One Minute Music Lesson with Leon Harrell

Understanding Music Theory – Lesson 26 – Minor Scales

leonharrell — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:29:03 +0000

There are three types of minor scales that are used often in music.

They are:

Natural Minor (also known as the Aeolian Mode)
Harmonic Minor
Melodic Minor

These scales are created by using different patterns of half steps (H), whole steps (W) and augmented seconds (A2).

The Natural Minor scale is created by starting on a tonic pitch, your first pitch of the scale, and moving up by the following pattern: W H W W H W W

If you create a C natural minor scale the tonic pitch will be C and the scale will be formed by following the pattern starting on C.

So the result would be C D Eb F G Ab Bb C.

The Harmonic Minor scale is also created by starting on a tonic pitch and moving up by the following pattern:W H W W H A2 W

If you create a C harmonic minor scale the tonic pitch will be C and the scale will be formed by following the pattern starting on C.

So the result of that pattern would be C D Eb F G Ab B C

The third type of minor scale is the Melodic Minor scale. This minor scale contains different pitches going up than going down.

On the way up you will use the pattern: W H W W W W H. If you use the tonic pitch C again, a C melodic minor scale on the way up will be C D Eb F G A B C.

On the way down you use the pattern from the natural minor scale going down. That will result in the C melodic minor scale coming back down as C Bb Ab G F Eb D C.

Understanding Music Theory – Lesson 25 – Major Scales

leonharrell — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 17:13:30 +0000

Scales are the foundation of most music. A scale is a pattern of intervals that repeat every octave that is built on a tonic pitch.

A tonic pitch is the first pitch of a scale. The tonic pitch is also the letter name of the scale.

Major scales are built from a combination of half steps and whole steps.

A half step is the smallest distance between two pitches, this also referred to sometimes as a minor second.

A whole step is the distance of two halfsteps. A whole step will sometimes be referred to as a major second.

To create any major scale you must begin on a tonic pitch and create the following interval pattern:

W W H W W W H

This pattern is two whole steps (W) followed by a half step (H) then three wholsteps and one last half step.

In the video above the example is the C major scale. Begin with the tonic pitch C then go up the scale in the interval pattern of W W H W W W H. That will produce the notes C D E F G A B C.

Here is that C major scale in standard notation:

Understanding Music Theory – Lesson 24 – Octave Equivalence

leonharrell — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:31:22 +0000

In our last lesson we learned about octaves and octave numbers. Since a pitch has the same letter name in any octave it considered to be a part of a pitch class. A pitch class is a term used to describe any pitch, for example C, regardless of what octave or register that pitch is in. In the video above the example shows 8 octaves of C’s, but all these pitches are part of the pitch class C.

Since all these are the same pitch class they have the quality of octave equivalence. Octave equivalence means that these pitches will share many of the same overtones, as well as be resonant with each other, and that voice leading resolutions will still work with octave displacement.

Listen to the extreme example of octave equivalence in the performance of Happy Birthday in the video. This example displaces the pitches of the melody in several octaves, yet you can still follow the melody due to the phenomenon of octave equivalence.

How to Read Music – Lesson 23 – Octaves

leonharrell — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 23:04:49 +0000

An octave is an interval. The interval of an octave is the distance from one pitch to the same pitch 12 half steps away.

When you are reading octaves on sheet music they always fall with one note of the octave on a space and the other note of the octave on a line in the staff.

Throughout the range of the grand staff each octave has its own number assigned to it. An easy way to remember which number belongs to which octave is to memorize “Middle C = C4″.

Octave numbers are assigned with each number spanning from C up to the next B. The next number appears at the next C.

Also, to calculate the frequency of an octave from any given beginning frecuency you will need to either:

Multiply the original frequency by 2 for the octave above.
Divide the original frequency by 2 for octave below.

To help you remember the information from this lesson click here to download a free poster with the octave numbers for the grand staff in the range of the piano keyboard.

