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Notation Through History

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Notation Through History Notation through History Neume Names 9th to 10th Centuries 11th to 13th Centuries Modern Notation Virga Punctum Podatus (Pes) Clivis Scandicus Climacus Torculus Porrectus Scandicus flexus Porrectus flexus Torculus Respinus Pes subpunctis Notation Symbols through History Greek Acutus Gravis Accents Neumes 6th to 13th Virga Virga centuries Jacans Punctum Mensur Maxim Longa Brevis Semibrevi Minim Semimini Fusa Semifus al a (Long) (Breve) s a ma a Notatio (Duple (Semibrev (Mini x e) m) n Long) th 13 century 14th century 15th to 17th centuri es Modern 17th to Double Whole Half Quarter Eighth Sixteent th Notatio 20 Whole- Note Note Note Note h Note centuri Note n es The Anatomy of a Note Notation English French German Italian Spanish Note note Note nota nota testa or Head tête de la note Notenkopf testina or oval capocchia Hals or asta, or Stem queue plica Notenhals gamba coda Fahne or Flag crochet uncinata or corchete Fähnchen bandiera Beam barre Balken barra barra Dot point Punkt punto puntillo punktierte nota con Dotted note pointée nota puntata Note puntillo Note Notation American British French German Italian Spanish Double Cuadrada or Double- Doppelganze or whole Breve Breve Doble ronde Doppelganzenote note Redonda Whole Ganze or Semibreve Ronde Semibreve Redonda note Ganzenote Halbe or Minima or Half note Minim Blanche Blanca Halbenote Bianca Quarter Viertel or Semiminima or Crotchet Noire Negra note Viertelnote Nera Eighth Quaver Croche Achtel or Achtelnote Croma Corchea note Sechzehntel or Sixteenth Double- Sechzehntelnote Semiquaver Semicroma Semicorchea note croche Sechzehntel or Sechzehntelnote Thirty- Quadruple- Zweiunddreissigstel or second Demisemiquaver Biscroma Fusa croche Zweiunddreissigstelnote note Sixty- Octuple Vierundsechzigstel or fourth Hemidemisemiquaver Semibiscroma Semifusa croche Vierundsechzigstelnote note One hundred Cent- Hundert und and vingt- achtundzwanzigstel or Centoventottavo Semihemidemisemiquaver Garrapatea twenty- huitième Hundert und (nota) eighth (note) achtundzwanzigstelnote note Notation American British French German Italian Spanish Double Double- Pausas de Breve rest Doppelganze Pause Pausa di breve whole rest pause Cuadrada Whole Pausa di Pausas de Semibreve rest Pause Ganze Pause rest semibreve Redonda Demi- Pausa di Pausas de Half rest Minim rest Halbe Pause pause minima Blanca Quarter Pausa di Pausas de Crotchet rest Soupir Viertelpause rest semiminima Negra Eighth Demi- Pausas de Quaver rest Achtelpause Pausa di croma rest soupir Corchea Sixteenth Quart de Pausa di Pausas de Semiquaver rest Sechzehntelpause rest soupir semicroma Semicorchea Thirty- Huitième Pausa di Pausas de second Demisemiquaver rest Zweiunddreissigstelpause de soupir biscroma Fusa rest Sixty- Seizième Pausa di Pausas de Hemidemisemiquaver rest Vierundsechzigstelpause fourth rest de soupir semibiscroma Semifusa One hundred Trente et Semihemidemisemiquaver Hundert und Pausa di Pausas de and deuxième rest achtundzwanzigstelpause centoventottavo Garrapatea twenty- de soupir eighth rest Table of Key Signatures: Sharp Key Signatures (Major) Sharp Key Signatures (Minor) Flat Key Signatures (Major) Flat Key Signatures (Minor) The circle of fifths: MUSICAL SCALES: One Octave Scales from c to c' SCALE STEPS (IN SEMITONES OR HALF-STEPS) SCALE NAME 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Chromatic Scale c c# d d# e f f# g g# a a# b c' Major Scale c d e f g a b c' Minor, Natural c d eb f g ab bb c' Minor, Melodic Ascending c d eb f g a b c' Descending c d eb f g ab bb c' Minor, Harmonic c d eb f g ab b c' Whole Tone c d e f# g# a# c' Gypsy c d eb f# g ab b c' Pentatonic c d f g a c' Octatonic c c# d# e f# g a a# c' Blues c d eb e f gb g a bb b c' Table of Major Scales: C major G F Major Major D Bb Major Major A Eb Major Major E Ab Major Major B Db Major Major F# Gb Major Major C# Cb Major Major Table of Minor Scales: Natural Minor & Harmonic Minor Melodic Minor E D Minor Minor B G Minor Minor F# C Minor Minor C# F Minor Minor G# Bb Minor Minor D# Eb Minor Minor A# Ab Minor Minor Scales - Scale Syllables: Note: A hand symbol Key to Languages Italian English French German C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C do di re ri mi fa fi sol si la li ti do do di re ri mi fa fi so si la li ti do ut di ré ri mi fa fi sol si la li ti ut do di re ri mi fa fi sol si la li ti do C B Bb A Ab G Gb F E Eb D Db C do ti te la le sol se fa mi me re ra do do ti te la le so se fa mi me re ra do ut ti te la le sol se fa mi me ré ra ut do ti te la le sol se fa mi me re ra do Table of Accents Pressure Percussive Accents Combined Accents Accent Strong Accent - Strong & Strong & Strong & generally meant for Staccato Legato Staccatissimo Strong attacks at loud Accents - Accents - Accents - dynamic levels of very very strongest Accents forte or louder percussive percussive percussive and shorter while attack duration retaining possible with than full an notated duration of exaggerated notation short duration Normal Accent - Legato Normal & moderately sharp Accent - Legato and Legato Normal & Legato & Normal & attack that can be this can be Staccatissimo Accents - Staccatissimo Staccato Staccato used at any dynamic used at any - stressed and moderately Accents - Accents - Accents - level from dynamic quite short percussive moderately stressed moderately pianissimo to level and is with full percussive Medium and percussive fortissimo a slight note with short Accents moderately and short stress duration note duration short, without a separated noticable from next attack and note held to the full duration of the note Staccato Staccatissimo Light Accent - - an Accents short and exaggerated separated short duration of the note from the following note Table of Clefs | G-Clefs | F-Clefs | C-Clefs | Neutral Clefs | G-Clefs Notation English French German Italian Chiave di Treble clef Clef de sol G-Schlussel violino French Violin clef G-Octave Clefs Octave treble clef Octave treble clef Vocal tenor clef Double treble clef F-Clefs Notation English French German Italian Bass clef Clef de fa F-Schlussel Chiave di basso Baritone clef Sub-bass clef F-Octave Clefs Octave bass clef Octave bass clef C-Clefs Notation English French German Italian Baritone clef Tenor clef Clef d'ut C-Schlussel Chiave di tenore Alto clef Mezzo-soprano clef Soprano clef Neutral Clefs Notation English French German Italian Neutral clef percussion clef indefinite pitch clef Neutral clef percussion clef indefinite pitch clef Table of Dynamic Markings Term Abbreviation Definition Piano p Soft volume Pianissimo pp Pianississimo ppp Very soft volume Pianissississimo pppp Pianississississimo ppppp Extremely soft volume Pianissississississimo pppppp As soft as possible Mezzo-forte mf Medium loud volume Mezzo-piano mp Medium soft volume Fortissississimo ffff As loud as possible Fortississimo fff Extremely loud volume Fortissimo ff Very loud volume Forte f Loud volume Begin the note loudly with a very Forzando or Forzato fz or ffz strong accent sf or sff or Sforzando Loud and accented sfff sfz or sffz or Sforzato Loud and accented sfffz Combined Markings Abbreviation Definition Pianoforte pf Soft then immediately loud Loud and accented then Fortepiano fp immediately soft Begin the note very loudly, Fortissimo piano ffp instantly diminishing to a much softer volume. Begin the note moderately Mezzoforte piano mfp loudly, instantly diminishing to a much softer volume. Begin the note loudly, with a marked and sudden emphasis, Sforzando piano sfp instantly diminishing to a much softer volume. Dynamic Transitions Abbreviation Definition Crescendo cresc. Gradually increase volume or Decrescendo or decr. or Gradually decrease volume decresc. Diminuendo or dim. Gradually decrease volume Meter Basics | Meter Basics | Simple Meter | Compound Meter | METER NOTATION Meter is a recurring pattern of stresses or accents that provide the pulse or beat of music. Meter is notated at the beginning of a composition with a time signature. Time signatures are always notated with two numbers, one on top of the other, much like a fraction in math. The top number denotes the number of beats (or number of pulses) in each measure. The bottom number denotes the note value that receives the beat. The note values that can receive beats include double whole note, whole note (1), half note (2), quarter note (4), eighth note (8), sixteenth note (16), thirty-second note (32), sixty-fourth note (64), and one hundred and twenty-eighth note (128). An example of 4/4 meter means that there are four (4) beats in each measure and the quarter note (4) receives the beat. Thus, there are four quarter notes in each measure or a strong accent every four quarter notes.The table below shows an explanation of several common meters and their notations. Name Notation Meaning Rhythmic Notation Two-four There are 2 beats per measure Two quarter notes per measure meter or (top number) and Two-four the quarter note (bottom time number) gets one beat. Three-four There are 3 beats per measure Three quarter notes per measure meter or (top number) and Three-four the quarter note (bottom time number) gets one beat. Four-four There are 4 beats per measure Four quarter notes per measure meter or (top number) and Four-four the quarter note (bottom time number) gets one beat. Five-four There are 5 beats per measure Five quarter notes per measure meter or (top number) and Five-four the quarter note (bottom time number) gets one beat. Six-eight There are 6 beats per measure Six eighth notes per measure meter or (top number) and Six-eight the eighth note (bottom time number) gets one beat.
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