AP Music Theory Elements of Music: Pitch

Keyboard and Octave Registers  Pitch refers to highness or lowness of a sound  Names for the first 7 letters of the alphabet (ABCDEFG)  C- is the note that we will relate to the keyboard  7 ¼ octaves on a standard keyboard from A-0 to C-8  From any C up to the next C is called an octave  All the notes from one C to another are part of the same octave register

Keyboard

Notation on a Staff  A staff is used to indicate the precise pitch desired  Contains 5 lines and 4 spaces  Can be indefinitely extended with ledger lines  A clef associates certain pitches with the lines and spaces:  G-Clef – Treble  F Clef – Bass Clef  C-Clef – Alto or Tenor clef (it is movable)  A Grand staff is a combination of the Treble and bass clef

Clef Signs

The Major Scale  Scales form the basis of tonal music  The major scale is a pattern of half and whole steps encompassing an octave  Half step is the distance from one key to the next key either black or white  Natural half step is between B and C and E and F  Whole steps skip the next key to the next key white or black

Tetrachords and Accidentals  Tetrachords – four note pattern of WWH  A Major scale is made up of two tetrachords with a whole step in the middle (WWH W WWH)  Accidentals – symbols that raises or lowers a note  Accidentals are written to the left of the note and are vocalized after the note

Accidentals

Major Key Signatures  Key – the term that is used to identify the first degree of a scale  Key Signature – is a pattern of sharps or flats that appear at the beginning of a staff and indicates that certain notes are to be raised or lowered consistently  Sharps – G, D, A, E B F# C#  Flats – F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb

Key Signatures

Other Key Signature Info  Order of sharps – FCGDAEB  Order of Flats – BEADGCF  Enharmonic – Notes that are spelled differently but sound the same  Transposition – to write or play music in some key other than the original  Circle of Fifths – follows the order of sharps in a clockwise motion around a circle

Circle of Fifths

Minor Scales  Natural minor scales – like a major scale with a lowered, 3 rd, 6 th, and 7 th degree  Harmonic Minor scale – thought of as a major scale with a lowered 3 rd and 6 th degree  Melodic minor scale – ascending form is like a major scale with a lowered 3 rd degree, the descending form is the same as the natural minor scale

Natural Minor Scales

Minor Key Signatures  Relative – share the same key signature  Parallel – share the same letter name only  We base the minor key signature on the major key signature but take the name of the 6 th scale degree  Relatively speaking – C major and A minor share the same key signature  To create harmonic or melodic you must use accidentals

Scale Degree Names  All scales have scale degree names  1 st – Tonic  2 nd – Supertonic  3 rd – Mediant  4 th – Subdominant  5 th – Dominant  6 th – Submediant  7 th – Subtonic or leading tone – depends on whether it is raised

Intervals  Interval – a measurement of the distance in pitch between two notes  Harmonic Interval – performing the two notes at the same time  Melodic Interval – performing the two notes successively

Intervals 2  Two parts of an interval name  Numerical name – how far apart they are  Unison instead of 1  Octave instead of 8  2 nd instead of two  3 rd instead of three  Interval smaller than an octave are called simple intervals  Intervals larger than an octave are called compound intervals  Modifier – Perfect, Major, Minor, augmented and mininished

Intervals Modifiers  Perfect refers only to the Unison (P1), Octave (P8), the 4 th (P4), and the 5 th (P5)  Major or Minor refers to the 2 nd (M2,m2), 3 rd (M3, m3), 6 th (M6,m6), and 7 th (M7, m7)  Augmented – a major or perfect interval that is expanded by ½ step  Diminished – a minor or perfect interval that is contracted by ½ step

Natural Interval Chart

Inversions of Intervals  Inversion – putting the top note below the lower note of an interval  2 nd becomes a 7 th and the reverse  3 rd becomes a 6 th and the reverse  4 th becomes a 5 th and the reverse  The Modifier changes as well when inverted  Minor becomes Major and vise-versa  Augmented becomes diminished and vice-versa  Perfect is always perfect

Consonant and Dissonant  Consonant – pleasing to the ear – 3 rd, 6 th, perfect 5 th and octave  Dissonant – not pleasing to the ear

Ear Training/ Sight Singing  Go to:   Begin practicing on Note Identification in all clefs  Key signature Identification Major and Minor  Interval Identification in all keys with modifiers  Practice Sight Singing Exercise 1 on Moodle

Homework  Read the Chapter 1, Complete the Self Tests for chapter 1 (there are 6 self tests)  Begin reading Chapter 2 on Rhythm  Turn in the work at our next class