Transcript introduction

INTRODUCTION:
“The Key Fundamentals of
Music”
Mrs. Gafford
High School , Spring 2012
KEY POINTS
Basic Music Notes
 Basic Music Terminology and Terms
 Reading Basic Music Notes on a Scale
 Singing Basic Musical Notes on a Scale
 Introduction to Sight Reading
 Introduction of Musical Styles and Periods

Basic Music Notes
To understand how to read music , one must know the very basics about
clefs and the actual notes………
ACTUAL NOTES ON A STAFF: A, B, C, D, E, F, G
http://www.piano-lessons-info.com/piano-notes-chart.html
The Treble Clef
Easy Way to Remember the Lines on the Treble Clef:
Every Good Boy Does Fine
Easy Way to Remember the Spaces: FACE
Treble Clef Spaces
Treble Clef Lines
The Bass Clef
Easy Way to Remember Lines on the Bass Clef: Good Boy Does
Fine Always
Easy Way to Remember Spaces: All Cows Eat Grass
Bass Clef Lines
Bass Clef Spaces
Music Terminology
Basic/Beginners Music Terminology that YOU need to know:
Accelerando – getting faster as the section of the piece marked goes on.
Adagio – played very slowly
Allegro – played at a fast tempo and with a cheerful mood
Andante – played moderately slowly
A tempo – go back to the original tempo
Beat – the basic unit of time in music, it is a regular tap of the foot, for
example
Chord – when you play three or more notes together all at once
Coda – an ending that is different that previous verses in the musical piece
Crescendo – getting louder and louder through a marked passage
Diminuendo – getting softer and softer through a marked passage
Dolce – sweetly
Ensemble – a musical group, it could be anything from a band to a classical
group
Forte – means to play the piece loudly, forcefully
Music Terminology (cont.)
Fortissimo – play the piece very loudly
Genre – the category of music (or any other artwork), rock and blues are examples
Glissando – playing down the keyboard rapidly, usually by sliding thumb down the
keys
Interval – the distance between two musical tones
Largo – very slow and broad
Mezzo forte – play the piece somewhat loudly
Mezzo piano – play the piece somewhat softly
Phrase – a unit of music, denoted by a curved line under or over notes phrased
together
Pianissimo – play the piece very softly
Piano – play the piece softly
Presto – play extremely fast
Semitone – also known as a half step
Staccato – play notes quickly, crisply, and detached from each other
Tempo – the rate of speed of the musical piece; it can vary during songs when
marked
Variations – when you play a basic tune and then play different versions of it that
retain
the same basic melody.
Music Terminology Symbols
There are symbols for most terminology for music….
Let’s go to the following websites to see examples of a few
symbols.
http://adultpianolesson.com/section-a-2/music-terms-anddefinitions/
http://lds.org/cm/display/0,17631,4777-1,00.html
Basic 4/4 Time Signature
Within 4/4 time signature, the top number represents how many beats are in a
measure and the bottom note represents which note gets one beat…..which means
the measure gets 4 beats and the quarter note gets 1 beats: LET’S LOOK AT THESE
EXAMPLES...
Basic Counting and the NOTES
In 4/4 time, these notes generally receive the following counts:
Quarter Notes
Whole Notes
Half Notes
1 beat
4 beats
2 beats
Sight Reading Basics
One of the most basic musical scales for us to sing would be a
basic Major Scale. This is made up of 7 basic notes which are:
Doh Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti
The Golden Rules of Sight Reading
1. Listen to the piece of music a few times before you start to play OR sing it; This will give you a real head start
when you sit down and sight read for the first time.
2. Practice only the rhythms and not the pitches; Then you only have to concentrate on one aspect of the music at a
time.
3. When you have practiced the rhythms, practice just the pitches and ignore the rhythms.
4. Play easy pieces at the right speed and keep going even if you make mistakes; this will help you develop your eye
for looking ahead. The MOST important tool for sight reading practice
5. Play difficult pieces very slowly; you have to teach your mind the finger patterns and this won't happen if you fall
over them every time you see them.
6. Look for patterns in the music; ultimately the more music you play throughout your life the more patterns you
will become familiar with and the faster and more accurate your sight reading will become.
7. Study music theory!
MUSIC IS FOR EVERYONE!
“If we can do it, anybody can!”
Music Themes and Styles
In music, a theme is the actual material which is usually
recognizable melody that is part of the composition.
 Music is divided into many different genres and there are
thousands of musical styles.
 EXAMPLES: Acapella is a style of music and the
subject/melody of a composition is the theme; there can be a
first theme, second theme, and so on……
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HOMEWORK
Research more on themes and styles of music.
Write one paragraph on your understanding of themes and
styles of music.
After doing so, listen to music on the internet and write another
paragraph about your favorite piece of music that relates to a
particular theme and style.
Historical Music Periods
 Medieval 0-1400 A.D.
 Renaissance 1400-1600 A.D.
 Baroque 1600-1750 A.D.
 Classical 1750- 1800 A.D.
 Romantic 1800-1900 A.D.
 Contemporary 1900- present
LET’S REVIEW
Name the entire musical staff.
 Name the lines on the treble clef.
 Name the spaces on the treble clef.
 Name the lines on the bass clef.
 Name the spaces on the bass clef.
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Review (cont.)
What’s an easy way to remember the lines and spaces on the
treble clef?
 What’s an easy way to remember the lines and spaces on the
bass clef?
 Name music terms and give their definitions of what you
learned today.
 Name a few basic rules of sight reading.

Review (cont.)
What does the top number represent in a time signature?
 What does the bottom number represent in time signature?
 How many beats does a quarter note get in 4/4 time?
 How many beats does a half note get in 4/4 time?
 Define music style.
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For More Information on Reading Music
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http://datadragon.com/education/reading/
http://www.musictheory.net/
http://library.thinkquest.org/15413/theory/theory.htm
http://www.classicalworks.com/html/glossary.html
SOURCES
http://www.your-personal-singing-guide.com/musicalscales-warmup.html
 http://datadragon.com/education/reading/count.shtml
 http://learntopianoonline.com/piano-lessons/MusicTerminology-for-Beginners.html
 http://www.musictheory.net/
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