Level 1 Music Theory

Lesson 1: The Music Staff and Notes

Music is written down in a number of different ways around the world. In the West, staff notation is used. The

music staff (or stave) is made up of 5 horizontal lines with 4 spaces in between.

Notes are placed on the lines: and in the spaces:

The Treble Clef- A clef is a symbol which identifies one note by name and is always placed at the
beginning of the music staff. We can work out all the other notes from this one. The most common clef is the

treble clef, which looks like this: The treble clef curls around the second line of the staff and a note written

on this line is a G. Because of this, it is also called the G clef.

Letter Names- The letter names A-G are used to identify notes. After G, the sequence begins again with
A). If G is on a line on the music staff, the next note up, A, is in a space, and after that is B, which must be a

line:

Here are the lines and spaces of the treble staff:

You can remember the letter names of the notes on lines by learning - Every Good Boy Deserves Football

And you can learn the notes in the spaces by memorizing - D – FACE – G

The note which comes before the first D in this series is called middle C.
On a piano keyboard, it’s the C nearest the keyhole or under the name of the piano.

Bass Clef- For most low-pitched music, we use the bass clef.
The two small dots of the bass clef are placed either side of the line second from the top and the big dot is on

the line, to mark it as the note F, so it's also known as the F clef. This is the F below middle C.
Note Names
We can work out the other notes just as we did with the treble clef. Here are the bass clef line notes:

and the spaces notes:

The note above B is middle C. It's useful to be able to write middle C in both clefs. A small ledger line runs

right through the middle of it, just as it does in the treble clef: Remember that in the treble clef, middle C

is at the bottom of the staff:

Lesson 3: Accidentals
In music theory, the term "accidentals" is used to describe some notes which have been slightly altered.
Accidentals are the symbols known as "sharps", "flats" or "naturals”, which are placed before the note on the
stave.

The Octave
Counting from C to C, (including both Cs), is eight letter names, so we call this span an octave. (“Octa” means
8!) Counting all the black and white notes, there are 12 different tones in an octave. (Only count C once!)

Sharps and Flats- So, we have 12 different notes, but only 7 letters of the alphabet. We use the words
“sharp” (=higher) and “flat” (=lower) with a letter name, to cover all those “in-between” notes. Sharps and flats
are two kinds of "accidentals". Sharp – raises a note a half step Flat- lowers a note a half step

This note is (a half step) higher than C, so it is “C sharp” (C#), and

it is (a half step) lower than D, so it is also “D flat” (Db).

Naturals- Sometimes when a note has already been altered by an accidental (flat or sharp), it is necessary to
indicate that it isn't flat or sharp any more. We use the natural sign( ) to cancel a sharp or a flat.

Barlines and Accidentals- When an accidental has been written, all the other notes which are the
same pitch, (or position on the staff), are also affected by the accidental, but only until a barline is drawn.

The barline cancels all accidentals that written in the measure before it

1 is natural, because no accidentals are written; 2 is flatted by the flat

symbol; 3 is also flatted by the symbol from number 2. 4 is natural, because the barline cancels the effect of the
flat. 5 is flatted by the accidental symbol. 6 is returned to natural by the barline.

Notes of the same letter name, but which occupy different positions on the staff, are not affected by each

other’s accidentals. 3 is an A natural. The flat on number 2 does not affect it, because
it’s not the same pitch, but octave higher.

Lesson 4: Time Names of the Notes

Note Shapes
To show how long notes should be held for, we draw them with different shapes.

Quarter Notes
The most basic and most common length of note is the quarter note, which looks like this:

It is a black note-head with a stem. A quarter note usually receives one beat.

Half Notes- are twice as long as quarter notes, and normally last for 2 beats.
Half notes look like quarter notes, but their heads are not colored in.

Whole Notes- are twice as long as half notes and normally last for four beats. They have no stems and
are not colored in.

Eighth Notes- are twice as fast as quarter notes. The eighth note has a black note-head like the
quarter note, but also has a small flag on the right side of its stem. An eighth note normally receives half a beat.

Sixteenth Notes- are twice as fast as eighth notes, or 4 times faster than quarter notes. Four sixteenth
notes take up the same amount of time as 1 quarter note. So, a sixteenth note normally equal to a quarter

(fourth) of a beat. We can join together two or more sixteenth notes like this: Sixteenth notes
look like eighth notes, but they have two tails where eighth notes have one.

Lesson 5: Time Names of the Rests

Rests are symbols which tell you to stop playing, and how long to stop for. Rests come in different shapes
depending on how long they last for, just like notes do. Rests take the same names as the notes of the same
length.