How to Read Music – Lesson 22 – Overtone Series

leonharrell — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:43:50 +0000

In this lesson we will learn about the overtone series.

Musical tones with pitch are actually comprised of several higher and quieter sounds called overtones.

Overtones are the upper frequencies that resonate when a tone is played. If a piano plays the pitch C3 then the overtones C4, G4, C5, and E5 can be faintly heard.

In this example C3 is the fundamental, or the main frequency heard in this pitch. The fundamental frequency is the lowest frequency of a pitches overtone series.

The overtone series is also known as the harmonic series.

The frequencies of a pitch’s overtone series can be calculated by multiplying the fundamental frequency by the numbers 1 through 16.

Each instrument resonates different overtones, which contributes to the instruments timbre; the unique quality of the instrument’s sound.

Let’s look at an the overtones of the pitch C3, which has a frequency of 130.81 Hz, in the chart below.

Fundamental = 130.81 * 1 = 130.81
Overtone 1 = 130.81 * 2 = 261.62
Overtone 2 = 130.81 * 3 = 392.43
Overtone 3 = 130.81 * 4 = 523.24
Overtone 4 = 130.81 * 5 = 654.05
Overtone 5 = 130.81 * 6 = 784.86
Overtone 6 = 130.81 * 7 = 915.67
Overtone 7 = 130.81 * 8 = 1046.48
Overtone 8 = 130.81 * 9 = 1177.29
Overtone 9 = 130.81 * 10 = 1308.1
Overtone 10 = 130.81 * 11 = 1438.91
Overtone 11 = 130.81 * 12 = 1569.72
Overtone 12 = 130.81 * 13 = 1700.53
Overtone 13 = 130.81 * 14 = 1831.34
Overtone 14 = 130.81 * 15 = 1962.15
Overtone 15 = 130.81 * 16 = 2092.96

To learn more about overtones I have a created a free overtone series poster you can download here.

Until next time,

Keep up the good practice,

Leon Harrell

How to Read Music – Lesson 21 – Specific Intervals

leonharrell — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 16:11:41 +0000

A specific interval is the distance between any two notes measured in halfsteps.

A specific interval will be different from the generic interval because the generic interval is the number of lines and spaces, which will not line up with the number of halfsteps.

Specific intervals tell us something abou the quality of the intervals such as if the interval is major, minor, augmented, diminished or perfect.

To measure a specific interval begin with the bottom note and count 1 for the first half step between the bottom note and the next half step up. Proceed by counting up 1 for each half step until you reach the top pitch.

Here is a list of the number of half steps and the specific interval name:

1 – minor 2nd
2 – major 2nd
3 – minor 3rd
4 – major – 3rd
5 – perfect 4th
6 – tritone
7 – perfect 5th
8 – minor 6th
9 – major 6th
10 – minor 7th
11 – major 7th
12 – octave

To help you remember and more easily see this this information visually, you can download the free Specific Intervals poster.

If you liked this lesson don’t forget to sign-up for the free One Minute Music Lesson newsletter. With your subscription you will also receive a free copy of the eBook “How to Read Music” by Leon Harrell.

How to Read Music – Lesson 20 – Generic Intervals

leonharrell — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 18:03:37 +0000

An interval is a musical measurement between two notes. A generic interval is the measurement of the lines and spaces between two notes.

To find the generic interval between two notes begin by counting the number 1 on the bottom note.

Count up one number for each line and space until you reach the top note.

For example if you have the notes D and A, to count the interval begin on D and count 1. E will be 2, F is 3, G is 4 and the top note A will be 5. So the interval between D and A is a 5th.

In music we common measure the intervals between 1 and 8 lines and spaces. The labels for each are the following:

1 – Unison
2 – 2nd
3 – 3rd
4 – 4th
5 – 5th
6 – 6th
7 – 7th
8 – Octave

There are as many possible intervals as there are lines and spaces between any two notes. But commonly we measure the distance between the two notes as though they were in the same octave to reduce anything large than 8 lines or spaces away down to an octave interval or less.

