Theory Matters. Strathaven Academy Music Department. Name: Class:.

Theory Matters Strathaven Academy Music Department Name: Class:.

Contents What you need to know 1. Treble and Bass Clef 2. Accidentals, Tones and Semitones 3. Key Signatures 4. Note Values and Rests 5. Time Signature 6. Intervals 7. Chords and Chord Inversions 8. Names of Chords 9. Dynamics 10. Musical Symbols 11. Tempo and Tempo Changes 12. Articulation 13. Cadences 14. Revision points 15. Example Questions LIT 3-21a I can use a range of strategies and resources and spell most of the words I need to use, including specialist vocabulary, and ensure that my spelling is accurate.

Treble and Bass clef Music is written on 5 lines and 4 spaces called the stave. When a treble clef is used: For the lines use the rhyme Can Every Glasgow Bus Drive Fast? For the spaces, remember the rhyme. When a bass clef is used: For the lines, try the rhyme Green Buses Drive From A Crime For the spaces, remember Fat Alley Cats Eat Garbage Burgers

Note name Exercises Name these notes. Write its letter name underneath the note. Watch out for key signatures! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Accidentals Accidentals change the pitch (sound) of a note. They can make the sound higher or lower. There are three types of accidental: # Sharp raises the pitch of a note by a semitone Flat lowers the pitch of a note by a semitone Natural cancels sharps or flats Tones and Semitones A semitone is the name for the smallest distance between two notes. On a keyboard this will be two notes right beside each other. This is usually a white note to a black note, except in two places, E and F which are next to each other, and B and C. The distance between C and C# (or D ) is a semitone. The distance between D# (or E ) and E is a semitone, etc. A tone is the distance of two semitones added together. When two notes are a tone apart, there will always be one note in between. C and D are a tone apart (there is a black note in between). G# and A# are a tone apart (there is a white note in between).

Key Signatures Key signatures are put at the beginning of each line in a piece of music. They are used to tell us if we need to play any sharps or flats in a piece of music. If a piece of music has no sharps or flats, it is in C major or A minor If a piece of music has one sharp, it is in G major If a piece of music has one flat, it is in F major

Accidentals Exercises In the following examples place the correct accidental to make the key signature correct. 1. 2. 3. Tones & Semitones Exercises In the following examples describe the distance between each note as either a Tone (T) or Semitone (S) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Note Values and Rests How a note looks tells us how many beats to hold it on for. Each note also has a rest with the same name and value. Rests in music are periods of silence. Note name Note shape Rest Value Semibreve 4 beats Minim 2 beats Crotchet 1 beat Quaver ½ beat Semiquaver ¼ beat Notes can also be dotted. A dot adds on half the original value of the note. Note name Note shape Rest Value Dotted quaver ¾ of a beat Dotted crotchet 1 ½ beats Dotted Minim 3 beats

Time Signatures A time signature tells us how many beats are in a bar of music. Bars are divided up by lines on either side. Here are 4 time signatures that you need to know: 2/4 There are 2 crotchet beats in a bar 3/4 There are 3 crotchet beats in a bar 4/4 There are 4 crotchet beats in a bar 6/8 There are 2 dotted crotchet beats in a bar

Intervals An interval is the distance between two notes. If we were calculating the distance between C and E: Count the notes, including the starting note, the notes in between, and the end note. Using the example, this would be C, D and E. So, C and E are a 3 rd apart. Another example What is the distance between G and C? Count G, A, B and C. There are 4 notes named so the distance between G and C is a 4 th. The easiest way to do this is counting on your fingers, or using a diagram like the one above.

Interval Exercises In the following exercises describe the interval between every note. 1. 2. 3. 4.

Chords and Chord Inversions You need to know about chords called triads. Triads are made up of three notes the root (first note), the third above the root, and the fifth above the root. Chord of C: Root = C, 3 rd above C = E, 5 th above C = G. Therefore, the chord of C is C E G Here is the chord of C major in: Root 1 st inversion 2 nd inversion Chord of F: Root = F, 3 rd above F = A, 5 th above F = C. Therefore, chord of F is F A C Here is the chord of F major in: Root 1 st inversion 2 nd inversion You also need to know what position a chord is in, as the 3 notes of the chord do not always have to be in a specific order. If the notes of the chord are evenly spaced, the chord is in ROOT position. If the biggest gap is between the top notes it is in FIRST INVERSION. If the biggest gap is between the bottom notes it is in SECOND INVERSION.

Chord Exercises On the following stave place the given chords into root position. Remember to draw a treble clef. F Am G C Dm Em On the following stave place the given chords into1st inversion. Remember to draw a treble clef. Where should the gap be? F Am G C Dm Em On the following stave place the given chords into2nd inversion. Remember to draw a treble clef. Where should the gap be? F Am G C Dm Em On the following stave place the given chords into root position. Remember to draw a bass clef. F Am G C Dm Em On the following stave place the given chords into1st inversion. Remember to draw a bass clef. Where should the gap be? F Am G C Dm Em On the following stave place the given chords into2nd inversion. Remember to draw a bass clef. Where should the gap be? F Am G C Dm Em

Technical names of chords Chords can be given numbers and names. Here are three chord numbers which you need to know the name of: Chord I (1) is called the Tonic Chord IV (4) is called the Sub Dominant Chord V (5) is called the Dominant Chord VI (6) is called the Sub-Mediant Remember: In a major key, chords I, IV and V are major, and chord VI is minor. Chord Exercises In the following exercise, describe each chord by its technical name. First identify the key, then the chord number, then the technical name. All chords are in root position. An example is below. The key is C Major because there are no sharps or flats in the key signature. The Chord is F. The technical name is the Sub-dominant because F is note 4 in the key of C. Key:. Chord Name: Technical Name:.. Key:. Chord Name: Technical Name:..

