I.              SPECIALTY TEST:

MUSIC THEORY & CONDUCTING

BASIC PITCH NOTATION

The Staff

Pitch in music means the highness or lowness of sound. In order to tell one pitch from another, we have created a way of writing it down ("notating” it.)  To do this, we use a special set of symbols to tell high pitches from low pitches One symbol is a staff.

A staff has five (5) lines and four (4) spaces. Each line or space on the staff has a separate note name associated with it. As notes go up in the alphabet- A, B, C- they go up in the staff. Use only the letters A through G in the staff- never h, j, x, etc.  If you run out of letters, begin again with A, B, C and so on.

Do the practice examples for the bass clef. Name the notes of the bass clef here, if you cannot already do so.

       

Practice Examples for Bass Clef

 

 

 

 

(Answers For Treble and Bass clef words:  b-a-g-; g-a-f-f-; c-a-n-d-y; c-m-a-c-g-a; b-a-d; b-a-g-g-a-g-e; c-a-b-b-a-g-e)

 

The Grand Staff

 

Both clefs written together are called the Grand Staff and pianists and conductors read both these clefs at once. This drawing shows the relationship of the written note names of the grand staff and the clefs.   Notice the note called "Middle C" is in the middle of the piano and in the middle of the Grand Staff.

 

 

 

 

 

Ledger Lines

 

There are little lines that extend the lines and spaces of the clefs. They look like ledges on a mountain trail, and are called ledger lines. Ledger lines allow us to write pitches on the clef, which are outside of the range of the clef.  For example Middle C always has a ledger line with it. It is on the bottom of the treble clef and on the top of the bass clef.

 

 

Intervals

 

There are other notes on the keyboard and they have different names. Most of them are "black" notes and have "altered" names. They are usually very close to the other notes- the white keys.

 

These distances from note to note are measurable. In music, the distances are called intervals.  Intervals are musical distances between pitches. Intervals can be any size, small or large. The smallest intervals are half  (½) steps. The next largest intervals are called whole steps. Whole steps are simply two half (½) steps in distance.

Look at the example and notice the altered names and distances between pitches.

 

                                                                                       C#  D#     F#  G# A#     C#  D# 

                                                                                  C    D    hh  G    A   hh  D   hh

                                                                                                  E F                 B C         E F

It is important to notice that there are two pairs of notes on the keyboard where there is no black key sitting between the white keys. The interval between these white keys is only a half step shown by the pairs of arrows on the diagram. It is important to remember that the pairs of notes ("B - C" and "E - F") are the place on the piano where there are automatic half steps between white notes.

 

Flats, Sharps, Natural Signs

 

Three symbols are used to cause pitch to change.  They are the flat sign, the sharp sign, and the natural sign.

 

The flat sign causes a note

to be lowered to the next pitch.

 The sharp sign causes a note

to be raised to the next pitch.

 The natural sign returns an

altered note to the original pitch again.

The flat and sharp signs are used to change note names. For example a black note between a G and an A could be called a raised G or a lowered A. Musicians call them “G-sharp” or “A-flat” but it is still the same one pitch with several names.

 

       C#/Db  D#/Eb    F#/Gb G#/Ab A# Bb 

                                                                jk  jk   jk  jk  jk

 

Enharmonic Pitches

 

Some notes have more than one name. When a note more than one name, the names are said to be enharmonic. This means “same sound” in Latin. Enharmonic pitches sound the same, but are spelled differently - such as “G-sharp” and “A-flat,” B# and C, B natural and Cb, or F# and Gb. Any note on the keyboard can have several names, which gives musicians a variety of names to work with.

 

SCALES

Constructing a Major Scale

 

A major scale is a basic element of music. Like singing Do- Re Mi- Fa- Sol- La Ti Do or playing "Doe, a deer, a female deer…” on the piano, a scale is a series of notes in alphabetical order which sounds consistent and similar no matter which pitch you start on. Almost all music is made up of scales in some way or another.

