AP Music Theory Unit 1 Music Fundamentals I

AP Music Theory Unit 1:Music Fundamentals I: Pitch, Major Scales and Key Signatures, Rhythm, Meter, and Expressive Elements Lesson One: Pitch and Pitch Notation ● Pitch: term used to indicate the highness or lowness of a sound. Also called tones/notes ● Middle C: a pitch in the middle range; separates the high pitches from low pitches. On the first ledger line above the bass clef and the first ledger line below the treble clef. The middle line of the alto clef. ● Notation: the use of signs and symbols to write down musical pitches ● Music theory: the study of notation and applying it to an instrument or voice ● Staff: the lines and spaces on which notes are placed. Used by counting from bottom up, and the 5 lines and 4 spaces represent different pitches based on the clef. ● Note: a mark representing a musical pitch ● Notes in a space: between the lines on the staff ● Note on a line: on a line on the staff ● Treble: word meaning high pitches, high tones, those above Middle C ● Clef: a sign placed at the beginning of a staff to indicate pitch. (EX: Bass clef, Alto clef, and Treble clef.) ● Note names in treble clef: FACE: spaces (Bottom to top) EGBDF: lines (Bottom to top) ● Note names in bass clef: ACEG: spaces (Bottom to top) GBDFA: lines (bottom to top) ● Note names in Alto clef: GBDF: spaces (bottom to top) FACEG: lines (bottom to top) ● Melody: a pattern of single pitches. The focal point of the song. Usually the most memorable part for the audience. ● Treble staff: used to represent all the pitches above Middle C ● Base staff: used to represent notes lower than Middle C 1 ● Alto staff: Middle C is the middle (third) line on the staff. ● Bass: term referring to pitches below Middle C 1 ● Octave: measured from one pitch to the next of the same letter name. (EX: from a lower low C to the next highest C is one octave) ● Chord: when 2+ or more pitches are played at the same time, (usually 3 pitches) ● Harmony: term for the sound which results when 2 or more tones are played at the same time ● Consonance: pleasant-sounding chords ● Dissonant: unpleasant-sounding chords ● Half step: The smallest unit of measurement in music. EX: C to C#. ● Sharps (#): Raise a note by a half step ● Flats (b): Lower a note by a half step ● Naturals (♮): Cancel any sharps or flats o Accidentals last only for the measure, (flats, sharps, and naturals are all accidentals) ● Whole step: Two half steps (EX: A to B) Lesson Two: Rhythmic Values ● Time signature: The top number decides how many beats per measure. The bottom number is what note gets one beat. o EX: If the top number is 3, there are three beats in a measure. If the bottom number is 4, the quarter note gets one beat. If the bottom number is 8, the eighth note gets one beat. ● Common time: Symbol is a C. 4/4 time. Four beats per measure and quarter note gets one beat. ● Cut time: Symbol is a C with a line through it from top to bottom. 2/2 time. Two beats per measure and half note gets one beat. ● Quarter note (♩): One beat in 4/4 time, Counted 1 2 3 4. ● Eighth note (♪): Half a beat in 4/4/ time. Counted 1& 2& 3& 4&. ● Sixteenth note (♬ - 2 sixteenths barred together): One fourth of a beat in 4/4 time. Counted 1e&a 2e&a 3e&a 4e&a. ● Half note: Two beats in 4/4 time. Looks like a quarter note, but the circle is open. ● Whole note: Fills whole measure. Looks like a half note without a stem. ● Rest: Beats of silence. ● Quarter rest : One beat of silence in 4/4 time. Looks like a z with a tail off the end. ● Eighth rest: Half a beat of silence in 4/4 time. Looks like an apostrophe, placed on the fourth line. ● Sixteenth rest: One fourth a beat of silence in 4/4 time. Looks like an eighth rest with a line through the middle. ● Whole rest: Silence for an entire measure. Looks like a rectangle hanging from the bottom of