THE MUSICIANS GUIDE TO THEORY AND ANALYSIS CHAPTER ONE PITCH AND PITCH CLASS THE MUSICIANS GUIDE TO THEORY AND ANALYSIS CHAPTER ONE

Music Alphabet/Note Names Note are named only the following letters: A B C D E F G Did you know in Germany they have an H note? It is equivalent to our B-natural.

Pitch Classes and Pitches Tones 8 letter names apart make an octave. Example: C D E F G A B C What is pitch? Dictionary Definition: the quality of sound governed by the rate of vibrations producing it; the degree or highness or lowness of a tone Book Definition: a tone sounding in a particular octave QUICK ASSIGNMENT: Try it #1 - page 4

Notes on a Piano Visually it is easier to imagine a piano when referring to pitch name Accidentals - sharp or flat changing a pitch from its “natural” state Flat - lower the pitch by one half-step; key below (to the left) Sharp - raises the pitch by one half-step; key above (to the right) Natural - no sharp or flats (white keys of the piano)

Enharmonic Equivalents Simply put - same SOUND pitch, written two different ways Example: C#/Db produce the same sounding pitch QUICK ASSIGNMENT: Try it #2 - page 6

Half Steps and Whole Steps Half Steps - smallest possible interval in western music; notes right next to each other Example: C to C#; Bb to A Whole Step - two half steps Example: C to D; G to F QUICK ASSIGNMENT: Try it #3 - page 7

Double Sharps and Flats Double Sharps (X)- raise the pitch 1 WHOLE step from the natural Example: GX=A Double Flats (bb)- lower the pitch 1 WHOLE step from the natural Example: Ebb=D

Why is this important? If we understand this much without having to “read” the music, it will make the next part easier

Music Reading Music is written on a staff which consists of 5 lines and 4 spaces Like a latter line 1 is the bottom (lowest) line; line 5 is the top (highest) space Space 1 is the bottom (lowest) space; space 4 is the top (highest) space

Clefs Clefs determine: Types of clefs: Pitch placement on the staff Octave How to read music Types of clefs: Treble Clef Bass Clef Soprano Clef Mezzo Soprano Clef Alto Clef Tenor Clef Baritone Clef

Treble Clef With TREBLE as the name of the clef is it going have lower or higher notes on this clef? Lines: Spaces: Empty Space Garbage FACE Before Dad Flips

Bass Clef With TREBLE as the name of the clef is it going have lower or higher notes on this clef? Lines: Spaces: Good All Boys Cars Deserve Eat Food Gas Always

Warm-Up Try it #4 - page 10 Try it #5 - page 11

C Clefs - Alto Clef 3rd line is middle C Uses less ledger lines for instruments/voices in this range

C Clefs - Tenor Clef 4th line is middle C Uses less ledger lines for instruments/voices in this range

Ledger Lines - Treble Clef Lines used to extend pitches below and above the staff of any clef. Ledger lines have lines and spaces. A note with a line going through is on the line. A note sitting on or under a line is a space.

Ledger Lines - Bass Clef Notice how we still use the order of the music alphabet with ledger lines.

Grand Staff Two staves (one in treble clef and one in bass clef) connected by a brace and bar line. This is how piano music is typically written.

Grand Staff Notice how middle C (C4) can be written in either the treble clef or bass clef lines.

Grand Staff One last time, with a piano. Did you notice that the brace and bar line between the staves are missing? Do not forget them!!

Naming Registers Octave 1 is the lowest pitches on a piano Octave 8 is the highest pitches on a piano

Naming Registers C6 C5 C4 Middle C C3 C2 Examples in a grand staff.

ff Dynamics f mf mp p pp (pianissimo - very soft) (piano - soft) (mezzo piano - medium soft) mf (mezzo forte - medium loud) f (forte - loud) ff (fortissimo - very loud)