MUSICAL TERMS AND CONCEPTSTED 387 Music Methods

music: Organized sound, consisting of melody, rhythm, harmony, and timbre.

melody: A succession of musical pitches arranged in a rhythmic pattern. Melody is the “tune” of the song. It is the part that we usually sing. This is the linear aspect of music.

rhythm: Refers to the position of musical events in time, when individual notes begin and how long they last.

harmony: The simultaneous playing of more than one musical tone (sound). This is the vertical aspect of music.

timbre: Pronounced “tam-br” (not timber). The character or quality of a sound that distinguishes one instrument, voice, or other sound source from another. For example, a trumpet has a different timbre than a flute.

pitch: The “highness” or “lowness” of a musical sound. For example, a girl’s voice may be higher in pitch than a boy’s voice.

tonality: The “key” a song or musical composition is said to be written in (e.g., a song written in the key of C). Gives the listener a harmonic center, and thus provides context. All of the pitches in the composition center around this tonal center (also called tonic).

treble/bass: Treble refers to higher pitches. Bass refers to lower pitches.

major/minor: The “coloring” of music. Major sounds generally bright and happy. Minor sounds generally dark and sad.

staff: A set of five horizontal lines (including 4 spaces) on which note symbols are placed to indicate pitch and rhythm.treble (G) clef: Placed at the beginning of a staff to indicate treble register.bass (F) clef: Placed at the beginning of a staff to indicate bass register.

sharp: Raises a note’s pitch by a half step higher. flat: Lowers a note’s pitch by a half step lower.

natural: Used after a sharp or flat, returns the note to its original pitch (not sharp or flat).

Notes and Rests and Their Rhythmic Values

Note Rest

whole = 4 beats

dotted half = 3 beats

half = 2 beats

quarter = 1 beat eighth = 1/2 beat sixteenth = 1/4 beat

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Lines and Spaces of the Treble Staff

____________________________ F _________________________________

________________________ D _____________________ E _____________

____________________ B ______________________ C ________________

________________ G _______________________ A ___________________

_____________ E _______________________ F _______________________

Lines Mnemonic: Every Good Boy Does Fine. OR Every Good Bird Does Fly.

Spaces Mnemonic: F-A-C-E

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