Quarter Rests - 1 beat = quarter rest .

Eighth Rests - 1/2 beat = eighth rest.

Sixteenth Rests - 1/4 beat = sixteenth rest

The sixteenth rest looks like the eighth rest, but it has 2 tails/flags, just as the sixteenth note has.

Half Rests- 2 beats = half rest. The half rest is a small, colored-in block. The half
rest sits on the middle line of the staff. It looks like a hat! Hat= half

Whole Rests - The whole rest is similar to the half rest, but it hangs from the fourth line of the
staff. It looks like a hole in the ground. Hole= whole! Whole rests are also used as “whole bar” rests. This
means that the whole bar should be silent, even if the bar doesn’t contain exactly 4 beats.

Lesson 6: Dotted Notes

All notes and rests can have their lengths increased if one or more dots are added on the right side
of the note head. A dot makes a note (or rest) longer by 50%. In other words, a dotted note is equal to itself plus
half of itself.

Crotchet/Quarter
note=

1 beat

Dotted quarter note=

1 + 1/2 beat = one

and a half beats
 One whole orange is like one whole beat, or a quarter note.

Minim/Half note=

2 beats

It's the same size as ..

Dotted half note=
...two half oranges (quavers/eighth notes) or even
2 + 1 = 3 beats

Quaver/Eighth note=
four quarter oranges - sixteenth notes).
1/2 beat
Lesson 7: Beaming Notes
Dotted eighth note=

1/2 + 1/4 = three

quarters of a beat

Beaming
To make music easier to read, flagged notes (less than one beat) are grouped together in complete beats by
joining the flags together, making them into a straight line called a "beam".

In 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 time, the beat is always a quarter note. This means the eighths and sixteenths should always
be joined together to makes groups equal to one quarter note.

There is one exception though! Four eighth notes can be joined together to make a group worth a half note, but
in 4/4 only if the four eighths fall on the first or second half of the measure.

In bar 1, the four eighth notes fall on the first half of the measure, and in bar 2 they are in the second. This
means they can be joined together. In bar 3, the four eighth notes fall in the middle of the measure, so they are
beamed as normal, worth a quarter note each.

Making Beams
Notes with one tail (eighth notes and dotted eighth notes) have one beam. Sixteenth notes have two tails so they

have two beams, which are drawn quite close together. Here are some examples.

Eighth notes can be joined to sixteenth notes like this: We can also join dotted eighth notes to
sixteenth notes with beams, like this: The lower sixteenth note beam that is quite short is called
a cut-off beam.

Cut-off Beams- A cut-off beam is used when a single sixteenth note is joined to an eighth note. They
should be about as wide as the note-head. They can point in either direction, depending on which side of the

eighth note they are on. Here's another example:

Grouping Notes with Beams

We use beams to group notes together in whole beats. So, sixteenth notes are grouped together in fours

We also usually group eighth notes in fours, making two beats:

Beaming and Rests

We can include rests inside a group of beamed notes. Rests themselves are never beamed - we simply insert
them between the notes. We can change their horizontal position on the stave if we need to.
The sixteenth rest has been moved downward a little bit so that it doesn't get mixed up with the beam.

Stem Direction - Beaming Two Notes- Which way is correct?

The note which is furthest away from the middle line tells us which way we should draw our stems.
In the example, the bottom D is farther away from the middle line, and as it has an “up-stem,” that is the

direction of the beam. is the right answer!

Stem Direction - Three or More Notes When beaming together groups of three or more notes, if there are
more notes above the middle line, stems will point downwards. If there are more notes below the middle line,
stems will point upwards. Here's an example:

There are three notes above the middle line, so the stems point downwards. If there is an equal number of notes
above and below the middle line, use the note which is furthest away from the middle line as your guide.

The farthest note from the middle line is the F, so we use stems up. Sometimes you might find that you have to
break the rules in order for your music to look right.

Lesson 8: Tied Notes

In music, a tie is a small, curved line which connects two notes of the same pitch. The time values of tied notes
are added together - you only play the note once, but hold it for the counts of both notes. A tie looks exactly like
a slur - but a slur connects two notes of a different pitch and tells the player to play the two notes smoothly. Be
careful not to confuse ties and slurs! The first F is a tied note, the second F is slurred:

Some Examples of Tied Notes

A half note and an eighth note tied together = 2 ½ beats.

Two quarter notes tied together = 2 beats.