Key:. Chord Name: Technical Name:.. Key:. Chord Name: Technical Name:.. Dynamics Dynamics means the volume of music if it is loud or quiet. The words used for dynamics are usually in Italian. Here are some of the most common dynamics in order from loudest to quietest. Fortissimo (ff) Very loud Forte (f) Loud Mezzo Forte (mf) Quite loud Mezzo Piano (mp) Quite quiet Piano (p) Quiet Pianissimo (pp) Very quiet There are also words for changes in volume of music. Crescendo Music is getting louder Diminuendo Music is getting quieter

Musical Symbols Here are some symbols used on music. Repeat sign play the section of music again Tie play the first note and hold it on for the length of both notes Crescendo Gradually getting louder Diminuendo Gradually getting quieter Tempo and Tempo Changes Tempo means the speed of music. The words used for tempo are usually in Italian. Here are some of the most common words for speed in order from fastest to slowest. Presto fast Allegro quickly Moderato at a medium speed Andante at a walking pace Lento/Adagio - slow Here are some words for speed changes. Accelerando gradually getting faster Rallentando gradually getting slower

Articulation Articulation means how a note is played. Notes can be played short and snappy, or long and smooth etc. Here are some words for articulation: Legato smooth Staccato short and detached Glissando sliding between notes Pizzicato plucking strings to make short notes (this can only be done on string instruments such as violin and cello). Cadences A cadence is a set of chords at the end of a phrase. If the phrase sounds rounded off, the cadence is PERFECT. If the phrase sounds unfinished it is IMPERFECT. A PERFECT cadence is made up of chords V (5) to I (1). An IMPERFECT cadence ends in chord 5, for example, I-V, IV-V etc.

Note names Treble and bass clef Music Theory Revision Note values Shape, number of beats, rest Time signatures Simple time (2/4, 3/4, 4/4) Compound time (6/8) Accidentals Sharps, flats, and naturals Tones and semitones Key signatures C major, F major, G major, and A minor Scales C major, F major, G major, and A minor Intervals Naming intervals (number only) Chords C major, F major, G major, and A minor (root position, 1 st inversion and 2 nd inversion) Cadences Perfect and imperfect Technical Note Names Tonic (I), Subdominant (IV) and Dominant (V) Common musical signs crescendo, decrescendo, tie, repeat sign, pause, 8va Dynamics pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff, crescendo, decrescendo Tempo Adagio, Lento, Moderato, Allegro, Presto, Andante accelerando, rallentando Other terms Legato, Staccato, Glissando, Pizzicato

Question 1 Name these notes Example Questions 1 Question 2 Name these notes Question 3 Look at the following rests. Below each rest write in the number of beats it is worth. Question 4 Look at the music below. Insert the appropriate time signature at the beginning of each piece. a) b)

Question 5 Name the following key signatures: or Question 6 Name the following intervals. Remember to include both letter names in the count. Question 7 Name the following chords and state whether the chord is in root position, 1 st inversion or 2 nd inversion. Notes in chord (from the bottom note to the top note) Chord Chord Position

Question 8 Give the technical note names for the following chord numbers: I IV V Question 9 Explain the following terms: Forte (f) - Piano (p) - Mezzo forte (mf) - Question 10 Explain the following signs:- Question 11 Explain the following terms: Rallentando - Lento -

Moderato - Allegro - Question 12 Explain the following terms: Glissando - Staccato - Pizzicato - Legato -

Question 1 Name these notes Theory Example Questions 2 Question 2 Name these notes Question 3 Look at the following rests. Below each rest write in the number of beats it is worth. Question 4 Look at the music below. Insert the appropriate time signature at the beginning of each piece. a)

b) Question 5 Name the following key signatures: or Question 6 Name the following intervals. Remember to include both letter names in the count. Question 7 Name the following chords and state whether the chord is in root position, 1 st inversion or 2 nd inversion. Notes in chord (from the bottom note to the top note) Chord Chord Position

Question 8 Give the technical note names for the following chord numbers: I IV V Question 9 Explain the following terms: Forte (f) - Mezzo piano (mp) - Crescendo - Question 10 Explain the following signs:- Question 11 Explain the following terms: Accelerando - Presto -

Allegro - Adagio - Question 12 Explain the following terms: Legato - Staccato - Pizzicato - Glissando -

Question 1 Name these notes Theory Example Questions 3 Question 2 Name these notes Question 3 Look at the following rests. Below each rest write in the number of beats it is worth. Question 4 Look at the music below. Insert the appropriate time signature at the beginning of each piece. a)

b) Question 5 Name the following key signatures: or Question 6 Name the following intervals. Remember to include both letter names in the count. Question 7 Name the following chords and state whether the chord is in root position, 1 st inversion or 2 nd inversion. Notes in chord (from the bottom note to the top note) Chord Chord Position

Question 8 Give the technical note names for the following chord numbers: V I IV Question 9 Explain the following terms: Mezzo forte (mf) - Pianissimo (pp) - Decrescendo - Question 10 Explain the following signs:- Question 11 Explain the following terms: Rallentando - Presto -

Adagio - Lento - Question 12 Explain the following terms: Glissando - Staccato - Pizzicato - Legato -