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MUSIC THEORY FOR EV’RYONE “SCALE AND CHORD CONSTRUCTION” CONTENTS (INDEX) Copyright © 1978, Don Comanda, 1197B Rockland Ave Staten Island, NY 10314-7700 International Copyright Secured Made in U.S.A. All Rights Reserved Published by Royal Fireworks Press, PO Box 399, 41 First Avenue, Unionville, NY 10988-0399 (845) 726-4444 fax: (845) 726-3824 email: [email protected] website: rfwp.com ISBN: 978-0-88092-986-8 Printed and bound in Unionville, New York, on acid-free paper using vegetable-based inks at the Royal Fireworks facility.
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Page 1: MUSIC THEORY FOR EV’RYONE - rfwp.com · The G clef ~ placed on the staff ~ is referred to as the Treble Clef. All musical notations in this book will be written in treble clef.

MUSIC THEORY FOR EV’RYONE“SCALE AND CHORD CONSTRUCTION”

CONTENTS (INDEX)

Copyright © 1978, Don Comanda, 1197B Rockland Ave Staten Island, NY 10314-7700International Copyright Secured Made in U.S.A. All Rights Reserved

Published by Royal Fireworks Press, PO Box 399, 41 First Avenue, Unionville, NY 10988-0399(845) 726-4444 fax: (845) 726-3824 email: [email protected] website: rfwp.com

ISBN: 978-0-88092-986-8

Printed and bound in Unionville, New York, on acid-free paper using vegetable-based inks at the Royal Fireworks facility.

Page 2: MUSIC THEORY FOR EV’RYONE - rfwp.com · The G clef ~ placed on the staff ~ is referred to as the Treble Clef. All musical notations in this book will be written in treble clef.

MUSIC THEORY

THE G or TREBLE CLEF

(G or Treble Clef)

THE STAFF THE STAFF IS MADE UP OF FIVE LINES AND FOUR SPACES.

5 LINES ==:----~51--------------------------------------34-===

:::: 12 ~ 4 SPACES .....,._, ---~

The G clef ~ placed on the staff ~ is referred to as the Treble Clef.

All musical notations in this book will be written in treble clef.

INOTESI Notes are made in two ways, open and closed.

Notes

I " (') . Open Closed

Their time value is changed through the use of the stem, beams and dots; and through open and closed notes as shown above and below.

u L~ ~· Dot/

r· etc., etc.

The time value of notes will not be discussed in this book as it is "unnecessary" in the presentation of scale and chord construction.

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Page 3: MUSIC THEORY FOR EV’RYONE - rfwp.com · The G clef ~ placed on the staff ~ is referred to as the Treble Clef. All musical notations in this book will be written in treble clef.

!LEARNING NOTES BY LETTER NAMEI

Notes have different names. They get their names from the positions in which they are placed in the staff.

The notes are placed on the lines of the staff, in the spaces of the staff, and above and below the staff.

Notes are named by letters of the alphabet. The musical alphabet is made up of the first seven letters of the alphabet.

A B c D E F G

I NOTES ON THE LINES I E G B D F

(E) very ~ood OO]oy [i!)oes (E]ine

The notes on the lines can be memorized by learning the sentence: "Every Good Boy Does Fine." The first letter of each word is the same as the name of the note.

!NOTES IN THE SPACES!

F A c

a 0 0

Notice that the notes in the spaces spell the word l"FACE."I

E I)

We cover one note ~bove the staff at this point, "G." "G" "sits" right on top of the staff.

J G 0

D

0

t We also cover one note below the staff at this point, "D."

A chart showing notes from low "E" to "C" above high "C" is given later in this book.

3

Page 4: MUSIC THEORY FOR EV’RYONE - rfwp.com · The G clef ~ placed on the staff ~ is referred to as the Treble Clef. All musical notations in this book will be written in treble clef.

ILEGER LINES I

Leger lines are lines which are made below or above the regular staff. Leger lines are used for notes that are made below or above the regular staff.

Leger lines below the staff. --

Leger lines above the staff. --

IBAR LINES!

A Bar Line is the line drawn straight up and down through the staff.

Bar line

/

I f I ' I

The spaces formed in the staff, between the bar lines are called "meas1res." These spaces may also be called "bars."

BAR LINES

/~ t-------(bar) I m~YJr-;e ________ -+1----------m-;g!~-;-e--------~1

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Page 5: MUSIC THEORY FOR EV’RYONE - rfwp.com · The G clef ~ placed on the staff ~ is referred to as the Treble Clef. All musical notations in this book will be written in treble clef.

