are there in each kind of measure a) 44 b) 21 c) 38 d) 316 e) 19

4 f) 22

g) 28 h) 664 3/4 time is classified as simple triple "Triple" refers to the three beats per measure. "Simple" states that each of these beats can be divided into two notes. 3/2 and 3/8 are also simple triple.

4/4

time is classified as simple quadruple due to its four beats which can be divided into two notes.

unit 1 - basics of music theory

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