Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Scales - facts 7

1) The subtonic or leading tone is the seventh degree of a scale. The natural minor scales have a subtonic for the 7th note rather than a leading tone. The other scales have a leading tone.

2) The tonic is the eighth degree of a scale. The first degree of a scale is also called the tonic.

Scales - facts 6

1) The dominant is the fifth degree of a scale.

2) The submediant is the sixth degree of a scale.

Scales - facts 5

1) The mediant is the third degree of a scale.

2) The subdominant is the fourth degree of a scale.

Scales - facts 4

1) The tonic is the first degree of a scale. The eighth degree of a scale is also called the tonic.

2) The supertonic is the second degree of a scale.

Key signatures - trivia 4

1) Which major key has four sharps?

a) B major
b) E major

2) What is the relative minor key of B major?

a) G sharp minor
b) D sharp minor

Check comments for the answers.

Key signatures - trivia 3

1) Which major key has two flats?

a) B flat major
b) E flat major

2) What is the relative minor key of E flat major?

a) G minor
b) C minor

Check comments for the answers.

Piano keys - facts 4

1) An 88 key piano has seven full octaves.

2) Middle C is C4 in scientific pitch notation.

Scales - facts 3

1) A major scale can be formed by using the intervals of: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half (2 2 1 2 2 2 1).

2) The A major scale has three sharps.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Key signatures - facts 5

1) The order of sharps in a key signature can be remembered by "Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle" (F,C,G,D,A,E,B).

2) The order of flats can be remembered by "Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles Father" (B,E,A,D,G,C,F).

Key signatures - facts 4

1) The key of E major has four sharps.

2) The relative minor key of E major is C sharp minor.

Key signatures - facts 3

1) The key of B flat major has two flats.

2) The relative minor key of B flat major is G minor.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Octave

Octave means eight. In scientific pitch notation, G4 to G5 is an octave higher. C4 to C3 is an octave lower.

Piano keys - trivia 4

1) How many full octaves are on an 88 key piano?

a) 6
b) 7

2) What is middle C in scientific pitch notation?

a) C3
b) C4

Check comments for the answers.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Key signatures - facts 2

1) The key of D major has two sharps.

2) The relative minor key of D major is B minor.

Key signatures - facts 1

1) The key of C major has no sharps or flats.

2) The relative minor key of C major is A minor.

Scales - facts 2

1) The C major scale uses only the white keys.

2) The F major scale has one flat.

Interval

An interval is the distance between two notes.

Scales - trivia 3

1) A major scale can be formed by using what intervals?

a) whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half (2 2 1 2 2 2 1)
b) whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole (2 1 2 2 1 2 2)

2) Which major scale has three sharps?

a) A major
b) E major

Check comments for the answers.

Scales - trivia 2

1) Which major scale uses only the white keys?

a) C major
b) D major

2) Which major scale has one flat?

a) G major
b) F major

Check comments for the answers.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Key signatures - trivia 2

1) Which major key has two sharps?

a) D major
b) A major

2) What is the relative minor key of C major?

a) A minor
b) E minor

Check comments for the answers.

Key signatures - trivia 1

1) Which major key has no sharps or flats?

a) C major
b) G major

2) What is the relative minor key of G major?

a) D minor
b) E minor

Check comments for the answers.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Scales - facts 1

1) There are three types of minor scales.

2) There are eight notes in a major or minor scale.

Notes - facts 6

1) D flat can also be called a C sharp.

2) F sharp can also be called a G flat.

Crescendo

Crescendo means getting progressively louder.

Common time

Common time is a 4/4 time signature.

Cut time

Cut time is a 2/2 time signature.

Half step

A half step is the smallest distance between two notes. Two half steps equal a whole step.

Whole step

A whole step is equal to two half steps.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Flat

A flat lowers a pitch by a half step.

Sharp

A sharp raises a pitch by a half step.

Time signature

A time signature is a numerical sign used to indicate the meter of a song. The top number is how many beats are in each measure. The bottom number tells the note that gets one beat. A 4/4 time signature has four beats in a measure. The quarter note equals one beat.

Tempo

Tempo is how fast or slow a given piece of music is played.

Staff

A staff is a set of five horizontal lines and four spaces that represent different pitches.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Scales - trivia 1

1) How many types of minor scales are there?

a) 2
b) 3

2) How many notes are in a major or minor scale?

a) 6
b) 8

Check comments for the answers.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Notes - trivia 6

1) Which note can a D flat also be called?

a) A sharp
b) C sharp

2) Which note can a F sharp also be called?

a) G flat
b) A flat

Check comments for the answers.

Notes - facts 5

1) A sharp or flat raises the value of a note by a half step.

2) C sharp can also be called a D flat.

Time signatures - facts 4

1) In 4/4 time, a quarter note gets one beat.

2) In 4/8 time, an eighth note gets one beat.

Time signatures - facts 3

1) Common time is sometimes called 4/4 time.

