The Blog

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685- 1750)

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685- 1750)
MUSICAL STYLE:
• His music represents the ultimate in baroque craftsmanship and the culmination of 1oo years of polyphonic writing
• Did not invent new forms but perfected existing forms of this day like fugues, concertos and cantatas
• amazing control of polyphonic texture
• Wrote fugues throughout his career demonstrating a wide variety of techniques and approaches (The Well Tempered Clavier, Art of the Fugue)
• Also used contrapuntal texture within other genres (choral fugue in Cantata no 80 , fugal passages in Brandenburg Concertos)
• Organized large-scale works systematically (The Well Tempered Clavier is ordered chromatically by key: C major, C minor, C sharp major, C sharp minor , D major, D minor)
• Composed many “sets” of works ( 15 two-part Inventions, 15 Three- Part Inventions , 6 English Suites, 6 French suites , 6 partitas)
• Composed many sacred works for the Lutheran Church (chorales, cantatas) ; composed a mass in B minor , even though he was not catholic
• Italian influences – lyricism or operatic arias,, dynamic instrumental style
• French influences- dance rhythms, French overtures , ornamentation
• English influences- choral style , English dances
• A virtuoso organist who wrote many very difficult works for keyboard (toccatas, fugues, concertos, Goldenberg variations)
• Composed keyboard music for all levels from elementary level pieces for students (Notebook for Anna Magdalena, his 2nd wife) to concert pieces.
GENRES AND TITLES:
• Sacred and secular cantatas Coffee Cantata and Peasant Cantata; oratorios Christmas Oratorio, St.Mathew Passion and St. John Passion; motets Magnificat, Mass in B minor.
• Orchestral suites, concerti grossi- eg. Brandebourg Concerti ; solo concertos
• Chamber music , sonatas and partitas for violin, cello suites, flute sonatas solo viola da gamba sonatas – The Musical Offering
• Keyboard music, preludes and fugues, suites, partitas, variations, inventions, sinfonias- Italian Concerto, Goldberg Variations.
• Organ music, choral preludes, toccatas, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, fantasias, preludes, fugues, and passacaglias.

OPERA IN ITALY AND ENGLAND

OPERA IN ITALY
CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI (1567- 1643)
MUSICAL STYLE:
• Embraced elements of baroque style such as the use of figured bass, major/minor tonality , monody , and “doctrine of the affections”
• Used chromaticism as an expressive device
• Used word painting in madrigals and operas
• Increase emotional intensity though the use of stile concitato
• In this operas, he increased the role of instruments to create moods and characters
• Differentiated between recitative and aria style in operas
• Increased the role of ensembles; established the love duet.
• His music is emotional passion.
GENRES AND TITLES:
• Madrigals: over 250 in 9 books
• Operas: L’Orfeo, L’Arianna , Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria, and L’incoronazione di Poppea
• Sacred music: masses, magnificants and Vespers
OPERA IN ENGLAND
HENRY PURCELL (1659- 1695)
• The most important English Baroque composer
• Prolific composer, despite short life
• Combines elements of national styles by embracing: lyric arias( Italian style), ornamentation and the French overture (French style0 and Renaissance madrigal and choral tradition (English style)
• Effective use of word painting
• Virtuosic keyboard style
GENRES AND TITLES:
• Sacred vocal works , anthems, hymns , Te Deum, Jubilate
• Opera: Dido and Aeneas
• Dramatic music: King Arthur, The Fairy Queen
• Solo songs
• Keyboard music , suites
• Orchestral works
ITALIAN OPERA IN ENGLAND
• After 1st public opera houses in Italy in early 17th, opera seria spread throughout Europe
• Frederic Handel (1685-1759) represents an important stage in Baroque opera. He learned to perfect the craft of this works in Hamburg, Italy and Hanover. Arrival to London his 1st opera was Rinaldo 1711, later 30 years dominated the London opera scene, he has 40 operas. He incorporated aspects of French, German and English style into his dramatic works
CANTATA
BACKGROUND
• From Italian cantare “to sing”
• Originally the term designated vocal works as opposed to instrumental works
• Began as a form of chamber music for solo voice with continuo
• Adopted into Lutheran church service in 18th
• J.S. Back composed over 300, of which approximately 200 have survived
CHARACTERISTICS
• A multi-movement vocal work
• Sacred or secular
• For vocal soloists and chorus with instrumental accompaniment
• Consists of recitatives, arias , ensembles and choruses
• Sacred cantatas performed as part of Lutheran church service in 18th century Germany

JOHN FARMER, MUSIC IN THE RENAISSANCE ERA, AND MORE.

