Piano Music Theory & Notation Flashcards

24 sample cards from the Music Theory & Notation deck

Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.

1. How do you determine an interval's number (size)?

   Count the letter names from the lower note to the upper note, counting both endpoints. Example: C up to G spans C-D-E-F-G = a 5th.

2. What are a unison and an octave in interval terms?

   A unison (prime, 1st) is two notes of the same pitch; an octave (8th) spans eight letter names to the same letter name higher, e.g., $C_4$ to $C_5$.

3. Which interval numbers can be "perfect," and which can be "major" or "minor"?

   Perfect: unison, 4th, 5th, octave (1, 4, 5, 8). Major/minor: 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th. An interval is never both perfect and major/minor.

4. How many half steps are in a major 3rd and in a minor 3rd?

   Major 3rd = 4 half steps (e.g., C-E); minor 3rd = 3 half steps (e.g., C-E$\flat$).

5. How many half steps are in a perfect 4th, a perfect 5th, and a perfect octave?

   Perfect 4th = 5 half steps, perfect 5th = 7 half steps, perfect octave = 12 half steps.

6. What happens to an interval's quality when a perfect or major interval is made a half step larger, or a perfect or minor interval a half step smaller?

   A half step larger than perfect or major = augmented. A half step smaller than perfect or minor = diminished.

7. What is the tritone, and what are its two common spellings from C?

   The interval of 6 half steps, dividing the octave exactly in half. From C: augmented 4th (C-F$\sharp$) or diminished 5th (C-G$\flat$).

8. State the two rules for inverting an interval (number and quality).

   Numbers: original + inversion = 9 (a 3rd inverts to a 6th, a 2nd to a 7th). Quality: major $\leftrightarrow$ minor, augmented $\leftrightarrow$ diminished, perfect stays perfect.

9. What is the inversion of a major 3rd? Verify with an example.

   A minor 6th, since $3 + 6 = 9$ and major inverts to minor. Example: C up to E (major 3rd) inverts to E up to C (minor 6th).

10. What is the order of sharps in a key signature, and a mnemonic for it?

    F, C, G, D, A, E, B — "Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle." The order of flats is the reverse: B, E, A, D, G, C, F.

11. How do you identify a major key from a sharp key signature?

    Go up a half step from the last (rightmost) sharp. Example: last sharp $C\sharp$ $\to$ key of D major.

12. How do you identify a major key from a flat key signature?

    The second-to-last flat names the key (e.g., three flats B$\flat$, E$\flat$, A$\flat$ $\to$ E$\flat$ major). Exception: one flat = F major (memorize).

13. What is the pattern of whole (W) and half (H) steps in a major scale?

    W-W-H-W-W-W-H. Example: C major = C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C with half steps between E-F and B-C.

14. What is the pattern of whole and half steps in a natural minor scale?

    W-H-W-W-H-W-W. Example: A natural minor = A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A.

15. How do harmonic and melodic minor differ from natural minor?

    Harmonic minor raises the 7th degree by a half step. Melodic minor raises the 6th and 7th ascending and reverts to natural minor descending.

16. What are relative keys, and how do you find the relative minor of a major key?

    Relative keys share the same key signature but have different tonics. The relative minor's tonic is a minor 3rd below (the 6th degree of) the major tonic — e.g., C major and A minor.

17. What are parallel keys? Give an example and state how they differ from relative keys.

    Parallel keys share the same tonic but different key signatures, e.g., C major and C minor. Relative keys share the signature but not the tonic; parallel keys share the tonic but not the signature.

18. What is a triad, and how is it built?

    A three-note chord built by stacking two 3rds above a root: root, 3rd, and 5th.

19. Define the four triad qualities by their stacked 3rds (bottom to top).

    Major = major 3rd + minor 3rd (C-E-G). Minor = minor 3rd + major 3rd (C-E$\flat$-G). Diminished = minor 3rd + minor 3rd (C-E$\flat$-G$\flat$). Augmented = major 3rd + major 3rd (C-E-G$\sharp$).

20. What are the qualities of the triads built on each degree of a major scale, in Roman numerals?

    I (major), ii (minor), iii (minor), IV (major), V (major), vi (minor), vii$^{\circ}$ (diminished).

21. In Roman numeral analysis, what do uppercase, lowercase, $^{\circ}$, and $+$ indicate?

    Uppercase = major triad, lowercase = minor triad, $^{\circ}$ = diminished, $+$ = augmented. The numeral itself shows the scale degree of the chord's root.

22. What are the names of scale degrees 1, 4, 5, and 7?

    1 = tonic, 4 = subdominant, 5 = dominant, 7 = leading tone (in major and harmonic minor). Also: 2 = supertonic, 3 = mediant, 6 = submediant.

23. Define the authentic cadence and the plagal cadence.

    Authentic: V $\to$ I (dominant to tonic), the strongest ending; it is "perfect" (PAC) when both chords are in root position and the tonic is in the soprano. Plagal: IV $\to$ I, the "Amen" cadence.

24. Define the half cadence and the deceptive cadence.

    Half cadence: any phrase ending on V — sounds unfinished. Deceptive cadence: V resolves to a chord other than I, most often vi, evading the expected resolution.

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