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.