JOHN FARMER (1570- 1601)
MUSICAL  STYLE:
• Composed 4 voices madrigals
• Combined chordal homophonic textures with imitative polyphony
• Favoured light-hearted, pastoral texts
• Modal harmonies, largely diatonic
• Employed vivid word painting
GENRES AND TITLE
• Madrigal: 1 collection, containing 16 madrigals , Fair Phyllis and A Pretty Little Bonny Lass

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IN THE RENAISSANCE ERA
New instruments has evolved more came into being and repertoire emerged.
FITZWILLIAM VIRGINAL BOOK
• Close to 300 works in the collection
• Includes styles: dances, fantasias, preludes, arrangements of songs and madrigals and variations
• English keyboard composers of the time are represented , William Byrd, John Bull, Thomas Morley, and Giles Farnaby
• Idiomatic approach to keyboard writing
• Style of writing is often virtuosic: rapid scale passages, ornamentations and many novel figurations
• Fanciful titles “Carman’s Whistle”(William Byrd), “The King’s Hunt”(John Bull), “The Ghost”( William Byrd)
DANCE MUSIC
BACKGROUND:
• Social dancing was a very popular form of entertainment
• Earliest notated dances were from 13th
• By 16th more and more dances were notated b/c of developments in music publishing
• Improvisation continued to play an important role in hoe the music was created
• Dance music was performed on keyboard, lute and by instrumental ensemble
CHARACTERISTICS:
• Dances were generally polyphonic
• Often in 4 parts textures, reflecting vocal models
• Instrumentation was generally not specified
• Melodies often adapted from pre-existing vocal works- madrigal and chansons
• Popular 16th dances: branle, pavane, galliard, saltarello, allemande
• Dances were often paired to emphasize contrast as (pavane – slow and stately and galliard- lively and energetic) combination.

ITALIAN MADRIGAL, ENGLISH MADRIGAL & CARLO GESUALDO

ITALIAN  MADRIGAL
BACKGROUND:
• 14th Italy ,”madrigal “referred to a poetic form and its musical setting (usually strophic )as a secular song
• 16th and 17th “madrigal denoted a type of secular song that flourished in the small aristocratic courts of Italy, including Venice,, Ferrara and Mantua; it then gained widespread popularity in Europe and England
• Initially homophonic with focus on bringing pleasure to the performers – amateur musicians
• Later evolved into more complex polyphonic texture with increased chromaticism-composed for an aristocratic audience
• In final 16th and 17th it assumed a highly mannered virtuosic style; a more personalized expression of the composer
• In early 17th it featured elements of baroque style(such as the use of bosso continuo and a dramatic declamatory style)
CHARACTERISTICS:
• Texts were short poems of a lyric or reflective character
• Generally through-composed in structure
• Topics included love and desire, [political themes, humor and satire
• Word painting was prominent – ideas, images, and emotions in the poems were conveyed through the music
• Chromaticism featured as an expressive device
CARLO GESUALDO (CA 1561-1613)
MUSICAL STYLE:
• Italian composer and lutenist
• Intensely emotional style
• Extravagant word painting
• Exaggerated chromaticism with high level of dissonance
• Abrupt chord changes
• Frequent use of repetition
• Wrote his own texts, often reflecting his guilt and remorse.
GENRE AND TITLE:
• Madrigal:6 books
• Sacred music , Tenebrae Responssoria
• Instrumental music
ENGLISH MADRIGAL
BACKGROUND:
• The Italian madrigal spread from Italy yo England in the 1580
• The publication of Musica transalpine in 1588 launched the popularity of the madrigal in England
• As English composer s cultivated the genre, it took on a slightly different character
• Prominent English composers as Orlando Gibbons, Thomas Morley , Tomas Weelkes, John Wilbye composed madrigals
CHARACTERISTICS:
• Resembles the Italian madrigal of the mid 16th
• Polyphonic and homophonic textures alternate
• Utilized word painting
• Pastoral texts
• Included nonsense syllables as “fa la la “ and “nonny nonny no”