A SIMPLE APPROACH TO SCALE AND CHORD CONSTRUCTION

*WHOLE STEP AND HALF STEP (WHOLE TONE, HALF TONE)

In order to properly construct major scales we must learn what a whole step (whole tone) and half step (half tone) are. (The distance between two notes is referred to as an interval.)

~ = FLAT [lowers the note Yz tone (Yz step)]. #=SHARP [raises the note Yz tone (Yz step)]. q =NATURAL (CANCEL) RESTORES the note to its original form. [Note is sounded in its

regular position, at its regular (normal) pitch.] The initial expianations may be confusing at first. However, by reading through page 7 an~ studying the chart on page 8, a clear and thorough understanding will be reached. If there ts still some doubt go back to page 5 and read through page 7 again.

THE WHOLE STEP (WHOLE TONE)

If one note (one note only) can be placed between two given notes, you have a whole step (whole tone) between the two notes.

Examples: ** ** ** etc.

1:2 #• G #• G

jjs q• 0 a

etc. E Eq F c c# D A A# B

**One note and one note only can be placed hetween the notes in.the above examples thus the whole tones. (E nat­ural (Eq) can be placed between E flat (E~) and F, C sharp (C#) between C and D, and A sharp (A#) between A and B.) DETERMINE other whole tones in the same manner.

*If the whole tones (whole steps) are not completely clear upon completion of this page, the chart and its ex­planation on the second and third pages following will give you a more thorough understanding of these whole tones (whole steps).

5

Page 6: MUSIC THEORY FOR EV’RYONE - rfwp.com · The G clef ~ placed on the staff ~ is referred to as the Treble Clef. All musical notations in this book will be written in treble clef.

THE HALF STEP (HALF TONE)

If no note can be placed between two given notes you have a half step (half tone) between the two notes.

Examples:

I• • ~- I etc . • • • E F A~ B D EP

No note can be placed between any of the above examples thus the half tones.

In the first example it may appear that E sharp (E~) can be placed between the two given notes. E~, however, is the same note as F (read on).

In the second example it may appear that B flat(B~) can be placed between A~ and B. B~, however, is the same note as A~ (read on). ·

In the third example it appears that D sharp (D~) can be placed between D and E~. D~, however, is the same note as E~ (read on).

I ENHARMONICS I When two notes sound the same, hut are named differently they are called "enharmonics." Some ex­

amples of this would be E. and F, A. and B~, D. and E~, C~ and B, etc.

The notes in the same measure sound the same (are the same in pitch). There is no interval (distance) between the notes in the same measure.

' t- • I ~. I &· #• • #• ~.

E. F A# Bb n• E~ c~ B

If the whole and half tones are not completely clear upon completion of this page the chart and its explanation on the two pages following will give you a more thorough understanding of whole and half tones.

6

Page 7: MUSIC THEORY FOR EV’RYONE - rfwp.com · The G clef ~ placed on the staff ~ is referred to as the Treble Clef. All musical notations in this book will be written in treble clef.

WHOLE STEP, HALF STEP (CONTINUED)

Following is a chart which progresses by half tones (half steps) . It includes notes from low " E" (b ~: ­

low the staff) to "C" above "high C."

Two notes appearing in the same measure (E# and F, F# and Gb , etc .) indicate the sam e tone. (The

enharmonic tones).

HOW TO DETERMINE WHOLE AND HALF TONES USING THE FOLLOWING CHART.

WHOLE TONE (WHOLE STEP)

Look at the very first measure of the chart. The note indicated in it is E (Fb ). In the third measure

F# (Gb) is indicated. (See next page)

The interval between "E" (Fb) and "F#" (Gb) is a whole tone. As explained previously only one

note can be placed between the two given notes thus the whole tone. (Read on .)

When using the chart as a guide whole tones (whole steps) can he determined when one measure comes between two given notes. Other examples of this would be "G" to '}1 " (4th measure to 6th measure), "D"

to "E"(Fb)(Jlth measure to 13th measure), etc.

HALF TONE (HALF STEP)

When two notes follow one another (one measure immediately after the other) you have a half tone

between the two notes. Remember; two notes in the same measure, indicate the enharmonic tones (the same notes).

Two examples of this would be "G#" (Ab) to "A" (5th measure to 6th ~easure) and "C#" (Db) to "D" (10th mea­

sure to 11th measure). All other half tones (half steps) may be determined the same way.

