music theory

• An interval is the distance between two pitches.
• A scale is a series of notes played one after another, usually starting on a specific note called the root.
• The tonic is the first note or chord in a key signature.
• the treble clef also known as the G Clef
• the bass clef also known as the f clef
• A half step written using notes with the same letter name can be referred to as a chromatic half step.
• A half step written using 2 different letter names can be referred to as a diatonic half step.
• Enharmonics equivalents are the same pitch but different names
• Register: range of a voice or instument
• Transposition is changing the key signature without changing the melody
• notes below the middle line in any clef, stem go up on the right side of the note
• notes above the middle line in any clef, stem go down on the left on the note
• stems of notes in the middle line may go any way, determined by the surrounding notes
• strong beats are almost always the first beat
• 4/2 time is uncommon but used a lot in the past
• the anacrusis or pick up is a note or series of notes that come before the downbeat.
• breves can be used for a whole measure of rest
• when filling in rests a strong beat can be combined with weaker beats that follow
• when filling in rests a weak beat cannot be combined with a stronger beat that follows
• duple and quadruple meter combine 2 rests into 1 when both rests are in the first half or second half of the measure
• triple meter rest on beats 1 and 2 can either be shown separately/combined beat 2 and 3 are both weak so nono
• when adding rests to a measure each beat should be complete before adding other beats of silence
• compound time is split into 3 unlike the simple times
• simple time: top # represents the number of beats and bottom # is the value of one note
• in compound timethe top # is the number of pulses and bottom is the value of the pulses
• scale comes the latin word scala (ladder)
• a major scale pattern of whole and half steps is w w h w w w h
• the scale can be separated into top and bottom, 4 notes in each called a tetrachord
• no accidentals can be c major or a minor
• 1 sharp can be g major and E minor
• 2 sharps can be D major or B minor
• 3 sharps can be A major or f sharp minor
• 4 sharps can be E major or C# minor
• 1 flat can be f major or D minor
• 2 flats can be B flat major or G minor
• 3 flats can be E flat major or C minor
• 4 flats can be A flat major or F minor
• The circle of fifths can show the relationship between flats, sharps
• A minor scale starts on the 6th degree of its relative major scale
• Natural, Harmonic, Melodic are the 3 types of minor scales