of 10
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
1/22
Choir Music Theory
By Austin Carlson
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
2/22
Table Of Contents
Pg.I
Lesson I P.1 The Staf, Notes, and PitchesLesson II P.2 Treble Cle and Staf
Lesson III P.3 Bass Cle and Staf
Lesson IV P. The !rand Staf and Ledger Lines
"#iddle Notes$
Lesson V P.% Ledger Lines "&igh and Lo' Notes$
Lesson VI P.( Note Val)es
Lesson VII P.* #eas)re, Bar Line, and +o)ble Bar
Lesson VIII P. Ti-e Signat)re and Note Val)es
Lesson I P./ 0hole, &al, and )arter ests
Lesson P.1 Ti-e Signat)re
Lesson I P.11 Ti-e Signat)re
Lesson II P.12 +otted &al Note
Lesson III P.13 Ties and Sl)rs
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
3/22
Table Of Contents Cont.
Pg.II
Lesson IV P.1 e4eat, 1
st
and 2
nd
5ndingsLesson V P.1% 5ighth Notes
Lesson VI P.1( 5ighth ests
Lesson VII P.1* +otted )arter Note
Lesson VIII P.1 +6na-ic Signs
Lesson I P.1/ Te-4o #ar7s
Lesson P.2 8rtic)lation
Lesson I P.21 +.C, +.S., Coda and 9ine
Lesson II P.22 9lats
Lesson III P.23 Shar4s
Lesson IV P.2 Nat)rals
Lesson V P.2% Tetrachords and #a:or Scales
Lesson VI P.2( The Shar4 Scales;! and +
#a:or
Lesson VII P.2* The 9lat Scales;9 and B
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
4/22
Table Of Contents Cont.
Pg.III
Lesson VIII P.2 =e6 Signat)res;The Shar4 =e6sLesson I P.2/ =e6 Signat)res;The 9lat =e6s
Lesson P.3 The e-aining #a:or Scales
'ith =e6 Signat)res
Lesson I P.31 Inter>als
Lesson II P.32 Si?teenth Notes
Lesson III P.33 Si?teenth ests
Lesson IV P.3 +otted 5ighth Notes
Lesson V P.3% Co--on Ti-e and C)t Ti-e
Lesson VI P.3( and Ti-e Signat)res
Lesson VII P.3* 5ighth Note Tri4lets
Lesson VIII P.3 Pic7 @4 Notes and
S6nco4ation
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
5/22
Lesson I
Pg.1
The Staf, Note, and Pitches#)sic is 'ritten on a staf o A>e
lines and o)r s4aces bet'een the-. The Staf
#)sic notes are o>al;sha4ed s6-bols that are 4laced
on the lines and in the s4aces.
The lines are n)-bered ro- botto- to to4
The s4aces are also n)-bered ro- botto- to to4.
I the notes are higher on the staf, the6 so)nd higher in4itch.
I the notes are lower on the staf, the6 so)nd lower in 4itch.
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
6/22
Lesson II
Pg.2
Treble Cle and Notes#)sic notes are na-ed ater the Arst se>en letters o the
al4habet, ro- 8 to !. B6 their 4osition on the staf, the6 can
re4resent the entire range o -)sical so)nd.
CL59 signs hel4 to organie the staf so notes can be easil6
read.
The T5BL5 CL59 is )sed or notes in the higher 4itch ranges. The treble "or !$ cle has e>ol>ed ro- a st6lied letter ! to
the c)rrent Treble -ar7
The c)rl o the treble cle circles the line on 'hich the ! is
4laced. This ! is abo>e #I++L5 C "the C nearest the -iddle
o the 7e6board$
In the treble staf, the na-es o the notes on the lines ro-
botto- to to4 5, !, B, +, 9. E>er6 Good
Bo6 Does Fine
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
7/22
The na-es o the notes in the s4aces ro- botto- to to4
s4ell FACE.
Lesson III
Pg.3
Bass Cle and Staf
The bass" 4rono)nced baseD$ is )sed or notes in the lo'er4itch ranges. The bass "or 9$ cle has e>ol>ed ro- a st6lied
9 to the c)rrent bass -ar7.
The t'o dots o the bass cle s)rro)nd the line on 'hich the
note o 9 is 4laced. This 9 is belo' -iddle C.