 

The first note of a scale is called the tonic, or “tone note” of the scale. As an example, the C scale (begins on the note C) has all white notes starting on C and going up to C.

 

                                 do       re         mi       fa          so        la         ti        do

                                                Tonic Note

You’ve noticed that some white notes on the piano have black notes in between, and some do not. The distances between the white key notes (intervals) are bigger when there is a black note between and smaller without one. Half steps are the smaller ones and whole steps are the larger ones. These intervals show why “Do- Re- Mi” sounds the way it does.

 

Half and whole steps listed together produces a formula used to make new scales on new pitches. The interval formula is:  1, 1, ½, 1, 1, 1, ½    or whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half   (2,1,3,1).

 

The goal is to make all major scales sound the same. To do so, some notes have to change. But which notes change and do they raise or lower? The "C" scale is the model scale, and all other major scales must sound like it.  Try to construct a major scale on another pitch: G.  Follow these five steps:

 

1)      Find the tonic note G.

2)      Name the eight pitches: G A B C D E F G .

3)      Add the formula: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half

4)      Change any notes which don’t fit the formula

5)      Show the flats or sharps in one place (to the right of the clef sign.)

KEY SIGNATURES

 

Each time the tonic note changes, the number of flats and sharps (altered notes) will change and so does the key signature. That is a logical assumption, since the keyboard follows an irregular pattern of white and black notes. You always see 3 black, then 2 black, etc. when you see a piano keyboard. A key signature is the unique list of altered notes you use to start on a specific pitch.

 

The tonic note, the scale name and the key or key signature are all the same thing. The “key of C” the “C scale” and “C” are all ways of describing a pattern of notes starting on C with all white keys and ending on C again.  Names of the major scales you’ll need to know are:

 

·        A B C D E F G.

·        Also Ab Bb Cb Db Eb Fb Gb (A-flat, B-flat, etc.)

·        Also A# B# C# D# E# F# G# (A-sharp, B-sharp, etc.)

 

 

 

 

 

Several scales are shown here.

 

 

THE CIRCLE OF FIFTHS

 

The Circle of Fifths (5ths) is a musical pattern explaining the order of flats, sharps, and key signatures and how they are related to one another. It is probably the most powerful tool in music. Classical, popular and jazz songwriters and composers use it constantly. It is a simple concept with many applications.

 

 

 

 

 

The Circle of 5ths is a circular arrangement of twelve scales. Scales start out simple and get more complex with each step. After several changes, the original key is reached again. The number of sharps increases by one (1) with each step, and the flats decrease by one with each step.                          

This repetitive cycle of note and key names is very powerful knowledge in music, and it is known as the Circle of 5ths. To know and understand it requires explanation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Constructing the Circle of Fifths with Sharps

 

Our goal is to find a key with one sharp, then two sharps, then 3 sharps, etc. There are twelve notes (pitches) on the keyboard, so you could in theory have twelve sharps.

        

Note names and altered pitches do not just change at random. They ARE NOT in alphabetical order, but they ARE in a logical and set order. The organizing factor that stays consistent is the interval of a 5th - or just like going from pitch one (1) to pitch five (5) of the scale.

 

Imagine a circle with twelve (12) divisions, or draw a clock face with twelve (12) numbers and twelve pie-shaped divisions.  Each of the twelve divisions represents a pitch name, or the name of a scale. Begin the diagram by starting with C at twelve o’clock noon, the top of the circle, and do the numbered steps shown. Remember that sharps raise notes.

 

 

1.      The key that has no sharps or flats is C. (C has no sharps and no flats.) Count up the C scale to target pitch number 5- C-D-E-F-G. The FIFTH note is G. Our new key is G. G has 1 altered note. That note is F#. Write G in the one o’clock space and write “1 sharp” (F#) next to it.

 

2.      The key that has one (1) altered note is G. (G has one sharp.) Count up the G scale to pitch number 5- G-A-B-C-D. The FIFTH note is D. Our new key is D. D has 2 altered notes. They are F# and C#. Write D in the two o’clock space and write “2 sharps” (F# and C#) next to it.

