What is Music?

• Music is Organized Sound

• Sound with a purpose or meaning

What is Sound?

• The Vibration of Air in a specific pattern forming Sound Waves

Sound Waves

• Sound waves can be low and high.

• High and Low sound waves are called?

•PITCH

Note

• In music we use a note as a symbol to represent high and low pitch.

Staff

• In order to see the note, we use a music staff.

• A music staff has FIVE lines numbering from bottom to top (low to high pitch)

Five Lines

1

2

3

4

5

Staff

• And it has four spaces numbering from bottom to top (low to high pitch)

Four Spaces

1

2

3

4

Staff + Note

The Clef

A CLEF is used to determine the actual pitch of a note on the staff.

Different CLEF’S are used to accommodate the wide range of pitches performed by voices and instruments.

Treble Clef

The symbol above is called the TREBLE CLEF. The Treble Clef is used for instruments who play higher in pitch.

c Copyright Steve Vepraskas 2005

Treble Clef

The instruments of the Treble clef:

Flute Oboe Clarinet Saxophone

Trumpet French Horn

Bass Clef

The symbol above is called the BASS CLEF. The BASS Clef is used for instruments who play low pitches.

c Copyright Steve Vepraskas 2005

Bass Clef

• The Instruments of the Bass Clef:

Euphonium Trombone

Bassoon Tuba

Musical Alphabet

• The Musical Alphabet assigns a letter name to each line and space on the staff.

• The M.A. only uses 7 letters of the written alphabet. The letters repeat in a sequence.

F G A B C D E

F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A

Lower PITCH Higher

Musical Alphabet

EGBDF

The Lines of the Treble Clef:

Elm Grove Band Does Fine

Musical Alphabet

FACE

The Spaces of the Treble Clef:

F A C E

Musical Alphabet

• The Complete Treble Clef Staff

E F G A B C D E F

Musical Alphabet

GBDFA

The Lines of the Bass Clef:

Good Bands Do Fine Always

Musical Alphabet

ACEG

The Spaces of the Bass Clef:

All Cows Eat Grass

Musical Alphabet

• The Complete Bass Clef Staff

G A B C D E F G A

Ledger Lines

• Ledger Lines are lines that extend the staff above and below.

Ledger Lines

Steady Beat

• The Steady beat is the constant pulse in a piece of music.

• The Steady beat can be grouped in patterns. The most common grouping is in 4.

Note Values

• A note can have different lengths of sound.

• The sound duration depends on the value of the note and the number of steady beats it holds.

Note Values

4 steady beats of sound

The Whole Note:

Note Values

The Half Note:

2 steady beats of sound

Note Values

The Quarter Note:

1 steady beat of sound

Note Values

4 steady beats

2 SB + 2SBEquals 4SB

1+1+1+1Equals 4SB++ +

+

1 Whole Note

2 Half Notes

4 Quarter Notes

Bar lines

• The staff is divided into equal parts by Bar lines.

• A Double Bar tells you when to stop the music.

Measure

• A Measure is the space between bar lines.

• A Measure contains the steady beat.

Time Signature

• The Time Signature appears at the beginning of the music after the clef sign.

• The Time Signature has two numbers, one above the other.

• The top number tells you how many steady beats are in each measure.

• The bottom number tells you what value note illustrates the steady beat.

Time Signature

• The most common time signature is 4 over 4. however there are many different time signatures in music.

44

There are 4 steady beats

1 2 3 4

Each steady beat is illustrated by a quarter note

Time Signature

• The Steady beat quarter notes may be arranged in different values.

Rests

• Music is not only made up of sounds, but also musical silence called Rests.

• The duration of musical silence is determined by the value of the REST.

Rests

The Whole Rest.

The Whole rest is equal to 4 steady beats of musical silence.

Whole Rests

Rests

• The Half Rest:

• The Half Rest is equal to 2 steady beats of musical silence.

Half Rests

Rests

• The Quarter Rest:

• The quarter rest is equal to 1 steady beat of musical silence.

Quarter Rest

Dotted Notes

• When a DOT is placed next to a note, it adds half of that notes value.