Bell Kit Note Chart? The 154 Detailed Answer

The glockenspiel (also known as bells) is considered a percussion instrument because you hit the key with a mallet to create a sound. The keys of the bells are arranged identically to a piano, and the notes are the same as the notes on a piano. A student who has piano experience and wants to play something similar in a school music setting should consider the bells.

The bells often play the notes together with the flutes, but sometimes have separate parts written out. Typically, the bells are part of a “percussion kit” that includes the bells, stand, practice pad, drumsticks, and bell mallets.

Sign used in music notation, a pitched tone

In music, a note is a symbol denoting a musical sound. In English usage, a note is also the sound itself.

Notes can represent the pitch and duration of a note in musical notation. A note can also represent a tonality.

Notes are the building blocks of much written music: discretizations of musical phenomena that facilitate performance, understanding, and analysis.

The term note can be used in both a general and a specific sense: one could either say “the piece ‘Happy Birthday to You’ begins with two notes of the same pitch” or “the piece begins with two repetitions of the same note”. In the former case, note is used to refer to a specific musical event; in the latter one uses the term to refer to a class of events that share the same pitch. (See also: Key Names and Translations.)

A or La The Notor

names of some notes

Two notes with fundamental frequencies in a ratio equal to an integer power of two (eg, half, two, or four) are perceived as very similar. For this reason, all notes with such relationships can be grouped under the same pitch class.

In European music theory, most countries use the Solfège naming convention do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-si, including for example Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, Romania, most Latin American countries, Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Russia, Arabic speaking and Persian speaking countries. However, in English and Dutch-speaking regions, pitch classes are typically represented by the first seven letters of the Latin alphabet (A, B, C, D, E, F, and G). Several European countries, including Germany, adopt an almost identical notation, replacing H with B (see below for details). Byzantium used the names Pa-Vu-Ga-Di-Ke-Zo-Ni (Πα-Βου-Γα-Δι-Κε-Ζω-Νη).[2]

In traditional Indian music, musical notes are called svaras and are commonly represented by the seven notes Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni.

The eighth note, or octave, is given the same name as the first but has twice the frequency. The name octave is also used to indicate the span between one note and another at twice the frequency. To distinguish two notes that have the same pitch class but fall in different octaves, the system of scientific pitch notation combines a letter name with an Arabic numeral denoting a specific octave. For example, today’s standard pitch for most western music, 440 Hz, is denoted as a′ or A4.

There are two formal systems to define each note and octave, Helmholtz pitch notation and scientific pitch notation.

accidental [ edit ]

Letter names are modified by the accidentals. The cross sign ♯ raises a note by a semitone or semitone step, and a B♭ lowers it by the same amount. In modern tuning, a semitone has a frequency ratio of 12√2, approximately 1.0595. Accidentals are written after the note name: for example, F♯ stands for F#, B♭ for Bb, and C♮ for C (or C).

12√2 Frequency vs. Position in Treble Clef . Each note shown has a frequency of the previous note multiplied by

Additional accidentals are the double sharp, which raises the frequency by two semitones, and the double flat, which lowers it by that amount.

Accidentals are placed in front of note symbols in musical notation. Systematic changes of the seven lettered pitches in the scale can be indicated by placing the symbols in the key, which then apply implicitly to all occurrences of corresponding notes. Explicitly notated accidentals can be used to negate this effect for the rest of a bar. A special accidental, the natural symbol ♮, is used to indicate a pitch that has not been altered by the changes in key signature. Key signature and local accidental effects do not stack. When the key indicates G♯, a local Bb before a G makes it G♭ (not G♮), although this type of rare accidental is often expressed as a natural followed by a Bb (♮♭) to make this clear . Likewise (and more commonly) a double cross mark on a key signature with a single cross ♯ indicates only a double cross, not a triple cross.

Assuming enharmonicity, many accidentals will create equivalences between pitches spelled differently. For example, raising the B note to B♯ is equal to the C note. Assuming all these equivalences, the full chromatic scale adds five additional pitch classes to the original seven lettered notes, for a total of 12 (the 13th note completing the octave ). , each separated by a half step.

Notes belonging to the context-relevant diatonic scale are sometimes referred to as diatonic notes; Notes that do not meet this criterion are then sometimes referred to as chromatic notes.

Another style of notation, rarely used in English, uses the suffix “is” to indicate a sharp and “es” (just “s” after A and E) for a B flat, e.g. B. F sharp for F♯, G flat for G♭, E flat for E♭. This system originated in Germany and is used in almost all European countries whose main language is not English, Greek or a Romance language (such as French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and Romanian).

