Melody - Chromatic Scale

A chromatic scale is scale in which all  notes are a half step (semitone) apart. It consists of all 12 notes. Ascending chromatic scales use sharps for black piano keys. Descending chromatic scales use flats for black piano keys.

 When ascending (going up) the chromatic scale, we use sharps:

When descending (going down) the chromatic scale, we use flats:

Here is C Chromatic Scale ascending and descending:

Melody - Accidentals (Enharmonics)

Enharmonic notes are pitches that have the same sound but are called by a different name.

For example, F-sharp and G-flat are enharmonic notes, as are C-flat and B-natural.

Melody - Accidentals (Sharps & Flats)

A sharp (♯) placed in front of a note raises its pitch by a half step. A raised note moves to the right on a keyboard.

A flat (♭) placed in front of a note lowers its pitch by a half step. A lowered note moves to the left on a keyboard.

When writing sharps and flats on the staff, write them before the note on the line or space of the notehead they describe.

Common errors in writing notes with accidentals

Avoid these common errors when writing notes with accidentals.

Floating accidentals. In the example below, none of the accidentals are on the appropriate line or space. They do not indicate whether or not the pitch should be altered.

Accidentals on the wrong side. Remember that the accidental goes on the left hand side of the notehead. The examples below are centered perfectly on the correct line or space, but they are on the wrong side of the notehead, and therefore have no meaning.

Accidentals that are the wrong size. The correct size of each accidental is demonstrated in the correct examples above. Avoid making them too big or too small.

Melody - Accidentals (Naturals)

Naturals are notes without sharps or flats: C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. For example the note D can be called D-natural because it has no sharp or flat.

A natural sign (♮) placed before a note cancels the sharp (♯) or flat (♭) sign describing a note.

Sharps (♯), flats (♭) and naturals (♮) not in the key signature are called ACCIDENTALS.

Accidentals affect every note on the same line or space for the remainder of the measure/bar.

Bar lines cancel all accidentals from the previous measure unless a note is tied across the bar line.

RULES FOR ACCIDENTALS

1. An accidental carries through the bar affecting both the note it immediately comes before and any following notes on the same line or space in the measure.

2. Accidentals do not affect the same note of a different octave, unless indicated by a key signature.

3. Accidentals are not repeated on tied notes, unless the tie goes from line to line or page to page.

4. If a sharp or flat pitch is followed directly by its natural form, a natural must be placed before the note.

5. Cautionary accidentals or naturals (in parentheses) may be used to clarify ambiguities, but should be kept to a minimum.

Melody - Tones and Semitones

A semitone (S) or half step (H) is the smallest interval in traditional Western music. It is the shortest distance between to pitches. The piano keyboard is arranged in half steps; the distance between two adjacent keys on the piano is a half step.

The tone (T) or whole step (W) is an interval made by combining two half steps.

Melody - The Grand Staff

·   As a result of their large range between high and low, keyboard instruments like piano, organ and synthesizer use both the treble and bass clefs. Generally, the right hand plays the upper staff (treble) and the left hand plays the lower staff (bass). The Middle C can be written in either the treble or the bass staff.

·   When the treble and bass staffs are connected by a line and/or a brace, they combine to form the GRAND STAFF.

A brace shows that the two staves are played by one musician, at the same time.

On a grand staff, the bar lines and double bar line pass through the entire staff.

Melody - The Bass Clef

The bass clef is the second most common clef. What letter do you think the bass clef used to be? The bass clef used to be the Gothic letter “F”. It is also called the “F clef” because it shows where the note “F” is on the staff by starting on the F line, as well as, the dots above and below the fourth line “F”.

Bass Clef Transitions

Bass clefs are used for instruments with a low sound. Some of them are: tuba, cello, double bass, trombone, bassoon, and electric bass.

How to Draw a Bass Clef Properly

Step #1 – Draw a black dot on line #4 of the staff. (Remember to fill this dot in!)

Step #2 – Draw half of a heart, curling up to line #5 and ending in space #1. (Remember – do not go to or through line #1!)


Step #3 – Draw a black dot in space #3 and a black dot in space #4. (Remember to fill these dots in too!)

To help remember the lines of the bass staff we say: Good Boy Does Fine Always.

To help remember the spaces of the bass staff we say: All Cows Eat Gas.

Melody - Contour

Melodic contour refers to the shape of the music, made by the way it moves upward or downward in steps, skips, leaps and  by repeated tones. Music could be wavelike, ascending (rising), descending (falling), etc.

Melodies can move in four (4) ways:

1.  Stepwise motion means that notes move from one line to the very next space or one space to the very next line.

2. Movement by skip means that the note moves from one space to the very next space, or one line to the very next line.

3. Movement by leap means that the note movement is wider than a skip.

Interval of a Repeat

4. Repeated notes remain on the same line or space.

Melody - The Treble Clef

The most common clef is the TREBLE CLEF. The  Treble Clef started from an ornamental Latin letter “G”. One good way to remember this is that the line at the middle of the clef's "swirl" represents the note "G". It gives the clef another name of the “G Clef” because it shows where the note “G” is on the staff by circling the G line.

Treble Clef Transitions

The treble clef is used for instruments with a high pitch. Some of them are: piccolo, flute, clarinet, oboe, guitar, violin, French horn, saxophone, trumpet and piano.

Drawing the Treble Clef

1. Begin above the staff and draw the letter "J" through the staff, ending in the space below the staff.

2. Start at the top of the line and draw a "P" to line 4.

3. Continue to draw a "d" from line 4 (semi-circle to the left) all the way to line 1.

4. Continue to circle up to line 3 and curl around, finishing on line 2.

OR

To draw the treble clef start on the second line of the staff (the G line) and continue like this:

To draw the treble clef start on the second line of the staff (the G line) and continue like this:

To help remember the lines of the treble staff we say: Every Good Boy Does Fine.
And for the spaces we spell F A C E.

Melody - The Clef

The first symbol that appears at the beginning of every music staff is a clef symbol. It is very important because it tells you which note (A, B, C, D, E, F, or G) is found on each line or space. For example, a treble clef symbol tells you that the second line from the bottom (the line that the symbol curls around) is "G". On any staff, the notes are always arranged so that the next letter is always on the next higher line or space. The last note letter, G, is always followed by another A.

Types of clefs

Melody - The Musical Alphabet

MUSICAL ALPHABET

The musical alphabet has 7 letters. It uses A, B, C, D, E, F & G. You’ll never find “H” in music, or a “Q” or anything other than A through G. This rule has NO EXCEPTIONS! The notes are written alphabetically when the notes are written one after the other (line-space-line-space, etc).

Melody - The Staff - High and Low

THE STAFF – HIGH AND LOW

Musical sounds (low or high) are shown by the position of notes on the staff. Notes that are higher on the staff have a higher sound or pitch than those that are lower on the staff.

The second note sounds lower than the first note

The second note sounds higher than the first note

Melody - What is Melody?

Melody - a series of pitches sounding one after the other, i.e., the tune of a song.

It is a musical line (a group of notes that comes one after the other) that normally gets most of your attention when you hear a piece of music, and that most people, when asked to sing or hum a piece of music, will give you the melody.

Using pitches and rhythms combined creates a  MELODY.

A pitch is a musical sound that is represented by symbol of a note.