Music Theory Fundamentals Part 1 from Conservatorio Santa Cecilia-Roma

The Elements of Music

The fundamental elements of music are:
PITCH= the highness/lowness of the note
DYNAMICS = the loudness or the variation in loudness
TIMBRE = the type of sound, or the characteristic quality of a sound, produced by a voice
or an instrument.
We can add also:
RHYTHM= the division of music into regular metric portions;
Rhythm is the pattern of sound, silence, and emphasis (accents) in a piece of music.
music theory, rhythm refers to the recurrence of notes and rests in time. When a series of
notes and rests repeats, it forms a rhythmic pattern
DURATION = how long the notes last

Music Notation

NOTATION= the way music is written, or the system of signs and symbols used to
represent musical notes.
The names of the notes in British English and American English are
ABCDEFG
The notes are written on the STAVE.CDEFGABODEFGABC
C
.The Staff (or Stave)
5 lines
-
4 spaces
STAVE (UK) OR STAFF (US): THE STAVE (OR STAFF)IS THE SET OF FIVE
PARALLEL LINES AND FOUR SPACES WHERE THE NOTES ARE WRITTEN.
THE PLURAL FORM FOR EITHER IS STAVES

Great Stave and Grand Staff

A GREAT STAVE (UK) OR GRAND STAFF (US) IS MADE BY
TWO STAVES JOINED BY A BRACE.
PIANO MUSIC AND VOCAL MUSIC (CHOIR) USE A GREAT
STAVE, ALONG WITH INSTRUMENTS SUCH AS HARP AND
MARIMBA.

Bar Lines and Measures

Single Bar Line
Indicates the end of a measure
Double Bar Line
Indicates the end of a section
End Bar Line
Indicates the end of the music
Repeat Symbol
Repeat everything inbetween once
.
A bar or measure is used in writing
music. It is a way of organizing the
written music in small sections. Each
bar is a small amount of time.
The bar line (or barline) is a vertical
line written in the music which
separates the bars.

Clef Symbols

The clef is the first symbol that appears at the beginning of every music stave.
A clef indicates which note names go on which lines and spaces on the stave: the
treble clef tells you that the second line from the bottom is G. The lines in treble clef
represent the pitches E, G, B, D, F, the spaces are F, A, C, E.
Bass clef tells you that the second line from the top is F. The lines in bass clef
represent the pitches G, B, D, F, A, the spaces are A, C, E, G.

Treble Clef Staff

«treble clef
staff
0-0
℮
Toooor line 5
G,so ... DEFGABCDEFG line1
Every Good Boy Does Fine
F-A-C-E spells face
6
℮
e
0
6
O
lines: E GBDF
spaces: D FACEG

Bass Clef Staff

bass clef
1
staffy 7: 0
0
℮
F, so ... F G ABCDEFGAB
All Cars Eat Gas
All Cows Eat Grass
Good Boys Do Fine Always
-℮
lines: GB DFA
spaces: F A CE GBD

C Clef

Soprano
Mezzo
Soprano
Alto
Tenor
Baritone
THE C CLEF IS MOVEABLE AND INDICATES WHERE C IS
ON THE STAVE.

Ledger Lines

A
B
md
D
or ledger lines
C
D
ad
E
F
Q
0
℮
C
B
A
0
G
EDC BO
LEDGER LINES ARE SHORT LINES ADDED ABOVE OR BELOW THE STAFF TO TAKE
NOTE WHICH ARE OUTSIDE ITS RANGE. THEY CAN BE USED WITH ANY CLEF.

Ledger Lines Between Staves

melody in treble clef staff
middle C
= same pitches
in bass clef staff
middle C
d
℮
THE LEDGER LINES MAY OCCUR BETWEEN THE STAVES TO MAKE IT CLEAR
WHETHER THE NOTES ARE IN THE TREBLE CLEF PART OR BASS CLEF PART

Half Step or Semitone

HALF STEP OR SEMITONE OR
HALF TONE
IT IS THE SMALLEST MUSICAL INTERVAL USED IN
WESTERN TONAL MUSIC

Accidentals

ACCIDENTALS
SHARP = DIESIS
DOUBLE SHARP = DOPPIO DIESIS
FLAT = BEMOLLE
DOUBLE FLAT = DOPPIO BEMOLLE
NATURAL= BEQUADRO
DOUBLE NATURAL =DOPPIO BEQUADRO

Accidentals Symbols

Accidentals
Natural
6
Cancel Sharp or Flat
Sharp (#)
Raise One Half-Step
Flat (b)
Lower One Half-Step
Double Sharp
XO
Raise Two Half-Steps
Double Flat
Lower Two Half-Steps

Note Durations

British English
American English
Breve
Double Whole Note
Semibreve
e
Whole Note
Minim
Half Note
Crotchet
Quarter Note
Quaver
Eighth Note
Semiquaver
Sixteenth Note
Demisemiquaver
Thirty-second Note
Hemidemisemiquaver
Sixty-fourth Note

Rest Durations

Whole rest
Semibreve rest
1
a
a
Half rest
Minim rest
1/2
alamy
a
a
Quarter rest
1/4
Crotchet rest
a
Eighth rest
Quaver rest
1/8
9
4
alamy
a
Sixteenth rest
Semiquaver rest
1/16
a
alamy
Thirty-second rest
Demisemiquaver rest
1/32
a
Sixty-fourth rest
Hemidemisemiquaver rest
1/64