In most countries using these suffixes, the letter H is used to represent what is natural in English B, the letter B is used in place of B♭, and Heses (i.e. H) is used in place of B (although Bes and Heses both denote the English B). Dutch speakers in Belgium and the Netherlands use the same suffixes, but apply them to the notes A through G throughout, so B, B♭, and B have the same meanings as in English, although they’re called B, Bes, and Beses instead of B, B flat major and B flat double major. Denmark also uses H but uses Bes instead of Heses for B.

12-note chromatic scale [ edit ]

The following table lists the names used in different countries for the 12 notes of a chromatic scale built on C. The corresponding symbols are given in brackets. Differences between German and English notation are highlighted in bold. Although the English and Dutch names are different, the corresponding symbols are the same.

Names of grades in different languages ​​and countries Naming convention 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 English C Cis

(C♯) D D sharp

(D ♯ ) E F F sharp

(F ♯ ) G G sharp

(G♯) A A sharp

(A ♯ ) B D flat

(D♭) It

(E♭) tot

(G♭)A flat

(A♭) B flat major

(B♭) German[3]

(used in Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden) C Cis

(C♯) D sharp

(D ♯ ) E F F sharp

(F ♯ ) G G sharp

(G♯) A A sharp

(A ♯ ) H des

(D♭) It

(E♭) tot

(G♭) Like

(A ♭ ) B Swedish Compromise[4]

(Sweden) C Ciss

(C♯) D Diss

(D ♯ ) E F Fiss

(F♯) G Giss

(G♯) A Aiss

(A ♯ ) H dess

(D♭) Ess

(E♭) Sat

(G♭) Ass

(A♭) bess

(B♭) Dutch[3]

(used in the Netherlands and sometimes in Scandinavia after the 1990s and Indonesia) C C sharp

(C♯) D sharp

(D ♯ ) E F F sharp

(F ♯ ) G G sharp

(G♯) A A sharp

(A ♯ ) B D flat

(D♭) It

(E♭) tot

(G♭) Like

(A♭) bes

(B♭) Romance languages[5]

(used in Italy, France, Spain, Romania, Russia, Latin America, Greece, Israel, Turkey, Latvia and many other countries)

diesis/bemolle are the Italian spelling do do diesis

(do ♯ ) re re diesis

(re ♯ ) mi fa fa diesis

(fa ♯ ) sol sol diesis

(sol ♯ ) la la diesis

(la ♯ ) si re bemolle

(re ♭ ) mi molle

(mi ♭ ) sol bemolle

(sol ♭ ) la bemolle

(la ♭ ) si molle

(si ♭ ) Byzantine[6] Ni Ni diesis Pa Pa diesis Vu Ga Ga diesis Di Di diesis Ke Ke diesis Zo Pa hyphesis Vu hyphesis Di hyphesis Ke hyphesis Zo hyphesis Japanese[7] Ha ( ハ ) Ei-ha

(嬰ハ) Ni (ニ) Ei-ni

(嬰ニ) Ho (ホ) He (ヘ) Ei-he

(嬰へ) To (ト) Egg-to

(嬰ト) I (イ) Ei-i

(嬰イ) Ro (ロ) Hen-ni

(変ニ) Hen ho

(変ホ) Hen-to

(変ト) Hen-i

(変イ) Hen ro

(変ロ) Indian (Hindustani)[8] Sa

(सा) Re Komal

( रे॒ ) Re

(रे) Ga Komal

(ग॒) Ga

(ग) Ma

(म) Ma Tivra

( म॑ ) Pa

(प) Dha Komal

(ध॒) Dha

(ध) Ni Komal

( नि॒ ) Ni

(नि) Indian (Carnatic) Sa Shuddha Ri (R1) Chatushruti Ri (R2) Sadharana Ga (G2) Antara Ga (G3) Shuddha Ma (M1) Prati Ma (M2) Pa Shuddha Dha (D1) Chatushruti Dha (D2) Kaisika Ni (N2) Kakali Ni (N3) Shuddha Ga (G1) Shatshruti Ri (R3) Shuddha Ni (N1) Shatshruti Dha (D3) Indian (Bengali)[9] Sa

(সা) Komôl Re

( ঋ ) Re

(রে) Komôl Ga

( জ্ঞ ) Ga

( গ ) Ma

( ম ) Kôṛi Ma

( হ্ম ) Pa

( প ) Komôl Dha

(দ) Dha

(ধ) Komôl Ni

( ) Ni

( নি )

Note labeling by octave name [ edit ]

