Generic Intervals and Major/Minor Seconds

Hi!

If you have any confusion on identifying and calculating generic intervals, here you go:

Identifying Generic Intervals

Writing Generic Intervals

Identifying and Writing Major and Minor Seconds:

I highly recommend that you also watch the corresponding lessons at www.musictheory.net, and read the Balensuela text.

Writing Natural Minor Scales

There are three commonly used forms of the minor.  We have started with the natural minor.  In it, there are minor seconds (half steps) between the 2nd + 3rd and the 5th + 6th scale degrees.

Yes, that means between the supertonic and the mediant, and between the dominant and the submediant.

Quick!  What's the submediant in B-flat minor?

Just kidding.  You'll get there, though.

Meanwhile, a quick review on writing natural minor scales:

Email me with any questions!

Identifying and Writing Key Signatures

Here are video reviews about identifying and writing key signatures.  These will be helpful in completing the homework for Monday 2/25.

Identifying key signatures with sharps (remember that the tonic is a minor second up from the last sharp):

Identifying key signatures with flats (the tonic is the next to last, or penultimate, flat in the key signature):

Writing key signatures with flats (write flats until you go one past the name of the key):

Writing key signatures with sharps (determine the sharp note that is a minor second below the name of the key):

Finally, remember that:

• In C major, all the notes are natural.  
• F major has one flat.
• Every other key named for a natural note (i.e., D, E, G, A, and B) has a sharp or sharps in it.
• Except for F (one flat) every key with flats in the key signature is has a flat in its name (B-flat, C-flat, D-flat, etc.)

Homework for Monday 2/18/2013

In class on Friday (2/15), we:

• did drilling on note names (you can work on this using the sheets I've given you and given you links for)
• practiced rhythms (the practice rhythms I sent you before the quiz, which you can do along with the videos I posted)
• learned how to identify notes on the piano keyboard, and the relationship between the white and black keys (see pages II:5-6 of the Balensuela text)
• learned about whole steps and half steps (see page II:7 of the Balensuela)
• learned about sharps (page II:7) 
• learned about scales and scale degrees (See pages IV:1-3)
• identified where (i.e., between which pairs of scale degrees) there are whole and half steps in a c major scale (which uses all natural/white key notes) (page IV:2) 
• learned the v-shaped marks classical musicians use to identify half steps when analyzing music¸
• and learned how to use sharps to produce that same sequence of whole and half steps when starting on D, E, G, A and B

Notes:

For identifying the white notes on the keyboard, remember that "C" is just to the left of the pair of black notes.  Here's a video that explains it pretty well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ncl0Bdu6Smg.

Half steps: Adjacent notes on a piano keyboard, when you look at the rear of the keys.  If there is a black note between two white keys, the black note is a half-step from the white keys.  There's an excellent explanation here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz3QCNK3z9c

Scale degrees: In class we used numbers only: 1st degree, 2nd degree, etc.  On Monday we'll learn the names listed on page IV:2.

Major scale whole/half-step patterns:  There is a half-step between scale degrees 3+4 and 7+8.  The eighth scale degree has the same name as the first scale degree, but is an octave higher.  The video linked under "half steps" above also explains this pattern very clearly.  

On Monday:

We'll learn about flats (which are covered in the Balensuela pages listed above), enharmonic equivalent pitches, and using flats to make major scales. We'll may get to key signatures.  Notice that we've jumped to Chapter 4.  As I mentioned, I've found that I prefer presenting some of this material in a different order.

Homework for Monday:

I've shared the link with you, so it's in your Google drive.  This will be a collected and graded assignment.  

Practice Rhythms!

Some of you are a bit shaky on reading performing rhythms.  Don't worry, be happy! And do these rhythms along with me.

If you can do these, you'll do great when you come to read a rhythm for me.

If you can do the rhythm on "ta" (or any other neutral syllable) you'll get most of the credit on that part of the quiz.  If you can do the rhythm AND the conducting pattern you'll get a little more credit, and if you can do the counting system (one-and-two-and, et.c, or one-la-lee, etc.) even more.

You need the practice rhythm sheets I emailed you earlier.

Everything else on the quiz will be like the homework assignments and the dictation exercises we've done in class.  So look through those.  (I will also have you verbally name notes in both clefs for me.)

Here are the SIMPLE METER practice rhythms:

Here are the COMPOUND METER practice rhythms:

Homework for Fri 2/8/13

You've received an email with the homework sheet for Friday.  It includes 3 dictations.

Dictations A and C are in simple meter; A is in 4/4, and C in 3/4.  If you need it, here's a review of 4/4 and common rhythm patterns:

And here's Dictation A (two measures of 4/4):

Here's a review of compound meter, how time signatures work in compound meter, and common rhythm patterns in 6/8:

Dictation B (four measures of 6/8):

And finally, back to simple meter, with four measures of 3/4 in Dictation C:

Homework for Wed. 2/6

The homework for Wednesday 2/6:

• Print out and complete the following pages in the Balensuela: I: 11-12 and I: 23-24

Note: For pages I: 23-24, you'll be adding a second phrase to one already presented to you.  For each example, you'll complete the second phrase by repeating the first with a slight amount of change, repeating it with a more significant amount of change (varying it), or writing something that contrasts with the first phrase.

Tap or clap the printed rhythm first a few times.  Then clap/tap your second phrases so you have something you like.  Repeat that phrase that you like a few times so you can remember it.  Then write it down.

That will work a lot better, and be more creative, than if you just write notes that add up mathematically.

Note reading:

As I said, you need to get very good at this!  If you're not fluent in both clefs yet, you can be soon.  It just takes a small (or smallish) amount of practice every day.  

It doesn't work if you cram it.

It works well if you do it every day.  When I was in music school we had to learn 7 different clefs, and I became fluent in them all (as did the rest of the class).  So you can certainly become fluent in 2!  

Online: go to www.musictheory.net and click on "exercises."  

• select "note reading" (then scroll down)
• Yes to "customize your exercise?"
• select treble and or bass clef as you prefer
• don't select a key signature (leave blank)
• select "Letters"
• select "no" for "accidentals"
• click on "start exercise"

Stuff to print out:

You might also find it helpful to print out the treble and bass clef worksheets at oneminutemusiclesson.com.  (I'd only print out the middle page, not the instructions and the ad.)

Treble clef: http://files.oneminutemusiclesson.com/TrebleClefSight-ReadingExerciseWorksheetDownload.pdf

Bass clef: http://files.oneminutemusiclesson.com/BassClefSight-ReadingExerciseWorksheetDownload.pdf

You can use these to recognize patterns.  The process suggested in the instructions, where you first write in all the notes, then fewer, and finally none, is a good idea.  

Questions? Need help?

Feel free to post any general questions in a comment below.  You can also email me and/or make an appointment to come see me.  I don't have regular office hours set yet, but I'm happy to meet with you individually or in small groups when needed.