Introduction to Pitch
This chapter introduces you to the fundamentals of pitch notation and relates the material to the keyboard as well as piano roll notation. Topics include pitch notation in treble and bass clef, an introduction to the keyboard, accidentals, enharmonic equivalents, whole steps and half steps, and semitones
1.1 Clock face diagram of the musical alphabet
1.2a Pitch relationships between the keyboard and the piano roll editor
1.2b Piano roll editor in Apple’s Logic Pro software
1.3 Pitch relationships between the keyboard and the piano roll editor with octave designations
1.4 Half and whole steps on the keyboard
1.5 A summary of accidentals and their effects
1.6 Enharmonic equivalents on the keyboard
1.7 Relationships between the piano roll editor and the staff
1.8 Pitches on the treble clef staff
1.9 Pitches on the bass clef staff
1.10 Relationships between the keyboard, piano roll editor, and grand staff
1.11 Summary of C clefs
1.12 Examples of melodic steps on the grand staff
1.13 Examples of enharmonic equivalents on the grand staff
1.14 Vernon Duke, “April in Paris” bridge
Flashcards
Click on the word to get the definition
a musical sound occurring at a point along the continuum of audible frequencies from low to high.
a MIDI sequencing window that presents a piano keyboard (located on the left side of the window) rotated 90° such that the bottoms of the keys are facing right. Immediately to the right of the keyboard image is a graph made up of vertical and horizontal lines. The horizontal lines aid in the representation of pitch and run parallel to the keys of the keyboard. The lines running vertically across the graph relate to duration or rhythm and are divided into time segments that can be calibrated by the user.
a group of pitches possessing the same letter name and similar sounds that are separated by octaves.
the interval from one pitch of a given letter name to another with the same letter name that is heard in a different register.
a distance between two pitches.
a pitch region within the continuum of audible sound.
tone color that is generated by the sound’s amplitude envelope and the array of excited harmonics that are created above each sounding fundamental.
the musical principle related to the consideration of pitches separated by one or more octaves as equals in many musical contexts, due to their very similar sounds.
an interval of zero distance between pitches sharing the exact same sound and letter name.
labels applied to pitch letter names that relate to the specific octave in which they reside.
the pitch performed nearest the center of the 88-key keyboard, labeled as C4 according to the Acoustical Society of America standard.
the smallest distance between two different pitches in equal temperament. Also known as a semitone, a half step is the interval between adjacent keys on the keyboard.
the smallest distance between two different pitches in equal temperament. Also known as a half step, a semitone is the interval between adjacent keys on the keyboard.
the second smallest distance between two different pitches in equal temperament. Also known as a tone, a whole step is equal to two half step intervals.
a symbol used to alter the pitch of a note in a given direction without changing its letter, typically creating a chromatic alteration.
a colorful modification to a melodic line that is created by the addition of an accidental and results in a non-diatonic pitch.
an accidental that raises a note by a half step.
an accidental that lowers a note by a half step.
an accidental that typically directs the performer to perform one of the “natural” notes (A, B, C, D, E, F, or G).
an accidental that lowers a note by two half steps (or a whole step).
an accidental that lowers a note by two half steps (or a whole step).
notes that sound the same but are spelled differently.
a graph-like notational tool for music that is composed of five parallel, horizontal lines that are equally spaced.
a notational symbol used to orient the reader or performer to a specific note on the staff as a point of reference.
a clef used for the notation of music for higher-pitched instruments.
lines that extend the staff vertically and allow for a range of multiple octaves to be notated using a single clef.
a clef used for the notation of music for lower-pitched instruments.
a combination staff that covers a very large pitch range by joining the treble clef and bass clef staves together with a bar line and a brace.
a clef that assigns middle C (C4) to a specific line on a staff using a distinctive symbol that can appear to be a stylized letter C.
a C clef that assigns middle C (C4) to the fourth line of the staff.
a C clef that assigns middle C (C4) to the third line of the staff.
a relatively small interval that is indicated either with note heads that are on adjacent lines and spaces, or with note heads on the same line or space with one or more chromatic alterations.
any melodic distance that is greater than a step. A leap is always indicated by note heads that are more than one position apart on the staff.
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