orchestration The art of scoring music for an orchestra or band. Also called arranging.
parallel motion Two or more voices that move in identical steps, simultaneously.
passing tone A pitch located (scale-wise) directly between two main pitches; passing tones are typically used to connect notes in a melody.
pedal point A note sustained below changing harmonies.
pentatonic scale A five-note scale with the intervals of whole, whole, whole and a half, whole, whole and a half; in relationship to a major scale, the scale degrees (not counting the octave) are 1-2-3-5-6.
percussion The family of instruments that produce sound when you hit, beat, crash, shake, roll, scratch, rub, twist, or rattle them. Included in this family are various types of drums and cymbals, as well as mallet instruments (marimba, xylophone, and so forth) and timpani.
perfect pitch The ability to hear absolute pitches in your head, without any outside assistance.
phrase Within a piece of music, a segment that is unified by rhythms, melodies, or harmonies and that comes to some sort of closure. Typically composed in groups of 2, 4, 8, 16, or 32 measures.
pianissimo Very soft. (Abbreviated as pp.)
pianississimo Very, very soft. (Abbreviated as ppp.)
piano (1) Soft. (Abbreviated as p.) (2) An 88-key keyboard instrument, also known as the pianoforte.
pitch The highness or lowness of a tone. (In scientific terms, a specific frequency.)
polyphony The mixing together of several simultaneous melodic lines.
polyrhythm Two or more rhythms played simultaneously, or against each other.
polytonality Employing more than one tonality simultaneously.
prestissimo Tempo marking for an extremely fast tempo, faster than presto.
presto Tempo marking for a very fast tempo.
primary chords The most important chords in a key: I, IV, V.
rallentando Gradually slow down. (Abbreviated as rall.)
relative keys Keys that share the same key signature, but not the same root. For example, A minor and C Major are relative keys.
resolve The act of moving a suspended note down to a chord tone of the chord.
rest A symbol used to denote silence or not playing a particular note.
rhythm The organization of sound in time; the arrangement of beats and accents in music.
rhythm section Those instruments providing the rhythmic pulse in a larger ensemble, typically consisting of keyboards, guitars, bass, and drums.
ritardando Gradually slow down. (Abbreviated as rit. or ritard.)
ritenuto Hold back the tempo. (Abbreviated as riten.)
root The fundamental note in a chord.
SATB Shorthand for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. (Choral scores are sometimes called SATB scores.)
scale A sequence of related pitches, arranged in ascending or descending order.
score (1) The written depiction of all the individual parts played of each of the instruments in an ensemble. (2) To orchestrate a composition.
semitone The interval of a half step.
sharp The raising of any pitch by a half step; signified by the ♯ sign.
shuffle A rhythmic feel based on triplets or a dotted eighth note/sixteenth note pattern.
similar motion Two or more voices that move in the same direction, but not with the same intervals.
sonata A piece of instrumental music performed in distinct and contrasting movements.
song form The structure of a short piece of music; usually diagramed as A-A-B-A.
soprano voice The highest female voice.
staff An assemblage of horizontal lines and spaces that represent different pitches (as defined by the clef used).
string orchestra An ensemble consisting of the five primary instruments of the string section, sometimes accompanied by piano.
string quartet A four-piece ensemble consisting of first and second violin, viola, and cello.
strings The family of instruments that produces sound by moving a bow across a string. The string family includes the violin, viola, cello, and double bass.
subdominant The fourth degree of the scale, or the chord built on the fourth degree (IV).
submediant The sixth degree of a scale, or the chord built on that degree (vi).
subtonic The seventh degree of a scale, or the chord built on that degree (vii°). (In classical theory, the subtonic is the lowered seventh, whereas the normal seventh is called the leading tone.)
supertonic The second degree of a scale, or the chord built on that degree (ii).
suspension A nonchord note used within a chord to create tension. The suspended note is typically the fourth of the chord, which then resolves down to the third.
symphonic orchestra See orchestra.
syncopation An accent on an unexpected beat—or the lack of an accent on an expected beat.
tempo The rate of speed at which beats are played in a song.
tempo primo Return to the tempo designated at the beginning of a piece.
tenor voice The highest male voice.
theme A recurring melodic or rhythmic pattern or idea; the main melodic phrase in a composition.
third The interval between the first and third degree of a scale; can be either minor (three half steps) or major (two whole steps).
tie A curved line over or under two or more notes that “ties” the two notes together into one.
timbre Sound quality (as in, “That trumpet player has a rich timbre”).
time signature A symbol with two numbers, one on top of the other (like a fraction), that indicates the basic meter of a song. The upper number indicates how many beats are in a measure; the bottom number indicates the type of note that receives one beat.
tonality The organization of musical notes around a tonic, or home pitch, based on a major or minor scale or mode.
