Piano

Piano Class

=Reading Music=

A Staff
is a series of 5 equally spaced horizontal lines on which music is written.

EXAMPLE:

Both the lines and the spaces between the lines are used to place notes.

the Treble Clef
is a musical symbol used to indicate where G above Middle C is located. The rest of the notes on the staff are laid out around that G. Sometimes the Treble Clef is called the "G Clef."



the Bass Clef
is a musical symbol used to indicate where F below Middle C is located. The rest of the notes on the staff are laid out around that F. Sometimes the Bass Clef is called the "F Clef."

A **barline** is a single line used to divide music into equally-timed spaces. A **measure** is the space between two barlines. There is always a barline at the end of a line of music. At the end of the __complete__ piece of music, there is a **double barline**



**Bass Clef Spaces:**
The note just above Middle C (in a space) is "D." The note just below Middle C (also in a space) is "B."

EXAMPLE:



Whole Note
It represents 4 beats, or all of the beats in a measure of time.

Half Note
It represents 2 beats, or half of the beats in a whole note.

Quarter note
It represents one beat, or one quarter of a Whole Note.

Eighth Note
Remember, when two Eighth Notes are connected with a beam, **__each note head represents one Eighth Note__**. It represents 1/2 a beat, or 1/8th of a whole note.

EXAMPLES: One Eighth note (1/2 a beat): Two Eighth Notes (each 1/2 a beat):

Sixteenth Note
Remember, when two Sixteenth Notes are connected with a beam, **each note head represents one Sixteenth Note**. Sixteenth Note represents 1/4 of a beat, or 1/16th of a whole note.

EXAMPLES: Two single Sixteenth Notes (each is worth 1/4 of a beat): Two Sixteenth Notes, connected with a beam, (each note head is worth 1/4 of a beat):

Sixteenth Rest


A **Time Signature** looks like a fraction. For example: **6/8** The top number tells you how many beats there will be in each measure (6, in this case). The bottom number tells what kind of note will be counted as one beat (in 6/8, you will be counting 8th notes.)

If you are in 4/4, there will be 4 beats in each measure and you will be counting quarter notes, because the bottom 4 represents a quarter note. Here is a chart showing other ways to count to 4 using different notes. A whole note is represented by "1," a half note by "2," a quarter note by "4" and an eighth note by an "8."

EXAMPLE:

In fact, it is sometimes shown by using the letter "C," instead of the usual 4/4.
 * 4/4 is the most common time signature you will find.**

EXAMPLES:


 * 2/4 time is half of 4/4**; therefore it is sometimes called "Cut Time" and is shown with by a C with a line through it:

EXAMPLES:

NOTE: Remember that rests can also be used. A quarter rest can take the place of a quarter note, an eighth note can take the place of a eight note, and so on.
 * Here are some measures, each with a different time signatur**e and the correct number of notes in each one.

EXAMPLES: The red arrow tells where each beat is counted. Remember, the bottom number tells what kind of note is getting one beat. If there is a "1" on the bottom, then a whole note gets only 1 beat. A "2" on the bottom means that you are counting half notes. If the lower number is a "4," the quarter note will be worth one beat.
 * In this music, the time signature is different on each line.**

EXAMPLES:


 * We can lengthen a note by placing a dot after it**. Like this:

EXAMPLE:


 * A dot after a note lengthens a note by half.** Here is a chart that shows dotted notes.

A whole note is usually worth 4 beats. A dot added to it makes it worth 6 beats (4 + 2). A half note is usually worth 2 beats. A dot added to it makes it worth 3 beats (2 + 1). A quarter note is usually worth 1 beat. A dot added to it makes it worth 1 1/2 beats (1 + 1/2). An eighth note is usually worth 1/2 a beat. A dot added to it makes it worth 3/4 of a beat (1/2 + 1/4). A sixteenth note is usually worth 1/4 a beat. A dot added to it makes it worth 3/8 of a beat (1/4 + 1/8).


 * Rests can also be dotted.**
 * Apply the same rules to rests** that you do to notes when a dot is added.
 * See the same chart** above to see what dotted rests look like.

answer: A full piano keyboard has 88 keys on it. Many electric keyboards are smaller and have much less than 88 keys.
 * How many keys does a piano have?**

answer: To help you find the keys. The white keys are the **Natural** notes. The black keys are the **Sharps** and **Flats**.
 * Why are some keys black and some white?**

answer: **The keys are laid out in a pattern.** Most of the black keys are laid out **in groups of two and three**. Find the set of two black keys, the white key directly to the left of it is a C. From there go to the right up to the musical alphabet.
 * What is an easy way to memorize the names of the keys?**



If it is to the **left of a white key, it is the flat of that white key.** Remember the **rules:**
 * Whenever you come to a black key,** if it to the **right of a white key, it is the sharp of that white key.**
 * All black keys have two names,** a flat name and a sharp name.
 * Lowered or FLAT keys are to the left of the natural note.**
 * Raised or SHARP keys are to the right of the natural note.**
 * (Lowered = Left; Raised = Right)**
 * A flat symbol: [[image:musicsandbox2425:flatsign.svg.hi.png width="16" height="24"]]**
 * A sharp symbol: [[image:musicsandbox2425:sharpsign.gif width="34" height="34"]]**

4/5/10 We set up our new piano lab upstairs. And experimented with the keyboards. We learned about how to find the white keys on the keyboard (CDEFGAB).

4/6/10 We learned about the symbols in music (whole note, half note, quarter note, whole rest, half rest, quarter rest) and put them together in measures to create rhythms and began to count them and clap them. We worked out of the book and almost everyone completed the first song today, "Ode to Joy" and went on to new songs in the book.

4/7/10 We learned about notes on the staff (ABCDEFG) and Treble & Bass Clef. 4/8/10 We got a worksheet to practice counting and reading notes on the staff in both Treble & Bass Clef. This worksheet was homework, due 4/9/10 if you did not finish it during class.

4/9/10 We took our 1st piano quiz and kept on practicing out of the books. A lot of us have reached the toughest song in the book: Jingle Bells!

4/12/10 Passed back quizzes and discussed then we practiced out of the books. Took notes on Dynamics (how loud or soft to play the music - which is determined by how hard or soft you press the keys)...the volume. Dynamic markings include: p, mp, mf, and f which stand for Italian words. We also took notes on melody and harmony.

4/13/10 History of Piano Worksheet - alone or with a partner due Thursday 4/15/10 []

4/15/10 - no class because of Diverstiy Day

4/16/10 Substitute Teacher - Individual Practice

4/17/10 Practice Recital - choose one song to play for each other

4/26/10 Start Research Project:

4/27/10 Continued Research - Composer Worksheet due

4/28/10 Individual Practice HW: Start Rough Draft, Due Friday 4/30/10

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