The table below shows each octave and the frequencies for each note in pitch class A. The traditional (Helmholtz) system focuses on the major octave (with capital letters) and the minor octave (with lower case letters). Lower octaves are called “contra” (with prime numbers in front), higher “lined” (with prime numbers after). Another system (scientific) adds a number (starting with 0 or sometimes −1). In this system, A 4 is now standardized at 440 Hz and is in the octave containing notes from C 4 (middle C) to B 4 . The lowest note on most pianos is A 0, the highest C 8. The MIDI system for electronic musical instruments and computers uses direct counting, starting with note 0 for C -1 at 8.1758 Hz to note 127 for G 9 at 12,544Hz

Octave Names Octave Naming Systems Frequency

from A (Hz) Traditional Helmholtz Scientific MIDI sub-contra C͵͵͵ – B͵͵͵ C −1 – B −1 0 0 – 11 13.75 sub-contra C͵͵ – B͵͵ C 0 – B 0 12 – 23 27.5 0 contra C͵ – B͵ C 1 – B 1 24 – 35 55 .00 large C – B C 2 – B 2 36 – 47 110 .00 small c – b C 3 – B 3 48 – 59 220 .00 single line c′ – h′ C 4 – H 4 60 – 71 440 .00 two lines c′′ – h′′ C 5 – H 5 72 – 83 880 .00 three lines c′′′ – h′′′ C 6 – H 6 84 – 95 1760 .00 four lines c′′′′ – h′′′′ C 7 – H 7 0 96 – 107 3520 .00 five lines c′′′′ – h′′′ “C 8 – H 8 108 – 119 7040 .00 six-line c”′′′′′ – h” C 9 – H 9 120 – 127

C to G 14080.00

Written notes[edit]

A written note can also have a note value, a code that determines the relative duration of the note. In order of halved duration, these are: double note (breve); whole note (half breve); half note (minimum); quarter note (quarter); eighth note (quaver); sixteenth note (sixteenth); thirty-second note (demisemiquaver), sixty-fourth note (hemidemisemiquaver), and one hundred and twenty-eighth note.

In a score, each note is assigned a specific vertical position on a staff position (a line or a space) on the staff, as determined by the clef. Each line or space is assigned a note name. These names are memorized by musicians and allow them to recognize at a glance the correct pitch to play their instruments.

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The staff above shows the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C and then in reverse order, with no key signature or accidental.

Note Frequency (in Hertz) [ edit ]

Music can be composed of notes of any physical frequency. Since the physical sources of music are vibrations, they are often measured in Hertz (Hz), where 1 Hz means one vibration per second. For historical and other reasons, particularly in Western music, only twelve tones of fixed frequencies are used. These fixed frequencies are mathematically related and defined around the central tone A 4 . The current “standard pitch” or modern “concert pitch” for this note is 440 Hz, although this varies in actual practice (see history of pitch standards).

The convention for naming notes is a letter, all accidentals, and an octave number. Each note is an integer number of half steps away from concerto A (A 4 ). This distance is denoted by n. If the grade is above A4, then n is positive; if it is below A 4, then n is negative. The frequency of the tone (f) (assuming equal temperament) is then:

f = 2 n 12 × 440 Hz {\displaystyle f=2^{\frac {n}{12}}\times 440{\text{ Hz}}\,}

For example, one can find the frequency of C 5 , the first C above A 4 . There are 3 semitones between A 4 and C 5 (A 4 → A♯ 4 → B 4 → C 5 ), and the note is above A 4 , so n = 3. The frequency of the note is:

f = 2 3 12 × 440 Hz ≈ 523.2 Hz {\displaystyle f=2^{\frac {3}{12}}\times 440{\text{ Hz}}\approx 523.2{\text{ Hz }}}

To find the frequency of a note below A 4, the value of n is negative. For example, the F under A 4 is F 4 . There are 4 semitones (A 4 → A♭ 4 → G 4 → G♭ 4 → F 4 ) and the note is below A 4 , so n = −4. The frequency of the note is:

f = 2 − 4 12 × 440 Hz ≈ 349.2 Hz {\displaystyle f=2^{-{\frac {4}{12}}}\times 440{\text{ Hz}}\approx 349.2{ \text{ Hz }}}

Finally, from this formula it can be seen that since n is a multiple of 12 (12k , where k is the number of octaves up or down), octaves automatically yield powers of twice the original frequency, and hence the formula reduces to:

f = 2 12 k 12 × 440 Hz = 2 k × 440 Hz {\displaystyle f=2^{\frac {12k}{12}}\times 440{\text{ Hz}}=2^{k}\times 440{\mathrm{Hz}}}

This gives a factor of 2. In fact, this is the mean by which this formula is derived, combined with the notion of evenly spaced intervals.

