Reading Music Flashcards
What is a beat?
It is the basic unit of time
What is a measure?
Beats or pulsations often grouped into units of two, three, and four
What is a time signature?
It tells us the number of beats per measure such as: 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4
What time signature does the C symbol define?
Commonly defines the 4/4 measure
What is the symbol for a whole note, or semibreve?
O, or a dark circle like a chocolate donut
How many beats to a whole note?
4 beats
What is the symbol for a half note, or minim?
Looks like a lower case ‘d’. Or a chocolate donut with an upward tail
How many beats to a half note?
Two beats per half note
What is the symbol for a quarter note, or crotchet?
Looks like a chocolate jelly donut with an upward tail, or the lower-case letter d, but with the circle filled in
What is a dotted note?
When a note is dotted, it is adding a beat worth half the note duration to which it is applied.
What does a whole note rest duration look like?
Upside down hat
What does a half note rest duration look like?
Right side up hat
What does a quarter note rest duration look like?
Fish hook squiggly looking thing
What is a quaver? What does it look like?
Eighth note, or half a quarter note. Quarter note where the stem has a flag
What is a semiquaver? What does it look like?
Sixteenth note, or one-fourth a quarter note. Quarter note where the stem has two flags
How are multiple quavers or semiquavers in a row usually expressed?
It is common practice to attach the flag of one note to the other note when part of same beat, i.e., they are beamed together
What does quaver, or eighth note rest look like?
A seven with a bulbous cross brace
What does quaver, or eighth note rest look like?
A seven with a two bulbous cross braces a instead of one
What is a triplet?
A beat divided into 3 equal parts
How are triplets denoted?
Writing the number 3 above the group of beats that form the triplet
Where do we find the beat unit?
The bottom number, e.g., 2/4 says that the quarter note gets the beat, and 2/2 says the half note gets the beat unit
How do we know it’s a compound meter?
The top number is a 6, 9, or 12
Where are musical notes written?
On a staff of 5 ledger lines
Which notes are found on ledger spaces?
F A C E— spells ‘face’
Which notes are found on ledger lines?
E G B D F— ‘every good boy does fine’
What is an accidental?
These correspond to black piano keys
How do we write black keys?
E.g., between C and D we have either C# or Db
