Music Notation Basics

Notation Systems

• Staff Notation:
  • Consists of five lines and four spaces
  • Each line and space represents a different pitch
  • Lines are E, G, B, D, F (Every Good Boy Does Fine)
  • Spaces are F, A, C, E (FACE)
• Pitch:
  • Letters A-G, with A being the lowest and G being the highest
  • Sharps (#) raise the pitch, flats (b) lower the pitch
• Rhythm:
  • Note lengths: whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, etc.
  • Rest lengths: whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, etc.
  • Dotted notes: add half the note length to the original note
• Articulation:
  • Legato: smooth, connected playing
  • Staccato: short and detached playing
  • Accent: emphasis on a particular note

Chord Progressions

• Chord Functions:
  • Tonic (I): the key's "home" chord
  • Dominant (V): creates tension, leads to tonic
  • Subdominant (IV): adds variety, leads to dominant
  • Pre-dominant (ii, iii, vi, etc.): leads to dominant
• Chord Progressions:
  • I-IV-V: the most common progression
  • ii-V-I: a common progression in jazz and pop
  • I-V-vi-IV: a common progression in pop music
• Chord Qualities:
  • Major: happy, uplifting
  • Minor: sad, melancholic
  • Diminished: tense, unstable
  • Augmented: bright, expansive

Harmony And Progression

• Harmony:
  • Vertical aspect of music: multiple pitches sounding simultaneously
  • Can be consonant (pleasing) or dissonant (unpleasing)
• Progression:
  • Horizontal aspect of music: the order of chords
  • Creates a sense of direction and resolution
• Functional Harmony:
  • Chords progress in a logical, functional manner
  • Typically follows the rules of chord functions (tonic, dominant, etc.)
• Non-Functional Harmony:
  • Chords progress in a non-traditional, non-functional manner
  • Often used in contemporary and experimental music

Melody Writing

• Melodic Contour:
  • The shape of a melody
  • Can be ascending, descending, or a combination of both
• Melodic Motifs:
  • Short, recurring melodic patterns
  • Often used to create unity and coherence
• Melodic Rhythm:
  • The rhythm of a melody
  • Can be syncopated (emphasizing off-beat rhythms) or non-syncopated
• Melodic Intervals:
  • The distance between two pitches
  • Can be consonant (pleasing) or dissonant (unpleasing)

Notation Systems

• A staff consists of five lines and four spaces, each representing a different pitch
• The lines on a staff are E, G, B, D, F, which can be remembered using the phrase "Every Good Boy Does Fine"
• The spaces on a staff are F, A, C, E, which can be remembered using the phrase "FACE"

Pitch

• Pitch is represented by the letters A-G, with A being the lowest and G being the highest
• Sharps (#) raise the pitch of a note, while flats (b) lower the pitch

Rhythm

• Note lengths include whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes
• Rest lengths also include whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth rests
• Dotted notes add half the note length to the original note

Articulation

• Legato is a smooth, connected playing style
• Staccato is a short and detached playing style
• Accent involves emphasizing a particular note

Chord Progressions

• The tonic (I) is the "home" chord of a key
• The dominant (V) creates tension and leads to the tonic
• The subdominant (IV) adds variety and leads to the dominant
• Pre-dominant chords (ii, iii, vi, etc.) lead to the dominant

Chord Progressions

• The I-IV-V progression is the most common chord progression
• The ii-V-I progression is commonly used in jazz and pop music
• The I-V-vi-IV progression is commonly used in pop music

Chord Qualities

• Major chords have a happy, uplifting quality
• Minor chords have a sad, melancholic quality
• Diminished chords have a tense, unstable quality
• Augmented chords have a bright, expansive quality

Harmony And Progression

• Harmony refers to the vertical aspect of music, involving multiple pitches sounding simultaneously
• Harmony can be consonant (pleasing) or dissonant (unpleasing)
• Progression refers to the horizontal aspect of music, involving the order of chords
• Progression creates a sense of direction and resolution

Functional Harmony

• Functional harmony involves chords progressing in a logical, functional manner
• Functional harmony typically follows the rules of chord functions (tonic, dominant, etc.)

Non-Functional Harmony

• Non-functional harmony involves chords progressing in a non-traditional, non-functional manner
• Non-functional harmony is often used in contemporary and experimental music

Melody Writing

• Melodic contour refers to the shape of a melody
• Melodic motifs are short, recurring melodic patterns
• Melodic rhythm refers to the rhythm of a melody
• Melodic intervals refer to the distance between two pitches, which can be consonant (pleasing) or dissonant (unpleasing)

Learn the fundamentals of music notation, including staff notation, pitch, and rhythm. Understand the basics of reading and writing music.