The distance of an equal semitone is divided into 100 cents. So 1200 cents corresponds to an octave – a frequency ratio of 2:1. This means that one cent is exactly 1200√2, which is roughly 1.000578.

For use with the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) standard, a frequency mapping is defined by:

p = 69 + 12 × log 2 ⁡ f 440 Hz {\displaystyle p=69+12\times \log _{2}{\frac {f}{440{\text{ Hz}}}}}

where p is the MIDI note number (and 69 is the number of semitones between C −1 (note 0) and A 4). And vice versa, to get the frequency from a MIDI note p, the formula is defined as follows:

f = 2 p − 69 12 × 440 Hz {\displaystyle f=2^{\frac {p-69}{12}}\times 440{\text{ Hz}}}

For notes in an A440 with the same tuning, this formula returns the standard MIDI note number ( p ). All other frequencies evenly fill the space between the integers. This allows MIDI instruments to be accurately tuned in any micro-tuning scale, including non-Western traditional tunings.

Note names and their history[edit]

Music notation systems have used letters of the alphabet for centuries. The 6th-century philosopher Boethius is known to have used the first fourteen letters of the classical Latin alphabet (the letter J did not exist until the 16th century).

A B C D E F G H I K L M N O,

to denote the notes of the two-octave range then in use[10] and represented in modern scientific pitch notation as

A 2 B 2 C 3 D 3 E 3 F 3 G 3 A 3 B 3 C 4 D 4 E 4 F 4 G 4 .

Although it is not known if this was his invention or common usage at the time, this is nevertheless referred to as Böthian notation. Although Boethius is the first author known to use this nomenclature in literature, five centuries earlier Ptolemy wrote about the two-octave range and called it the perfect staff or complete staff – in contrast to other staves with smaller ones Range that these did not contain all possible types of octaves (i.e. the seven octaves beginning with A, B, C, D, E, F and G).

It then expanded the range (or range) of notes used to three octaves and introduced the system of repeating the letters A–G in each octave, these being written in lower case for the second octave (a–g) and double lower case for the third (aa–gg). When the range was extended down a note to a G, that note was denoted by the Greek letter gamma (Γ). (Hence, the French word for scale, gamme, and the English word gamut, derive from “gamma-ut,” the lowest note in medieval musical notation.)

The remaining five notes of the chromatic scale (the black keys on a piano keyboard) were gradually added; The first is B♭, as B has been flattened in certain modes to avoid the dissonant tritone interval. This change was not always reflected in the notation, but in writing B♭ (B) was written as Latin, rounded “b” and B♮ (B-natural) as Gothic script (known as blackletter) or “hard-edged” b. These evolved into the modern flat (♭) and natural (♮) symbols, respectively.The sharp symbol evolved from a barred b, referred to as a “blined b”.

In parts of Europe including Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Norway, Denmark, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, [Finland and Iceland (and pre-1990s Sweden) the Gothic b was converted to the letter H ( possibly for hart, German for hart, or just because the Gothic b resembled an h). Therefore, in German music notation, H is used instead of B♮ (B-natural) and B is used instead of B♭ (B-flat major). Occasionally, music written in German for international use uses H for B-natural and Bb for B-flat major (with a lowercase b in modern script instead of a B sign). Since a B flat or B♭ is both rare and unorthodox (rather expressed as Heses) in Northern Europe (i.e. a B elsewhere) it is generally clear what this notation means.

In Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Romanian, Greek, Albanian, Russian, Mongolian, Flemish, Persian, Arabic, Hebrew, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Turkish and Vietnamese, the note names are do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-si instead of C-D-E-F-G-A-B. These names follow the original names allegedly given by Guido d’Arezzo, who took them from the first syllables of the first six musical phrases of a Gregorian chant melody “Ut queant laxis”, which began on the appropriate scale degrees. These became the basis of the Solfège system. For ease of singing, the name ut has largely been replaced by do (most likely from the beginning of Dominus, Lord), although ut is still used in some places. It was the Italian musicologist and humanist Giovanni Battista Doni (1595–1647) who successfully proposed renaming the note ‘Ut’ to ‘Do’. For the seventh degree the name si (from Sancte Iohannes, St. John to whom the hymn is dedicated), although the seventh is called ti in some regions.

The two most commonly used notation systems today are the Helmholtz pitch notation system and the scientific pitch notation system. As shown in the table above, both contain multiple octaves, each beginning on C rather than A. This is because the most commonly used scale in western music is the major scale and the sequence C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C (the C major scale) is the simplest example a major scale. In fact, it is the only major scale that can be obtained using natural notes (the white keys on the piano keyboard) and is typically the first scale taught in music schools.

