Level Two Music Theory

Lesson 1: Notes, Rests and Ledger Lines

Review of Notes and Rests in Music

Ledger Lines
Ledger lines are used to make more space on the staff. They can be added to both the top of the staff and to the
bottom. When ledger lines are added above the treble staff, the first note to use a ledger line is A.

Here are ledger line notes below the treble staff:

Above the bass clef:

And below it:

Lesson 2: Treble Clef & Bass Clef

Pitch
What is pitch? The pitch of a note means how high or low it is. We have many notes called "C", for example.
These are all Cs, yet all are at different pitches:

On the other hand, these two Cs are at the same pitch although they are written in different clefs:

In the same way, the notes in each of these melodies are also at the same pitch although they are in different
clefs:

Lesson 3: Major Scales

Major scales have a happy, cheerful sound. They are built from whole steps and half steps with the pattern WW-H-W-W-W-H.

The A Major Scale

The key of A major has three sharps - F#, C#, and G#.
Here is the scale of A major ascending (going up) and descending (going down) in the treble and bass clefs:

Bb and Eb Major Scales

Bb major has two flats - Bb and Eb. Here is Bb major in full:

Eb major has three flats - Bb, Eb and Ab. Here is Eb major:

(Tip! All major keys which have the word "flat" in their name have flats in the scale but no sharps, and all keys
with the word "sharp" in their name contain sharps but no flats!)
That is another reason why we always write Eb in the scale of Bb major, and never D#, for example.
Remember, in a scale, you can use each letter name only once, (except for the first and last note).

Lesson 4: Minor Scales

A minor scale is a more melancholy-sounding pattern. Minor keys are used to write sad, mysterious, scary, etc.
(get the idea?:) music!

Minor Scales Three Types

There are three kinds of minor scale natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor.

Natural Minor Scales

A natural minor scale has the following whole step / half step pattern: W-H-W-W-H-W-W. It uses the same
notes as its relative major scale, but they are arranged in a different order.

Relative Major and Relative Minor

A major and minor scale that use the same key signature are related to each other, are made up of the same
notes, and thus are called relative major and minor scales! For example, G major is the relative major of E
minor, and E minor is the relative minor of G major, because they use the same key signature.
You can easily figure out the key signature for a minor key if you know the key signature for its relative major.
For example, if you want to find the key signature for D minor, you need to work out what the relative major of
D minor is.
To find a relative major, count upwards three half steps from D (make sure you count 3 different letter
names too):
D to D#----D# to E-----E to F
1

Therefore, the relative major of D minor is F major, and it has one flat (B), just as does F major.
To figure out the relative minor, do the opposite count downwards three half steps from the tonic of the
major key.

Harmonic Minor Scales - A, E and D.

Harmonic minor scales are built on this pattern of whole and half steps
(and 1 steps! - equal to 3 half steps):
W-H-W-W-H- 1 W- H
Thus in a harmonic minor scale, the notes are the same as the natural minor except that the seventh note is
raised a half step.

Here is an ascending A harmonic minor scale:

And the same scale descending:

As you can see, it's exactly the same notes, but in reverse order.
And here are E minor and D minor both in harmonic form.

Melodic Minor Scales

Melodic minor scales are a bit more complicated, because they have one pattern on the way up, but another on
the way down.
On the way up (ascending), the pattern is: W-H-W-W-W-W-H
but on the way down the pattern is:

W-W-H-W-W-H-W

So basically, to form a melodic minor scale from the natural minor scale, simply raise the 6th and 7th notes a half
step each on the way up, and on the way down, drop them back to their original position.
Here is A Melodic Minor, ascending and descending.

E Minor Melodic:

D Minor Melodic:

Lesson 5: Degrees of the Scale

Any note of any scale can be given a number as well as a name.

The first/last note of the scale is often called the "tonic" or "keynote".
In the key of C major, C is the tonic.
It is also known as the "first degree of the scale", because it is the first note.

