Accidentals
        Each of the seven letter-names of the musical alphabet can be raised or lowered in sound by the use of accidentals.
The symbols for the accidentals are always centered to the left of the note head.

     The key signature is accidentals that result from the pattern of a major scale. The order of Flats and Sharps naturally occur in diatonic scales. If a scale has one flat, the flat will be B. Likewise, if a scale has five flats they will be B, E, A, D, and G. They are always in order. The same goes for the sharps.

Order of Flats- BEADGCF

Order of Sharps- FCGDAEB

 

Identifying Key Signatures
    A key signature can represent either Major or its Relative Minor. Keys are identified by stating the starting note of the
scale they create. This note is referred to as the Key Note or Tonic.
    The key of C major is always represented by a key signature with no sharps or flats because the pattern of the
eight white keys from C to C results in a Major scale without the need for accidentals. Key signatures that have accidentals
are identified as follows:

            Sharp Keys: The Tonic is one letter name higher than the last sharp in the signature. For example:

            Flat Keys: The Tonic is the second to last flat that exists. If there is one flat the key is F. For example:

Major Key Signatures
 

Clefs
Clefs

-Treble Clef designates G. The Circle is on G
-Bass Clef designates F. The note in between the 2 dots is F.
-C Clef (the one that look like K) designates middle C of the grand staff. Alto Clef and Tenor Clef
are both C clefs.

 Treble Clef         Bass Clef         Alto Clef         Tenor Clef
                                                    
 

Scales
Whole and Half Steps
        The distance between two note is called an interval, and the smallest interval in Western music is generally is the semitone or half step. The interval B-C and E-F are the "natural" half-steps because there are no intervening black keys between them.
The distance between any two adjacent keys will produce the half step. For example: G-Ab, A#B, G-Gb, etc.
        A whole step may be defined as the interval of two consecutive half-steps, the distance between two keyboardkeys with one intervening key, or the distance spanned by three adjacent keys. For example: G-A, E-f#, Db-Eb, etc.
        An interval using successive letter name (C-Db) is a Diatonic half step. An interval using the same letter names (C-C#)
is a chromatic half-step.
        When two notes with different letter names represent the same sound, they are called Enharmonic. For
example: E and Fb, D double sharp and E, F# and Gb, etc.

Scales and Modes
        One set of many possible scale patterns consists of eight notes in alphabetical order from any note to its octave- either
ascending or descending. The name of the scale is determined by the starting note and the pattern of intervals between adjacent scale degrees. The most common scale patterns are Major and three forms of Minor, but until about 1600, the prevailing scale patterns were seven Ecclesiastical or Church Modes. In fact, two of the modes are identical with Major
and on form of Minor.

To construct a major scale, you will pick one note and count half steps and whole steps up. This is the order.
Major Scales--------------------1,1, ½ ,1,1,1, ½

To construct and other scale, you just alter the major scale. The alterations are listed below.
Natural Minor Scales----------b3, b6, b7
Harmonic Minor Scales-------b3, b6

This is a scale sheet that has a lot of examples of different kinds of Scales. (Sorry about the quality, my scanner
is not that great.)

Modes
Ecclesiastical Modal System

 -Modes are old vocals that the ancient Greeks used. Modes are old scales that were used a lot.
-Modes developed a pattern. First, they played all the white keys from C to C (one octave). This was called Ionian. Then they played all the white keys from D to D. This was called Dorian, and so on down the line. Modes can be played starting on any note. Below is just the way they were developed.
       (White Keys only)
C         Ionian          C
D         Dorian         D
E         Phrygian       E
F         Lydian          F
G        Mixolydian    G
A        Aeolian         A
B        Locrian         B

-A good way to remember the Modes is (I don’t particularly like my Aunt’s legs).

 Ionian- Same as Major

 Dorian- b3, b7

 Phrygian- b2, b3, b6, b7

 Lydian- #4

 Mixolydian- b7

 Aeolian- b3, b6, b7

 Locrian- b2, b3, b5, b6, b7
 

Major-Minor Relationships
Parallel Relationship- Same starting note, with a different key.
 Ex. G major, G minor
 Ex. F major, F minor

Relative Relationship- Same key, different starting note.
 Ex. C major, A minor
 Ex. F major, D minor

To find a Minor Scale from a Major scale, you go up a Major 6th, or down a minor 3rd.
To find a Major Scale from a Minor scale, you go up a minor 3rd, or down a Major 6th.

4 Characteristics of Sound

Sound has four characteristics. This is used to identify sound. This is how we label sound.

1.  timbre- This is the quality of sound. It can be how dark or bright the sound is. Every instrument has a different
                timbre. It could be how airy, or smooth the sound is.
2.  volume- This is how loud or soft the sound is. It is measured in decibels. Most musicians know this as pianissimo,
                  forte, etc.
3.  pitch- These are the notes. They are measured in hertz. Also, it is how flat or sharp a note is.
4.  duration- This is rhythm. It is the length of a note.

Harmonic Series

-This effects the 4 Characteristics of Sound
-Fundamental-What you hear
-Overtones-All the other notes
-Color, Sound Quality, Pitch (Tuning all the notes)
-C, C, G, C, E, etc.