CA 1440- CA 1521

JOSQUIN DES PREZ( CA 1440- CA 1521)
• Highly successful and renewed in his day, northern French (late Gothic era)
• Great master of contrapuntal techniques: canonic writing, imitative counterpoint
• Rich in emotional expression, his music embodies the humanism of his time
• Vocal settings sought to express the meaning of the text through frequent use of syllabic text setting and slower matching of musical stresses with accentuation of the text and word painting
• Modal harmonies –triadic(3rd and 6th)often spiced with dissonance.
GENRES:
MOTET: close to 100, including Ave Maria….virgo serena ,Absalon, fili mi
MASES: 18, Missa L’homme arme, Missa La sol fa re mi.
CHANSON :over 60, El grillo, Mille regretz

MASS :
BACKGROUND :
• The earliest mass settings took the form of monophonic chats (Haec dies from the Gregorian Mass for Easter Sunday)
• The 12th and 13th many chants particularly the Mass Proper served the basis for Organum
• 1st complete polyphonic setting of the Mass Ordinary –Messe de Nostre Dame by Guillaume de Machaut is the longest extant work from the Middle Ages.
• An important service in Roman Catholic Church, it includes prayers, readings from the Bible and re-enactment of the Last Supper – referred to as Holly Communion (Eucharist)
• “Mass” means go, you are dismissed.
CHARACTERISTICS:
• In the Renaissance era composers used polyphonic settings of the 5 movements of the Mass Ordinary to demonstrate their mastery of contrapuntal devices
• Composers often used secular songs as melodic sources for the cantus firmus (L’homme arme is based on a popular battle tune)
• Other devices could be linked thematically (same motive or cantus firmus might be used throughout the 5 sections of the Mass Ordinary)
• Masses could also be freely composed, based entirely on new material
MARTIN LUTHER (1458-1546)
• Leader of he Protestant reformation and founder of the Lutheran Church
• Posted his “Ninety-Five Theses” in 1517
• The service in German instead of Latin and engaging the congregation by replacing elaborate polyphonic settings of the mass with simpler music: German chorales with monophonic hymn tunes that were easy to sing
• Because of the translated bible the congregation could now actively participate in the music of the service using their native language.
THE REFORMATION:
• 16TH Christian reform movement in Europe
• Led by Martin Luther
• Resulted in formation of many new Protestant denominations
THE COUNTER-REFORMATION:
• Mid 16th reaction of the Catholic Church to the Protestant Reformation
• The Church’s attempt to win back support and regain political power
• Response to challenges to authority included the Council of Trent.
COUNCIL OF TRENT:
• A series of meeting of the highest Catholic Church officials
• Took place in Trento, Italy from 1545-1563
• Condemned “Protestant heresies “and reaffirmed the doctrines of Catholicism
• Recommendations regarding liturgical music included:
o The text should be audible
o The counterpoint should not be dense
o Except for organ, instruments should not be used
o Harmonic writing should avoid intense chromaticism
o Use of secular cantus firmus banned (forbidden)
o Displays of virtuosity should be avoided.
GIOVANNI PIERLUIGI da PALESTRINA
• His compositions reflected his deep personal faith with a reverent, spiritual character
• Vocal polyphony in a cappela style
• The “Palestine style” of vocal polyphony has defined Renaissance polyphony and served as a model for counterpoint students to this day
• Employed polyphony balanced with homorhythmic textures (chordal declamation)
• Approaches to mass composition includes cantus firmus, parody, paraphrase, canonic; Performing forces range from 4to 6 voice.
• Individual vocal lines moved mostly by step or narrow leap
• Clarity in text setting was achieved through chordal texture, clear-cut phrases, and musical accents that corresponded with the text.
• Dissonance was avoided or used with care (passing note or off the beat; if on the beat resolved immediately)
GENRES AND TITLE:
MOTETS: over 300 including Lauda Sion and Alma Redemptoris Mater
MASSES: over 100, Missa L’homme arme, missa Lauda Sion
• Other liturgical works, hymn and magnificants.
• Madrigals: sacred and secular