Degrees of the C Major Scale

Here is a C major ascending scale, with all the degrees of the scale marked:

D is the 2nd degree of the scale, E is the third, and so on.

Degrees of Minor Melodic Scales

When naming the degrees of a melodic minor scale, it is correct to name the 6th and 7th degrees using either the
ascending or the descending scale.

Lesson 6: Key Signatures & Accidentals

Keys and Key Signatures
If a melody uses mostly the notes of the Bb major scale, we say that the music is "in the key of" Bb major.
We don't write out the flat symbols for the Bs and the Es every time they appear in the music - because there
would probably be rather a lot of them! Instead, we use a key signature: at the beginning of each new line of
music, we write a Bb and an Eb, to remind us that all the Bs and all the Es need to be flatted.
The key signature also tells us very quickly that the music is in Bb major, without our having to count all the
flats! Here are key signatures for several different keys:

Accidentals
Sometimes we need to add extra flats, sharps and naturals within a melody, even when already have a key
signature. These sharps, flats and naturals inside the music itself are called "accidentals". Special rules apply to
all accidentals.

Rules for Accidentals

Accidentals are always written on the left side of the note they affect. We write
and never
.
(However, when we are simply writing them out with their letter name, we put the accidental after the letter
name- A#, F#, Db, etc.)
Accidentals don't only affect the note they are next to. After an accidental has been written next to a note, every
other note after it in the measure that is in the same position on the staff is also affected, but only until the next
barline, which cancels it.

Note 1 is C natural.
Note 2 is C sharp, because of the accidental.
Note 3 is also C sharp, because it's in the same bar.
Note 4 is C natural, because the sharp is "cancelled" (stopped) by the barline.

Key Signatures WITH Accidentals

What happens when a piece has both a key signature and accidentals together? Here are a couple of bars
(another word for measures) of music in the key of F major, so the key signature has one flat, Bb:

Note 1 is Bb, because of the key signature.

Note 2 is B natural, because of the accidental.
Note 3 is also B natural, because it's in the same bar as note 2.
Note 4 is B flat, because the barline cancels (stops) the natural accidental.

Lesson 7: Working with Key Signatures

Major Key Signatures with SharpsThe major scales that we have learned so far which use sharp key signatures are G, D and A major. The sharps
in key signatures are always written in this order:
F# - C# - G#

in these treble clef positions:

and these bass clef positions:

Note well which octave/which lines and spaces are used to write the sharps in a key. There is an exact position
for each one, though they apply to all the notes of the same letter name in the piece, whether they are on the
same space or line or different ones. We never write the sharps in the following positions, for example:

Major Key Signatures with Flats

The major keys with flats for level two are F, Bb, and Eb. The flats are always written in this order:
Bb - Eb - Ab
The treble clef flats are always written in these positions:

and the bass clef flats are written in these positions:

Again, the exact position of the flats is very important, so make sure you know where they go!

Minor Key Signatures

Music which is written in a minor key will have the same key signature as its relative major key (3rd degree of
the minor scale). However, if the piece uses a harmonic or melodic minor (most do), then some accidentals will
have to be written in the music at times.
For example, since A harmonic minor has a G# that is not in the natural minor key signature, the Gs in the
music will have sharp signs written in front of them.

Lesson 8: Simple Time Signatures

Quick Time Signatures Review
In level one, we learned three time signatures: 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4. We learned that the lower number "4" tells us
that we need to count quarter note beats (1/4 = one quarter, so the quarter notes receives one count/gets the beat)
and that the top number tells us how many beats are in each measure.

New Time Signatures

First, let's look at 2/2, 3/2 and 4/2.