In a newly developed system used primarily in the United States, scale notes become independent of music notation. In this system, the natural symbols C-D-E-F-G-A-B refer to the absolute notes, while the names do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti are relative and only the relationship between pitches show , where do is the name of the fundamental pitch of the scale (the tonic), re the name of the second degree, etc. The idea of ​​this so-called “movable dos” was first proposed by John Curwen in the 19th century, was expanded in the mid-20th century by Zoltán Kodály fully developed and incorporated into a whole educational system known as the Kodály Method or Kodály Concept.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

Learn how to read sheet music: sheet music for music

Sheet music, the written form of sheet music, can appear very complex to the untrained eye. While reading sheet music is like learning a whole new language, it’s actually a lot less complicated than you might think. This article explains how to read sheet music. Check out our Learn to Read Sheet Music: Rhythms article for information on musical note values, time signatures, counting rhythms, and more.

Employee

The basis of the written musical language is the staff. It consists of five lines and four spaces as shown below. Rows are numbered 1-5 from the bottom row. The spaces are numbered 1 through 4, starting with the bottom space (between lines 1 and 2).

clefs and note names

Each line and space of the staff corresponds to a musical pitch determined by the clef. Musical notes are named after the first seven letters of the alphabet: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. The two clefs that are mainly used are the treble clef and the bass clef.

The treble clef pictured below is also known as the “G clef”. This is because the curve in the clef surrounds the second line of the staff, which is labeled “G” on the treble clef staff. The treble clef is used by higher register instruments such as the flute, violin and trumpet. The higher positions of the piano are also notated in treble clef. For beginning pianists, the notes of the treble clef system are played with the right hand.

The note names on the treble clef spaces spell F-A-C-E.

The note names on the lines of the treble clef are E-G-B-D-F. Some mnemonics to help you remember this are “Every Good Boy Does Fine”, “Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge” or “Elvis’ Guitar Broke Down Friday”. Come up with your own and let us know in the comments!

The bass clef shown in the examples below is also known as the “F clef” because the fourth line of the staff runs between the two dots. The note located on this line of the bass clef staff is an “F”. In early music notation hundreds of years ago, this clef sometimes moved. The “F” was on the line that ran between the two dots. In other words, the F could have been on the third line instead of the fourth! Today, the “F clef” does not move and is known interchangeably as the bass clef.

As the name suggests, the bass clef is used by instruments with lower registers such as the cello, trombone or bassoon. The lower registers of the piano are notated in bass clef. For beginning pianists, the notes of the bass clef system are played with the left hand.

The note names on the staff spaces in bass clef are A-C-E-G. Some helpful phrases to remember are “All cows eat grass” or “All cars eat gas”.

The note names on the lines of the bass clef staff are G-B-D-F-A. Some helpful mnemonics to jog your memory are “Good Boys Do Fine Always” or “Good Boys Deserve Fudge Always”. Let us know what you think of!

ledger lines

Ledger lines are used to notate pitches below or above the regular lines and spacing of the staff. “Middle C,” one of the first notes beginner musicians learn, is on a main line between the bass clef and treble clef staves. In the examples below you can see how it is notated in these two keys.

Ledger lines are sometimes used in music notation because they make reading the notes easier than constantly switching between clefs. There can be an infinite number of ledger lines above or below each staff, but reading the music can be difficult if there are more than three. At this point it is usually advisable to change the key. For example, write the following on the treble clef staff

is the same as writing

.

sign

In Western music, an “accidental” can be added before the note to change the pitch by a semitone or semitone step.

The icon shown below is a flat sign. As the name suggests, this symbol is used to indicate that the pitch of the note should be lowered by a semitone. The note pictured here is a B.

The symbol that looks like a pound sign or hashtag is a sharp character. It indicates that the preceding note should be raised a semitone. The note in the example is C sharp.

If there is a sharp or flat before a note at the beginning of a bar, that note will remain a sharp or flat for the entire bar. For example, writing is much easier than writing. When played, these two bars would sound exactly the same.

Even if the measure contains other notes, the note preceded by a sharp or flat remains a sharp or flat in that measure. The notes in the example below are B flat, C, A, B flat, although before the last note there is no B symbol.

If the note should no longer sound sharp or too low, it is preceded by a natural sign. The note in the example below is an E-Natural.

If we take example 1a above and want to make the second Bb a Bb natural, it would look like example 1b below, which is Bb major, C, A, Bb natural.

Remember that accidentals only apply within the bar specified. Bars are separated by bar lines, a thin vertical straight line that runs through the four spaces of the staff, as shown below. (You will learn more about bars and barlines in a future article, “Learning to Read Music: Rhythms.”)