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Page 8: MUSIC THEORY FOR EV’RYONE - rfwp.com · The G clef ~ placed on the staff ~ is referred to as the Treble Clef. All musical notations in this book will be written in treble clef.

CHART FOR DETERMINING WHOLE AND HALF TONES (WHOLE AND HALF STEPS)

(Two notes appearing in the same measure indicate the enharmonic tones.)

E Fb

-

-.- ~

A# - Bb

F " E - Fb

• &·

A# - Bb

#• ~.

E

B - cb .._ p._

F# _ Gb ~ p._

I

E# - F

-

#T -.....

B - cb

....- ~

E# - F

I F •

B - cb

B# - C #L ..

G ..

I

F# - Gb

F Pi=

B# - c

I F

F# - Gb

I #• ~.

B# - C

I •· . •

C# - Db ~ ~ .

A .._

G •

D .._

I

G

....-

C# - Db

1,. &.

G

• I

C# - Db

I #· ~.

D# - Eb ~ p._

I

A# _ Bb ~ p._

G#

~

G#

•·

-

D

-

D

A .....

E .....

Ab

~

Ab

A

.....

D# - Eb

I #• ~.

A

A# - Bb

I~ ~

I

E# - F ~ .._

B Cb B# - C .. - ~. ~ .._

I II

8

Page 9: MUSIC THEORY FOR EV’RYONE - rfwp.com · The G clef ~ placed on the staff ~ is referred to as the Treble Clef. All musical notations in this book will be written in treble clef.

WHOLE AND HALF-TONE QUIZ Using the preceding chart, determine the whole and half steps in the below exercise. (Correct an­

swers may be found on page 31 ). Do not refer to the answers until all work below has been completed.

Examples: In pencil, mark in whole and half steps.

I. F~ G 2. c D 3. G~ I A 4. B c

81 ¥~-~,~~~-~-~~·~~~~ I i1' ~ ~---· -.-____ ..

6. E F

I

A~ B~

II.~

16. Db Eb

I &. ~. .._.......

7. F~ G~

I #·==:1!

D 12 . .._

.......

17.Gb

I ~·-

Ab

§!

8. A 9. B~ c~

I •'" I •·::at· Eb F [,. .._

13.=....__......=

Gb Ab [,. p.ll._ _ _____...,_

14.= =

I I

18.A A~ 19.Cb Db

I t• I tz• P• • ......... .......---.

5. D E

l . . ----

Bb C [,. .._ ----------15.=

I

20.D~ E

I •· .• ~ II

Upon proper completion of the above exercise you will be ready to begin the construction of major scales.

(Be sure to have a thorough understanding of whole steps and half steps (whole tones and half tones) before proceeding to major scale construction.)

MAJOR SCALES ("CONSTRUCTION RULE" FOR ALL MAJOR SCALES)

A major scale is constructed with whole tones between all scale steps except III and IV, and VII and VIII. The interval (distance) between III and IV, and VII and VIII is a half tone. (Read on.)

Below, the "C" major scale is used as an example to further explain the major scale "construction rule."

Note that the intervals between all the scale steps (the scale steps are indicated by the roman numer­als) are whole tones, except the intervals between III and IV, and VII and VIII which are half tones.

C major scale

Scale

S~s ~ : ____ :~ IV v VI VII VIII

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Page 10: MUSIC THEORY FOR EV’RYONE - rfwp.com · The G clef ~ placed on the staff ~ is referred to as the Treble Clef. All musical notations in this book will be written in treble clef.

BUILDING A MAJOR SCALE HSTEP BY STEP"

Place notes alphabetically in one octave from a given starting note. (An octave is the distance (the interval) from C to C, G toG, H tom, etc.) An example of one octave can be seen in the preceding C major scale. Note that it starts on "C" and proceeds alphabetically , until its note name appears again. Another example of this can be found in the following "G" major scale.

Starting note. (From the given starting note, the notes are placed alphabetically in one octave.)

' ! • • • • • • •

® Place roman numerals above each scale step.

I II III IV v VI VII VIII

' • • • • • • • •

@ Determine whole and half tones.

*Wrong Intervals

I II III IV v VI 1 VII VIII

• 1

*The interval between scale steps VI and VII should be a whole tone. The interval between scale steps VII and VIII should be a half tone. E to F however is only a half tone. F toG is a whole tone. Although all of the other scale steps conform to the construction rule for major scales, VI and VII, and VII and VIII do not.

The steps necessary to correct both these situations must be done in order, as necessary; VI to VII, then VII to VIII.

This is when the next step (step @ ) becomes necessary.

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