 

3.      The key that has two (2) altered notes is D. (D has two sharps.) Count up the D scale to pitch number 5- D-E-F#-G-A. The FIFTH note is A. Our new key is A. A has 3 altered notes. They are F#, C# and G#. Write A in the three o’clock space and write “3 sharps” (F#, C#, and G#) next to it.

 

4.      The key that has three (3) altered notes is A. (A has three sharps.) Count up the A scale to pitch number 5- A-B-C#-D-E. The FIFTH note is E. Our new key is E. E has 4 altered notes. They     are F#, C#, G# and D#. Write E in the four o’clock space and write “4 sharps” (F#, C#, G# and D#) next to it.

 

5.      The key that has four (4) altered notes is E. (E has four sharps.) Count up the E scale to pitch number 5- E-F#-G#-A-B. The FIFTH note is B. Our new key is B. B has 5 altered notes. They are F#, C#, G#, D# and A#. Write B in the five o’clock space and write “5 sharps” (F#, C#, G#, D# and A#) next to it.

 

6.      The key that has five (5) altered notes is B. (B has five sharps.) Count up the B scale to pitch number 5- B-C#-D#-E-F#. The FIFTH note is F#. . Our new key is F#. F# has 6 altered notes. They are F#, C#, G#, D#, A and E#. Write F# in the six o’clock space and write “6 sharps" (F#, C#, G#, D#, A# and E#) next to it.

 

7.      The key that has six (6) altered notes is F#. (F# has six sharps.) Count up the F# scale to pitch       number 5- F#-G#-A#-B-C#. The FIFTH note is C#. Our new key is C#. C# has 7 altered notes. They are F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E# and B#. Write C# in the seven o’clock space and write “7 sharps” (F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E# and B#) next to it.

 

8.      The key that has seven (7) altered notes is C#. (C# has seven sharps.)

 

This process could continue until at least twelve pitch names are named and all 12 filled segments would close the circle. It is true that in common practice stop at the key having seven sharps, since is just too complicated to be of much practical use.  But in theory the process goes on and on through twelve sharped keys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Constructing the Circle of Fifths with Flats

 

When we constructed the Circle of 5ths with sharps, we counted up 5 notes (since sharps raise notes) from the pitch and found all the names of the sharp keys. We know that flats lower notes; so to construct the remainder of the Circle we will use a similar process and count down 5 notes to arrive to find the order of the keys with flats. Start again at twelve o’clock noon.

 

 

1.      The key that has no (0) altered notes is C. (C has no sharps and no flats.) Count down the C scale 5 STEPS (8-7-6-5-4-) to pitch number 4 (low number 5) C-B-A-G-F. The note name is F. Our new key is F. F has 1 altered note. That altered note is Bb. Write F in the eleven o’clock space (backwards one o’clock) and write “1 flat” (Bb) next to it.

 

2.      The key that has one (1) altered note is F. (F has one flat.) Count down the F scale 5 STEPS (8-7-6-5-4-) to pitch number 4 (low number 5) F-E-D-C-Bb. The note name is Bb. Our new key is Bb. Bb has 2 altered notes. Those altered notes are Bb, Eb. Write Bb in the ten o’clock space (backwards two o’clock) and write “2 flats” (Bb and Eb) next to it.

 

3.      The key that has two (2) altered notes is Bb. (Bb has two flats.) Count down the Bb scale 5 STEPS (8-7-6-5-4-) to pitch number 4 (low number 5) Bb-A-G-F-Eb. The note name is Eb. Our new key is Eb. Eb has 3 altered notes. Those altered notes are Bb, Eb, Ab. Write Eb in the nine o’clock space (backwards three o’clock) and write “3 flats ” (Bb, Eb, and Ab) next to it.

