-Pitches can be found on the staff (5 lines & 4 spaces).
-We can use our hand to represent a staff.
-Pitches are usually identified by letters & solfege
-Learn more about solfege here (Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti).
-Memorize the letter names / phrases:
Treble (top) & Bass (bottom) are the most common clefs and combine to make the grand staff. You can see that the musical alphabet is 7 letters (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) repeated alphabetically over and over. The Treble and Bass Clefs meet in the middle...middle C. Notes above and below the staff are on "ledger" lines.
-Sometimes Numbers & Scale degrees can also be used to identify pitches.
-Pitches can also be affected by Sharps, Flats, and Naturals throughout the music or in Key Signatures.
-Pitches on the staff correspond to pitches on the piano.
-Rhythm involves time signatures, measures, bar lines, notes, rests, dots, ties, & slurs. Click here to learn more about rhythm.
-accel. (accelerando…to speed up)
-rit. (ritardando…to slow down)
-a tempo (back to the original tempo)
-fermata (hold longer)
-rubato (freedom to speed up & slow down or stretch & squeeze)
SOME COMMON MUSICAL TERMS
www.musictheory.net has many great resources for learning about the basics!