the fourth line. ● Half rest: Silence for half a measure in 4/4 time. Looks like Rectangle on top of the third line. ● Dotted notes: Equal to the value of the original note plus an extra one half of the original note’s value. Looks like the original note with a small dot by the head of the note. o EX: Dotted Quarter note is equal to 1 ½ beats (1 beat plus half of 1) Lesson Three: Half steps and Whole steps (M: Major) (m: minor) (P: perfect) ● 1 half step: m2 ● 2 half steps: M2 ● 3 half steps: m3 ● 4 half steps: M3 ● 5 half steps: P4 ● 6 half steps: tritone ● 7 half steps: P5 ● 8 half steps: m6 ● 9 half steps: M6 and diminished 72 ● 10 half steps: m7 ● 11 half steps: M7 ● 12 half steps: P8 ● 4 or 5 is NEVER M or m Lesson Four: Major Scales and Scale Degrees ● Scale degrees are counted starting from the root of the scale. o First: Tonic o Second: Supertonic o Third: Mediant o Fourth: Subdominant o Fifth: Dominant o Sixth: Submediant o Seventh: Leading Tone o Eighth: Tonic ● Major scales are always in the pattern whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step (Two tetrachords bridged together with a whole step) Lesson Five: Major keys and Key Signatures ● Order of sharps: FCGDAEB ● Order of flats: BEADGCF 2 ● C Major: No Sharps or Flats ● G Major: One sharp (F#) ● D Major: Two Sharps (F# and C#) ● A Major: Three sharps (F#, C#, and G#) ● E Major: Four sharps (F#, C#, G#, and D#) ● B Major: Five Sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#, and A#) ● F# Major: Six Sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, and E#) ● C# Major: Seven Sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, and B#) ● F Major: One Flat (Bb) ● B♭ Major: Two Flats (Bb and Eb) ● Eb Major: Three Flats (Bb, Eb, and Ab) ● Ab Major: Four Flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, and Db) ● Db Major: Five Flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, and Gb) ● Gb Major: Six Flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, and Cb) ● Cb Major: Seven Flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, and Fb) Lesson Six: Simple and Compound Beat Division ● Every time signature can be broken down into a different meter. o A Simple meter occurs when the beats can be broken down into two notes. (2/4) o A Compound meter occurs when the beats can be broken into three notes. (6/8) Lesson Seven: Meter and Time Signature ● In Simple Meters, the bottom number of the time signature corresponds to the type of note that equals a single beat. ● In Compound Meters, the bottom number of the time signature corresponds to the type of note that equals a division of the beat. o For EX: if the bottom number is 8 but it is counted in four, 8 is a division of the beat in four. Lesson Eight: Rhythmic Patterns ● Meter: specific pattern creating a regularized rhythm. ● Foot: basic unit in the scansion or measurement of verse. A foot usually contains one accented and one or two unaccented syllables. ● Lamb (Iambic): a two-syllable foot with the accent falling on the second syllable. o Ex; re-hearse ● Trochee (Trochaic): a syllable foot with the accent falling on the first syllable o Ex: bar-ter ● Anapest (Anapestic): a three-syllable foot consisting of two unaccented syllables followed by an accented syllable. o Ex: un-der-stand ● Dactyl (Dactylic): a three-syllable foot consisting of one accented syllable followed by two unaccented syllables. o Ex: mer-ri-ly ● Spondee (Spondaic): two syllables that are equally or almost equally accented o Ex: true-blue ● Pyrrhic: two syllables that are both unstressed. o Spondaic and Pyrrhic feet seldom occur except as variations on the iambic or trochaic meter. ● Monometer: a line of verse consisting of one foot ● Dimeter: a verse of line consisting of two feet ● Trimeter: a verse of line consisting of three feet ● Tetrameter: a verse of line