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PITCH AND PITCH
CLASS
THE MUSICIANS GUIDE TO
THEORY AND ANALYSIS
CHAPTER ONE
Music Alphabet/Note Names
Note are named only the following
letters:
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
Did you know in Germany they have an H note?
It is equivalent to our B-natural.
Pitch Classes and Pitches
Tones 8 letter names apart make an octave.
Example: C D E F G A B C
What is pitch?
Dictionary Definition: the quality of sound governed by the
rate of vibrations producing it; the degree or highness or
lowness of a tone
Book Definition: a tone sounding in a particular octave
QUICK ASSIGNMENT: Try it #1 - page 4
Notes on a Piano
Visually it is easier to imagine a piano when referring to
pitch name
Accidentals - sharp or flat changing a pitch from its
“natural” state
Flat - lower the pitch by one half-step; key below (to the
left)
Sharp - raises the pitch by one half-step; key above (to the
right)
Natural - no sharp or flats (white keys of the piano)
Enharmonic Equivalents
Simply put - same SOUND pitch, written two
different ways
Example: C#/Db produce the same sounding
pitch
QUICK ASSIGNMENT: Try it #2 - page 6
Half Steps and Whole Steps
 Half Steps - smallest possible interval in western
music; notes right next to each other
Example: C to C#; Bb to A
 Whole Step - two half steps
Example: C to D; G to F
QUICK ASSIGNMENT: Try it #3 - page 7
Double Sharps and Flats
Double Sharps (X)- raise the pitch 1 WHOLE step
from the natural
Example: GX=A
Double Flats (bb)- lower the pitch 1 WHOLE step
from the natural
Example: Ebb=D
Why is this important?
If we understand this much
without having to “read” the
music, it will make the next part
easier
Music Reading
 Music is written on a staff which consists of 5
lines and 4 spaces
 Like a latter line 1 is the bottom (lowest) line;
line 5 is the top (highest) space
 Space 1 is the bottom (lowest) space; space
4 is the top (highest) space
Clefs
Clefs determine:
Pitch placement on the
staff
Octave
How to read music
Types of clefs:
Treble Clef
Bass Clef
Soprano Clef
Mezzo Soprano Clef
Alto Clef
Tenor Clef
Baritone Clef
Treble Clef
With TREBLE as the name of
the clef is it going have
lower or higher notes on
this clef?
Lines:
Spaces:
Empty
Space
Garbage
FACE
Before
Dad
Flips
Bass Clef
With TREBLE as the
name of the clef is
it going have
lower or higher
notes on this clef?
Lines:
Good
Boys
Deserve
Food
Always
Spaces:
All
Cars
Eat
Gas
Warm-Up
Try it #4 - page 10
Try it #5 - page 11
C Clefs - Alto Clef
3rd line is middle C
Uses less ledger
lines for
instruments/voices
in this range
C Clefs - Tenor Clef
4th line is middle
C
Uses less ledger
lines for
instruments/voices
in this range
Ledger Lines - Treble Clef
Lines used to extend pitches below and
above the staff of any clef.
Ledger lines have lines and spaces.
A note with a line going through is on the line.
A note sitting on or under a line is a space.
Ledger Lines - Bass Clef
Notice how we still use the order of
the music alphabet with ledger
lines.
Grand Staff
Two staves (one in treble clef and one in
bass clef) connected by a brace and bar
line.
This is how piano music is typically written.
Grand Staff
Notice how middle C (C4) can be
written in either the treble clef or
bass clef lines.
Grand Staff
One last time, with a piano.
Did you notice that the brace and bar line
between the staves are missing?
Do not forget them!!
Naming Registers
C1
C2
C3
C4
C5
C6
Octave 1 is the lowest pitches on a
piano
Octave 8 is the highest pitches on a
piano
C7
C8
Naming Registers
C5
C3
C2
C4
Middle C
Examples in a grand staff.
C6
Dynamics
pp
(pianissimo - very soft)
p
(piano - soft)
mp
(mezzo piano - medium soft)
mf
(mezzo forte - medium loud)
f
(forte - loud)
ff
(fortissimo - very loud)