THE RENAISSANCE ERA

UNIT TWO :THE RENAISSANCE ERA (CA 1450- CA 1600)
• “rebirth “
• Golden age of capella
• Realism, portraiture and humanised subjects
• Was governed largely by Church practices.
• People began to think at life from a different more secular perspective.
• Renaissance Era is the Age of Humanism
• Constantinople was home for churches and monasteries and an important center of learning. But 1453 Constantinople (now Istanbul) fell under Turkish army so many went to Rome and brought Hebrew and old Greek languages.
• Music publishing in this era was invented by Johann Gutenberg in 15th century. Copying music by hand was replaced by mechanical reproduction so quicker and efficient.
• Musical style of humanism and secularism, composers have created music that also reflects the spirit of the Renaissance. Use of 3rd and 6th, expansion of contrapuntal textures and closer relationship between text and music and wider range of musical genres.
FRANCO –FLEMISH SCHOOL
• A group of composers who flourished in the 15th and 16th .
• “Franco – means France, “Flemish- means to Flanders, a region encompassing Belgium and Holland on the modern map of Europe
• Leading figures included Johannes Ockeghem, Josquin des Prez, Jacob Obretch.
• Known for vocal polyphony and highly developed contrapuntal style, particularly in the motet and mass
• Also referred to as “the Dutch School “and /or “the Netherlanders”
VOCAL MUSIC IN THE RENAISSANCE ERA
SACRED MOTET IN 15TH:
BACKGROUND:
• In 13th motet was based on cantus firmus, has 3 voices texture included polytextuality and often sacred and secular elements.
• In 14th developments in the motets including greater complexity in rhythm, harmony and counterpoint; yet was still on cantus firmus techniques and continued to feature polytextuality.
• In 15th the motet continued to develop and flourish as a significant genre in vocal polyphony
• In became the genre that allowed composers to experiment with new approaches to contrapuntal writing.

CHARACTERISTICS:
• Polyphonic texture
• A single, Latin text (no longer polytextual)
• Sacred genre
• Generally for 4 voices
• Imitative counterpoint, often contrasted with homorhythmic sections
• Demonstrates the new harmonic language (use of 3rd, and 6th)

13th CENTURY

THE POLYTEXTUAL MOTET IN THE 13TH CENTURY
BACKGROUND:
• Developed in the 13th century
• An important stage in the development of polyphony
• New texts were added to the upper voices of Organum
• Secular texts often appeared alongside sacred texts, languages were mixed
CHARACTERISTICS:
• Usually in the 3 voices
• Bottom voice contained cantus firmus
• Featured primary intervals 4th, 5th and octaves
• Upper voices were generally more rhythmically active and often crossed parts.

SECULAR VOCAL MUSIC OF THE MIDDLE AGES
MONOPHONIC CHANSON- Chanson means “song”
BACKGROUND:
• Flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries
• Composed by aristocratic poet-musicians known as trouveres and troubadours.
• Recorded in songbooks called chansonniers.
CHARACTERISTICS:
• Monophonic texture
• Modal melodies
• Usually in strophic form
• Instrumental accompaniments were often improvised
• Texts often reflected courtly love in the age of chivalry
POLYPHONIC CHANSON
• 14th century saw shift form church life to more secular society
• Famous treatise called Ars Nova- refer to the music and art of the time.(composer was Philippe de Vitry)
• Evolution of polyphony in both sacred and secular was by the perfection of pitch notation coupled with more sophisticated rhythmic notations.
• Elegant and courtly song –whatever form the poem took might be clearly reflected int he construction of the music.

PHILIPPE DE VIRTY(1291-1361)
• Was a French composer ,poet and bishop
• Author of the treatise Ars Nova(1322)
• Innovator of the notations of rhythm, including the “imperfect” and division of notes into 2 equal units(a move away from the division of notes into 3 equal units considered “perfect”)
• Broke free from older pattern and rhythmic modes
• Used isorhythm, the repetition of an extended pattern in which melodic patterns and rhythmic segments of different lengths are combined