Look at example 2a below. Because there is a barline separating the fourth note from the fifth note, the fifth note is actually a B natural, not a B flat major. The six notes below are B flat, C, A, B flat, B natural, C.

Sometimes a composer or arranger may put a “courtesy” natural (or sharp or flat) at the beginning of the bar, as in example 2b below. This is a friendly reminder that the previous sign no longer applies. Both examples 2a and 2b would sound exactly the same when played.

key signatures

In many cases, a composer or arranger may want certain notes to be flat or sharp throughout an entire piece, unless of course otherwise indicated by a natural sign or other accidentals! You will communicate this in notes using a key signature. A key defines the key of the music and thus which flats or sharps should be played throughout the piece. This helps reduce the need for accidentals (i.e. any time a flat or sharp precedes a note in the music when it occurs). Well, there are some important rules you should know about key signatures. A key consists of sharps or flats, not a combination of the two. Flats and Sharps are added in a specific order as described below.

Flats in the key lower the pitch of notes on the corresponding line or space by a semitone (or semitone). This carries over to all octaves. Different keys are defined by the number of flats (or sharps) in the key, starting with the leftmost and moving to the right. Beers are added to a key in the following order: BEADGCF. For example, if there is only one Bb in the key, it will always be Bb. If there are three apartments, they are always B, Es and A, and so on.

Sharps in the key raise the pitch of notes on the corresponding line or space by a semitone. Different keys are defined by the number of sharps (or flats) in the key, also from left to right. Sharps are added to a key in the following order: FCGDAEB. For example, if you have a sharp in the key, it will always be F#. If you have four sharps they are always F sharp, C sharp, G sharp and D sharp and so on.

A helpful way to remember the order in which flats and sharps are added to a key is to recognize that they are opposites of each other. As you can see in the image below, flats are added to the notes from left to right and sharps are added to the notes from right to left.

piano keyboard

Many musicians often begin by playing the piano or keyboard. In fact, students studying music at college must take a piano course. It’s helpful to understand the piano keyboard, especially when we discuss scales in the next section.

This pattern repeats itself multiple times on a keyboard. There is a half step between each key on the piano, whether you are moving from a white key to a black key or from a white key to a white key. Although there is no black key between E and F or between B and C, each pair is still only a half step apart. Since there is a black between C and D, D and E, etc., we call the distance between these pairs of notes a whole tone.

Remember how we previously discussed that a sharp raises the pitch of a note by a semitone and a flat lowers the pitch of a note by a semitone? The black keys perform this function on a piano. For example, the black key you see between C and D sounds like a C sharp or a D flat. Visually it makes perfect sense because the black key is positioned above the C and below the D. The tone between D and E is a D flat or an E flat and so on.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the piano keyboard and the spacing between notes, let’s talk about scales!

Scale

The order in which flats or sharps are added to a key is so important because in Western music, much of the melody and harmony of a piece is built from the notes of a single scale. Scales are a series of notes ordered by a combination of whole steps and half steps. In musical language there are several types of scales; This article focuses on major and minor scales.

major scales

First, let’s look at the written C major scale. This particular scale has no sharps or flats. It would also be played solely on the white keys of a keyboard.

All major scales consist of the following tone pattern: whole tone, whole tone, semitone, whole tone, whole tone, whole tone, semitone.

If you were to start the scale on a note other than C, you would need to add sharps or flats to keep that tonal pattern. Let’s take a look at the F major scale.

As you now know, there is a whole tone between A and B, but in a major scale, that distance must be a semitone. So we lower the pitch of the Bb a semitone to Bb. (For the record, in a written scale you would never have two notes with the same letter name. In the F major scale you would never see the B written as an A flat.)

Now that we’ve looked at a scale with a flat spot, let’s take a look at a sharp scale.

The distance between the second and third notes of a major scale is a whole step. Since there is only a semitone between E and F, we have to raise the F by a semitone to F sharp. The same is true between the sixth and seventh notes of the scale, which is why a C# is written there.

minor scales

Every major scale has a relative minor scale. A relative minor scale has the same key as its major scale, but it starts on the sixth note of the major scale. For example, A is the sixth note of the C major scale, making A minor the relative minor scale of C major. Look at the F major and D major scales above? What is the relative minor scale for each of these major scales? Tip: Find the sixth note of the scale.

Because you’re using the same key as a major scale, but you have a different pattern of whole steps and semitones starting at the sixth note. Consider the following A minor scale.

All natural minor scales consist of the following tone pattern: whole tone, semitone, whole tone, whole tone, semitone, whole tone, whole tone.

You may be wondering why this scale is called A natural minor and not just A minor. This is because there are three types of minor scales. The natural minor scale does not change the notes in the specified key; in other words, there are no accidentals.