In the bass staf, the na-es o the notes on the lines ro-
botto- to to4 are !, B, +, 9, 8. Good
Bo6s Do Fine Al'a6s
The na-e o the notes in the s4aces ro- botto- to to4 8, C,
5, !.
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
8/22
All Co's Eat Grass
Lesson IV
Pg.
The !rand Staf and Ledger Lines "#iddle Notes$
0hen the bass and treble are connected b6 a brace and a
line, the6 co-bine to or- the !8N+ ST899.
Line Brace
LEDGER LIE!
L5+!5 LIN5S are short lines 'hich are added to e?tend the
range o the staf 'hen the notes are too lo' or too high to
be 'ritten on the staf.
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
9/22
The notes in the -iddle o the range o the grand staf are B,
C, and +. The6 can be 'ritten on ledger lines in both bass
and treble stafs.
These notes are 'ritten diferentl6 b)t so)nd e?actl6 the
sa-e.
Lesson V Pg.%
Ledger Lines "Lo'er and &igh Notes$
#ore than one ledger line can be added to e?tend the )44er
and lo'er ranges o the grand staf. The ne?t highest notes o
the treble staf are !, 8, B, and C
The ne?t lo'er notes o the bass staf are 9, 5, + and C
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
10/22
8ll the notes on the grand staf ro- the bass cle lo' C to
treble cle high C
Lesson VI
Pg.(
Note Val)es
0hile the 4lace-ent o the note on the staf indicates the
4itch, the d)ration o the note "ho' long the note is held$ is
deter-ined b6 the note >al)e.
8 0&EL5 NET5 is dra'n as an o4en o>al.
T'o &8L9 NET5S eF)al the d)ration o one 'hole note.
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
11/22
9o)r @8T5 NET5S eF)al the d)ration o one 'hole note
Ste- e?tends downward on the let side 'hen the note
a44ears on or above the 3rd line o the staf.
Ste-s e?tend upwards on the right side 'hen the note
a44ears below the third line o the staf.
Lesson VII
Pg.*
#eas)re, Bar Line, and +o)ble Bar
#)sic is di>ided into eF)al 4arts b6 B8 LIN5S. The area
bet'een the t'o bar lines is called a #58S@5 or B8.
#eas)re or Bar
Bar Line Bar line
8 +E@BL5 B8 is 'ritten at the end o the 4iece o -)sic. It
is -ade )4 o one thin line and one thic7 line, 'ith the thic7
line al'a6s on the o)tside.
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
12/22
+o)ble bar
En a grand staf, the bar lines and do)ble bar 4ass thro)gh
the entire staf.
Lesson VIII
Pg.
Ti-e Signat)re and Note Val)es
The TI#5 SI!N8T@5 a44ears at the beginning o the -)sic
ater the cle sign. It contains t'o n)-bers, one abo>e the
other.
The )44er n)-ber tells ho' -an6 beats " or co)nts$ are in
each -eas)re. The lo'er n)-ber indicates 'hat t64e o note
gets one beat. In this case the F)arter note.
In ti-e
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
13/22
8 F)arter note is eF)al to one co)nt "or beat$. Co)nt "1, 2, 3,
$ and cla4 the rh6th- e>enl6 "once 4er beat$.
8 hal note is eF)al to t'o co)nts "or beats$. Co)nt and cla4
the rh6th- e>enl6 "holding 6o)r hands together or t'o
beats$.
8 'hole note is eF)al to o)r co)nts "or beats$. Co)nt andcla4 the rh6th- e>enl6 "hands together or o)r beats$.
Lesson I"
Pg./
0hole, &al, and )arter ests
#)sic is not onl6 -ade )4 o so)nds, b)t also the silence
bet'een so)nds. The d)ration o -)sical silence is
deter-ined b6 the >al)e o the 5ST.
8 0&EL5 5ST -eans to rest or an entire -eas)re. It hangs
do'n ro- the th line.
8 &8L9 5ST is eF)al to hal o a 'hole rest. It sits on the 3 rd
line.
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
14/22
In ti-e
)arter rests are eF)al &al rest are eF)al 0hole rests
are
To one beat. To t'o beats. 5F)al to o)r beat
Lesson " Pg.1
Ti-e Signat)re
In ti-eG#eans the F)arter note recei>es one
beat.
#eans there are t'o beats 4er -eas)re.