How to Read Music – Lesson 19 – Triplets and Duplets

leonharrell — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 20:15:32 +0000

Triplets are 3 notes that fit in the same rhythmic space as 2 of the same notational value. Triplets are used in simple meters when we need to show a rhythmic value that would normally be found in compound meter.

A triplet will have 3 of the note value with a number 3 above or below to represent that it is a triplet. The most common triplet is the eighth note triplet.

To count triplets we will use the compound counting method from Lesson 18, of using the syllable LA and LI on the second and third parts of the beat.

Duplets are 2 notes that fit in the same rhythmic space as 3 of the same notational value. Duplets are used in compound meters when we need to show a rhythmic value that would normally be found in simple meter.

A duplet will have 2 of the note value with a number 2 above or below to represent that it is a duplet. The most common duplet is the eighth note duplet, often found in 6/8 time.

To count duplets we will use the simple meter counting method from Lesson 17, of using the syllable “AND” on the second half of the beat.

How to Read Music – Lesson 18 – Eastman Counting System (Compound Meters)

leonharrell — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 21:47:36 +0000

The Eastman Counting System is a method of counting rhythms using a mixture of numbers and syllables. In this lesson we will continue learning this system with the compound meters.

The 3 basic rules for counting any compound rhythm are:

1. Say the number of the beat on the beat.

2. Say “La” and “Li” on the division of the beat.

3. Say “Ta” on the subdivision of the beat.

In an example of 6/8 there will 2 beats and each beat equals a dotted quarter note.

So 2 quarter dotted quarter notes will be counted as 1, 2.

When counting compound meters as we learned in Lesson 16 the beat will divide into 3 equal parts.

If we have a measure full of eighth notes it will be counted as: 1 La Li 2 La Li, because we use the syllable “La” and “Li” to show the two divisions of the beat, which in this case will be the eighth notes on the 2nd and 3rd bart of the beat.

The next level of counting will the subdivision of the beat, or the next level smaller than the division of the beat. This will be 16th notes in 6/8. So a measure of 16th notes will be counted as: 1 Ta La Ta Li Ta 2 Ta La Ta Li Ta.

In the video above there is also an example of a more complicated rhythm that combines all three levels and shows you the correct counting using this system.

To help you remember and more easily see this information visually, you can download the free Eastman Counting System Compound Meter poster.

How to Read Music – Lesson 17 – Eastman Counting System (Simple Meters)

leonharrell — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:11:09 +0000

The Eastman Counting System is a method of counting rhythms using a mixture of numbers and syllables. We will begin learning this system with the simple meters.

The 3 basic rules for counting any rhythm are:

1. Say the number of the beat on the beat.

2. Say “and” on the division of the beat.

3. Say “e” or “a” on the subdivision of the beat.

In an example of 4/4 there will 4 beats and each beat equals a quarter note.

So 4 quarter notes will be counted as 1, 2, 3, 4.

When counting simple meters as we learned in Lesson 15 the beat will divide into 2 equal parts.

If we have a measure full of eighth notes it will be counted as: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +, because we use the syllable “and” (+) to show the division of the beat, which in this case will be the eighth note.

The next level of counting will the subdivision of the beat, or the next level smaller than the division of the beat. This will be 16th notes in 4/4. So a measure of 16th note will be counted as: 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a.

In the video above there is also an example of a more complicated rhythm that combines all three levels and shows you the correct counting using this system.

To help you remember and more easily see this information visually, you can download the free Eastman Counting System Simple Meter poster.

How to Read Music – Lesson 16 – Compound Meter

leonharrell — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:31:22 +0000

Compound meters are meters in which the beat is divisible by 3.

You can easily tell if a meter is a compound meter by the top number of the time signature. The top number can be any number divisible by 3 that is greater than 3. If the top number is 6, 9 or 12 then the meter is a compound meter.

The beat in a compound meter will divide in to 3 equal parts. Since the beat divides in to 3 equal parts, the beat in any compound meter will always be some type of dotted note.