The lower number "2" tells us to count half notes (half note gets one beat). 2/2 means there are two beats per
measure and a half notes gets one beat, or "count two half notes per bar"; 3/2 means there are three beats per
measure and the half note gets the beat; 4/2 means there are four beats in a measure and the half note gets one
beat. Thus, in these time signatures, a quarter note only receives a half of a beat.
And finally, in 3/8, the lower number 8 tells us to count eighth notes, so 3/8 means "count three eighth notes per
bar" or there are three beats in a measure and the eighth note receives one beat. Thus, quarter notes would get
two beats, dotted quarter notes three, etc.
On a staff, time signatures should be written one number directly above the other and without a slash or line:
. The top number fills the top two spaces, and the bottom number fills the lower two spaces.

Lesson 9: Adding Rests

Rests Review
UK Rest Name

US Rest Name

Position

Semibreve

Whole Rest

Hangs from the 4th line (counted from the bottom of

the staff). Like a hole in the ground: whole = hole.:)

Minim

Half Rest

Sits on the middle (third) line. Abe Lincolns top hat:

half = hat!:)

Crotchet

Quarter Rest

Looks like a stretched-out Z on the top with a C

underneath

Quaver

Eighth Rest

Like a fancy '7' (one flag)

Semiquaver

Sixteenth Rest

A '7' with two flags

Lesson 10: Tonic Triads

A tonic triad is a triad built on the first note (tonic) of a scale. Thus the tonic is the root,
and the other two notes are the 3rd and 5th degrees of the scale
.
Here are the steps in building a D tonic triad. We start by writing the first note of the scale of D major - D:

Next we add a note which is 2 notes higher (the third degree of the scale). In the scale of D major, the note
which is 2 notes higher than D is F#:

Finally, we add the note which is two notes higher than the last note - otherwise known as the fifth degree of
the scale. In the scale of D major, the fifth degree of the scale is A:

The notes D-F#-A make up the tonic triad in the key of D major.
We can also build tonic triads in minor keys of course. The rules are the same, but we need to use the minor
scale. In D minor, the tonic is D, the third degree of the scale is F (natural) and the fifth degree of the scale is A.
So, the tonic triad of D minor looks like this:

To easily change a major triad into a minor one, simply lower the third degree (middle note) one half step!
Here are tonic triads for many different keys, written in both the treble and bass clefs:

Finding Tonic Triads in a Melody

Sometimes you might need to find three notes in a melody that form a tonic triad when they are put together.
The notes will not necessarily be stacked up on top of each other in blocked form, but may be in broken chords
or simply in any pattern the melody requires.
This melody is in C major. In which bar can all three notes of the tonic triad be found?

Because the piece is in C major, the tonic triad must contain the notes C-E-G. (They could be in any order.)
Measure two contains the notes C, E and G, so that is the correct answer.

Lesson 11: Intervals

Harmonic and Melodic Intervals
A harmonic interval is an interval (distance between two notes) in which the notes are played at the same time.
It is called a "harmonic interval", because the two notes together create harmony.

In a melodic interval, the notes are played one after the other. It's called a "melodic interval", because the two
notes occur as part of a melody. Melody is more linear (one note at a time), whereas harmony is made up of
chords (more than one note at a time).

Working out Intervals

To figure out the size of an interval, count up the letter names, starting from the lower note and working your
way to the top one. You must count both the starting and ending notes and all the letters in between!!
In the above intervals, the lower note is Eb. The higher note is G. This means we count the letter names E, F
and G- three letters, so this interval is a third.
When two notes are exactly the same pitch (the same position on the stave), the interval is called a unison (also
known as a perfect prime or simply a perfect first!)

The interval of an 8th is normally called an octave. It is obviously the same letter names- a C to the next C, a B
to the next B, etc.

Lesson 12: Triplets

A "triplet" is a group of three notes played in the time of two.
In this example, the quarter note receives one beat. This beat can be split into two eighth notes (1/2 beat each).

