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

2. 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.

3. 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

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)

5. 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

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

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

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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

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

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

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

16. 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.

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

18. 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.

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

20. 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!!

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

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

23. 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)