Lets take a look at an example in 6/8 to demonstrate this.

In a measure of 6/8 it is true that 6 1/8 notes will fill up a measure. But this does not mean that there are 6 beats in 6/8.

To determine the number of beats in any compound meter begin by looking at the top number.

Since the top number is 6, we know it is a compound meter. To find the number of beats divide the top number by 3. This will show us that in 6/8 there are 2 beats.

To find the length of a beat multiply the note value represented by the bottom number by 3. To find this imagine the bottom number as a fraction under the number 1. In this case 1/8 equals an eighth note.

Now multiply an eighth note by 3, which will equal 1 1/2 beats, or a dotted quarter note.

So the beat in 6/8 is the dotted quarter note, and since there are 2 beats in 6/8 two dotted quarter notes will fill up a measure of 6/8.

To help you remember and more easily see this this information visually, you can download the free Compound Meter poster.

How to Read Music – Lesson 15 – Simple Meter

leonharrell — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:07:26 +0000

Simple meters are meters that the beat is divisible by 2.

You can easily tell if a meter is a simple meter by the top number of the time signature. If the top number is 2, 3 or 4 then the meter is a simple meter.

The beat in a simple meter will divide in to 2 equal parts. Lets look at an example in 4/4 to demonstrate this.

4/4 is a simple meter because the top number is 4.

The beat of 4/4 is a quarter note because if we imagine the bottom number, 4, as a fraction under the number 1, (1/4), then that will equal one fourth, or a quarter.

Since the beat of 4/4 is a quarter note it can easily divide into 2 equal parts, or two eighth notes.

Lets look at another example in 3/2, a common meter used in renaissance music.

3/2 is a simple meter becuase the top number is 3.

The beat of 3/2 is a half note becuase if we imagine the bottom number, 2, as a fraction under the number 1, (1/2), then that will equal one half, or a half note.

Since the beat of 3/2 is a half note it can easily divide into 2 equal parts, or two quarter notes.

To help you remember and more easily see this this information visually, you can download the free Simple Meter poster.

How to Read Music – Lesson 14 – Time Signatures

leonharrell — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:45:34 +0000

Time signatures are the numbers that are placed just after the clef symbol at the beginning of a piece of music.

The time signature tells us the exact length of each measure in a piece of music. On a deeper level it defines the meter, or the basic rhythmic pattern of the music.

The time signature consists of two numbers. These two numbers together will tell us the length of the measure.

The top number acts as the multiplier. It is the number that we will multiply the bottom rhythmic value by.

The bottom number is like the bottom number of a fraction. It defines a particular rhythmic value. In the example of 4/4 the bottom number can be thought of as begin 1 divided by that bottom number.

1 divided by 4 or 1/4 equals one quarter, a quarter note. So the time signature of 4/4 means 4 times a quarter note, or 4 quarter notes, which add up to 4 beats.

The length of a measure will be the top number times the length of the rhythmic value represented by the bottom number.

Finally, there are two special time signatures. 2/2 is often called cut time and can be replaces by the symbol of a letter C with a line through it like ¢. And 4/4 is often called common time and can be replaced with the symbol C.

How to Read Music – Lesson 13 – Bars and Bar Lines

leonharrell — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:40:56 +0000

A bar, also called a measure, divides and organizes music into meter. A bar doesn’t really mean anything until it has a meter, or time signature.

In a bar with the time signature of 4/4, the bar will contain 4 beats. In the video above this is demonstrated with a quick example from Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

Each bar is separated by a bar line. There are several types of bar lines but for the most part you will encounter the normal bar line.

At the end of every piece you will see a final bar line. This bar line consists of two lines, the left line is thin, and the right line is thick. This is also called a double bar line.

It is important to note that there are two kinds of double bar lines. One is the final bar line as we just mentioned and the other is a double bar line that uses two thin lines.

