Name That Tune
Mi-Re-Do-Re-Mi-Mi-Mi-Re-Re-Re-Mi-Sol-Sol
“Mary Had a Little Lamb”
soft
piano (p)
c. 500-1400
Medieval
A class that assumes octave and enharmonic equivalence (e.g F3, G2, A1)
pitch class
Start with C, go down a half step, up a whole step, up a half step, down a whole step, up a half step
C# (C-sharp)
Do-Do-Do-Re-Mi-Mi-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-Do-Do-Do-Sol-Sol-Sol-Mi-Mi-Mi-Do-Do-Do-Sol-Fa-Mi-Re-Do
“Row, Row, Row Your Boat”
To grow louder
crescendo
J.S. Bach
Baroque (c. 1600-1750)
Extra lines drawn through stems and/or note heads to designate a pitch above or below a staff
ledger line
Whole step above Gb (G-flat)
Ab (A-flat)
Do-Do-Sol-Sol-La-La-Sol
“Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
Medium or moderately loud
mezzo-forte (mf)
c.1815-1910
Romantic
Pitches with the same sound but different letter names
enharmonic pitches
Enharmonic equivalent to Db (D-flat)
C# (C-sharp) or Bx (B-double sharp)
Do-Re-Mi-Do-Do-Re-Mi-Do-Mi-Fa-Sol-Mi-Fa-Sol-Sol-La-Sol-Fa-Mi-Do
“Frere Jacques” or “Are You Sleeping”
fortissimo (ff)
very loud
Maurice Ravel
Early twentieth century (c. 1890-1945)
DOUBLE JEOPARDY
The combination of two adjacent half steps
whole step
Diatonic half step below Bbb (B-double flat)
Abb (A-double flat)
5-8-5-1-5-8-5
“Jeopardy Theme Song”
To grow softer
diminuendo or decrescendo
c. 1400-1600
Renaissance
A semitone between two adjacent pitches with different letter names
diatonic half step
The enharmonic equivalent of a whole step plus three half-steps above A5
Ebb (E-double flat) or Cx (C-double sharp)