Positioning Ties

Ties are usually written on the opposite side of a musical note to its stem, so from one note head to the next. In
the examples that we just looked at, the A's have their stems up, so the tie is placed underneath the notes. The Fs
are stems down, so the tie is drawn above the notes.

Ties and Barlines

Ties can cross barlines. Sometimes a tied note is needed at the end of a line or a page and another tied note is
needed at the beginning of the next. When this happens, we draw half the tie at the end of the first line, and the
other half at the beginning of the next line, like this:

The C at the end of this line has the first half of the tie...

and the C at the beginning of the next line has the other half of the tie.

Ties and Accidentals

An accidental placed on the first of two tied notes also applies to the second tied note, even if the two notes are
separated by a barline.

The second note is also F sharp.

Sometimes you might see an accidental in brackets on the second note. This is called a "courtesy" accidental – it
is only there to make it clear what the note is supposed to be. This often happens when a tie is broken over two
lines.
Ties and Beams
We do not normally put both ties and beams onto notes. We usually break the beam over two tied notes.

This is the wrong way to do it: Instead break the beam over the two middle notes:

Time Signatures
A time signature is a symbol placed at the beginning of a piece of music to
show how many beats there are in one measure and how to count them. For

example:

The Bottom Number

The bottom number in a time signature tells you the type of beat we need to count in each measure. The number
4 represents a quarter note beat. So, basically the quarter note equals one beat if 4 is the bottom number.

The Top Number

The top number tells us how many beats to count in each measure.

means to count two quarter note beats in each complete measure.

means to count three quarter note beats in each measure, and

means to count four quarter note beats.

Barlines
Vertical barlines through the staff divide the music into complete measures. (Sometimes the first and last measures of a
piece can be incomplete, but all the measures in between must be complete ones). Here is an example in 2/4:

The values of the notes in each measure always add up to two quarter note beats.

Here is an example in 3/4. This time the first measure is incomplete.

The values of the notes in each measure add up to three quarter notes, except in the first and last measures,
which are incomplete.
Lesson 10: Whole Steps and Half Steps
Whole Steps and Half Steps in the C Major Scale

This is a scale of C major. (A "scale" is any defined series of musical notes.)

Half Steps (Semitones)

If two notes are as close as possible on the piano keyboard, we call the distance between them a half step, or a semitone.
The distance between E and F is a semitone; it is not possible to squeeze another note in between them, because they are
right next to each other on the piano keyboard.

The distance between A and B flat is also a half step.

Whole Steps (Tones)

If there is one note between any two given notes, the distance between those two notes is called a whole step, or
a tone. A whole step is the same as two half steps.

G to A is a whole step. We can squeeze a G sharp/A flat between them.

E to F sharp is a whole step. F natural is between them.

Whole Steps and Half Steps in the Major Scale

Here is the pattern of whole steps and half steps (tones and semitones) in a major scale:

The pattern is W-W-H-W-W-W-H, or T-T-S-T-T-T-S.

In fact, all major scales follow the same pattern of whole and half steps!

WHOLE-WHOLE-HALF-WHOLE-WHOLE-WHOLE-HALF

Lesson 11: Major Scales

C Major Scale – As mentioned, the C major doesn't have any sharps and flats (because it uses only the
white notes on the piano keyboard). All major scales are built with the same pattern: W-W-H-W-W-W-H.
Here is the C major scale:

G Major Scale

The key of G major has one sharp - F sharp. Why F sharp and not G flat, since they are the same note on the
piano? Each scale must use each letter of the alphabet once only, except for the first and last notes which are the
same letter. G major must start and end on G, so we've already used up that letter. We haven't used F though, so
we can use that, and make F sharp.

D Major Scale

The scale of D major has two sharps - F sharp and C sharp.

F Major Scale

The F major scale has one flat - B flat.

Ascending and Descending Scales

Scales can be written going up or going down. Scales which go up are called "ascending", and scales which go
down are "descending". When we write a descending scale, the pattern of whole steps and half steps is reversed,
thus H-W-W-W-H-W-W.

Degrees of the Scale

The first (and last) note in any scale is called the "tonic". For now, the other notes will referred to by their
number. In C major, the second note in the scale is D, so D is the 2nd degree of the scale of C major.
Every scale has seven degrees, because there are seven different notes. The distance of eight notes, from low C
to top C for example, is called an "octave".

Here's a summary of the seven degrees of each of the scales of C, D, G and F major:

Tonic Tonic
2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th
(1st) (Octave)
C Major C D E F G A B C
G Major G A B C D E F# G
D Major D E F# G A B C# D
F Major F G A Bb C D E F

Lesson 12: Key Signatures

When we write music which mostly uses notes from the scale of C major and sounds good finished with a C, we
say that the music is "in C major".