In the harmonic minor scale, the seventh note of the scale is raised a semitone. In the A harmonic minor scale, the G becomes a G sharp.

The third type of minor scale is the melodic minor scale. This one is a bit tricky because it ascends differently than descends. (All scales discussed previously are ascending and descending.) In the melodic minor scale, the sixth and seventh notes of the scale are raised half a step up and return to their original pitch, as indicated by the key, on the way down.

An extremely useful device for remembering all the different major and minor scales and their flats or sharps is called the circle of fifths. This is the best friend of many students studying music theory.

Check out our other articles in the Learn to Read Sheet Music series:

Learn to read sheet music: rhythms

Learn How to Read Sheet Music: List of Basic Musical Symbols

Learn to read sheet music: dynamics, articulations and tempo

family

Drums

description

With a name meaning “the slapping of one body against another,” instruments in the percussion family are played by being struck, shaken, or scraped. In the orchestra, the percussion section provides a variety of rhythms, textures and timbres. Percussion instruments are classified as either tuned or untuned. Pitched instruments play specific pitches or notes, just like the woodwind, brass, and string instruments. Unpitched instruments produce a sound of indefinite pitch, like the sound of a hand knocking on a door. The percussion instruments are an international family with ancestry from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, America and Europe representing musical styles from many different cultures.

Also known as orchestra bells, the glockenspiel resembles a small xylophone but is made of steel bars. The carillon is typically played with wooden or plastic mallets, producing a high-pitched sound that is bright and piercing. The name Glockenspiel comes from German and means “playing the bells”.

contextual associations

The carillon (or orchestra bells) is a metallophone idiophone of European origin. Today it is widespread worldwide wherever western cosmopolitanism has gained a foothold. A standard instrument in the percussion sections of orchestras and wind bands, composers have used it since the mid-19th century for coloristic effects and to play melodies (usually to double other instruments). It is also often required in percussion ensemble works (see Mixed percussion ensembles and Keyboard percussion ensembles). A more portable form of glockenspiel for use in marching bands is called a bell lyre. The glockenspiel is one of several instruments that must be mastered by band and orchestra percussionists, whether professionals or amateurs.

description

Both carillons pictured in the gallery have numerous rectangular keys made of hardened high carbon steel. All of the keys on both instruments have the same width and thickness dimensions — they’re 1.25 inches wide and 0.31 inches thick — but different lengths. The first instrument has 34 keys, the longest/deepest is 9.5 inches and the shortest/tallest is 3.75 inches. The second chime has 30 keys ranging in length from 8.9 to 3.75 inches. The two rows of keys each rest on a pair of wooden rails that run at an oblique angle from one end of the instrument to the other; One pair of rails is slightly higher than the other. The upturned edges of the splints are padded with a felt strip. The rails are located one quarter of the overall length of a key from each of its ends, which are nodal points (dead points) in vibration mode for rectangular keys. The keys are held in place with rubberized pins or screws, all of which run through the felt pad and are anchored to the wooden rails. The first instrument has a hole drilled in each key at a node, and this hole is slipped over a pin; A row of pins near the other end of the keys keeps adjacent keys separate from each other. The second instrument has two pin holes for each key to keep them in place. The keys are laid out in keyboard fashion, with the “white tone” keys on the bottom row and the “black tone” keys on the top row. The lower half of the instrument’s wooden case serves as a common resonator (the keys do not have individually tuned resonators like some keyboard percussion instruments). A special stand holds the instrument at about hip height.

Player – Instrument interface and sound generation

The standing performer faces the glockenspiel (photos are from the performer’s perspective) and uses a pair of stick mallets with small metal beads on one end, one mallet in each hand. Rubber bobbins are used when less volume is desired. The glockenspiel is a fully chromatic instrument, but its range can vary from instrument to instrument: the first instrument has a range of two octaves and a sixth (F5 – D8); the second of two octaves and a fourth (G5 – C8). Parts of it are written in treble clef and sound two octaves above the written pitch. The instrument has a bright, sustained, bell-like tone quality. Because there is no damper mechanism, when the player needs to control the duration of a note, they have to touch the vibrating button with a finger. For a video demonstrating the player-instrument interface for this instrument, see the Percussion chapter on the Philharmonia Orchestra website [jump to 4:52 in the video for the segment specific to the glockenspiel].

Origins/History/Evolution

Metallophone predecessors of the carillon already existed in the middle of the 18th century, often with piano mechanics. In the mid-19th century, composers wrote bell parts that seemed intended for a mallet-played glockenspiel like the one shown here. During this period the bell lyre was also used in German military bands.

