xanga posts: Music... some basics

We all know and love music ...

It has been the cause of happiness and even tears of many ... but music isn't only involved what you hear... In fact it always starts with the basics in music...

Music- is basically a melody, harmony and some rhythm
I wanted to help explain how one starts learning a little more of music...

It all starts 5 horizontal lines on a piece of paper

That is a blank staff... You will know based on the clef which you shall be using. For example, the staff is defined by either a Treble clef which is also know as the G-clef. The curve wraps around the the line which is “G” (G4) basically giving the rest of notes their order.

Then there is also the bass clef which is the “f” clef. If you can see the illustration you will see 2 dots and those are actually in between the note “f” (F3) giving the notes in the bass cleff their position.

But even those notes are selected if you have ever seen a grand staff.

You notice how the 2 staff go so well together well they actually do very well. They are just a continuation of each other but adding more staff lines instead of adding more lines to the notes which can get a little confusing for example

Notice the top note in the bass clef which is Middle C (C4) is actually the same note at the beginning of the Treble Clef

Here the hardest part explaining is that middle C is neither the end or the beginning of the Clefs... You can still keep going on in Bass Clef and likewise on the Treble Clef you can still keep going down from Middle C... But the clefs are guidelines for the instrumentalist and also depends on the range of the instrument.

You notice the notes in both ends? Those notes must still be read. All noted in the staff actually as a map to guide you pick a specific note with it’s specific frequency. You can pick a different octave (which is the same note, either 8 notes above, or 8 notes below) But the note with the specific flag will give you a specific pitch.

Anyways, sorry I got away a little. I tend to do that when it comes to music. When I’m teaching I love it and I enjoy being able to go off in a small tangent only to being them back for the next subject.

Anyways, back to the beginning. Now, that you see what Bass and Treble clef is, the most common and well known of the clefs and the most used is actually the treble clef which is the most common. Common Instruments which use the Treble is are the Clarinet, Flute, Oboe, Sax, trumpet, euphonium, horn, English horn, violin,
And common bass instruments are Tuba, baritone, trombone, bass

And piano is a combination of both hence why the grand staff is for.
(and I’m not going to talk about moveable clef… I’m biased and I hate it! not hate it but I haven't studied much of it. I have rarely used it except when I played viola for a brief moment- one of the most beautiful instrument sound but hate the clef)

Key signature – which will actually let you know in what key (or basically the scale the music will use) you’ll be playing in. But it’s doesn’t restrict to just the scales since there tends to be accidentals (notes which do not go along with the pattern of the scale given)

Which goes into:
Sharps(#): a half step above the note given (i.e. you have f and add a sharp now you have f#)

Double sharps: 2 half steps above the given note (1 whole step) (I.e. you have f and add a double sharp Fx x= 2#... which since it added to half steps fx is the same as "G"

Flats: a half step down ( i.e. if you have E and add a flat (♭) then you have E♭

double flats: 2 half steps down (1 whole step) (i.e. if you have "E" and add a double flat ( ♭♭) then since you lowered the note by 2 half steps it becomes "D"

Time signature- This will basically tell you how many beats in a measure and what beat typically get the beat
(the beat = the pulse =what we feel when you’re bopping your head)
You normally will see
common time (c) which is the same thing as 4/4 4 beats per measure and and the quarter note gets the beat (mathematical explanation- fractions)
You will also 2/4 – 2 beats per measure and quarter note gets the beat
Or
6/8 which is 6 beats per measure eight note gets the beat which also has a 3 feel depending on how it’s written 1-2-3 4-5-6 or as you even see the grouping and feel in 2…