Harmony and Analysis I - Musical Notation

Flashcards for reviewing musical notation concepts, including pitch, clefs, and duration.

Pitch

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Measured vibrations in the air detected by the ear, measured by frequency in Hertz (Hz).

Intensity

f

Communicates volume and dynamic in music; wave A has a higher amplitude and is louder than wave B.

Duration

The length something lasts; can apply to the length of a piece or notes.

Musical Notation

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A visual record of heard or imagined musical sounds, serving as a universal language.

The Staff

Consists of five lines separated by four spaces, providing the visual representation for pitch and duration.

Noteheads

Small oval shapes drawn on the staff to represent particular pitches; can be line or space notes.

Ledger Lines

Supplementary lines used to place notes above or below the staff.

The Music Alphabet

Consists of seven letters: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, representing the basic pitch names.

The Clef

A graphical symbol placed at the left-hand side of the staff to indicate the pitch of notes.

Treble Clef

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A placement of the G clef, with the centre curling around the second line of the stave, associated with G above middle C.

Bass Clef

A specific placement of the F clef, with two dots above and below the fourth line, associated with F below middle C.

Mnemonics

Turns each line and space into an easy-to-remember sentence where the first letter corresponds to a note.

Grand Staff

A giant stave with 11 lines in total where the top half is used for the treble clef and the lower half for the bass clef.

C Clefs

Clefs with two curves that meet in the center on the line that represents the note C. Examples: Alto and Tenor.

Rhythm

Specifies how long each note or pause should last and should not be confused with tempo, which refers to underlying beat.

Placing a Note

A note-head will be placed on a line or in a space, and its position indicates relative pitch.

Semibreve

A musical note that counts for four beats, represented by a hollow circle with no stem. Also known as a whole note.

Minim

A musical note worth half a semibreve (whole note), visually a hollow oval with a stem. Also known as a half note.

Crotchet

A musical note with the time value of one beat, or a quarter of a semibreve. Also known as a quarter note.

Quaver

A musical note that lasts for half a beat. Two of these notes equal one crotchet.

Proportional Notation

Rhythmic symbols are proportional, meaning that if one rhythm changes value, all others change at the same rate.