Glockenspiel, percussion instrument, originally a set of graduated bells, later a set of tuned steel bars (i.e. a metallophone) struck with wood, ebonite or , sometimes metal hammers. The bars are arranged in two rows, the second corresponding to the black keys of the piano. The pitch range is 2 1/2 or occasionally 3 octaves, the highest note is usually the fourth C above middle C (written two octaves lower). Military bands use a portable form with a lyre-shaped frame called a bell lyre. A glockenspiel may be equipped with a keyboard mechanism to allow chords to be played. The glockenspiel became part of the orchestra in the 18th century.

The tubaphone is a gentler descendant of the glockenspiel. Used in military bands, it has metal tubes rather than poles.

Learning to play an instrument is a fantastic way to get away from it all for just a few minutes and is sure to impress your family and friends.

But many people worry that they won’t be able to learn a musical instrument because they didn’t start when they were young or because it will be too difficult. In fact, anyone can start learning any instrument at any stage in their life, everyone is a beginner at some point in their life.

To help you make the most progress in learning a musical instrument in the shortest amount of time, here is a list of the five easiest instruments to learn and why.

The five easiest instruments to quickly learn your first melody.

1st piano

While the piano is deceptively easy at first, you will find that it gets MUCH more difficult as you attempt to play more advanced music.

However, as a quick learning instrument, playing the piano or keyboard is almost immediately possible. by pressing a key and the perfect note plays for you.

You can learn a simple piano melody in under an hour, and even play some accompanying chords or harmonizing notes with your left hand at the same time.

You can quickly learn a simple song in an afternoon to impress your family.

2. Chimes

This might bring you back to your school days where you fought over who gets to play the glockenspiel or the xylophone.

It’s a super fun and easy to learn instrument. The chime (pronounced “block-ench-peel”) is made of metal bars and produces a bright, clear, and crisp sound.

It doesn’t take long to learn how to get tones right, and it’s just a matter of learning the order of the bars to create a melody.

3. Guitar

Before any guitarists get offended, we want to point out that playing anything more complicated on a guitar than a few simple chords and starting to fingerpick is extremely difficult!

But if you don’t want your first instrument to cost a lot of money and you want to feel a sense of accomplishment the very first afternoon, then a guitar is perfect.

(Trust me – I bought a flute once and literally spent all afternoon figuring out how to put it together correctly! Never mind playing it.)

Tuning the guitar is pretty easy as there are loads of free apps that will basically tune the guitar for you as they can tell you when you’ve hit the right pitch by hearing the speaker on your phone.

4. Harmonica

Again, playing more advanced music on the harmonica is more difficult and something you learn over time.

But since the harmonica is an easy instrument to learn, you can order your first harmonica, open it right out of the box, and start playing right away. With no tuition or knowledge or written music required.

Most people will automatically play the harmonica in chords when blowing into it due to the spread of the mouth over the harmonica. That’s fine, and it helps make whatever you’re trying to play sound even better right from the start!

5. Bongos

This might seem like an odd choice, but there’s something immensely satisfying about playing rhythms played on bongos. You don’t need any musical experience or knowledge and you can just start drumming to your favorite music.

The bongos are a great way to develop a good sense of rhythm and are the perfect instrument to start with before learning to play the drums later without feeling overwhelmed as a beginner.

A decent set of bongos doesn’t cost a lot of money and is a really fun thing to bring out at family gatherings to show off your drumming skills!

Bell cymbal made by cutting off a larger cymbal

bottom

A bell cymbal, bell splash cymbal or ice bell is a small, very thick cymbal with little or no taper used as an effects cymbal in a drum set. The sound made by hitting the cymbal with a drumstick is a distinctive high-pitched pinging sound with long sustain. Some manufacturers list Bell cymbals as a type of splash cymbal, others as a distinct type.

The name Bell Cymbal is indicative both of its tone, which is distinctly bell-like, and of the earliest examples, made by drummers who shortened a larger cymbal (often damaged on the rim) so that only the cymbal’s bell remained .

Bell cymbals vary greatly in profile. In some there is no arch at all, the entire cymbal taking the form of a concave downward-pointing cymbal bell, similar to the earliest examples. Others are in the shape of a traditional Turkish cymbal, with a smaller bell in proportion to the size of the cymbal, and still others fall somewhere between these two extremes.

Bell cymbals are most commonly six to ten inches in diameter, but larger and smaller specimens up to four inches are occasionally found, and Paiste makes one at thirteen inches.

ringing bells[edit]

A cup chime is a bell cymbal used as pitched percussion. Sets of cup chimes are used as melodic percussion.

See also[edit]