6.13- Music Notation and Duration and Fundamentals of Pitch

Question 1

tablature

Answer 1

Any form of musical notation using symbols or letters rather than notes on the staff to describe pitches.

Question 2

staff

Answer 2

A set of five, equidistant, horizontal lines joined together by a brace. The staff (also called stave) is used to clearly communicate musical notation.

Question 3

noteheads

Answer 3

The head, or round part of the note symbol as distinguished from the stem or any other part of the note.

Question 4

pitch

Answer 4

The specific quality of a sound that makes it a recognizable tone. Pitch defines the location of a tone in relation to others, thus giving it a sense of being high or low.

Question 5

octave

Answer 5

An interval spanning seven diatonic degrees, eleven semitones.

Question 6

scale

Answer 6

A series of notes in ascending or descending order that presents the pitches of a key or mode, beginning and ending on the tonic of that key or mode. 

Question 7

sharp

Answer 7

A symbol placed in front of a notehead which implies that the performer should raise the pitch of that note by a semitone.

Question 8

flat

Answer 8

An accidental symbol placed to the left of a note, indicating that its pitch should be lowered by a semitone (half step).