Tuesday, September 18, 2012

 Music Sharing – Justin (XHS)  Review: major scales  Review: key signatures  Writing key signatures  Order of sharps & flats  In–class work: Naming key signatures  ET7

 TETRA = four  Tetrachord = a series of four notes having a pattern of whole step, whole step, half step.  The four notes of a tetrachord must always be in alphabetical order.  The tones of a scale are also called SCALE DEGREES (or steps).  There are 8 degrees in every major scale.  In all major scales, half steps occur between the 3 rd /4 th and the 7 th /8 th scale degrees.  The distance between all other scale degrees are whole steps.

 A major scale consists of TWO tetrachords.  The two tetrachords are joined by a whole step.  Each scale begins and ends on a note of the same name, called the KEYNOTE.  A scale can begin on any note.  The KEYNOTE names the scale. (example: If a major scale begins and ends on C, the keynote is C and the scale is called a C major scale.)

 WWH–WWWH

 Build scales using sharps using the same “magic phone number”.  Starting with the C major scale, the 2 nd tetrachord is always the 1 st tetrachord of the following sharp scale.  This overlapping pattern continues through all major sharp scales.  Initial examples: G major and D major

 Build scales using flats using the same “magic phone number”.  Starting with the C major scale, the 4 th scale degree is always of 1 st scale degree (keynote) of the following flat scale.  This pattern continues through all major sharp scales.  Initial examples: F major and Bb major.

 In musical notation, a key signature is a series of sharp or flat symbols placed on the staff, designating notes that are to be consistently played one half step higher or lower than the equivalent natural notes unless otherwise altered with an accidental.  Key signatures are generally written immediately after the clef at the beginning of a line of musical notation, although they can appear in other parts of a score, notably after a double bar.  Key signatures are generally used in a score to avoid the complication of having sharp or flat symbols on every instance of certain notes.  Each major and minor key has an associated key signature that sharpens or flattens the notes which are used in its scale.

 Order of sharps: F C G D A E B  (Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Birds.)  Naming: ½ step up from last sharp

 Order of flats: B E A D G C F  (BEAD – Go Call Fred!)  Naming: 2 nd –to–last flat