Music theory

What are notes drawn on

The staff

How many lines and spaces make up a staff

Five lines and four spaces

What are the two clefs called

Base and treble clef

What is the treble clef also known as

G clef

What is a ledger line

Small line that extends the staff when we run out of room

What is the bass clef also known as

The F clef

What is the grand staff

The two staffs together consisting of 11 lines

What is the length of time that a note is played called?

Note duration

What note has the longest note duration?

Whole note

What note has half the duration of a whole note?

Half note

What note is a fourth of a whole note?

Quarter note

4 quarter notes occupy the same amount of time as what note

A whole note

two quarter notes Are the same duration as what note?

A half note

What does the flag on a note do?

Halves the value of a note

What note has one flag?

An eighth note

Two eighth notes occupy the same amount of time as what note?

One quarter note

What note has two flags?

A sixteenth note

Two sixteenth notes equal the duration of what note?

An eighth note

Four sixteenth Notes occupy the same amount of time as what note?

One quarter note

Bar lines divide the staff into what?

Measures

Time signatures, define what?

The amount and type of note that each measure contains

What Notes do a 4/4 Time signature contain

FOUR Quarter notes

What notes do A ¾ Time signature contain?

THREE quarter notes

What notes do a 6/8 Time signature contain?

Six eighth notes

What notes do a 3/2 time signature contain?

Three half notes

What do rests represent?

Silence in a measure

How much time does a quarter rest occupy?

The same amount of time as a quarter note

How much time does a whole rest occupy?

The same amount of time as a whole note

How much time does a half rest occupy?

The same amount of time as a half note

How much time does an eight test with one flag occupy?

The same amount of time as an eighth note

A sixteenth note with two flags occupies how much time?

The same amount of time as a sixteenth note

What are two types of markings used to alter a notes duration?

Augmentation dots and tenuto ties

A dot increases duration by how much?

By one half

A dotted quarter note is equal to what?

A quarter note plus an eighth note

What do ties do?

Merge multiple notes of the same pitch

What are ties used for?

To let the duration of a note travel across barriers

What is a half step also known as?

A semitone

What is a half step on a keyboard?

The distance from one key to the next adjacent key

What is a whole step also known as?

Whole tone or tone

The whole step is the same distance as what?

two half steps

What is an accidental sign used for?

To raise or lower the pitch of a note

What are the two main accidentals?

Sharp and flat

What does a flat do?

Lowers a note by a half step

What does a sharp do?

Raises a note by a half step

What is it called when a certain pitch has multiple names?

Enharmonic spelling

What does the double sharp and double flat do ?

Alters a note by a whole step

When typing what can you use to represent a double sharp?

X

When typing what can you use to represent a double flat?

bb

What does a natural do?

Cancels out any accidental and returns a note to its original key

The terms duple, triple and quadruple refer to what?

The number of beats in a measure

The term simple means what?

That each beat can be broken into two notes

2/4 time is classified as what?

Simple duple

What does duple refer to?

Two beats per measure

¾ time is classified as what

Simple triple

Triple refers to what?

Three beats per measure

4/4 is classified as what?

Simple quadruple

A time signature and a simple meter will always have what numbers on top?

2, 3 or 4

4/2 and 4/8 are also known as what?

Simple quadruple

3/2 and 3/8 are also known as what?

Simple triple

2/2 and 2/8 are also known as what?

Simple duple

Beats in compound meter are divided into what?

Three

Any time signature with a 6 on top is what?

Compound duple

What are the most commonly used compound duples?

6/8 and 6/4

9/8 time is classified as what?

Compound triple

Any time signature with a 9 on top is classified as what?

Compound triple

12/8 time is classified as what?

Compound quadruple

Any time signature with a 12 on top Is classified as what?

Compound quadruple

What are the most commonly used compound quadruples?

12/8 and 12/16

What is an odd meter?

A meter that contains both simple and compound beats

5/8 tiMe contains what?

One simple beat and one compound

7/8 tiMe contains what?

Two simple beats and one compound

8/8 time contains what?

Two compound beats and one simple beat

4/4 groups the meter into what?

For beats of two eighth notes

8/8 groups the measure into what?

Three odd beats

10/8 time has what beats?

Two compound beats and two simple beats

11/8 has what beats?

Three compound beats and one simple beat

What is a scale?

A selection of certain notes within an octave

The major scale is constructed with what formula?

W W h W W W h

What is the formula for the C major scale?

C D E F G A B C

W’s represent what?

Whole steps

h’s represent what?

Half steps

What is the formula for the Eb scale?

Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb

Eb scale has how many flats?

3

What is the formula for the D major scale?

D E F# G A B C# D

D major has how many sharps?

2

How many variations of the minor scale exist?

Three

What is the formula for a natural minor scale?

W h W W h W W

What is the formula for A natural minor scale?

A B C D E F G A

How many accidentals does the A natural minor scale have?

None

What is the formula for the G# natural minor scale?

G# A# B C# D# E F# G#

How many sharps does the G# natural minor scale have?

5

What is the formula for the C natural minor scale?

C D Eb F G Ab Bb

How many flats does the C natural minor scale have?

3

How do you convert any natural minor scale into a harmonic minor?

Raise the seventh note by a half step

How do you convert a natural minor scale into a melodic minor?

Raise the 6th and 7th notes by a half step

When is melodic minor usually used?

When ascending