Piano Music Theory & Notation Syllabus

Music Theory & Notation syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Music Theory & Notation in Piano, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Reading the Staff

   4 topics

   • Treble & Bass Clefs
   • Grand Staff & Ledger Lines
   • Note Names & Mnemonics
   • Accidentals: Sharp, Flat, Natural
2. 2

   Rhythm & Meter

   4 topics

   • Note & Rest Values
   • Time Signatures
   • Dotted Notes & Ties
   • Syncopation & Tuplets
3. 3

   Intervals

   4 topics

   • Identifying Intervals by Number
   • Quality: Major, Minor, Perfect
   • Augmented & Diminished
   • Inversions of Intervals
4. 4

   Key Signatures & Tonality

   3 topics

   • Identifying Key Signatures
   • Major & Minor Keys
   • Relative & Parallel Keys
5. 5

   Chords & Harmony

   4 topics

   • Triads & Qualities
   • Roman Numeral Analysis
   • Cadences
   • Voice Leading Basics
6. 6

   Musical Terms & Expression

   4 topics

   • Tempo Markings
   • Dynamic Markings
   • Articulation Symbols
   • Italian Terms & Ornaments
7. 7

   Musical Form & Analysis

   4 topics

   • Phrase & Period Structure
   • Binary & Ternary Form
   • Rondo & Sonata Form
   • Theme & Variations

Music Theory & Notation flashcards for Piano

23 of 50 cards from the Music Theory & Notation deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the treble clef also called, and which line of the staff does it curl around?

   The G clef. Its spiral curls around the second line from the bottom, marking that line as G above middle C ($G_4$).

2. What is the bass clef also called, and which line do its two dots surround?

   The F clef. Its two dots surround the fourth line from the bottom, marking that line as F below middle C ($F_3$).

3. Which hand on the piano typically reads the treble clef, and which reads the bass clef?

   The right hand typically reads the treble clef (higher pitches); the left hand typically reads the bass clef (lower pitches).

4. What is the grand staff?

   The combination of a treble-clef staff and a bass-clef staff joined by a brace and a vertical line, used for piano music; middle C sits on a ledger line between the two staves.

5. What are ledger lines?

   Short horizontal lines added above or below a staff to notate pitches that are too high or too low to fit on the five staff lines.

6. Where is middle C ($C_4$) written relative to the treble and bass staves?

   On one ledger line below the treble staff and on one ledger line above the bass staff — the same pitch notated two ways on the grand staff.

7. What are the letter names of the treble-clef lines (bottom to top), and what is a common mnemonic?

   E, G, B, D, F — "Every Good Boy Does Fine."

8. What are the letter names of the treble-clef spaces (bottom to top), and what mnemonic helps?

   F, A, C, E — they spell the word "FACE."

9. What are the bass-clef lines and spaces (bottom to top), with mnemonics?

   Lines: G, B, D, F, A — "Good Boys Do Fine Always." Spaces: A, C, E, G — "All Cows Eat Grass."

10. What does a sharp ($\sharp$) do to a note, and what does a flat ($\flat$) do?

    A sharp raises the pitch by one half step (semitone); a flat lowers the pitch by one half step.

11. What does a natural sign ($\natural$) do?

    It cancels a previous sharp or flat (from the key signature or an earlier accidental), returning the note to its unaltered pitch.

12. How long does an accidental written in a measure remain in effect?

    For the rest of that measure, on that same note and octave position; the barline cancels it (a tie can carry it into the next measure for the tied note only).

13. What are enharmonic equivalents? Give an example.

    Two different note spellings that sound the same pitch, e.g., $F\sharp$ and $G\flat$, or $C\sharp$ and $D\flat$.

14. In $\frac{4}{4}$ time, how many beats do the whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes each receive?

    Whole = 4 beats, half = 2, quarter = 1, eighth = $\frac{1}{2}$, sixteenth = $\frac{1}{4}$. Each value is half the length of the previous one.

15. How does each rest correspond to its note value, and how do the whole and half rests differ visually?

    Every note value has a rest of equal duration. The whole rest hangs below the fourth staff line; the half rest sits on top of the third line ("whole hangs, half sits").

16. How many eighth notes equal one whole note? Express the relationship.

    Eight, since $8 \times \frac{1}{8} = 1$ whole note.

17. In a time signature, what do the top and bottom numbers indicate?

    The top number tells how many beats are in each measure; the bottom number tells which note value gets one beat (4 = quarter note, 8 = eighth note, 2 = half note).

18. What is the difference between simple and compound meter?

    In simple meter each beat divides into 2 equal parts (e.g., $\frac{2}{4}$, $\frac{3}{4}$, $\frac{4}{4}$); in compound meter each beat divides into 3 equal parts (e.g., $\frac{6}{8}$, $\frac{9}{8}$, $\frac{12}{8}$, where the dotted quarter gets the beat).

19. What do the symbols for common time and cut time mean?

    Common time ($\mathbf{C}$) means $\frac{4}{4}$. Cut time ($\mathbf{C}$ with a vertical slash, alla breve) means $\frac{2}{2}$ — two half-note beats per measure.

20. How many beats does $\frac{6}{8}$ time have per measure, and how is it usually felt?

    Six eighth notes per measure, usually felt as 2 big beats of a dotted quarter each ($2 \times 3$ eighths) — a compound duple meter.

21. What does a dot after a note do to its duration? Give the formula.

    It adds half the note's value: dotted value $= 1.5 \times$ original, i.e., value $\times \frac{3}{2}$. Example: a dotted half note $= 2 + 1 = 3$ beats.

22. How many beats is a dotted quarter note in $\frac{4}{4}$ time?

    $1 + \frac{1}{2} = 1\frac{1}{2}$ beats (a quarter plus an eighth).

23. What is a tie, and how does it differ from a slur?

    A tie is a curved line connecting two notes of the same pitch, combining their durations into one unbroken sound. A slur connects notes of different pitches and means play them smoothly (legato).

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