If a tune mostly uses the notes from the G major scale and sounds good finished with a G, then the music is "in
G major".

As you know, in G major the Fs are sharp. Instead of writing all the Fs in the piece with sharp signs next to
them, we write just one F sharp, right at the beginning of the line, after the clef and before the time signature.
This is called the "key signature". It is rewritten at the beginning of every line of music, immediately after the
clef, to remind us that all the Fs need to be F sharps.

In the treble clef, the F# in the key signature is always written on the top line. The staff line runs right between
the two horizontal lines of the sharp sign.

In the bass clef, we write the sign for F sharp on the second line from the top.
 D Major

D major has two sharps - F sharp and C sharp.

The key signature of D major in the treble clef looks like this:

In the bass clef, the key signature of D major looks like this.

F major
In F major there aren't any sharps, but there is one flat - B flat.

In the treble clef, the flat is written on the middle line.

In the bass clef, the flat is written on the second line from the bottom.

Lesson 13: Intervals

An interval is the distance between two notes, measured as a number.

Melodic and Harmonic Intervals

The distance between two notes played together (at the same time) is called a "harmonic" interval.

The distance between two notes played separately is called a "melodic" interval.
Measuring Intervals - To measure an interval, count from the lower note upwards to the higher note.
Counting the three notes from C to E here gives us the interval of a third.

If we count four notes, the interval is a fourth, and so on, until we reach eight. If we count eight notes the
interval is called an "octave". If the note is exactly the same, it's called a "unison" or a “perfect prime.”

Here are the intervals built from a tonic C:

Intervals in Different Keys

The method for working out intervals is always the same, no matter what the key is. However, don't forget that
in G major you need F#, in D major you need F# and C#, and in F major you need B.

For example, in D major, an interval of a third will be D to F#.

Harmonic intervals are written directly above the given note, but since the 2nd is too close to write directly, we
have to move the higher note to the side a little. If you try to write it directly above, you will produce something

unreadable like this: This is correct:

Lesson 14: Tonic Triads

A chord is a group of three or more notes played at the same time. The basic type of chord is a triad, a chord
made up of three notes that are built up in thirds. (Snowman chord!!!!!!!!:)

As the tonic is the first note of a scale, a "tonic triad" is a triad built on the tonic (the lowest note of the three-
note chord is the tonic of the key we are in.) It is also known as the “I (one) chord.”

In the key of G major, the tonic triad is a G major chord:

In the key of D major though, the tonic is D, so the root of the chord is also a D- the chord is a D major triad.

Build up from the tonic in thirds, using the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of the scale:

Naming the Key of Tonic Triads

Naming the key of tonic triads is very easy to do if you remember that the lowest note in the chord is the answer
as long as the chord is in root position (snowman form).

If the lowest note is C, then the key is C. If the lowest note is F, the key is F, etc.
Lesson 15: Dynamics
"Dynamics" are all about the volume of music - is it quiet or loud, does it increase or decrease in volume?

Static or Changing?
A static dynamic means that the all the music should be played at that volume, until another direction is given.

A changing dynamic means that the music should gradually begin to change in volume (up or down) and
continue changing until the next direction.

Static Dynamics

We use Italian words or abbreviations to indicate static dynamics.

Piano (p) (means "quietly" or "softly", and Forte( f ) means "loudly".

(Just in case you were wondering, the instrument which we call the "piano" today, is really called a pianoforte,
and was given that name because it's capable of playing a wide range of dynamics, unlike other keyboard
instruments at the time it was invented!)

Mezzo means "half" (or "not quite, medium, moderately”), and it is shortened to m. Usually we translate this as
"moderately" for dynamics.

The ending -issimo on a word means "very"- it's indicated by a double p or a double f.

This gives us six possibilities: here they are in order from loudest to quietest:

ff = Fortissimo = very loud

f = Forte = loud
mf = Mezzo Forte = moderately loud
mp = Mezzo Piano = moderately quiet
p = Piano = quiet
pp = Pianissimo = very quiet

Changing Dynamics

Gradual increases in volume are shown either with Italian words, or with symbols.
Crescendo (pronounced "kre-shen-do") means "gradually getting louder", and is shortened to cresc.

