Scales: A series of ascending or descending notes. Scales are defined by both the number of notes in the scale and the organization of the tones and semitones.
Scale Code: The relationship between the tones in a scale; in other words, how many tones or semi-tones each note of the scale is apart.
Major Scale: One of the two most common scales in Western music. It consist of 7 notes. The order of tones and semitones is as follows: tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone.
Minor Scale: The other of the most common scales in Western music. It consists of 7 notes. The order of tones and semitones is: tone, semitone, tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone.
Scale Degrees: The numerical order which notes appear in a scale. On a staff they are usually expressed as roman numerals.
Alterations: Signs placed in front of notes to indicate changes in how the note should be played. Alterations usually signal that a note should be played higher or lower than it appears on the staff. Natural and Altered Notes.
Natural Notes: Notes with no alterations. All white keys on the Piano are “natural notes”
Altered Notes: Notes with some alteration. Correspond to black keys on the piano.
Tone and Semitone.
Semitone: The distance between any one of the 12 notes to the next note. For instance the distance between note 10 and note 11 is a semitone.
Tone: The equivalent of two semitones. For example the distance between the 6th and 8th notes would be a “tone”. Sharp and Flat.
Sharp: Raises a note one semitone. For instance if put a “sharp” in front of Note 1, it would move up to Note 2.
Flat: Lowers a note one semitone. For instance if you put a “flat” in front of Note 10 it would become Note 9. Enharmonic notes.
Enharmonic (adjective): having the same pitch but written in different notation. In other words, enharmonic notes are notes that have the same pitch on a piano but have different note spellings.
How specific notes or passages are played or sung.
STACCATO
In staff music staccato is represented by a dot located above or below a note. Staccato is to play a musical note or phrase shorter and louder than its original value.
LEGATO
Legato: (Italian term) Slur (English term).
A form of musical articulation where you blend notes together. It is the opposite of staccato. On sheet music “legato” is indicated by a curve above or below a series of notes or by the word itself.
ACCENT
A symbol placed above or below a note that indicates it is to be played with a specific intensity or character. Accentuate is to give a specific intensity to a particular musical note.