Name ______Date ______
Final Exam Study guide
PART I – Music Symbols and Terms
Know the following music symbols and what they mean:
repeat sign – sing or play again
fermata – hold longer
accent – add emphasis
staccato – separated
Decrescendo-get softer
Crescendo-get louder
tenuto – hold for the full length of the note
Articulation markings:
Staccato - - Separated, (short and crisp in March Style!)
Marcato - - Short and heavily accented
Tenuto - - held for the full time value; sustained; smooth and connected
Slur - - To glide over (a series of notes) smoothly without a break. Smoothest articulation style
Know the following Italian terms with their definition:
Ritardando – to slow down
Fine – the end of the song (pronounced fee-nay)
Accelerando – to gradually speed up (like an accelerator)
Forte - loud (f)
Piano - soft (p)
Mezzo – medium or half (m)
pp – pianissimo – very soft
ff – fortissimo – very loud
mf – mezzo forte, medium loud
mp – mezzo piano, medium soft
Know the following tempo markings:
Allegro – Fast, cheerful
Moderato – at a medium, walking tempo
Adagio – Slowly
Grave – very slowly
Be able to put them in order for softest to loudest.
soft to loud:
pp – pianissimo – very soft
p – piano - soft
mp – mezzo piano – medium soft
mf – mezzo forte – medium loud
f – forte - loud
ff – fortissimo – very loud
Fermata - - Hold longer, watch conductor!!
PART II – Intervals and Key Signatures
The interval is the distance between two notes.
The first note is always “1,” then simply count up to the next note for the distance (interval- count EVERY LINE AND SPACE!).
HOW TO READ A KEY SIGNATURE:
SHARP key signatures – always look at the LAST sharp, then go up 1/2 step for the name of the key. If that last sharp is on a line, it is the space above. If it is on a space, it is the line above.
FLAT key signatures – always look at the NEXT TO THE LAST FLAT, and that is the name of your key. The exception is when there is only ONE flat – that is the key of F (just memorize it).
The order of flats in a key signature, left to right, is: B E A D G C F
The order of sharps in a key signature, left to right, is: F C G D A E B
If there are no flats or sharps, you are in the key of C.
PART III – Rhythm and Meter
A meter of 4/4 means there the equivalent of FOUR (top number) QUARTER NOTES (bottom number) in each measure.
A meter of 2/4 means there are the equivalent of TWO QUARTER NOTES in each measure.
A meter of 2/2 means there are the equivalent of TWO HALF NOTES in each measure (bottom number is 2)
A meter of 6/8 means there are the equivalent of SIX EIGHTH NOTES (bottom number is 8) in each measure.
NOTE VALUES:
Know each note and its value- all values will be in 4/4 time:
Quarter note – counted 1 beat each – there would be four in a full measure.
Half note – counted 2 beats each = 1 2
Whole note – counted 4 beats each = 1 2 3 4
Eighth note – counted 1/2 beat each = 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Sixteenth note – counted 1/4 beat each = 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
Quarter rest – counted 1 beat each in parenthesis (you don’t say it)
Whole rest – below the line = 4 beats of silence
Half rest – above the line= 2 beats of silence
Eighth rest – 1/2 of one quarter note beat – length of an eighth note, it is (1 & 2 &), but silence.
Sixteenth rest – counted 1/4 beat each = 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a – like a 16th note, but silent
Know what your meter signatures mean – both numbers!
PART IV – Performance Knowledge
General knowledge information you should know.
PROPER SINGING TECHNIQUE:
• correct pitches, note values and pronunciation
• correct posture and breath support
PROPER PLAYING TECHNIQUE
• correct posture, embouchure, breath support
• for wind and brass, articulation and phrasing
• for all others, proper technique, patterns, rudiments
• correct fingerings, notes, note values and equivalent rests
• rhythmic precision