The double bar line with two thin lines is only used to separate large sections of music, but is never used to used to signify the end of a piece. This is a job saved only for the final bar line.

How to Read Music – Lesson 12 – Rests

leonharrell — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 17:55:04 +0000

A rest is a timed pause, or silence in music.

Just as we learned about in Lesson #9 (Rhythmic Values) every note has a specific rhythmic value. The same is true for the rests. They even share the same names. Whole notes are equivalent to whole rests, half notes equivalent to half rests, quarter notes to quarter rests and so on. Just like their counterpart note rests each have a specific rhythmic value.

Rests may also be lengthened by the dot as learned in Lesson #11 (Dots & Ties). Just like the notes, the rest will lengthen by haf of it’s value if it has a dot attached to it.

When learning to read music, to avoid confusion, it is important to know two things about the whole rest.

First, you need an easy way to remember and distinguish the whole rest from the half rest. Think of the whole rest as weighing more. The whole rest has 4 beats, so it weighs more than the half rest, which has 2 beats. Since the whole rest weighs more it hangs down from the line.

Finally, regardless of the meter, the whole rest may be used to signify a whole measure of silence. For example, in 3/4 you may still use a whole rest to signify the whole measure is silent, even though the measure is only 3 beats long. The whole rest will equal a whole measure of silence in any time signature, or meter.

To help you remember this information, you can download the free rest poster.

How to Read Music – Lesson 11 – Dots and Ties

leonharrell — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:09:11 +0000

Dot and ties are two different ways to add time value to any note. Let’s begin by explaining the tie.

The tie is used to add the time value of two notes together. A tie can be thought of as a plus sign (+).

If we have a quarter note tied to an eighth note, the time value of these notes will be added together. So the total time vale for a quarter note (1 beat) tied to an eighth note (half beat) will be 1 and 1/2 beats.

Ties are notated on the top of notes that have stems down, and below notes that have stems up.

Dots are another method of adding time value to a note.

A dot will add half of a notes value to any note it is attached to. Think of the dot as meaning “plus half”.

If we have a quarter note with a dot, it’s time value will be the value of a quarter note (1 beat) plus half. 1 beat plus half (1/2 beat) will equal 1 1/2 beats. So a dotted quarter equals 1 1/2 beats.

To recap remember ties are like plus signs, adding two note values together, and dots mean “plus half”, adding half of a notes value to any note it is attached to.

How to Read Music – Lesson 10 – The Note

leonharrell — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 16:47:00 +0000

DOWNLOAD THE FREE NOTE POSTER

The note tells us 2 things: It designates the time duration and pitch of a sound.

There are 5 parts to understand any type of note. They are:

1. The Head
2. The Stem
3. The Flag
4. The Beam
5. Position on the staff

The head of a note is the round part. It can be open, commonly called a white note head, like a whole or half note, or it can be filled. If it’s filled, like a quarter or eighth note, it’s called a black note head.

All note except the whole note have a stem. The stem may go up or down depending on the notes position in the staff. The up stem is always on the right of the note head and the down stem is always on the left of the note head.

The flag is used on notes such as the eighth and sixteenth, or any note shorter than these durations. The flag is always located on the right of the stem no matter which direction the stem goes.

You will find multiple flags in music notation. Often when music has many notes with flags they are grouped together and connected with a beam. A beam is a way of visually decluttering note flags. When a beam is used instead of a flag the number of beams touching the stem will be the same as if there were flags.

Finally, the notes position on the staff tells us the pitch of the note. If you need a refresher on pitch take a look at lessons 1, 2 and 3.

To understand the note better take a look at the video above and download the free note poster.

How to Read Music – Lesson 9 – Rhythmic Values

leonharrell — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:14:00 +0000

DOWNLOAD THE FREE RHYTHMIC VALUES POSTER

Rhythm is the systematic arrangement of musical sound in time. In order to show this musicians use musical notation.

Rhythmic values, the individual mathematical time values of rhythm, are shown with notation such as whole, half, quarter, eighth and sixteenth notes. Also there are other possible notational values.

