MUSIC THEORY LEARNING GUIDE Level IB Edited by Elizabeth Riegert 2017 1 Music Theory Program – Level IB The Level IB program is intended for students in Intermediate Concert Band, Junior Orchestra and new members of Concert Choir. The program focuses on very simple skills of reading, notation and the language of music. Activities are noted in each section of this program guide and will be handed out in class. Extra copies can be found on Miss Riegert’s teacher blog (under VT Theory Units) at blogs.ubc.ca/elizabethriegert/. Assignments must be submitted on the due date; late assignments will not be accepted (unless due to excused absence or illness). All instruction will take place during class. Students with additional questions are encouraged to ask their classmates for help or to schedule a tutorial with Miss Riegert outside of regular class time. Assessment: 2 Written, Take-home Assignments 1 In-class Quiz 1 Final Test Topics 1. Pitch Naming a. Accidentals b. Clefs c. Enharmonic Names d. Whole Tones and Semitones e. Ledger lines 2. Scale Writing – Major/natural minor 3. Scale Degree Identification 4. Key Signature Identification a. Up to 5 sharps (#) and 3 flats (b) 5. Triads – Major/minor, inversions 6. Rhythm a. Dotted Rhythm b. Time Signatures c. Counting Systems 7. Musical Term Recognition – tempo, dynamics, style, technique, form 2 Grading Rubric Criteria Meeting Approaching Not Meeting Expectations Expectations Expectations Effort and Student is on time for Student attends class Student is not on Participation class with all with most of their time, or does not materials (theory materials and listens attend class (without package, homework, attentively to an excused absence) writing utensils, and discussion and does not bring instrument) and lecture. materials to class and actively participates does not pay in class discussion. attention or participate in class discussion. Homework Student completes Student completes Student does not and submits most of homework complete homework homework on time questions on time on time or receives a with all questions with a grade of 60% grade of 59% or less. answered for a grade or more. of 75% or more. Examination Student completes all Student completes Student does not exam/quiz questions most of exam/quiz complete most of within allotted time questions within exam/quiz questions for a grade of 75% or allowed time for a within allotted time more. grade of 60% or and/or receives a more. grade of 59% or less. Materials to bring to each class: Pencil and eraser Theory Package Homework Band Instrument Additional (optional) resources: Keyboard Theory: Basic Rudiments – Grace Vandendool Keys to Music Rudiments (textbook and workbooks) – Boris Berlin Harmony and Voice Leading (textbook and workbooks) – Edward Aldwell 3 4 1. Pitch Naming A: Each key on the piano keyboard will sound as a different pitch. Similarly, all string, brass, woodwind and pitched percussion instruments can sound numerous pitches across a broad pitch range. The pitch names in the “musical alphabet” are: A B C D E F G B: Accidentals - Each of these pitch names can be modified by adding a sharp or flat sign. The sharp sign will raise the pitch by one semitone from its natural pitch. The flat sign will lower the pitch by one semitone from its natural pitch. To cancel either of these symbols, a natural sign is used. All three of these signs are known collectively as accidentals. ♭ ♮ ♯ FLAT NATURAL SHARP It is important to note that when written in text, we say the pitch name first, followed by the accidental (i.e. B-flat or F-sharp). However, when written on the staff, the accidental will always appear before the actual note. (i.e. ♭♩ ) C: Clefs - Each pitch has a place on the staff. A staff must include a clef to indicate the range in which the pitches should sound. Placing a note on the staff tells a performer which pitches should be played. In our school ensembles, four different clefs are used. Below is a list of all the instruments which use each clef, along with a graphic of the clef itself. Treble Clef Alto Clef Treble Clef (Octave Tenor Clef* Bass Clef Transposition) Flute (and piccolo) Viola Tenors (choir) Bassoon Bassoon Oboe Trombone Trombone Clarinet Cello Euphonium Bass Clarinet Tuba All Saxophones *Tenor clef is only Cello Trumpet/Cornet used for these String Bass French Horn instruments when Basses (choir) Violin the written pitch is Sopranos (choir) in a range above Altos (choir) the bass clef. Treble clef – G clef; Alto/Tenor clef – C clef; Bass clef – F clef 5 D: Ledger Lines – The staff is comprised of 5 lines, as shown