ATM Standard Music TheoryPitches & The Grand Staff

The Musical Alphabet

• A - B - C - D - E - F - GThe musical alphabet is comprised of 7 notes that repeat in a never-ending cycle.

• A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C – ETC.

The Staff

• Made up of 5 lines that creates 4 spaces

LINE

SPACE

• Notes are placed on either a line or space

What is a Clef?• A clef is a musical symbol placed at the beginning of the staff that determines the letter

names of the lines and spaces

There are two main clefs • Treble Clef or G-Clef • Bass Clef or F-Clef

The Grand StaffA vertical line drawn to the left of multiple staffs creates a Grand Staff. This indicates that the music on each staff is to be played at the same time.

What is a Clef?• A clef is a musical symbol placed at the beginning of the staff that determines the letter

names of the lines and spaces

There are two main clefs • Treble Clef or G-Clef • Bass Clef or F-Clef

G LINE

F LINE

The Grand StaffA vertical line drawn to the left of multiple staffs creates a Grand Staff. This indicates that the music on each staff is to be played at the same time.

Pitches

The notes we play in music are called pitches• A B C D E F G are all pitches

Pitches

The notes we play in music are called pitches• A B C D E F G are all pitches

Remembering the lines and spacesTREBLE CLEFLines: E – G – B – D – F• Every – Good – Boy – Does – Fine Spaces: F – A – C – E BASS CLEFLines: G – B – D – F – A• Good – Burritos – Don’t – Fall - Apart Spaces: A – C – E – G • All – Cars – Eat – Gas

LETS TRY TO COME UP WITH YOUR OWN PHRASE TO HELP YOU REMEMBER THE PITCHES ON EACH LINE AND SPACE OF

THE STAFF

STUDENT EXAMPLES

1. TREBLE CLEF LINES: E – G – B – D – F 2. TREBLE CLEF SPACES: F – A – C – E 3. BASS CLEF LINES: G – B – D – F – A 4. BASS CLEF SPACES: A – C – E – G

Accidentals

Accidentals are symbols that can lower or raise a pitch by a ½ step. There are three types of accidentals • Sharp: Raises the pitch a ½ step

• Flat: Lowers the pitch a ½ step

• Natural: Cancels out any previous accidentals, unaltered pitch (a note is natural when it is neither sharp nor flat)

sharp flat

natural

There are 11 different pitches in musicC - C# - D - D# - E - F - F# - G - G# - A - A# - B - C

This can be alternatively written using flatsC - Db - D - Eb - E - F - Gb - G - Ab - A - Bb - B - C

This means that each pitch has multiple namesC# = Db, D# = Eb, F# = Gb, G# = Ab, A# = Bb

• Enharmonic: relating to notes that have the same pitch but have different names.

What is an “Interval”???

An interval is the difference/space between two notes.• The smallest interval is called a ½ step (F F#) (D Eb)• There are two natural occurring ½ steps (E F & B C)• Two ½ steps is called a Whole stepOn the staff a step is considered movement from each line and space

What is an “Interval”???

An interval is the difference/space between two notes.• The smallest interval is called a ½ step (F F#) (D Eb)• There are two natural occurring ½ steps (E F & B C)• Two ½ steps is called a Whole stepOn the staff a step is considered movement from each line and space

What is an “Interval”???

An interval is the difference/space between two notes.• The smallest interval is called a ½ step (F F#) (D Eb)• There are two natural occurring ½ steps (E F & B C)• Two ½ steps is called a Whole stepOn the staff a step is considered movement from each line and space

Whole Step Whole Step

Whole Step Whole Step

1/2 Step

1/2 Step

The different intervals in music

There are many different intervals in music• Minor 2nd = ½ step• Major 2nd = two ½ steps (whole step)• Minor 3rd = three ½ steps (1 ½ steps)• Major 3rd = four ½ steps (2 whole steps)• Perfect 4th = five ½ steps (2 ½ steps)• Aug4th / Dim 5th = six ½ steps (3 whole steps)• Perfect 5th = seven ½ steps (3 ½ steps)• Minor 6th = eight ½ steps (4 whole steps)• Major 6th = nine ½ steps (4 ½ steps)• Minor 7th = ten ½ steps (5 whole steps)• Major 7th = eleven ½ steps (5 ½ steps)• Perfect Octave = twelve ½ steps (6 whole steps)

m2

M2m3M3m3

a4/d5

P5m6

M6

m7

M7P8