 

4.      The key that has three (3) altered notes is Eb. (Eb has three flats.) Count down the Eb scale 5 STEPS (8-7-6-5-4-) to pitch number 4 (low number 5) Eb-D-C-Bb-Ab. The note name is Ab. Our new key is Ab. Ab has 4 altered notes. Those altered notes are Bb, Eb, Ab, Db. Write Ab in the eight o’clock space (backwards four o’clock) and write “4 flats ” (Bb, Eb, Ab and Db) next to it.

 

5.      The key that has four (4) altered notes is Ab. (Ab has four flats.) Count down the Ab scale 5 STEPS (8-7-6-5-4-) to pitch number 4 (low number 5) Ab-G-F-Eb-Db. The note name is Db. Our new key is Db. Db has 5 altered notes. Those altered notes are Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb. Write Db in the seven o’clock space (backwards five o’clock) and write “5 flats ” (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db and Gb) next to it.

 

6.      The key that has five (5) altered notes is Db. (Db has five flats.) Count down the Db scale 5 STEPS (8-7-6-5-4-) to pitch number 4 (low number 5) Db-C-Bb-Ab-Gb. The note name is Gb. Our new key is Gb. Gb has 6 altered notes. Those altered notes are Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb. Write Gb in the six o’clock space and write “6 flats ” (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, and Gb) next to it.

 

7.      The key that has six (6) altered notes is Gb. (Gb has six flats.) Count down the Gb scale 5 STEPS (8-7-6-5-4-) to pitch number 4 (low number 5) Gb-F-Eb-Db-Cb. The note name is Cb. Our new key is Cb. Cb has 7 altered notes. Those altered notes are Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb. Write Cb in the five o’clock space and write “7 flats ” (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb and Fb) next to it.

 

8.      The key that has seven (7) altered notes is Cb. (Cb has seven flats.)

 

        It is important to notice that at one point the sharped and flatted keys overlap as we go around the circle.   This is because the enharmonic key names begin to overlap. Enharmonic notes are notes that have two different names but sound the same. For instance, F# and Gb are enharmonically the same note or key. Also, the pairs of B and Cb, andC# and Db are enharmonically the same. This is why there are so many symbols at the bottom of the circle.

 

 

 

 

       

        Here are some hints that will assist you in remembering the functions of the Circle of 5ths:

 

   

The order of flats never changes.

 

The order of sharps never changes.

 

The key of C has no sharps or flats.

 

The order of flatted keys is:                                     The order of sharped keys is:

(Counter-clockwise)                                     (Clockwise)

 F         1   b                                                                        G         1 #

Bb       2   b’s                                      D         2 #’s

Eb       3   b’s                                      A         3 #'s

Ab       4   b’s                                      E         4 #'s

Db       5   b’s                                      B         5 #'s

Gb       6   b’s                                      F#       6 #'s

Cb       7   b’s                                      C#       7 #'s

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Constructing a Minor Scale

 

Minor scales are patterns of notes used as much in music as major scales are used. They sound different, but are just as useful as major scales. The first minor scale to look at is the model for all the other minor scales named "A."  It is constructed in the same way we constructed the major scale on "C." The first note of the scale will still be called the tonic.

 

Measuring the half steps and whole steps, we produce a formula used to make new scales on new pitches, and we also compare and measure other minor scales. The interval formula is: 1, 1/2, 1, 1, 1/2, 1, 1, or whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole (1,1,3,2).

 

The goal is to make all minor scales sound the same. To do so, some notes have to change. But as in the major scales, which notes change, and whether they raise or lower depends on the formula of whole and half steps. The "A" scale is the model minor scale, and all other minor scales must sound like it. 

 

Follow these five steps and try to construct a minor scale on the note A:

 

1)      Find the tonic note A.

2)      Name the eight pitches: A B C D E F G A.

3)      Add the formula: whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole

4)      Change any notes which don’t fit the formula

5)      Show the flats or sharps in the key signature (to the right of the clef sign.)

 

To construct any minor scale, follow these five (5) steps:

 

1)      Find the tonic note.

2)      Name the eight pitches. (Ascending in the alphabet)

3)      Add the formula: whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole