National 5

National 5MusicKey SignaturesCopy down the key signatures from the board.Note how each can mean two keys a major or a relative minor.There is more information on key signatures on p43 of your blue literacy workbook.Time SignaturesTime signatures tell us how many beats are in the bar.Music can be in simple time or compound time. Simple time signatures have beats which can be split into 2 quavers and the bottom number is 4. Compound time signatures have beats which can be split into 3 quavers and the bottom number is 8.Simple and compound timeIn compound time, each beat is split into three quavers you can count strawberry strawberry along with it.In simple time, each beat is split into two quavers you can count apple apple along with it..

Simple timeCompound time2/42 beats per bar6/82 beats per bar3/43 beats per bar9/83 beats per bar4/44 beats per bar12/84 beats per barAnacrusisAn anacrusis is where the piece does not begin on the first beat of the bar, eg in Happy Birthday.Memory tip: sing the word anacrusis to the beginning of happy birthday.Dynamics

Crescendo gradually getting louderDiminuendo gradually getting quieterSforzando suddenly loud (sfz)Fortissimo

Forte

Mezzo forte

Mezzo piano

Piano

Pianissimo

Very loud

Loud

Moderately loud

Moderately quiet

Quiet

Very quiet

TempoAdagioSlow Andante Walking pace Allegro Quick, livelyA tempo the direction given to return to the original speedAccellerando gradually getting fasterRallentando gradually getting slower

Other Italian termsStaccato, indicated by dots above or below the notes, means short and bouncy.Legato, indicated by a curved line above or below the notes, means smooth.

A repeat sign instructs the player to repeat from the beginning or the last repeat sign.

A pause instructs the player to hold the note for longer than its value.

An accent instructs the player to play the note with more force.

Major and MinorMajor and minor describe the tonality of the music.Major keys sound happier and brighter.Minor keys sound darker or sad.Major and minor can also describe chords (as in your compositions).Major and minor are also scales: try playing them on the keyboard and listen to the difference in sound.Consonance and DissonanceConsonance is the term to describe notes which go well together. Major and minor chords are both consonant.

Dissonance is the term to describe notes which clash. Adjacent notes played together are dissonant.

Ascending and DescendingAscending is when the notes get higher.

Descending is when the notes get lower.Moving by Step and Moving by LeapWhen the melody moves to adjacent notes (eg C D E), we say it moves by step.

When the melody moves to notes further away, we say it moves by leap.Repetition, Imitation and SequenceRepetition is where a bit of the music is played again. It could be a short pattern or an entire section.Imitation is where one instrument/voice copies another immediately and exactly.Sequence is a pattern of notes repeated higher or lower.

In this pieceWrite down what concepts you can hear.Instruments/ensemblesMelody (step, leap, ascending, descending, repetition, imitation, sequence)Tonality (major and minor)Tempo and time signatureDynamicsOther features (legato, staccato, consonance, dissonance, accents etc)

ChordsWe have already looked at the most common kind of chords (triads) in our composition.A chord is quite simply two or more notes played together.A broken chord is the notes of a chord played one after another.

An arpeggio is a type of broken chord where the notes are played ascending or descending.

ScalesA scale is a pattern of notes which can be played ascending or descending.The notes of a scale are used to write melodies of songs / pieces.All the scales you need to know are on p16 of your National 5 concept booklet play each of them and listen to what they sound like.CadencesA cadence is the final two chords in a phrase of music.The two you need to know are:Perfect: sounds complete. V-I.Imperfect: sounds incomplete. I-V.A. Schnberg: Wind Quintet, Op.26 (1a)201232836.195eng - www.dvdvideosoft.com