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
15/22
and both ha>e o)r as a botto- n)-ber, -eaning a
F)arter note recei>es one beat. The diference is has t'o
beats 'hile has o)r.
In ti-eG or H one beat
or H t'o beats
1 2 1 2 1 2 1
2
8 'hole rest is )sed or a 'hole -es)re o rest, e>en i there
are onl6 t'o beats in each -eas)re. In 'riting -)sic, a hal
rest and a 'hole note are ne>er )sed in ti-e.
Lesson "I
Pg.11
Ti-e Signat)re
In ti-eG
#eans the F)arter note recei>es
one beat
#eans there are three beats 4er
-eas)re.
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
16/22
or H one beat
or H t'o beats
8 'hole rest is )sed or a 'hole -es)re o rest, e>en i there
are onl6 three beats in each -eas)re. In 'riting -)sic, a hal
rest and a 'hole note are ne>er )sed in ti-e.
, , all ha>e o)r as the botto- n)-ber, -eaning the
F)arter note al'a6s reci>es one beat.
The diference is thatG
has t'o beats has three beats
has o)r beats 4er -eas)re 4er -eas)re
4er -eas)re
Lesson "II
Pg.12
+otted &al Note
8 dot ater a note increases its >al)e b6 hal the original
>al)e
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
17/22
H t'o beats
H three beats
In and , a hal note recei>es t'o beats. Beca)se a dot
ollo'ing a hal note increases its d)ration b6 one beat, a
dotted hal note has a >al)e o three beats. H J
Lesson "III
Pg.13 Ties and Sl)rs
8 TI5 joins t'o notes o the same 4itch b6 a c)r>ed line o>er
or )nder the notes. 5ach note :oined b6 a tie is held or its )ll
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
18/22
>al)e b)t onl6 the Arst note is held or s)ng. The tied noteDs
>al)e is added to the >al)e o the Arst note.
The
Tie sho)ld al'a6s be 'ritten on the o44osite side ro- the
note ste-s.
8 SL@ smoothly connects t'o or -ore notes o diferent4itches b6 a c)r>ed line o>er or )nder the notes. There is no
brea7 in so)nd bet'een 4itches. This is al'a6s reerred to as
L5!8TE 4la6ing or singing.
A#RA LEE
0hen all the ste-s are in the sa-e direction, the sl)r is
'ritten on the side o44osite ro- that o the ste-s. 0hen the
ste- direction is -i?ed, the sl)r is 'ritten above the notes.
Lesson "IV
Pg.1
e4eat Sign, 1st and 2nd 5ndings
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
19/22
T'o dots 4laced beore the do)ble bar indicates a 5P58T
SI!N. It -eans to go bac7 to the beginning and 4la6 or sing
the -)sic again.
e4eat signs so-eti-es a44ear in 4airs within a 4iece o
-)sic.
The Arst re4eat sign 'ill then ha>e the t'o dots 4laced ater
the do)ble bar. 0hen this occ)rs, ret)rn to the Arst re4eat
sign at the beginning o the section.
8nother 'a6 o indicating a re4eat is 'ith 1st and 2nd endings.
Pla6 or sing thro)gh the 1st ending to the re4eat sign, then go
bac7 to the beginning. 0hen re4eating, s7i4 the Arst ending
and 4la6 the 2nd.
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
20/22
Lesson "V
Pg.1%
5ighth Notes0hen 6o) add a
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
21/22
Lesson "VI
Pg.1(
5ighth ests
8n 5I!&T& 5ST is eF)al to hal the >al)e o a F)arter rest.
In , , ti-eG
T'o eighth rests eF)al one F)arter rest. H
9o)r eighth rests eF)al one hal rest. H
5ight eighth rests eF)al one 'hole rest. H
Notes or rests on beats 1, 2, 3 or are considered on the
beat . 0hen ta44ing 6o)r toe e>enl6, the beat is 'hen 6o)r
toe to)ches the
8/20/2019 Choir Music Theory
22/22
Ene K T'o K Three K
9o)r K
Lesson "VII
Pg.1*
+otted )arter Note
e-e-berG a dot ater a note increases its d)ration b6 hal
the original >al)e. H t'o beats H three beats
In , , and , a F)arter note reci>es one beat. Beca)se a
dot ollo'ing a F)arter note increases its d)ration b6 beat,
a dotted F)arter note has a >al)eo 1 beats.
H