ARS NOVA
• Latin for “new art”
• Title of a famous 14th century treatise by composer Philippe de Vitry
• The term is also used by historians when referring to music in 14th century France ( the 1300s)
• As a result, the previous era became known as Ars antique(old art)
GUILLAUME DE MACHAUT (CA 1300-1377)
• Most celebrated poet and musician in French Ars Nova
• Adopted both sacred and secular and wrote music for church and kings.
• Greater variety in intervals used , including 3rd, 6th and more counter points
• 14th century rhythmic complexity demonstrated in use of devices such as syncopation, hockets, and isorhythm
• Wrote both monophonic and polyphonic songs
• Monophonic chansons represent a continuation of the trouvere tradition, frequently wrote his own poetry
• Works are longer and more complex than of the Ars Antiqua.
• Composed 1st complete polyphonic setting of Mass Ordinary-Messe de Nostre Dame.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IN THE MIDDLE AGES
• Instruments were not standardized
• With the exception of the organ, the use of instruments was not encouraged in the Roman Catholic Church
• Instruments music was passed down through an oral tradition
• Musicians were trained to improvise and to play by rote rather than rely on written music
• Notating music was a time-consuming, costly and not considered necessary or important in a a largely illiterate society.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC FULFILLED ROLES AND FUNCTIONS IN SOCIETY:
• Accompanying singers
• Proving dance music
• Playing fanfares and precessions for public and civic functions
• Providing music for military campaigns.
• Indoor and outdoor instruments.
DANCE MUSIC:
BACKGROUND:
• Based on a tradition of improvisation
• Functional music :instrumentalists provided music for social dance; later stylized dances were created(for listening only)
CHARACTERISTICS:
• Had monophonic texture
• Modal melodies
• Accompaniments were improvised
• Estampie,saltarello,ronde and basse dance were the earliest types
• Formal structure was often sectional to allow for flexibility in the length of the dance.
CHANSONNEIR DU ROY
• French “Songbook of the King:
• Anonymous 13th century French manuscript
• Contains troubadour and trouvere songs as well as eight monophonic dances including “Royal Estampie No.4”

SONGS FOR INTERVAL RECOGNITION

VISIT WEBSITE TO LEARN MORE SONGS FOR INTERVAL RECOGNITION. CLICK  HERE

 

 

 

ca 890- 1150

ORGANUM( ca 890-1150)
• Form of polyphony but has additional vocal lines moved parallel (above or below)of the pre-existing chant by 4th or 5th.
• Monks sung chants for a months, years, decades. Starting harmonizing the chant
BACKGROUND:
• Earliest form of polyphony in western art music
• Began as in improvised practice, evolved over several centuries
• 1st notated in the 9th century, the treatise Musica enchriadis
• Composers at Notre Dame Cathedral (Paris) further developed Organum in the 12th and 13th centuries
CHARACTERISTICS:
• The original pre-existing chant is referred to as the cantus firmus.
• 2nd voice is added on the top of chant melody (4th or 5th, octave paralleled)
• later developments by Notre Dame composers included free Organum which involved a wider variety of intervals and rhythms and newly composed upper parts

MUSICA ENCHIRIADIS
• Latin for “Music Handbook”
• anonymous 9th century treatise
• contains the earliest examples of notated polyphony in western art music
• Included parallels Organum with new melodic lines added above or below the original chant.

NOTRE DAME SCHOOL
• In 12th and 13th a compositional school. 2 leaders were LEONIN and PEROTIN
Leonin:
• 1st composer of polyphony known to us by name
• Active in Paris in the later 12th century
• He produced 2part Organum using organal and discant style
• Wrote Magnus Liber Organi (Great Book of Organum)
Perotin:
• Active at Notre Dame Cathedral in the 13th century
• Expanded polyphonic techniques by composing 3 and 4 part polyphony
• Composed “substitute clausulae” to replace Organum originally composed by Leonin.

FOLLOW READING MUSIC TIPS!

 

 

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW ALL STEPS:

1. Introduction
The system of music notation allows us to specify two of the main characteristics of music: the note to be played, and its duration.
The following pages will show the basic aspects of music reading. We will begin by learning how to specify durations of sound. For this, let’s take a look at two important concepts: beats (pulsations) and measures.
2. Beats and Measures

(http://www.teoria.com/tutorials/reading/01-beats.php)
We will use several examples to illustrate these two concepts.
Beats – in each example you can hear a series of steady clicks, each one being a beat or a pulsation.
Measures – the beats or pulsations are grouped in numbers of two, three and four. A measure is such a pattern of a group of beats. It is very common to find measures having groups of two, three or four beats.
3. Time Signature

