Introduction to

music
Essential
Definitions in
music
What is music?
Music is generally defined as _the art of arranging sound to create some combination
of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content.
In the context of music, pitch governs melody and harmony, rhythm governs tempo,
meter, and articulation, and dynamics refer to loudness and softness. Timbre and
texture also play a role.
The following are definitions of key terms related to music:

• 1.Sound In music, sounds are vibrations that are strongly regular.

• 2. Pitch A specific frequency of sounds produced by a vibrating object.
• 3. Note A name given to a specific pitch.
• 4. Timbre The sound difference in different instruments.
• 5. Tone A musical or vocal sound with reference to its pitch, quality, and
strength.
Piano Keyboard
Piano Keyboard

There are 7 and a half octaves in the piano keyboard as shown in the picture.
The notes are given names according to the octave number.
So if you need to name the C in octave 4, it's named as C4, D in octave 3 is D3, and vice versa.
Piano
Keyboard
Here are some important things to
know about the piano keyboard:

• The same pattern of keys is

repeated throughout the
keyboard.
• The black keys are grouped in
2s and 3s.
• The white key before any
group of 2 black keys is always
a C.
• There are many Cs on the
keyboard, but the one in the
middle of the keyboard is
called middle C.
• The first C on the keyboard is
C1, the second is C2, the third
is C3, and so on. Therefore,
middle C is also known as C4.
• The 8 white keys between any
two groups of black keys are
called an octave.
• In an octave, there are 12 white
and black keys combined.
• A standard piano has 7
octaves.
• There are 88 black and white
keys on a standard piano.
• However, electronic keyboards
often have only 61 keys or even
just 24 keys.
Black notes on the
keyboard
There are five black notes on a
keyboard, and they are named after the
white notes that they are located
between. The black note located
between the C and D keys is called C-
sharp or D-flat. The black note located
between the D and E keys is called D-
sharp or E-flat. The black note located
between the F and G keys is called F-
sharp or G-flat. The black note located
between the G and A keys is called G-
sharp or A-flat. The black note located
between the A and B keys is called A-
sharp or B-flat.
Learning how to play the black keys is
essential for any aspiring pianist, as they
provide the foundation for many popular
songs. Plus, they add a unique sound to
a melody that cannot be achieved with
white keys alone.

“
In conclusion, the black notes on a

keyboard are vital in creating beautiful

music. They are the sharps and flats

that help to create melody, harmony,

and rhythm. Whether you are a beginner

or an experienced pianist, mastering the

black keys is an essential step to

becoming a great musician.

The staff or the
staves
The
staff or
the
staves
• These are 5
horizontal lines,
these 5 horizontal
lines together are
called the staff or
the staves.
• All the music is
notated on the staff.
• The notation is very
detailed and it
usually includes how
fast the music should
be played, how
loudness and
softness change
throughout the piece
of music, etc in
addition to the notes
to be played and
how.
• Each line and each
space of the staff
has a specific
number to easily
identify them as
named above
Great Staff
Great
Staff
Great staff has 2 staff
combined with a vertical
line.
The grand staff is
typically used for piano
music and other
keyboard instruments.
The top staff is for the
right hand and the
bottom staff is for the
left hand. This allows for
more complex and
intricate music to be
notated and played on
the keyboard. The
grand staff also includes
additional markings and
symbols to indicate
pedalling, hand
positions and other
important details for the
performer
Musical
alphabet and
degrees of a
scale
Musical alphabet and
degrees of a scale
In music, a scale is a series of notes
arranged by pitch, with each note
assigned a degree. The first note is the
tonic, and the seventh is the leading
tone. Scales can be major or minor and
have a specific pattern of whole and
half steps. Knowing scales and degrees
is necessary for understanding melody
and harmony in music. Different genres
of music use different scales and
modes. For example, Indian classical
music uses ragas, and traditional
Chinese music uses the pentatonic
scale. Understanding scales and
degrees is fundamental to music theory
and necessary for creating or analyzing
music.
Pitches in music are given specific
names and are called notes.
The musical alphabet consists of 7
letters or notes: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.

“
These same notes can also be

described using other naming systems,

including tonic solfa and technical

names.

According to C
major scale,
 That s all for the
'

introduction let s look at

, '

the clefs and notes in the

next chapter ...