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RHYTHM
French
English Time American
Note counting Value Rest
Name Time Name
syllables
Sixteenth
Semiquaver Ta-fa-ti-fi
Note
DOTTED NOTES
A dot next to a note or rest increases the original value by half.
Year 10
Score Reading Reference
GROUPINGS
Notes and rests in simple time are grouped into crotchet beats.
No
Yes
TRIPLETS
Triplets are when 3 notes are played in the time of 2.
TREMOLO
Tremolos are used as short hand to avoid having to write a lot of notes.
Written Played
TIME SIGNATURES
2 crotchet beats per 3 crotchet beats per 4 crotchet beats per 4 crotchet beats per
bar bar bar bar
PITCH
BASS CLEF
Notes on lines: Great Big Dogs From Africa
Notes in spaces: All Cows Eat Grass
LEDGER LINES
Use ledger lines when you run out of space on the stave.
Pitch names still follow the line-space-line-space pattern.
Year 10
Score Reading Reference
ACCIDENTALS
ENHARMONIC EQUIVALENT
Notes that are written differently but sound the same e.g. E# and F
Year 10
Score Reading Reference
INTERVALS
An interval is the distance between 2 notes.
MELODIC intervals are horizontal. HARMONIC intervals are vertical.
KEY SIGNATURES
You need to know the key signatures up to 2 sharps and 2 flats, majors and minors.
How many sharps or flats? Sharps: count to the right e.g. D Major has 2 sharps
Flats: count to the left e.g. F Major has 1 flat
Which sharps or flats are they? Order of sharps is FCGDAEB e.g. if 4 sharps: FCGD
Order of flats is BEADGCF e.g. if 3 flats: BEA
Year 10
Score Reading Reference
RELATIVE KEYS
Major and minor keys go in pairs. A Major and a minor with the same key signature are called
relatives.
Major minor
In pieces in a minor key, you will see raised 7th notes (leading notes) as accidentals
Below you can see where the first 2 sharps and flats are placed on the stave in each clef.
It is important that these are drawn accurately.
Year 10
Score Reading Reference
MAJOR SCALES
Natural minor
As per key signature
e.g. E Natural Minor
Harmonic minor
Raise the leading note (7th note) with an accidental.
e.g. A Harmonic Minor
Melodic minor
Ascending: raise the submediant and leading note (6th and 7th)
Descending: lower them back to normal (as per key signature)
e.g. D Melodic Minor
CHORDS
BUILDING CHORDS
Triads are chords with 3 notes a root, a third, and a fifth.
IF the root is on a line, the 3rd and 5th will also be on lines.
IF the root is in a space, the 3rd and 5th will also be in spaces.
NAMING CHORDS
Roman Numerals chords are numbered according to the key.
Jazz/Rock chords are named with the letter of the root note.
Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Roman
I II III IV V VI VII
Numeral
e.g.
in C Major
Jazz/Rock C Dm Em F G Am B
PRIMARY CHORDS
These are the most common and important chords in any key: I (tonic), IV (subdominant) and V
(dominant)
Year 10
Score Reading Reference
TEXTURE
Texture describes how busy the music is, and how the different layers of sound work together.
Textures can also be described as thick (many parts) or thin (fewer parts).
PERFORMANCE DIRECTIONS
ARTICULATION
ff fortissimo
crescendo
decrescendo /
diminuendo
Segno sign
Repeat
COMMON SIGNS
Metronome
marking 120
Glissando slide
crotchet beats per
minute
Roll the chord
play the notes
Play an octave higher
separately but
quickly
4 bars rest
STRING TECHNIQUES
Divisi divide
Down Bow div
the parts
Tremolo play
as fast as possible
Up Bow
at the tip of the
bow
Pizzicato pluck
pizz con sordino With mute
the string
Double stopping
play 2 notes at Violin = GDAE
once Viola = CGDA
Triple stopping open strings Cello = CGDA
play 3 notes at Double Bass =
once, bottom 2 EADG
then top 2
ORNAMENTS
COMPOSITIONAL DEVICES
Retrograde backwards
Word Painting make the music match the lyrics (e.g. mountain ascend to high
note, maybe also loud with Major chord)
FORM
Form (structure) in Music is usually described with different letters for different/contrasting sections.
Some common forms are:
INSTRUMENTS
SCORE LAYOUT
On a conductors score, the layout from top to bottom is:
Woodwind flute
oboe
clarinet
bassoon
Brass french horn
trumpet
trombone
tuba
Percussion timpani
others (grouped by player)
Other (e.g. piano) choir
banjo
guitar
harp
piano
Strings violin 1
violin 2
viola
cello
double bass
ENSEMBLES
Some common ensembles are:
Voices.
SATB choir = Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass
Choir
SSA choir = Soprano 1, Soprano 2, Alto
TTBB choir = Tenor 1, Tenor 2, Bass 1, Bass 2