tone A sound played or sung at a specific pitch. (The term is also used sometimes to indicate timbre, or sound quality.)
tonic The primary note in a scale or key; the first degree of a scale or a chord built on that degree (I).
transcribing The art of writing down melodies and chords by ear, without the benefit of any other written notation.
transpose See transposition.
transposing instruments Those instruments that are not notated at their true pitch. For example, the trumpet is notated a full step higher than it sounds; when a trumpet plays what it reads as a C, it actually sounds a B♭ in concert pitch.
transposition Translating one pitch to another.
treble clef A clef, used by higher-pitched voices and instruments, that places middle C on the first ledger line below the staff.
triad Three notes, each a third apart from the previous. Most chords are built on triads.
triplet A group of three notes performed in the space of two.
tritone An interval consisting of three whole steps. Sometimes called “the Devil’s interval.”
unison (1) Two notes of the same pitch. (2) Voices or instruments all singing or playing the same pitch.
upbeat The eighth-note “and” after the downbeat.
vivace Tempo marking for a lively tempo.
voice Melodic or harmonic lines.
voice leading The motion of a melodic line as it moves from one chord to another.
voicing The way the notes of a chord are arranged.
whole step An interval equal to two half steps.
woodwind The family of instruments that produces sound by vibrating a wooden reed. The woodwind family includes the clarinet, saxophone, oboe, and bassoon. Also included are the flute and the piccolo, which do not use reeds.
APPENDIX
B
Music Theory Ear Training Course
Welcome to the Music Theory Ear Training Course! This audio course leads you step-by-step through the essential concepts of music theory, including pitches, scales, intervals, rhythms, chords, and melodies. The course itself is o
nline, at this book’s website: idiotsguides.com/musictheory. From there, you can listen to the streaming audio tracks on any computer or connected mobile device by clicking each track in turn.
To work through the Music Theory Ear Training Course, all you have to do is listen to the examples on the website and then test yourself with the audio exercises. Click to listen to each exercise and then write down your answer on a piece of blank staff paper. Feel free to repeat each exercise as many times as necessary. You can then check your answers against those in this appendix.
Track Listing
Track Contents
1. Introduction
2. Lesson One: Pitches
3. Pitch Exercises 1–5
4. Pitch Exercises 6–10
5. Pitch Exercises 11–15
6. Pitch Exercises 16–20
7. Pitch Exercises 21–25
8. Pitch Exercises 26–30
Track Contents
9. Pitch Exercises 31–35
10. Pitch Exercises 36–40
11. Lesson Two: Intervals
12. Interval Exercises 1–5
13. Interval Exercises 6–10
14. Interval Exercises 11–15
15. Interval Exercises 16–20
16. Interval Exercises 21–25
Track Contents
17. Interval Exercises 26–30
18. Interval Exercises 31–35
19. Interval Exercises 36–40
20. Interval Exercises 41–45
21. Interval Exercises 46–50
22. Interval Exercises 51–55
23. Interval Exercises 56–60
24. Lesson Three: Scales
25. Scale Exercises 1–5
26. Scale Exercises 6–10
27. Lesson Four: Rhythms
28. Rhythm Exercises 1–5
29. Rhythm Exercises 6–10
30. Rhythm Exercises 11–15
31. Rhythm Exercises 16–20
Track Contents
32. Rhythm Exercises 21–25
33. Rhythm Exercises 26–30
34. Rhythm Exercises 31–35
35. Rhythm Exercises 36–40
36. Lesson Five: Melodies
37. Melody Exercises 1–5
38. Melody Exercises 6–10
39. Melody Exercises 11–15
40. Melody Exercises 16–20
41. Lesson Six: Chords
42. Chord Exercises 1–5
43. Chord Exercises 6–10
44. Chord Exercises 11–15
45. Chord Exercises 16–20
46. Coda
Answers to Audio Exercises
Compare your answers to the audio exercises with the correct answers listed here. (Don’t cheat!)
Pitch Exercises (Tracks 3 to 10)
Identify the following pitches, using the treble clef, as played on the website.
Track Contents
1. A
2. C
3. G
4. B♭ (or A♯, enharmonically)
Track Contents
5. F♯ (or G♭, enharmonically)
6. B
7. A♭ (or G♯, enharmonically)
8. C♯ (or D♭, enharmonically)
Track Contents
9. D
10. B
11. E♭ (or D♯, enharmonically)
12. B♭ (or A♯, enharmonically)
13. F
14. A♭ (or G♯, enharmonically)
Track Contents
15. E
16. C
17. C♯ (or D♭, enharmonically)
18. F♯ (or G♭, enharmonically)
19. E
20. A
Identify the following lower pitches, using the bass clef, as played on the website.