(http://www.teoria.com/tutorials/reading/02-measure.php)
When reading music, one of the first element we will encounter is the time signature. Measures are qualified by two numbers used in the time signature. The number on top indicates the number of beats in each measure (we will later explain the function of the number on the bottom):
2 beats per measure
3 beats per measure
4 beats per measure
It is quite common to use the symbol as a time signature to define the measure of .
4. Note Value

(http://www.teoria.com/tutorials/reading/03-values.php)
Once we understand the concept of measure and beats, we can start reading music.
The duration of a sound is indicated using several symbols. Let’s start by getting to know the symbols with durations of one, two and four beats:
Name (USA) Name (England) Duration Symbol
Whole Note Semibreve 4 beats
Half Note Minim 2 beats
Quarter Note Crotchet 1 beat
Note the relationship of values between the different symbols:
Each whole note (semibreve):
is divided into two half notes (minim).
And each half note (minim)
is divided into two quarter notes (crotchet)
Thus, each symbol will have half the
value of the preceding shape.
Let’s see a musical example using these symbols. The vertical lines (or bar lines) separate and group the notes into measures in order to facilitate reading (we can see three measures in this particular example). You can hear a percussive sound for each beat, and a clarinet sound playing the written notes. Note how a half note will take the duration of two percussive sounds (two beats), the quarter note will take just one beat, and the whole note will take four beats.
5. Dotted Notes and the Tie

(http://www.teoria.com/tutorials/reading/04-dot.php)
We have already looked at symbols with durations of one, two and four beats, but what symbol can we use for a note having a duration of three beats?
There is no symbol for such duration, but we can create one by adding a dot or a tie.
Attaching a dot to the right side of the note will add half of its value to its total duration. For instance, if we add the dot to a half note (minim) – which normally lasts for two beats – we will then have a note lasting three beats instead of two (half of 2 is 1, and 2 + 1 = 3. Let’s now see the value of the shapes we already know, after adding the dot:
Note Duration
6 beats (4 + 2)
3 beats (2 + 1)
1 beat and a half (1 + 1/2)
The tie allows us to achieve the same goal. Using a tie between two notes will add the value of the second note to the value of the first. For instance, if we tie a quarter note (crotchet) to a half note (minim) , we will get a note lasting three beats (same as a dotted half note).
The following musical example illustrates the use of a dotted half note (minim), and a half note tied to a quarter note (crotchet). You will hear a percussive sound for each beat, and a clarinet sound playing the written notes. Note that the resulting rhythm on the first measure (using the tie) is exactly the same as the rhythm found on the second bar (using the dotted note).

6. Rests

(http://www.teoria.com/tutorials/reading/05-rests.php)
In music, silence is just as important as sound. How do we notate silence? We notate silence by using symbols called rest notes, or simply rests.
There is an equivalent rest symbol for each note value. Below we can see the corresponding rest symbols for the note values we already know:
Note Name
(USA) Note Name
(England) Symbol Rest
Whole Note Semibreve
Half Note Minim
Quarter Note Crotchet
7. Values Shorter Than a Beat

(http://www.teoria.com/tutorials/reading/06-figures.php)
The smallest value we have seen up to this point is that of the quarter note (crotchet), which lasts for a whole beat. Of course, there are symbols for notes of shorter duration.
Here you can see symbols that take a half (50%) or a fourth (25%) of a beat:
Symbols Name Value
Eighth note
(quaver) Half of a quarter note.
We can have two eighth
notes for each beat.
Sixteenth note
(semiquaver) One fourth of a quarter note.
We can have four of
these for each beat.
It is common practice to beam together the flags of eighth notes and sixteenth notes that are part of the same beat, in order to facilitate reading.

8. Eighth and Sixteenth Notes (quaver and semiquaver)

(http://www.teoria.com/tutorials/reading/07-8-16.php)
There are many possible combinations of eighth notes (quaver) and sixteenth notes (semiquaver) we can use. To make reading easier, it is necessary to learn to identify and comprehend these formulas of combinations. The following table shows some of the most common combinations. The sixteenth notes (semiquaver) below the written notes indicate the subdivision in four equal parts of the beat.

9. Eighth-Note (quaver) and Sixteenth-Note (semiquaver) Rests

(http://www.teoria.com/tutorials/reading/08-rests-8-16.php)
There are also symbols to represent silence with the value of eighth notes (quaver) and sixteenth notes (semiquaver):
Note Rest
Eighth
(quaver)
Sixteenth
(semiquaver)
Following we can see a few examples using rests. sixteenth notes (semiquaver) below the written notes indicate the subdivision in four equal parts of the beat.