Diminuendo (pronounced "di-min-yu-en-do") means "gradually getting quieter", and is shortened to dim.
The same instructions can be given with "hairpin" symbols:

getting louder getting quieter

Lesson 16: Musical Symbols & Signs

Musical Symbols

Symbols in music have many different shapes and uses and give us information quickly without our having to
read words. Symbols which are attached to notes are written on the opposite side to the stem.

The Tie and the Slur

Ties and slurs look the same, but a tie always joins together two identical (the exact same space or line) notes,
and a slur always connects non-identical notes.

Tie. The two (or more) notes should be played as one note. Play the first note and hold for the beat value of

both (or all) notes together without replaying the note.

Slur- the notes (two or more) should be played smoothly and connectedly (legato) with no break in the sound.

The Accent
Accent. Attack the note with a hard force. Play it louder than normal

Staccato
Staccato. Play the note short and detached- “hot stove” notes!:)

Fermata or Pause
Hold the note longer than the actual value of the note.

Repeat Sign
 Single repeat bar. Go back to the beginning and repeat everything up to this bar.

Double repeat bars. Repeat everything between the two repeat bars.

Lesson 17: Foreign Musical Terms

Italian Terms
People often wonder why most musical terms are in Italian and not another language, but actually lots of other
languages have been used by composers, in particular German and French.

Italy was the birthplace of the Renaissance Era (from about 1350 onwards), and was the place where classical
music really took off. Composers from many countries used Italian terms because they were associated with
musical excellence, and were understood around the world. Today people think of Italian terms as the normal
language in music.

The strongest syllable is in italics.

Italian Term Pronunciation Abbreviation English Meaning

TEMPO
A tempo a tempoh Return to the original speed /time
Accelerando a-che-le-ran-doh Accel. Gradually getting faster
Adagio a-dah-jioh Slowly
Allegretto a-le-gre-toh Fairly quickly
Allegro moderato a-le-groh mo-de-ra-toh Moderately quickly
Andante an-dan-te At a walking pace (rather slowly)
Lento len-toh Slowly
Rallentando ra-len-tan-doh Rall. Gradually getting slower
Ritardando ri-tar-dan-doh Rit. Gradually getting slower
Rit.,
Ritenuto ri-ten-oo-toh Held back
Riten.
DYNAMICS
Crescendo cre-shen-doh Cresc. Gradually getting louder
Decrescendo dee-cre-shen-doh Decresc. Gradually getting quieter
Diminuendo di-mi-nyu-en-doh Dim. Gradually getting quieter
Forte for-tay F Loud
Fortissimo for-tis-i-moh FF Very loud
Mezzo forte met-zoh for-tay MF Moderately loud
Mezzo piano met-zoh pya-noh MP Moderately quiet
Pianissimo pya-ni-si-moh PP Very quiet
Piano pyah-noh P Quiet
PHRASING
Cantabile kan-ta-bi-lay In a singing style
Legato le-ga-toh Smoothly
Staccato sta-ka-toh Short and detached
OTHER TERMS
Da capo da ka-poh DC From the beginning (capo = head)
Dal segno dal sen-yoh DS From the sign

Coda Tail- a special ending for a piece

Da capo al fine From the beginning to the end (fine). Repeat

from the beginning and play until the fine.
Dal segno al fine
Go back to the sign and play until you reach the
coda sign. Then jump to the coda to end.
Fine
fee-nay
The end
Mezzo met-zo M Half
Moderato mo-dur-ar-toh Moderately
Poco poh-koh Poc. A little

Lesson 18: Handwriting Music

Clefs, Key Signatures and Time Signatures

When writing music, remember the order is always Clef - Key Signature - Time Signature (C-K-T). The treble

clef should curl around the G line. The bass clef begins on the f line. The two dots are placed on either

side of the f line.

The order of sharps in key signatures is always F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#. Make sure the middle of the sharp

shows accurately which space or line it is on.

The top number of the time signature fills the top half of the staff, the bottom number fills the bottom half.

Writing Notes and Barlines Note heads are not perfectly round - they are egg-shaped and tilt
upwards slightly.

Stems should span approximately one octave on the staff. So if you write a C, the stem will extend to the next
C and octave higher or lower.

Note heads above the middle of the staff usually have stems down, notes below the middle have stems up.
Notes on the middle line should follow the general direction of the music.

The first note in each bar should be about one note-head's width away from the barline. The other notes in a bar
should be placed at relative distances.

This means that sixteenth notes will be very close together, and whole notes will have a large space to the right
of them.

Ledger lines (the small lines on notes like middle C) should be the same distance as the other lines of the staff,

and should not stick out too much to the left or right. Rests should be placed in the center of the staff.