Free Online Piano Lesson 4: Breaking Musics Secret Code
Source:Internet Posted by:Learntopianoonline.com Date:2010-01-03 Click:
As you can begin to see, music is much like a science. There are certain rules, symbols, and plans for making every kind of music. This lesson will unlock some of those secret formulas that make up really good music. One of the most important decisions when composing music is picking a key. Since there are 12 keys in one octave , there are 12 possibilities for major keys and 12 possibilites for minor keys . Most songs are written in either major or minor. Major keys sound bright, while minor keys sound darker and mellower. This all depends on the key signature . The key signature is written at the beginning of the piece as sharps or flats placed at the beginning of both staves (plural of staff). You can find the major key signature by looking at the last sharp and going up a half step. For instance, if the key signature has 3 sharps, F-sharp, C-sharp, and G-sharp, the major key will be one half-step up from G-sharp, A major. If the key signature has flats, the major key will be the second to last flat. For example if there are 2 flats, B-flat and E-flat, the key will be B-flat major. Each major key shares its key signature with a relative minor key. If the key sounds like it's minor, you can find the major key and go down 3 half steps. So if it has 2 flats but has a minor sound, you can determine that it is B-flat major and go down 3 half steps to G minor.
Time signatures also appear at the beginning of each staff. These resemble fractions. The top number can best be explained as indicating how many beats are in a measure. The bottom number tells which note gets the beat. For instance, in 4/4 time there are 4 quarter note beats. In 6/8 there are 6 eighth note beats. 6/8 is also, however, what is called a compound meter . Although there are 6 eighth notes, the beat is often felt as 2 dotted quarter notes. Since the beat is a dotted note, it is called a compound meter. If the beat can be divided into two parts such as in 4/4, 3/4, and 3/2, it is called a simple meter. If there are even numbers of beats it is called a duple meter. So 4/4 is called duple simple . 6/8 is duple compound. If there are, for example, 3 beats in a measure, it is called a triple meter. An example of a triple simple measure would be 3/2. There are 3 half notes, which means 3 beats, a triple meter, and the beat is a half note which is not dotted and can be divided in two, which makes it a simple meter. There are also meters which do not fit into these categories which are labeled as assymetrical meters. Examples of these include 5/4, 5/8, 7/4, and 7/8. Piano composer Bela Bartok was well-known for using assymetrical meters in his works.
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