Music Notation
Music notation is a graphic method of indicating pitch and time. Musical notation has existed for thousands of years and has taken different forms. Today, the most common notation is the European system of lines and spaces, with round notes placed to indicate pitch and different shapes to indicate time (rhythm and meter). This method of notation has become the global standard for notating music. A second important method of music notation is the so-called solfeggio technique. This method uses syllables (sung or written) to indicate each degree (or step) of a musical scale. Typically, the first step of the scale is called “doh” and the second “re” and so forth. This system of musical notation is especially useful for those who want to sing music by sight (i.e., at first glance). Two variations of this method are: 1) “fixed doh” in which the syllables are fixed in relation to absolute pitches, and 2) “moveable doh” in which the syllables are fixed in relation to the scale degrees (or steps). In Africa, this method has been used with a British notational system called “Tonic Solfa.” Some Basic Terms and Concepts to Begin Pitch = the highness or lowness of a sound determined by the vibrations per second of the sound. Pitch is determined by the vibrational speed of the sounding object. Hence, a string which vibrates at 440 cycles per second produces a pitch we call “A.” Octave = a relationship between pitches of 12 half-steps (or semi-tones). The sound of two pitches which are an octave apart is similar. The similarity of the sounds comes from the fact that the number of vibrations per second is exactly ½ or double. Hence, the vibrational speed of A440 is double that of A220. Timbre = the “tone quality” of a sound determined by the relative strength of “overtones” within the sound. Most sounds are composites of multiple pitches, with one pitch louder than the others. The relative strength of the embedded sounds produces differences in “tone quality.” This is why we can recognize one person’s voice over another’s even though they are singing the same pitch. Register = the range in which a sound falls. Hence, the voice of an individual can be either in a high or a low register. Dynamics = the loudness or softness of a sound. We identify volume with the use of letters. Hence, soft sounds are given the letter “p” which comes from “piano” meaning soft. The basic symbols for volume are these: o p = soft (piano) o pp = very soft (pianissimo) o m = medium volume (mezzo) o f = loud (forte) o ff = very loud (fortissimo) Time = the length of a particular sound and its arrangement in time. Beat = a regular pulse which can be perceived in musical pieces. Meter = the organization of beats (regular emphasized sounds in time) into patterns. Meter is perceived when beats are emphasized in a recognizable pattern. Hence, one might emphasize every third beat, producing a “triple meter”: 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 etc. A “duple meter” would emphasize every second beat: 1 2 1 2 1 2 etc. Rhythm = a series of long and short sounds. In the most basic sense of this term, “rhythm” is any sequence of long, medium, and short sounds in any order. Hence: ---------- --- ------ ------ -- So, one could easily identify talking as having “rhythm” and in fact one could notate the rhythm fairly accurately. Often, however, musical rhythms fall within the context of a perceivable meter. Staff = the standard notational device for showing pitches; it usually consists of five lines. The plural of “staff” is “staves” and some notational system use more or less than five lines. The lines give musicians a way to identify specific pitches. Clef = the standard notational symbol which indicates the register of the notation. The main purpose of clefs is to identify which lines or spaces are a particular pitch. There are two primary clefs: “G clef” and “F clef.” The “G clef” is generally used to indicate the range of female singers and higher; the “F clef” indicates the range of male sings and lower. So, a flute (which plays pitches higher than many sopranos can sing) is notated using the “G clef.” Pianos (which can play the entire range of pitches) use both a “G clef” and an “F clef” in a staff system call the “Grand Staff.”
Can you sing this song?
Here is standard notation for the first line of Trust and Obey
Musical Notation Symbols and Terminology