Clefs & Staffs
What is the staff?
A set of five horizontal lines and four spaces where musical notes are written.
What is a whole note?
A note held for four beats in standard time.
What is the diaphram?
The main muscle below your lungs that contracts and flattens to help you control your breath while singing.
What is forte?
A musical direction to play or sing loudly.
What is the Treble Clef?
A symbol used for higher -pitched instruments and voices (like the violin, flute, or soprano). It is also called the G-clef.
What is a quarter note?
A note held for one beat in standard time.
What is vibrato?
A variation in pitch that creates a pulsing sound in a singing voice.
What is a crescendo?
A gradual increase in volume (getting louder).
What is the fourth line of the staff?
It depends on the clef. In treble clef, the fourth line is D. In bass clef, the fourth line is F.
What is 50% of a note?
Half of its normal rhythmic value. For example, 50% of a whole note (4 beats) is a half note (2 beats).
What is the soft palate?
The soft, flexible part at the back of the roof of your mouth that singers lift to create a rounder tone.
What is mezzo-forte?
A musical direction to play or sing moderately loud.
What are ledger lines?
Short, extra lines added above or below the staff to hold notes that are too high or too low to fit on the main lines
What is a triplet?
A group of three notes played in the same amount of time that two notes of the same value would normally take.
The transition zone where a singer's voice shifts between vocal registers, like moving from chest voice to head voice.
What is pianissimo?
A musical direction to play or sing very softly.
What is the Alto clef?
A clef that places Middle C directly on the middle (third) line of the staff. It is primarily used by the viola
What is a dotted quarter note?
A quarter note with a dot next to it, making it last for 1.5 beats (a quarter note plus an eighth note).
What are vowel modifications?
Changes made to the shape of a vowel, to keep the voice sounding relaxed.
What is sforzando?
A sudden, strong emphasis or accent on a single note or chord.