Track Contents
21. C
22. B♭ (or A♯, enharmonically)
23. D
24. F
25. A♭ (or G♯, enharmonically)
26. G
27. E
28. C♯ (or D♭, enharmonically)
29. E♭ (or D♯, enharmonically)
30. F♯ (or G♭, enharmonically)
Track Contents
31. A
32. C
33. G
34. B
35. F♯ (or G♭, enharmonically)
36. B♭ (or A♯, enharmonically)
37. E
38. E♭ (or D♯, enharmonically)
39. A
40. D
Interval Exercises (Tracks 12 to 23)
Identify the following ascending intervals, as played on the website.
Track Contents
1. Perfect fifth
2. Octave
3. Perfect fourth
4. Major third
Track Contents
5. Minor third
6. Perfect fifth
7. Major sixth
8. Major seventh
Track Contents
9. Major second
10. Minor sixth
11. Perfect fourth
12. Minor second
13. Minor third
14. Perfect fifth
Track Contents
15. Tritone (or augmented fourth or diminished fifth, enharmonically)
16. Major third
17. Minor seventh
18. Octave
19. Major sixth
20. Major seventh
Identify the following descending intervals, as played on the website.
Track Contents
21. Major third
22. Perfect fourth
23. Minor third
24. Octave
25. Perfect fifth
26. Perfect fifth
27. Major sixth
28. Major seventh
29. Major second
30. Minor sixth
31. Minor second
Track Contents
32. Minor third
33. Perfect fourth
34. Perfect fifth
35. Major third
36. Tritone (or augmented fourth or diminished fifth, enharmonically)
37. Minor seventh
38. Major sixth
39. Octave
40. Major seventh
Identify both the interval and the second note in each series, as played on the website.
Track Contents
41. Minor third (A-C)
42. Perfect fifth (D-A)
43. Major seventh (G-F♯)
44. Minor third (B♭-D♭)
45. Perfect fourth (C-F)
46. Major sixth (A♭-F)
47. Octave (C♯-C♯)
48. Tritone (G-C♯ or G-D♭, enharmonically)
49. Major third (D-F♯)
50. Minor second (B-C)
Track Contents
51. Minor sixth (C-A♭)
52. Minor seventh (B-A)
53. Minor ninth (G-A♭)
54. Minor third (E-G)
55. Perfect fifth (F♯-C♯)
56. Major second (D-E)
57. Major third (E-G♯)
58. Major sixth (A-F♯)
59. Major seventh (G-F♯)
60. Octave (A-A)
Scale Exercises (Tracks 25 and 26)
Identify the following scale types and the starting note of each scale, as played on the website.
Track Contents
1. A Major
2. C Major
3. A natural minor
4. F Major
5. E natural minor
Track Contents
6. E harmonic minor
7. E melodic minor (ascending)
8. B♭ Major
9. D natural minor
10. G melodic minor (ascending)
Rhythm Exercises (Tracks 28 to 35)
Transcribe the following rhythms, as played on the website.
Melody Exercises (Tracks 37 to 40)
Transcribe the following melodies, as played on the website.
Chord Exercises (Tracks 42 to 45)
Identif
y the chord types (major, minor, diminished, and augmented), as played on the website.
Track Contents
1. Major
2. Minor
3. Major
4. Major
5. Minor
Track Contents
6. Diminished
7. Major
8. Augmented
9. Minor
10. Diminished
Identify the following types of extended chords, as played on the website.
Track Contents
11. Major seventh
12. Minor seventh
13. Dominant seventh
14. Major seventh
15. Dominant seventh
Track Contents
16. Major ninth
17. Dominant seventh
18. Minor ninth
19. Major seventh
20. Minor seventh
Repeat the previous exercises, this time writing out the actual chord names (with the correct starting pitch) for each chord.
Track Contents
1. C Major
2. F minor
3. E Major
4. B♭ Major
5. G minor
6. B diminished
7. E♭ Major
8. E♭ augmented
9. D minor
10. G diminished
Track Contents
11. F Major seventh
12. G minor seventh
13. E♭ dominant seventh (E♭7)
14. D Major seventh
15. A dominant seventh (A7)
16. C Major ninth
17. F dominant seventh (F7)
18. D minor ninth
19. E♭ Major seventh
20. F♯ minor seventh
APPENDIX
C
Answers to Chapter Exercises
Here are the answers to those chapter exercises that weren’t open-ended in nature. (The open-ended exercises—“Write a melody to this chord progression,” and the like—don’t have a single correct solution so they’re not included here.) If you haven’t completed the exercises yet, don’t cheat—go back and do the exercises before you peek at the answers!
Chapter 1
Exercise 1-1
Exercise 1-2
Exercise 1-3
Exercise 1-4
Exercise 1-5
Exercise 1-6
Exercise 1-7
Exercise 1-8
Chapter 2
Exercise 2-1
Exercise 2-2
Idiot's Guides - Music Theory Page 29