Theories of Music – JSS1 Cultural & Creative Arts Lesson Note (Third Term)

Music theory is the study of the rules, symbols and language used to write, read and understand music.

• Building blocks: it covers the patterns that make up music.
• Melody: a tune made from notes of different pitch.
• Rhythm: the pattern of long and short sounds and silences.
• Harmony: notes sounded together.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. state the four properties of musical sound
2. draw and describe the staff, and name the lines and spaces of the treble and bass staves
3. identify the treble clef and the bass clef and say what each is used for
4. name the common note values and rests and give the number of beats for each
5. explain what a time signature, a scale, a key signature, an interval and a chord are
6. explain common tempo, dynamic and expression terms

What are the basic elements of music theory?

The basic elements of music theory are sound, notes and the musical alphabet.

Sound

Sound is a vibration that travels through the air to our ears.

Musical sound has four main properties:

• Pitch: how high or low a sound is.
• Duration: how long or short a sound is.
• Volume: how loud or soft a sound is.
• Timbre: the quality or colour of a sound, which lets us tell a drum from a flute.

Notes

A note is a symbol that represents a musical sound.

• Pitch and duration: each note shows how high or low and how long to sound.
• Names: notes are named with the letters A, B, C, D, E, F and G.
• Repeat: the seven letters repeat at higher or lower pitches.

The musical alphabet

The musical alphabet has seven letters: A, B, C, D, E, F and G.

• Pattern: after G, the letters start again with A.
• Octave: the distance from one note to the next note with the same letter name, higher or lower.

What is the staff (stave)?

The staff is a set of five horizontal lines and four spaces where musical notes are written.

Components of the staff

• Lines: five parallel horizontal lines, counted from the bottom.
• Spaces: four spaces between the lines.
• Note position: notes sit on a line or in a space.
• Pitch: each line and space stands for a different pitch.

Types of staff

• Treble staff: used for higher-pitched instruments and voices.
• Bass staff: used for lower-pitched instruments and voices.
• Grand staff: a treble staff and a bass staff joined together, as in piano music.

What are musical clefs?

A clef is a symbol at the start of the staff that tells which line or space stands for which note.

Treble clef (G clef)

• Symbol: 𝄞
• Meaning: the second line from the bottom is the note G.
• Voices: soprano and alto.
• Instruments: violin, flute and trumpet.
• Piano: the right hand.

Bass clef (F clef)

• Symbol: 𝄢
• Meaning: the fourth line from the bottom is the note F.
• Voices: bass.
• Instruments: tuba, trombone and bassoon.
• Piano: the left hand.

How do the two clefs compare?

What are the lines and spaces on the treble and bass staves?

On each staff, the lines and spaces are named with letters, read from bottom to top.

Treble staff

• Lines: E, G, B, D, F.
• Line memory aid: “Every Good Boy Does Fine”.
• Spaces: F, A, C, E.
• Space memory aid: “FACE”.

Bass staff

• Lines: G, B, D, F, A.
• Line memory aid: “Good Boys Do Fine Always”.
• Spaces: A, C, E, G.
• Space memory aid: “All Cows Eat Grass”.

What are note values and duration?

A note value shows how many beats a note lasts.

What are rests?

A rest is a symbol that shows silence in music.

Each rest matches a note value:

• Whole rest: 4 beats of silence (hangs below a line).
• Half rest: 2 beats of silence (sits on a line).
• Quarter rest: 1 beat of silence (looks like a squiggly line).
• Eighth rest: ½ beat of silence (has one flag).
• Sixteenth rest: ¼ beat of silence (has two flags).

What are time signatures?

A time signature is a pair of numbers at the beginning of music showing how many beats are in each measure (bar).

Reading a time signature

• Top number: how many beats are in each measure.
• Bottom number: which note type gets one beat (4 is a quarter note, 8 is an eighth note).

Common time signatures

• 4/4 time: four quarter-note beats per measure (the most common).
• 3/4 time: three quarter-note beats per measure (waltz time).
• 2/4 time: two quarter-note beats per measure (march time).
• 6/8 time: six eighth-note counts per measure.

Worked example in 4/4 time

• Measure 1: one half note (2) + two quarter notes (1 + 1) = 4 beats.
• Measure 2: one whole note = 4 beats.
• Measure 3: two quarter notes (2) + one quarter rest (1) + one quarter note (1) = 4 beats.

What are scales?

A scale is a series of notes arranged in ascending or descending order.

Steps in a scale

• Half step (H): the distance between two neighbouring keys on a piano.
• Whole step (W): the distance of two half steps.

Major scale

• Notes: eight notes that follow a set pattern.
• Pattern: W-W-H-W-W-W-H.
• Example: C major scale: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C.
• Sound: happy and bright.

Minor scale

• Notes: eight notes that follow a different pattern.
• Natural minor pattern: W-H-W-W-H-W-W.
• Example: A minor scale: A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A.
• Sound: sad or serious.

What are key signatures?

A key signature is a set of sharps or flats placed at the beginning of music showing which notes are always sharp or flat.

• Sharp (#): raises a note by one half step.
• Flat (♭): lowers a note by one half step.
• Natural (♮): cancels a sharp or a flat.

What are the basic musical terms?

Basic musical terms tell the player how fast, how loud and in what style to play.

Tempo terms

Tempo is the speed of the music.

Dynamic markings (volume)

Dynamics show how loud or soft to play.

Expression terms

Expression terms show the style or mood of playing.

What are musical intervals?

An interval is the distance between two notes.

What are chords?

A chord is three or more notes played together.

• Major chord: sounds happy (C-E-G).
• Minor chord: sounds sad (A-C-E).
• Diminished chord: sounds tense.
• Augmented chord: sounds mysterious.

What are rhythm patterns?

Rhythm is the pattern of long and short sounds and silences in music.

• Beat: the steady pulse in music.
• Meter: how beats are grouped (in 2s, 3s or 4s).
• Syncopation: emphasis on weak beats.
• Polyrhythm: several rhythms played together.

How is music theory used in practice?

Music theory is used to read, write, play, sing and understand music.

• Reading music: using theory to read sheet music.
• Writing music: creating your own melodies.
• Playing instruments: understanding what you play.
• Singing: reading vocal music.
• Music appreciation: understanding how music works.

Why is music theory important?

Music theory is important because it gives musicians a shared way to read, write and talk about music.

• Common language: musicians anywhere can read the same score.
• Faster learning: it helps in learning instruments.
• Composition: it makes writing new music possible.
• Listening: it improves listening skills.
• Creativity: it widens musical ideas.
• Further study: it is a base for advanced music studies.

Evaluation

1. What is music theory?
2. Name the four properties of musical sound.
3. Write the notes on the lines and in the spaces of the treble staff, from bottom to top.
4. State the number of beats for a whole note, a half note and a quarter note.
5. What do the top and bottom numbers of a time signature tell you?

Assignment

Write out the C major scale and the A minor scale, and state the step pattern of each.