Music Fundamentals

Sumy Takesue is an Instructor at Santa Monica College, teaching theory, and class and individual piano. She has taught at the University of Hawai’i (Hilo) and the University of Southern California.

A Visual Tour of Music Fundamentals: A Balanced Approach

Preface

MODULE 1 BASICS OF PITCH

The Musical Alphabet

The Keyboard

White Keys

The Staff

Clefs

The G Clef (Treble Clef)

The Octave

Ledger Lines

Note Reading in the G Clef

Relating the Treble Clef to the Keyboard

Introduction to Singing—Why Sing?

Singing in the Treble Clef

The F Clef (Bass Clef)

Note Reading in the F Clef

Relating the Bass Clef to the Keyboard

Singing in the Bass Clef

The Grand Staff

Further Study of Ledger Lines

Octave Higher (8va) or Octave Lower (8vb)

Workbook

MODULE 2 BASICS OF RHYTHM

Pulse: Feeling the Beat

Types of Rhythmic Values

Stems and Flags

Rhythmic Patterns with Beams

Time Signature, Bar Line, Double Bar Line

Meter

Simple Meter

Comparing a Melody in Different Meters

Conducting Patterns

Workbook

MODULE 3 BASICS OF RHYTHM: EXTENDING DURATION, ANACRUSIS, RESTS

Tied Notes: Extending Duration

Slurs

Dotted Notes: Extending Duration

Fermata

Anacrusis

Rests

Workbook

MODULE 4 ACCIDENTALS

Sharp, Flat, Natural

Drawing Accidentals on the Staff

Relating Accidentals on the Staff to the Keyboard

Enharmonic Spellings

Diatonic and Chromatic Half Steps

Chromatic Scales

Whole Steps

Double Sharp, Double Flat

Workbook

MODULE 5 RHYTHM: SIMPLE METER EXPANDED

Subdividing the Quarter Note

Counting Sixteenth Note Patterns

Syncopation

Changing the Pulse Note in Simple Meter: The Half Note

Changing the Pulse Note in Simple Meter: The Eighth Note

Composing Rhythms

Workbook

MODULE 6 MAJOR SCALE

What Is a Major Scale?

Writing Major Scales: Using Tetrachords

Writing Major Scales: Using Whole and Half Steps

Scale Degree Names—Major Keys

Changing the Tonic—Singing

Transposition

Enharmonic Scales—Major Keys

Workbook

MODULE 7 MAJOR SCALE KEY SIGNATURES

Major Scale Key Signatures

Major Scales with Sharps

Finding the Tonic Note in a Major Scale with Sharps

Major Scales with Flats

Finding the Tonic Note in a Major Scale with Flats

Circle of Fifths—Major Keys

“Courtesy” Accidentals

Transposition: Using a Key Signature

Workbook

MODULE 8 RHYTHM: COMPOUND METER

Melodies in Compound Meter

First Method of Counting Compound Meter

Second Method of Counting Compound Meter

Rests

Beams

Dividing the Dotted Quarter

Comparing 6/8 and 3/4

Two-part Rhythm Exercises

Further Exercises in Compound Meter: Dotted Eighth Note Rhythms

Rhythm Review—1-, 2-, 3-part Exercises

Workbook

MODULE 9 MINOR SCALE

Minor Key Signatures

Relative Major and Minor Key Signatures

Finding the Tonic Note in a Minor Key with Sharps

Finding the Tonic Note in a Minor Key with Flats

Parallel Major and Minor Key Signatures

Circle of Fifths—Minor Keys

Three Forms of Minor Scales

Musical Examples in the Three Forms of Minor Scales

Comparing Pieces in Major and Minor Keys

Scale Degree Names in Minor

Workbook

MODULE 10 INTERVALS

Identifying Intervals

Consonance and Dissonance

Defining Quality

Intervals of the Major Scale: Perfect and Major

Interval Shortcuts

Changing Major Intervals: Minor

Changing Major and Minor Intervals: Augmented, Diminished

Changing Perfect Intervals: Augmented, Diminished

The Tritone

Simple and Compound Intervals

Descending Intervals (Interval Inversion)

Workbook

MODULE 11 TRIADS

Defining and Drawing Triads

Qualities of Diatonic Triads

Major Triad

Constructing Major Triads

Harmonizing Music Using Major Triads

Minor Triad

Constructing Minor Triads

Diminished Triad

Constructing Diminished Triads

Augmented Triad

Constructing Augmented Triads

Augmented and Diminished Triads Using Double Sharps and Double Flats

Workbook

MODULE 12 RHYTHM: COMPOUND METER EXPANDED

Changing the Pulse Note in Compound Meter: The Dotted Half Note and Dotted Eighth

Note

The Triplet

The Duplet

Workbook

MODULE 13 TRIADS: ROMAN NUMERALS

Triads of the Major Scale: Use of Roman Numerals

Primary and Secondary Triads of the Major Scale

Harmonizing Music in a Major Key Using Roman Numerals

Triads of the Harmonic Minor Scale: Use of Roman Numerals

Primary and Secondary Triads of the Harmonic Minor Scale

Harmonizing Music in a Minor Key Using Roman Numerals

Workbook

MODULE 14 INVERSIONS OF TRIADS

Defining Inversions: Root Position, First Inversion, and Second Inversion

Harmonizing Music Using Inversions

Triads in Open and Close Position

Figured Bass Symbols

Constructing and Identifying Triads Using Figured Bass Symbols

Harmonizing Music Using Roman Numerals and Figured Bass Symbols

Drawing Chord Progressions in Close Position

Workbook

MODULE 15 SEVENTH CHORDS

Qualities of Seventh Chords

Dominant Seventh Chords

Two Methods of Writing Dominant Seventh Chords

Harmonizing Music in Major Keys Using Triads or Dominant Seventh Chords in Root

Position

Inversions of Dominant Seventh Chords

Figured Bass Symbols for Seventh Chords

Harmonizing Music in Major Keys Using Inverted Dominant Seventh Chords

Chord Progressions Using Dominant Seventh Chords in Major Keys

Dominant Seventh Chords in Minor Keys

Workbook

MODULE 16 FORM IN MUSIC

Phrase Structure: Antecedent, Consequent

Cadences: Authentic, Half, Plagal, Deceptive

Authentic Cadence

Half Cadence

Plagal Cadence

Deceptive Cadence

Forms

Binary Form: Two-part Form

Ternary Form: Three-part Form

32-Bar Form (AABA)

12-Bar Blues

Repeat Signs

First Ending, Second Ending

Da Capo al Fine

Dal Segno al Fine

Coda

Workbook

APPENDICES

APPENDIX 1 Musical Terms

APPENDIX 2 Acoustics

APPENDIX 3 C Clefs (Alto and Tenor)

APPENDIX 4 Modes

APPENDIX 5 Other Seventh Chords (Major, Minor, Half Diminished, Diminished)

APPENDIX 6 Basic Guitar Chords

The following appendices can be found on the companion website:

APPENDIX 7 Keyboard Exercises (Scales, Triads, and Chord Progressions)

APPENDIX 8 Analysis of Minuet, BWV Anh. 115 (J.S. Bach)

APPENDIX 9 Analysis of Minuet, K.2 (W.A. Mozart)

APPENDIX 10 Analysis of Serious Moments, Op. 130, No. 23 (C. Gurlitt)

APPENDIX 11 Analysis of Time in a Bottle (J. Croce)

APPENDIX 12 Sansa Kroma, Akan Mmoguo Song (African playground song)

Credits

Track Listing

Index