AP Music Theory Vocab: Chapter 1

Staff

5 equally spaced horizontal lines on which symbols (notes) are placed to represent pitches.

Clef

A symbol placed at the beginning of a line of music that establishes the letter names of the lines and spaces of the staff.

Treble Clef (G Clef)

An ornate letter G. The curved line terminates at the second line of the staff, thus designating the letter name of a note on that line as G.

Bass Clef (F Clef)

Derived from the letter F. The dots are placed above and below the fourth line of the staff, designating that line as F.

Grand Staff

Together, the treble and bass staves make up a grand staff.

Middle C

The point at which both clefs converge. The two Cs are the same pitch: middle C.

Since the pitch spectrum is so wide, it is often necessary to identify a specific note by the octave in which it appears. Thus, middle C is distinguished from any other C in the pitch spectrum by the written designation C4

Ledger Lines

Used to write pitches that go beyond the limits of the staff. They parallel the staff and only accommodate one note.

C Clef

May be positioned on any line of the staff to designate middle C. This clef is coupled with a set of secondary names that identify each of the possible positions (Soprano, Mezzo Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass).

Alto Clef

A C clef that designates the third line of the staff as middle C. It is the standard clef used in music for viola.

Tenor Clef

A C clef that designates the fourth line of the staff as middle C. The tenor clef is occasionally found in music written for cello, bassoon, or trombone.

Soprano, Mezzo Soprano, & Baritone Clefs

Used less often than alto and tenor clefs. In each of these clefs, Middle C is still indicated by the notch of the written C Clef.

8va

Means that the pitch sounds an octave above the written note. This symbol is used when a large number of ledger lines make note reading difficult.

8vb

Means that the pitch sounds an octave below the written note.

Accidentals

Symbols that are placed to the left of the noteheads to indicate the raising or lowering of a pitch.

Sharp

Raises the pitch a half step.

Flat

Lowers the pitch a half step.

Natural

Cancels any previous sharp or flat and returns to the natural, or unaltered, pitch.

Double Sharp

Raises the pitch two half steps.

Double Flat

Lowers the pitch two half steps.

Interval

The relationship between two tones.

Half Step

In Western music, the half step is the smallest interval used. It is the interval between any two adjacent keys—black or white—on the keyboard.

Enharmonic Equivalents

Tones that have the same pitch but different letter names.

Half-Step Motion

Use of half step intervals in a piece of music.

In passages of music involving half-step motion, a flatted note is followed most often by a note with a different letter name a half step lower.

A sharped note is followed most often by a note with a different letter name a half step higher in passages involving half-step motion.

Tie

A curved line that connects two adjacent notes of the same pitch into a single sound with a duration equal to the sum of both note values.

Dot

Lengthens the duration of a note by half again its value.

Example: (4/4) Dotted Half Note = 3 beats.

1 half note (2 beats) + 1 quarter note (1 beat) = 3 beats.

Second Dot

Lengthens the dotted note value by half the length of the first.

Example: (4/4) “Double” Dotted Half Note = 3.5 Beats. ! Half Note + 1 Quarter Note + 1 Eighth Note

Division/Subdivision

A note value may be divided/subdivided into any number of equal parts.

Irregular Divisions/Subdivisions

Divisions/subdivisions that require added number notations.

Example: Triplet Notation

3 \[note grouping\]

Time Signature

Identifies the meter at the beginning of a composition.

The upper digit indicates the number of basic note values per measure.

The lower digit indicates a basic note value: 2 signifies a half note, 4 refers to a quarter note, 8 to an eighth note, and so forth.

Simple Meter

In simple meter, each beat is divided in two parts (simple division).

The upper numbers in simple meter signatures are usually 2, 3, or 4 indicating two, three, or four basic pulses.

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Example: 3/4 = 3 quarter notes per measure

Compound Meter

In compound meter, each pulse is a dotted note, which is divided into groups of three parts (compound division).

The upper numbers in compound meter signatures are usually 6, 9, and 12.

In compound meter signatures, the lower number refers to the division of the beat, whereas the upper number indicates the number of these divisions per measure.

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Example: 6/8 = 2 dotted quarter notes per measure (6 eighth notes)

Asymmetrical Meter

The term asymmetrical means “not symmetrical” and applies to those meter signatures that indicate the pulse cannot be divided into equal groups of 2, 3, or 4 beats. The upper numbers in asymmetrical meters are usually 5 or 7.

Syncopation

If a part of the measure that is usually unstressed is accented, the rhythm is considered to be syncopated.

Dynamic Markings

Dynamic markings indicate the general volume (amplitude) of sound. Although imprecise, such marks denote approximate levels of intensity.