on the previous page. When a composer makes use of a pitch that goes beyond the top and bottom of the staff, ledger lines are used. E: Enharmonic Names - Every pitch has the possibility of more than one name. Even though the sound of pitch doesn’t change, its additional name(s) are called enharmonic names. For example, using the piano keyboard we can easily see that between the white keys for G and A, there exists a black key. The black key can be called either G♯ or A♭ because of its distance relative to the white keys. F: Whole Tones vs. Semitones - The smallest distance between two pitches is a semitone. The distance of two semitones is called a whole tone. On a piano keyboard, you can identify a semitone by playing two immediately adjacent keys. Playing a semitone will sound like the famous opening to the theme song from Jaws. A whole tone will sound like the first two pitches of Happy Birthday. 2. Major Scale Writing A scale is a sequence of pitches, ascending or descending, that follows a pattern of semitones and whole tones. A: Major Scales - A Major scale will contain 8 pitches, exactly one octave in range. For example, if the scale starts on C it will continue up (or down) until you reach the next C. Using your knowledge of whole tones (T) and semitones (ST), you will be able to identify that a pattern exists within all Major scales. The pattern is shown below: 6 B: Minor Scales - Natural minor scales will also contain 8 pitches, exactly one octave in range. However, the pattern of semitones and whole tones is different. Notice that the key signatures of “C Major” (shown on the previous page) and “a natural minor” shown above are the same. However, the combination of whole tones and semitones is different in each scale. Every Major scale has a relative natural minor scale, which starts on the 6th scale degree of the Major scale and continues in sequence for one octave. For example, in the key of C Major, the 6th scale degree is A, and a minor is the relative minor key to C Major. 3. Scale Degree Identification There are two main ways to identify where a pitch fits into the scale of a given key. For our purposes (solfege and numbers). For our purposes we will only learn the modern system using scale degree numbers. In the example below, you’ll see a C Major scale with the scale degree numbers identified below. To ensure that others will understand how you use the numbers, you must always place a caret (^) above the numbers. To identify the first scale degree, you should first look at the name of the key. For example, in C Major, the first scale degree is C. This information will be extra useful when learning about triads. 7 4. Key Signature Identification Key signatures are a collection of the accidentals found in a scale. They tell us which key our music is in and which notes will need to be played flat or sharp. For the purposes of this theory unit, you will be expected to know the Major keys up to 3 flats and 3 sharps. Flat Key Signatures Order of Flats Sharp Key Signatures Order of Sharps F Major B♭ G Major F♯ B♭ Major B♭ E♭ D Major F♯ C♯ E♭ Major B♭ E♭ A♭ A Major F♯ C♯ G♯ A♭ Major B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ E Major F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ D♭ Major B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B Major F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ To identify the name of a key signature To identify to name of a key signature containing containing flats, look at the second to last flat. sharps, look at the last sharp and count up one For example, if the key signature contains B♭ semitone. For example, if the key signature contains F♯ C♯ and G♯, then one semitone up from and E♭, the name of the key is B♭ but if the key G♯ is A and therefore the key signature would be A signature contains B♭ E♭ and A♭ then the key is Major. E♭. C Major contains no flats or sharps. The Circle of Fifths: This shows all Major keys, their relative minor keys as well as the key signature associated with each key. Notice that if we move right (clockwise) around the circle, the intervals are fifths, but if we move left (counter clockwise) the intervals are fourths. 8 5. Major Triads A triad is a collection of three pitches played simultaneously (harmonic triad) or in sequence (melodic triad). A Major triad is comprised of the first, third and fifth scale degrees. We call this “spelling a chord”. Triads can also be called chords and are used by composers to add musical interest by accompanying a melody. An inversion is when the lowest note in the triad becomes the 3rd or 5th scale degree.