consisting of four feet ● Pentameter: a verse of line consisting of five feet ● Hexameter: a verse of line consisting of six feet ● Heptameter: a verse of line consisting of seven feet ● Octometer: a verse of line consisting of eight feet Lesson Nine: Tempo ● Metronome: A device used to measure beats per minute (BPM) ● Larghissimo: Very, very slow- 24 BPM or slower, in 4/4 time ● Grave: Very slow (25-45 BPM) ● Largo: Broadly (40-60 BPM) ● Lento: Slowly (45-65 BPM) ● Larghetto: Rather broadly (60-66BPM) ● Adagio: Slow and stately; literally translated, "at ease" (66-76BPM) ● Adagietto: Slower than andante (72-76 BPM) ● Andante: Literally translated, "walking" (76-108BPM) ● Andantino: Slightly faster than andante (80-108BPM) ● Marcia moderato: Moderately, in the style of a march (83-85BPM) ● Andante moderato: Between andante and moderato (92-112 BPM) ● Moderato: Moderately. (108-120BPM) ● Allegretto: Moderately fast. (112-120BPM) ● Allegro moderato: Close, but not quite allegro (116-120BPM) ● Allegro: Fast, quickly, bright (120-168BPM) ● Molto Allegro: An allegro that is on the faster side. (145-168BPM) ● Vivace: Lively and fast (168-178 BPM) ● Vivacissimo: Very fast and lively (172-176 BPM) ● Allegro vivace: Very fast (172-176), also written "allegrissimo" ● Presto: Super fast (168-200 BPM) ● Prestissimo: Even faster than "presto" (200 BPM and over) ● Rallentando: Gradually slowing down (rall.) ● Ritardando: Holding back; gradually getting slower (rit) ● Ritenuto: Immediately slowing down, no abbreviation ● Accelerando: Gradually speeding up ● Stringendo: Another term for "accelerando"- to speed up gradually; literally translated, "tightening". To press on, going faster. ● A piacere: Literally translated, "At your pleasure", meaning the performer may use his or her own judgement with regard to tempo or rhythm ● A tempo: Returning to the earlier tempo ● Calando: Slowing and getting softer ● Mosso: Literally translated, "movement", usually paired with "piu" (more) or "Meno" (less) ● Rubato: An expressive change in tempo; literally translated, "theft"- so, stealing time from one beat to lengthen or emphasize another ● Stretto: In faster tempo, near the end of a section- may indicate slowing down slightly to show resolution or "end" ● Tempo primo: Indicates (similar to "a tempo" a return to the original tempo of a piece.) ● Cantabile: Literally, "singing". In a flowing, lyrical tempo; not too fast ● Assai: Literally, "Very much"; usually accompanies another word for tempo, ex: "allegro assai", meaning very much fast. ● Con: Literally, "with"; usually accompanies another word indicating a stylistic or articulation suggestion. o Example: con brio (with vigor and spirit), con dolcezza (with softness and sweetness), con fuoco (with fire, similar to appassionato). ● Molto: much/very, as in "molto allegro" (very quick) or "molto adagio" (very slowly) ● Non troppo: Literally "Not too much", i.e. "allegro non troppo", meaning fast, but not TOO fast. ● Poco: slightly or little ● e interruzione": (without pause or interruption) ● Subito: Suddenly; usually paired with either tempo or dynamic indicators, i.e. "subito allegro" for suddenly fast Lesson Ten: Dynamics and Articulation ● Senza: without, as in "senz ccent”: a stressed note ● Legato: smooth and connected ● Slur: play two different notes connected ● Tie: The same note’s duration elongated ● Staccato: detached ● Sostenuto: sustained ● Tenuto: held for the note’s full value, sustained ● Crescendo (cresc.): becoming gradually louder ● Decrescendo (decresc.): becoming gradually softer ● Diminuendo (dim): becoming softer ● Forte: loud ● Fortepiano: loud, then suddenly soft ● Fortissimo: very loud ● Mezzo forte: moderately loud ● Mezzo piano: moderately soft ● Piano: soft ● Pianissimo: very soft ● Sforzando: a sudden strong accent of a single note or chord