2) The letter C indicates common time (4/4) time.

Time signatures - facts 2

1) In 2/4 time, two beats are in each measure.

2) In 5/4 time, five beats are in each measure.

Time signatures - facts 1

1) The most common quarter note time is 4/4 time.

2) In 3/4 time, three beats are in each measure.

Rests - facts 1

1) An eighth rest has one flag.

2) A sixteenth rest is smaller than an eighth rest.

Notes - trivia 5

1) How much does a sharp or flat raise the value of a note by?

a) a whole step
b) a half step

2) Which note can a C sharp also be called?

a) E flat
b) D flat

Check comments for the answers.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Time signatures - trivia 4

1) Which note gets one beat in 4/4 time?

a) half note
b) quarter note

2) Which note gets one beat in 4/8 time?

a) quarter note
b) eighth note

Check comments for the answers.

Time signatures - trivia 3

1) Which time signature is sometimes called common time?

a) 2/4
b) 4/4

2) Which letter indicates common time?

a) C
b) T

Check comments for the answers.

Time signatures - trivia 2

1) How many beats are in each measure in 2/4 time?

a) 2
b) 4

2) How many beats are in each measure in 5/4 time?

a) 4
b) 5

Check comments for the answers.

Time signatures - trivia 1

1) What is the most common quarter note time signature?

a) 4/4 time
b) 3/4 time

2) How many beats are in each measure in 3/4 time?

a) 3
b) 4

Check comments for the answers.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Rests - trivia 1

1) How many flags does a eighth rest have?

a) 1
b) 2

2) Which rest is smaller?

a) eighth rest
b) sixteenth rest

Check comments for the answers.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Notes - facts 4

1) A whole note has a hollow note head.

2) A quarter note has a stem.

Notes - facts 3

1) A sixteenth note has two flags.

2) A whole note is larger than a half note.

Notes - facts 2

1) An eighth note is smaller than a quarter note.

2) A whole note has no stem.

Notes - facts 1

1) An eighth note has one flag.

2) A sixteenth note is smaller than an eighth note.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Notes - trivia 4

1) Which note has a hollow note head?

a) whole note
b) quarter note

2) Which note has a stem?

a) whole note
b) quarter note

Check comments for the answers.

Notes - trivia 3

1) How many flags does a sixteenth note have?

a) 1
b) 2

2) Which is the largest note?

a) half note
b) whole note

Check comments for the answers.

Notes - trivia 2

1) Which note is smaller?

a) quarter note
b) eighth note

2) Which note has no stem?

a) half note
b) whole note

Check comments for the answers.

Notes - trivia 1

1) How many flags does a eighth note have?

a) 1
b) 2

2) Which note is smaller?

a) eighth note
b) sixteenth note

Check comments for the answers.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Piano keys - facts 3

1) There are 52 white keys on a 88 key piano.

2) There are 36 black keys.

Clefs - facts 1

1) The treble clef is sometimes called the G clef.

2) The bass clef is sometimes called the F clef.

Staffs - facts 3

1) There are 5 lines on a staff.

2) There are 4 spaces on a staff.

Staffs - facts 2

1) The clefs are located at the beginning of a staff.

2) On a grand staff, the bass staff is normally played with the left hand, the treble staff with the right hand.

Staffs - facts 1

1) The treble clef is listed first on a grand staff.

2) Middle C is located in the middle of the two staffs on a grand staff.

Piano keys - facts 2

1) The D key is the white key to the right of each C key.

2) Most pianos have 88 keys.

Piano keys - facts 1

1) The F key is in front of each set of three black keys.

2) The D key is in between each set of two black keys.

Piano keys - trivia 3

1) How many white keys are on a 88 key piano?

a) 62
b) 52

2) How many black keys are there?

a) 36
b) 26

Check comments for the answers.

Clefs - trivia 1

1) What is the treble clef sometimes called?

a) E clef
b) G clef

2) What is the bass clef sometimes called?

a) E clef
b) F clef

Check comments for the answers.

Staffs - trivia 3

1) How many lines are on a staff?

a) 4
b) 5

2) How many spaces are on a staff?

a) 4
b) 5

Check comments for the answers.

Staffs - trivia 2

1) Where are the clefs located on a staff?

a) at the end
b) at the beginning

2) On a grand staff, the bass staff is normally played with what hand?

a) right
b) left

Check comments for the answers.

Staffs - trivia 1

1) What is listed first on a grand staff?

a) treble clef
b) bass clef

2) Where is middle C located on a grand staff?

a) at the top of the treble clef
b) in the middle of the two staffs

Check comments for the answers.

Piano keys - trivia 2

1) Which white key is to the right of the middle C key?

a) D
b) E

2) How many keys are on most pianos?

a) 77
b) 88

Check comments for the answers.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Piano keys - trivia 1

1) Which white key is in front of each set of three black keys?

a) F
b) G

2) Which white key is in between each set of two black keys?

a) C
b) D

Check comments for the answers.