10. Triplets

(http://www.teoria.com/tutorials/reading/09-triplets.php)
To this point, we have only subdivided each beat in two or four equal parts. However, it is also possible to divide a beat in three equal parts, with the use of triplets. Triplets are notated by writing the number 3 above the group of notes that will form the triplet. Note how, as in the second example, we can join two of the eighth notes that are part of the triplet, forming a quarter note inside the triplet.

11. Beat Unit

(http://www.teoria.com/tutorials/reading/10-units.php)

Until now, we have used the quarter note (crotchet) to represent the value of a beat. Nevertheless, we can indeed use any note value to serve as the beat unit. In time signatures the lower number indicates the kind of note that gets one beat, i.e., quarter note/crotchet (4), half note/minim (2), eighth note/quaver) (8), sixteenth/semiquaver note (16), etc. (see Time or Meter Signatures for more information).
If we use 2 for the bottom number, the half note (minim) will then become the beat unit. We will now illustrate a series of rhythmic formulas written using the time signature of 2/2. Note that the half note (minim) now represents one beat, the quarter note (crotchet) is a half beat and the eighth note (quaver) is a fourth of a beat.

12. Simple and Compound Meters

(http://www.teoria.com/tutorials/reading/11-compound.php)
The kinds of measures we have studied so far use what is known as simple meter. With simple meters, each beat is subdivided in equal halves. In the case of a 4/4 meter, each beat is divided into two eighth notes, as we saw earlier.
With compound meters, each beat is subdivided into three equal parts. We can tell a compound meter because it uses 6, 9 or 12 for the top number of the time signature. Let’s take a look at several examples of the compound meter of 6 over 8 (6/8). This meter actually has two beats; the note value that has the value of a beat is the dotted quarter note (crotchet), which can be subdivided into three eighth notes (quaver).

13. Reading Musical Notes

(http://www.teoria.com/tutorials/reading/12-notes.php)
Now that we know how to read rhythms, how do we then read musical notes?
Notes are written on a staff:

The clef assigns names to the notes. In the following example we show a staff with a treble clef. The treble clef is commonly used for high pitched instruments like the flute and the violin. This clef assigns the note G to the second line. Note how the treble clef shape seems to curl around the second line. All notes written on that line are a G:

The note written on the space above the G is an A and the one on the following line is a B. As you can see, the notes continue in order (A, B, C, D, E, F, and G) alternating lines and spaces:

Using ledger lines we can write notes higher than the G and lower than the D:

To help the memorization of notes on the staff it is useful to memorize the names of the notes over the lines and spaces:

The notes over the spaces make the word FACE. The notes over the lines can be memorized using the following phrase: Every Good Boy Does Fine.
Practice note reading with our Clef Reading exercise.

An Example
(http://www.teoria.com/tutorials/reading/13-frere.php)
14. Accidentals

(http://www.teoria.com/tutorials/reading/14-acc.php)
All the notes we have seen so far correspond to the white keys of the piano keyboard. We will now see how to write notes that correspond to the black keys of the piano.
Here we show how the white keys of the piano are written on the staff:

How do we write the black keys?
Let’s take an example. The black key located between the C and D keys can be notated by preceding the C with the symbol of the sharp accidental , or by preceding the D with the symbol of the flat accidental . The other keys can be written in a similar way:

The distance between any key and the following one is called a half-step. The sharp symbol raises a note by a half-step, while the flat symbol lowers the note by a half-step.

15. Key Signatures

(http://www.teoria.com/tutorials/reading/15-ks.php)
When a piece is not in the key of C Major or A Minor, it requires the use of regular accidentals. In order to avoid having to keep writing those accidentals, we can place them at the beginning of the piece using what is known as a key signature.
For instance, a piece in the key of D Major makes regular use of the notes of F-sharp and C-sharp. The key signature of D Major will then utilize those two accidentals; meaning that when this key signature is present, all F and C notes are automatically raised and become sharp notes, unless they are preceded by the symbol of the natural accidental.
Following we have a fragment from Beethoven’s famous Ode to Joy, in the key of D Major. Note how all the F and C notes are played sharp:

September 24, 2014 0 Comments