Music Theory Exam Overview
Choir
PITCH and KEY SIGNATURES
1.
Be able to define a “staff, a “measure” a “bar line” and the “grand staff”
Staff: The five horizontal lines that one can write music on!
Measure: The distance between two bar lines.
Bar Lines: Vertical lines used to divide the staff into measures.
Grand Staff: When a composer combines both the treble and bass clef staffs together as ONE!
2.
Know the difference between the bass and treble clefs. Know their other (letter name) as well
and why they have this other name.
Bass Clef-Typically (in singing) the clef at which basses look! Found below the Treble clef
Treble Clef-Typically (in singing) the clef at which Sopranos, Altos and often Tenors look at.
Tenors sometimes look at bass clef too.
Bass clef = “F” Clef, because the dots surround the 4th line F in the bass clef
Treble clef= “G” Clef, because the bottom of the clef surrounds the 2nd line G on the Treble clef.
3.
Know what leger lines are.
Leger Line-Tiny line that extends the staff above and below the staff.
4.
Know your line and space names of the notes on both the Treble and Bass Clef Staffs as well as
leger line names above and below the staffs.
Treble Clef, Lines –E G B D F (every good boy deserves fudge) bottom line going up
Treble Clef, Spaces-F A C E
Bass Clef, Lines-G B D F A (Good Boys Do Fine Always)
Bass Clef, Spaces- A C E G (All Cows Eat Grass)
5.
Be able to tell whether a note is on a line or in a space.
If a note is on a line, the note head will have a line going right through it.
If a note is on a space, there will not be a line going through the note head!
6.
Know why it is important to be able to name what key you are singing in (otherwise known as,
“what is the tonal center” or “what note is Do?”)
7.
Know what accidentals are and what a sharp (#), a flat (b) and a natural ( ) do to a note as well
as how long they last.
8.
Know when a sharp or flat is one a line or in a space.
9.
Know the letters of the music alphabet.
10.
Know the sharp key rule
11.
Know the flat key rule
12.
Know when to say “sharp” or “flat” when naming the key.
13.
Know what the sharps and flats at the beginning of the piece indicate.
14.
Know the order of sharps and the order of flats as they are drawn on the staff.
15.
Know the sofege words (do re mi fa so la ti do)
16.
Know how to name your first note in solfege after naming the key the song is in.
17.
Know that when notes on the scale go upward on the staff, the letter and/or solfege names
ascend in order. When the notes descend, the letter names and/or solfege names also descend.
18.
Be able to write in solfege underneath the notes you are singing.
19.
Know which way the stems of notes go (depending upon where they fall on the staff).
20.
Know the difference between notes moving by step and those that skip.
RHYTHM
21.
Be able to define the word “beat”
Beat-A steady pulse felt when listening to or singing music!
22.
Be able to define the word “tempo”
Tempo-Speed of the beat.
23.
Be able to recognize all the following notes and rests. Whole Note/Rest, Half Note/Rest,
Quarter Note/Rest, Eighth Note/Rest and Sixteenth Note/Rest.
24.
Know what changes when the bottom number of a time signature goes from 4 to 8 or to 2.
25.
Know what both the top and bottom number of a time signature represent.
Bottom number-tells what note gets ONE beat
Top number- How many beats are in a measure.
26.
Be able to tell how many beats each of the notes/rests in #11 above receives in the time
signatures with a 4, 8 and 2 on the bottom.
27.
Know what a dot (.) does when it directly follows a note.
28.
29.
Know the rest that is used to fill any measure with silence, regardless of the time signature.
Be able to define what a “pick up” note is.
30.
Know how to write in counts for more simple rhythmic exercises.
TERMS-SIGNS-SYMBOLS
31.
Know what each dymanic (volume) marking represents (pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff)
pp=very soft, p=soft mp=medium soft, mf=medium loud, f=loud, ff=SUPER(very) loud
32.
Know crescendo, decrescendo and diminuendo mean and what their symbols look like.
Crescendo=gradually get louder
Decresendo or Diminuendo-gradually get softer
33.
Know the difference between a tie and a slur
Tie-ties two notes together that are on the SAME line or space
Slur-is found above notes on different lines and spaces. Slur means to sing smoothly.
34.
Know what an interval is and be able to label them.
Interval-The distance between two notes.
35.
Know what each of the following terms means and what the symbol is for each: Staccato,
Accent, Sforzando, Tenuto, Fermata.
. = staccato, short and separated
> is an accent –hit the note harder, emphasize it!
Sfz- sforzando-hit the note harder, emphasize it!
_ Tenuto, means, give the note its’ full value.
Fermata-“birds eye”-watch the director (hold the note!)
36.
Know the difference between a half and a whole step and what enharmonic equivalent means.
37.
Know what accelerando (accel.) and Ritardano (rit. Or ritard.) and “a tempo” mean.
38.
Understand repeat signs as well as first and second endings.
39.
Know what DC al fine and DS al Fine mean.
SINGING STUFF
40.
What does the term “stagger breathing”
It’s when you don’t plan together when to breath. Breathing at random times!
41.
How does Lawton describe the shape of the “oo” vowel? The “ee” vowel? The “oh” or “aw”
vowel?
Inside of mouth is very tall, while lips are like you are kissing Grandma. You should look like an owl.
EE-Practically the same shape as oo.
OH/AW-Make tons of space inside mouth, and drop your jaw LOTS. Make SPACE!
Where is the soft palate and why is the soft palate important in singing?
Where: Inside your mouth way in back at the top of it.
Impt Why: Because now there is more room for the sound to bounce around (vibrate)! The sound will
now be a fuller/louder sound.
42.
Be able to recognize the following conducting patterns: 4/4 and ¾ and 2/4.
43.
Know where the diaphragm is and how is works.
44.
Be able to describe how to control the release of your breath.
45.
Why (in Lawton's opinion) is posture MOST important?
46.
Where should you think about your sound going when you sing? In other words, where should
you place your sound while singing?
47.
Why is it important to make space in your mouth while singing? What does that do exactly?
48.
When singing down the scale (one note lower than the next) it is common for singers to sing flat.
What can you think about so that doesn't happen as much?
49.
How would you describe the mouth shape (inside and out) when switching from a more pop
style sound to a more classical or opera style?
50.
What is the best thing to do with the an ending consonant “s” on a word when it is being held
out for several beats and then followed by another word? Example: “singS.....freely”
51.
What does it mean when a choir teacher says “blend?”
52.
Be able to put all eight voice parts in order from the highest to the lowest voice part.
53.
If Lawton says, “sing more like thick chocolate or more like the color brown” how would that
sound? What if he said, “sing more like bright green or bright yellow”. Would these be fairly similar or
very different sounds?
54.
Why do we warm up our voices every day...I mean, what is the point really?
55.
56.
What is the MOST important thing to always try and do when singing...?
57.
What does Lawton say probably more than anything as a reminder to make your singing better,
especially in younger choirs?