African Music
Clefs/Letter-Names of Lines and Spaces (Treble and Bass Staff)
<h1><strong>CLEFS/LETTER NAMES OF LINES AND SPACES (TREBLE AND BASS STAFF)</strong></h1> CONTENT <ol> <li>Definition of Clef</li> <li>Functions of Clef</li> <li>Kinds of Clef</li> <li>Treble Staff or Stave</li> <li>Bass or F Clef (pronounced 'base' )</li> <li>Bass Staff or Stave</li> <li>Musical Terms</li> </ol> <h2><strong>Definition of Clef</strong></h2> Clef is a French word, meaning Key. Clef is defined as a symbol placed at the commencement [beginning] of a stave [staff] which indicates the pitch of a musical note and also fixes the letter names of the lines and spaces. <h2><strong>Functions of Clef</strong></h2> (i) To indicate the pitch of a musical note. (ii) To fix the letter names of the lines and spaces. <h2><strong>Kinds of Clef </strong></h2> At this level, we shall consider the two major clefs which are also in common use. (i) Treble or G clef. (ii) Bass or F clef. The letter names lines and spaces are taken from the seven letters of the alphabets; A B C D E F G called musical alphabets. <br> <h2><strong>Treble or G Clef</strong></h2> This clef starts from the second line of the stave which is called G, and curls round it. <img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-20419" src="https://classhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/treble-or-g-clef.jpg" alt="Treble or G Clef" width="85" height="76" /> When G clef is placed on a stave or staff, the stave automatically becomes a<strong> Treble Stave</strong>. Treble stave consist of five parallel lines and four spaces as shown below.
Scales
<h1><strong>SCALES</strong></h1> CONTENT <ol> <li>Definition of Scale</li> <li>Types of Scale</li> </ol> <h2><strong>Definition of Scale</strong></h2> The word <em>scale</em> comes from the Latin word “scala”. It means ladder. The first seven letters of the English alphabet A-G are used to express the different sounds in use. Scales refer to a series of notes that go in an ascending and descending manner. The <strong>Major scale</strong> is the foundation from which all other scales are formed. C major scale begins with a C and ends with a C. The same rule applies with the rest of the keys where a D Major Scale begins and ends with a D, F Major Scale begins with an F and ends with an F and so on. The notes on a major scale is numbered from 1 to 8, this signifies the intervals. <br> <h2><strong>Types of Scale</strong></h2> The types of scales are;
Intervals: Definition and Kinds of Intervals
Transposition from One Clef into Another
The Grand Staff/Great Staff
<h1><strong>GRAND STAFF/GREAT STAFF</strong></h1> CONTENT <ol> <li>The Great Staff</li> <li>Ledger Lines</li> </ol> <h2><strong>The Great Staff</strong></h2> The great stave consists of 11 lines and 10 spaces. When the bass and treble clef are combined and connected by a brace (left) and lines, they become the grand staff. This greatly increases the range of pitches that can be noted, and is often used in piano music due to the piano's wide range.<img class="size-full wp-image-20425 aligncenter" src="https://classhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/the-grand-staff-great-staff.jpg" alt="The grand staff/Great Staff" width="235" height="179" />
Major Scale
<h1><strong>MAJOR SCALE</strong></h1> CONTENT <ol> <li>Tetrachord</li> <li>Tones and Semitones</li> </ol> <h2><strong>Tetrachord</strong></h2> Tetrachord is an equal division of a major scale. The diatonic major scale with its eight notes can be divided into two equal parts, each containing four notes, e.g. C D E F G A B C. When divided into two halves, C D E F into one group and G A B C into another group. Each group of four notes is called TETRACHORDS. The first half is known as lower tetrachord [L T], while the second half the upper tetrachord [UT]. Thus in the above example C to F becomes the lower tetrachord [C D E F] and G to C [G A B C] is the upper tetrachord. Major scales contain five tones and two semitones, it therefore means that each tetrachord has two tones and one semitone. For example, C to D is a tone while D to E is a semitone.[L T]. S similarly G to A is a tone, and B to C is a semitone.
Perfect Intervals, Augmented Intervals and Diminished Intervals
Musical Terms, Signs and Abbreviations
Historical Periods of Music
<h1><strong>HISTORICAL PERIODS OF MUSIC</strong></h1> CONTENT <ol> <li>Musical Periods and Some Major Composers</li> <li>Life and Works of G. F. Handel</li> </ol> <h2><strong>Musical Periods and Some Major Composers</strong></h2> The historical development of western music is divided into stages, popularly referred to as “musical periods”. Apart from the early musical periods from B.C. to 1400 A.D., there are such periods as: (i) Renaissance period (1400 – 1600AD) (ii) Baroque period (1600 – 1750AD) (iii) Classical period (1750 – 1820 AD) (iv) Romantic period (1820 – 1900AD) (v) Modern period (1900 to date) <h2><strong>Life and Works of G. F. Handel</strong></h2> <img class="size-full wp-image-20431 aligncenter" src="https://classhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/historical-periods-of-music-life-and-work-of-GF-Handel.jpg" alt="Historical periods of music life and work of GF Handel" width="274" height="303" />