To begin to understand rhythm imagine a circle. A circle is a complete whole. A whole note looks like a circle. A whole note gets 4 beats.

If you divide the circle into 2 parts, you get 2 halves. A half note is half the value of a whole note, 2 beats.

If you divide the whole into 4 equal parts you get quarters. A quarter note is 1/4 the value of a whole note, 1 beat.

If you divide this quarter into 2 halves you get a 1/2 beat for each new note. But this new note is called an eighth note. This is because the value of this note is 1/8 the time value of a whole note. 4 beats divided by 8 parts will equal a 1/2 of a beat.

Finally if you divide the circle, or whole note, into 16 equal parts you will get 1/16 of a beat, called a sixteenth note.

To understand this better take a look at the video above and download the free rhythmic value poster so can visually make the connection with the math.

How to Read Music – Lesson 8 – Alto Clef

leonharrell — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 19:37:00 +0000

DOWNLOAD THE FREE ALTO CLEF POSTER HERE

The alto clef’s proper name is the C clef. This is because it’s pointer points to middle C.

The C clef is a special clef, because it is a movable clef. Wherever you place the pointer of the C clef that line will be the middle C.

There are 5 possible positions for the C clef, but the most commonly used it the position with the pointer on the middle line, known as the alto clef.

The notes of the clef are from the bottom up, F, G, A, B, C, E, D, F, G.

You can easily remember the lines of the alto clef with the phrase “Fast Ants Can Eat Grass” and the spaces can be remembered with the phrase “Great Big Dragons Fly”.

To help you learn and remember the notes of the alto clef here is a FREE ALTO CLEF POSTER DOWNLOAD for you.

How to Read Music – Lesson 7 – Ledger Lines

leonharrell — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:17:00 +0000

In this lesson we will learn about ledger lines. A ledger line is a short line added below or above the staff to extend it’s range.

Ledger lines are only used when a note is outside the range of the staff. When extending the staff it is best to use no more than 4 ledger lines for easy readability.

When using ledger lines we only want to use them briefly. If a musical passage needs ledger lines for a long time there is usually a better notational solution.

Ledger lines can be used on any staff. When using ledger lines it is important to only use the number of lines needed to show a given pitch. We do not want to put extra ledger lines above or below a pitch, only use enough to show to pitch you want.

How to Read Music – Lesson 6 – Accidentals

leonharrell — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 00:37:00 +0000

How to Read Music – Lesson 5 – Enharmonics

leonharrell — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:57:00 +0000

Enharmonics are also known as flats and sharps in music.

An enharmonic is one pitch that has two different names.

Watch this quick video to help you understand more about enharmonics.

How to Read Music – Lesson 4 – Piano Keyboard

leonharrell — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:23:00 +0000

The piano keyboard consists of 88 keys.

53 are white, called the naturals, and 36 are black, called the enharmonics, or flats and sharps.

The keyboard is arranged in a pattern of 12 notes, with 2 incomplete patterns on each end of the keyboard.

The pattern of 12 has a smaller sub-pattern or groups of 2 and 3 black keys nested inside it.

To find any key on the keyboard we use the black keys to navigate. Let’s start by finding the key C.

Locate the group of 2 black keys. Move just to the left and this white key will be C.

Moving to the right the white keys are D E F G A and B.

The pattern repeats over on the next key C.

To help you remember and more easily see this information visually, you can download the free Piano Keyboard Poster.

How to Read Music – Lesson 3 – Bass Clef

leonharrell — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:17:00 +0000

Download a free Treble & Bass Clef Note poster here.

Practice the bass clef with the Interactive Bass Clef Tool

How to Read Music – Lesson 2 – Treble Clef

leonharrell — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:33:00 +0000

Download a free Treble & Bass Clef Note poster here.

How to Read Music – Lesson 1 – Pitch

leonharrell — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:22:00 +0000

To understand pitch better take a look at the video above and download the free pitch poster.