Sound and Timbre - Other Families of Instruments

KEYBOARD FAMILY

Keyboard instruments have a keyboard, like a piano, that you play and which then produces the given note for you.

This family includes:

• Piano
• Harpsichord
• Organ
• Electric organ
• Electric keyboard
• Clavichord

ELECTRONIC FAMILY

An electronic musical instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound using electronics. Such an instrument sounds by outputting an electrical audio signal that ultimately drives a loudspeaker. this family including synthesizers, midi controllers, drum machines, instrument effects and sampler.

ANALOG SYNTHESIZER

DIGITAL SYNTHESIZER

DRUM MACHINE

FM SYNTHESIZER

GUITAR EFFECTS

SAMPLER

ELECTRIC BASS GUITAR

Melody - Key Signatures

A key signature is a group of accidentals placed at the beginning of every line of music, just to the right of the clef, that instructs the performer to apply the accidentals to every corresponding note in the piece, no matter the octave, unless otherwise specified. Key signatures can only either be sharps or flat, never both. They it unnecessary to put a sharp or flat before every sharped or flatten note in the piece.

For example, this key signature indicates every F# in the piece should be sharped, regardless of the octave.

In C major, there are no sharps or flats so the key signature has no sharps and no flats.

C Major Scale

C Major Key Signature

In G Major, there is one sharp (F#). So the key signature is F#.

G Major Scale

G Major Key Signature

In F Major, there is one flat (B♭). So the key signature is B♭.

Purposes of a key signature:

• It indicates the key of the piece.
• It reduces the need for including sharps, flats and naturals with every note.

To work out the key of a piece of music:

• Look at the signature.
• Look at the last note - often (but not always) this will be the key note.

Melody - Major Scales

A scale (from the Italian word for ladder) is a series of notes from low to high (or high to low) following some pattern of whole steps and half steps.

A major scale is a series of notes, in alphabetical order, beginning and ending on the same pitch. Like a "musical ladder", each step is the next consecutive note in the key. Sometimes, the solfège syllables are used to sing the scale: DO, RE, MI, FA, SOL, LA, TI, DO.
The major scale pattern is shown below.

All major scales are based on the pattern of the key of C major, which has no sharps or flats. Thus, all the notes of the C major scale occur on the white keys of the piano keyboard. Once you understand the construction of the scale in the key of C major, you'll be able to build the scale and key signature for every other major key.

As you already know, the shortest distance between two notes, is called a half step. A whole step is the equivalent of two half-steps. Let's examine the pattern of whole steps and half steps in the C major scale.

Take the time to memorize this important pattern, because it is the blueprint for all other major scales: whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step. 

Once you are quite familiar with the step-by-step pattern of the C major scale, take a look at the G major scale. The notes of this scale are the building blocks for music in the key of G major. Notice that this scale requires an F# note in order to follow the proper step-by-step pattern for major scales:

Now take a look at the F major scale. The notes of this scale are the building blocks for music in the key of F major. Notice that this scale requires an B♭ note in order to follow the proper step-by-step pattern for major scales,

WHEN WRITING MAJOR SCALES, REMEMBER:

• There should be eight (8) notes.
• The first (1st) note and the last note should have the same name.
• Every letter name must appear at least once.
• Follow the interval pattern W-W-H-W-W-W-H.
• The notes B-C and E-F are a semitone apart.
• A sharp raises a note by a semitone.
• A flat raises a note by a semitone.
• A major scale can only have either sharps or flats, NEVER both.

Melody - Major Pentachords

A pentachord is the first five notes of a scale.

MAJOR PENTACHORD PATTERN

This pattern is the blueprint for all other major pentachords.

C MAJOR PENTACHORD

G MAJOR PENTACHORD

F MAJOR PENTACHORD

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.