Theory Study Notes-Preliminary

Semitones

• Semitone= the shortest distance between notes on the keyboard
• Whole tone= two semitones, always have two different letter names in alphabetical order (ex. F# to G#)
• Accidental=alters pitch by raising or lowering it
• When writing accidentals in music, the sharp, flat or natural always go in front of the note and after the letter name (ex.Eb). The accidental always goes in the same space/line as the note affecting it
• Enharmonic change= changing the name of a note without affecting pitch (F#=Gb)
• Chromatic semitone=a semitone that consists of two notes with the same letter name (E Eb)
• Diatonic semitone= a semitone that consists of two notes with different letter names (Db C)

Tempo Terms

• Adagio=very slowly
• Lento=slowly
• Largo=slow and broad
• Larghetto=not as slow as Largo

• Andante=somewhat slowly; a walking pace
• Andantino=a little faster than Andante
• Allegretto=fairly fast, but not as fst as Allegro
• Moderato=at a moderate tempo

• Allegro=quick and lively
• Presto=very fast
• Prestissimo=as fast as possible

Major Scales

• Scale=notes in succession
• Major scale is the most common scale
• Semitones in a major scale occur between notes 3 and 4 and 7 and 8

Technical Names for the Degrees of the Scale:

1. Supertonic
2. Mediant
3. Subdominant
4. Dominant
5. Submediant
6. Leading Note

Italian Terms

• Cantabile=in a singing style
• Dolce=sweetly
• Fine=the end of the music
• Grazioso=gracefully
• Maestoso=majestically
• Marcato=well marked
• M.D. (mano destra)= right hand
• M.S. (mano sinistra=left hand

Interval

• Interval=the distance between two notes
• Harmonic interval=when the notes of an interval are played at the same time/together
• Intervals have a specific number
• Major interval + (+3)
• Perfect interval P
• We should consider the bottom note of an interval the tonic of a major scale.
• To be a major or perfect interval the upper note of the interval must be a member of teh scale of the lower note (bottom notes is the key note)
• Minor intveral=one semitone smaller than a major interval
• Perfect intervals are NEVER minors

Minor Scales

• All major keys have relative minor, because they have the same key signature
• Relative minors are 3 semitones lower than their relative majors
• Natural minor= using the correct key signature (semitones on 2-3 and 5-6)
• Harmonic minor= raising the 7th note ( semitones on 2-3,5-6, 7-8...........tone & semitone between 6-7)
• Melodic minor scale=raising the 6th & 7th notes ascending (semitones on 2-3 and 7-8) and lowering the 6th and 7th notes descending (semitones on 2-3 and 5-6)

Italian Terms

• Accent=stress the note of chord
• Crescendo (cresc.)=gradually getting louder
• Decresendo (decresc.)= gradually getting softer
• Dal Segno D.S.= repeat from the sign
• Fermata (pause)= hold the notes for longer than it's written value
• Repeat signs=repeat music within the double bars
• Slur=play notes smoothly connected
• Staccato=play notes short and detached
• Tie=hold the note for the combined value of both notes

Simple Time*

• simple duple time= the upper number is always 2
• simple triple time= the upper number is always 3
• simple quadruple time=the upper number is 4
• * the lower numbers are 2,4,8,16
• Weak beats are not joined into one rest
• Finish incomplete beats 1st
• Join strong and weak beats

Chords

• Chord= combination of notes that are played together
• The third of the dominant triad in a minor key is the leading note (7th) and must be raised
• Major triad= rt +3 P5
• Minor triad= rt -3 P5
• to figure out the intervals in a minor triad you will use the major key ONLY to figure out the actual intervals

Finding the Key of a Given Music

• major-no raised 7th as accidentals
• minor- HAS to have 7th raised (can also have 6th and 7th raised in the melodic form)