Unit 1: Foundations of Pitch, Major Keys, and Scales

Pitch

A specific frequency of sound, determining how high or low a note sounds.

Staff

A grid of five horizontal lines and four spaces used to notate musical pitches.

Grand Staff

A combination of two staves, connected by a bracket and brace, primarily used for keyboard music.

Treble Clef

A clef that indicates the second line from the bottom is G4, used for higher-pitched instruments.

Bass Clef

A clef indicating that the second line from the top is F3, used for lower-pitched instruments.

C Clefs

Movable clefs indicating C4, variations include Alto Clef and Tenor Clef.

Accidental

A symbol indicating a note should be altered from its natural pitch (sharp, flat, natural).

Sharp (♯)

An accidental that raises a pitch by one half step.

Flat (♭)

An accidental that lowers a pitch by one half step.

Natural (♮)

An accidental that cancels a previous sharp or flat.

Enharmonic Equivalence

Two notes that sound the same but are spelled differently, such as C♯ and D♭.

Major Scale

A diatonic collection of seven pitches in a specific whole and half step pattern.

Half Step

The distance between two immediately adjacent keys on a piano, such as C to C♯.

Whole Step

The distance equal to two half steps.

Tonic

The first note of a scale, serving as the home pitch or key center.

Supertonic

The second note of a scale, one step above the tonic.

Dominant

The fifth note of a scale, creating tension that resolves to the tonic.

Leading Tone

The seventh note of a scale, a half step below the tonic, pulling strongly to it.

Circle of Fifths

A diagram organizing keys based on the number of sharps or flats they contain.

Order of Sharps

The specific sequence of sharps in a key signature: F, C, G, D, A, E, B.

Order of Flats

The specific sequence of flats in a key signature: B, E, A, D, G, C, F.

Harmonic Interval

Two notes played simultaneously.

Melodic Interval

Two notes played successively.

Perfect Interval

A type of interval including unisons, 4ths, 5ths, and octaves relative to the tonic.

Major Interval

An interval characteristic of 2nds, 3rds, 6ths, and 7ths relative to the tonic.

Alto Clef

A C clef where C4 is on the middle line, specifically for viola.

Tenor Clef

A C clef where C4 is on the second line from the top, for upper ranges of bass instruments.