One beat can also be divided into four sixteenth notes, which will receive of a beat each:

But, if we want to split the beat into three equal parts, we use a triplet. To show a triplet, we write the notes as
three eighth notes beamed (joined) together, and we also write "3" on the beamed side of the notes. All three
notes in the triplet will equal one beat total.

Triplets don't always have to be based on quarter notes - we can make triplets out of notes of any length. We
can split a half note into three equal parts by writing quarter note triplets, for example:

Since quarter notes don't have beams, we write quarter note triplets with a square bracket with the number 3 in
the middle of the horizontal line. The three notes in a triplet group are all together equal to the note value that is
double one of them. So quarter note triplets equal a half note, eighth note triplets equal a quarter note, etc.

Adding Rests with Triplets

Rests can also be written in a triplet in place of notes, as below:

Lesson 13: Questions and Answers

A phrase in music is a musical sentence, a group of notes that flow together and make musical sense/seem to
express a complete musical idea. Often our phrases will be arranged in a pattern of questions and answers. A
question is a phrase that does NOT end on the tonic note; thus it will convey a feeling of unrest and have an
unfinished sound, begging for an answer. An answer is a phrase that DOES end on the tonic or home note.
Everything sounds peaceful and at rest, finished, ending on the tonic. Parallel question and answer phrases are
formed when both phrases begin the same way, but of course end differently. Contrasting question and answer
phrases do not start with the same melody.

Lesson 14: Foreign Terms & Symbols

Metronome Markings
A metronome is a gadget which makes a loud, regular clicking noise. You can set the speed of the clicks.
Metronomes are used so that musicians know exactly how fast to play a piece of music, and they are also useful
to practice with to help a musician keep a steady tempo.

Metronome markings sometimes appear above the staff, to indicate the tempo of the music, because the Italian
tempo terms are sometimes not very exact. Metronome directions look something like this: MM: = 126. The
MM stands for Maelzels Metronome, since the German Johann Maelzel is believed to have invented the
gadget. The marking in the example means that the tempo of the music should be about 126 quarter notes per
minute. Metronome indications always tell you how many notes to play per minute.

New Terms for Level Two

Italian Term

Pronunciation

Abbreviation

English Meaning

TEMPO
Allargando

al-lar-gan-do

Broadening (getting a little slower and probably a little louder)

Allegro assai al-leg-ro as-say

Very quickly

Andantino

an-dan-tee-no

Slightly faster than andante (or slightly slower)

Grave

gra-vay

Very slow and solemn

Larghetto

lar-get-toe

Rather slow (but faster than largo)

Largo

lar-go

Slow and stately

Presto

press-toe

Very fast

Vivace

vi-var-chay

Lively and quickly

Vivo

vee-voe

Lively and quickly

Fortepiano

for-tay pi-ya-no FP

Loud, then immediately soft

Sforzando

sfor-zan-doe

Sf, Sfz

Forced, accented (very loud all of a sudden!)

Sforzato

sfor-zar-toe

Sf, Sfz

Forced, accented

DYNAMICS

PHRASING
Dolce

dol-chay

Sweetly & softly

Espressivo

es-press-ee-voe Espress., Espr. Expressively

Giocoso

jo-ko-so

Playfully, merry

Grazioso

grat-zee-oh-so

Gracefully

Maestoso

my-stoe-so

Majestically

Sostenuto

sos-ten-oo-toe

Sustained

Tenuto

ten-oo-toe

Held

OTHER TERMS
A

At, To, By, For, In, In the style of

Al, Alla

al, a-la

To the, In the manner of

Assai

as-say

Very

Con, Col

kon, kol

With

E, Ed

e (as in "bed")

And

Ma

ma

But

Meno

men-no

Less

Molto

mol-toe

Very, Much

Mosso, Moto moss-o, mo-to

Movement

Non

nonn

Not

Piu

pi-yu

More

Senza

sen-za

Without

Simile

see-mi-lay

Troppo

tropp-o

Sim.

In the same way

Too much (non troppo = not too much)