Chapter 1 Pitch and Pitch Class 1

Chapter 1

Pitch and Pitch Class

BASIC ELEMENTS

I. Using keyboard diagrams

On the keyboard below, mark an X on keys that match the pitch classes requested (in any
octave). Then beneath the keyboard, identify whether the pitches you marked will sound as a
whole step (W) or half step (H). If the pitches do not form a whole or half step, mark (N) for
neither.

F, G

E, E

G, A
E, F

C, D
F, G
 Chapter 1 Pitch and Pitch Class 2

II. Staff notation

A. For each of the five alto or tenor clef pitches on the left, notate its equivalent in a different
clef of your choice on the right (change clefs as necessary, but dont change octaves). Then label
each pitch beneath the staff with the correct octave designation.

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
B w bw B
B #w B B w
w
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

B. Write the pitches specified below in as many ways as you can. Use changes of clef, ledger
lines, and enharmonic spellings to create different notations. Circle the notation you think is
easiest to read; put a box around the notation you think is most difficult to read.

C4

G3

B4

E2
 Chapter 1 Pitch and Pitch Class 3

WRITING EXERCISES

I. Arranging

Arrangers frequently need to rewrite music in a register that is more comfortable for the singer or
instrumentalist. Sometimes arrangers must recopy a melody into a new clef to accommodate an
instrument that reads in that particular clef without changing the melodys sounding octave.
Rewrite the melody below, placing the pitches one octave lower. Use ledger lines. Do not change
to a new clef.

Stephen Foster, Camptown Races, mm. 912a

2 j j r j j
& 4 j . r j . . .
Gwine to run all night! Gwine to run all day!
 Chapter 1 Pitch and Pitch Class 4

II. Brain teaser

How many words can you spell with the letters A B C D E F G? Translate these words into
pitches on a staff. Share these in class or give yours to a classmate to decode. Include ledger lines
and clef changes to make the task more challenging! Even famous composers have signed their
music in codes like these, including Bach (with the German spelling of B for B and H for B
).
Here are some other word possibilities:

& b n ?
B

B A C H C A B B A G E F A D E D
 Chapter 1 Pitch and Pitch Class 5

ANALYSIS

A. In the examples that follow, circle all pitches written with ledger lines, and identify the
correct pitch name and octave designation (e.g., C5). (When a pitch is repeated in the same
measure, identify it just once.) Pay attention to clefs!

1. Foster, Camptown Races, mm. 18

2 j j j j j j j
&4 j j j
.
j

The Camp - town la - dies sing this song, Doo - dah! doo - dah! The

2 j j j j
&4 ..
. . . . . . . - . . .
F. . . . . . .
?2 J -
4
. .
6
j j j j j
& j j

j j
.

Camp - town race - track five miles long, Oh! doo - dah - day!

& j
.
. . . . . . - . .
.
.
? . . j
. . .
 Chapter 1 Pitch and Pitch Class 6

2. Mozart, Symphony No. 41 in C Major (Jupiter), fourth movement, mm. 417420

Flute
&c
w
Oboe
& c

Bassoon
?c

Horns in C &c

Trumpets in C c
&

?c
Timpani

Violin 1
&c

Violin 2 &c

Viola Bc

Violoncello
?c

 Chapter 1 Pitch and Pitch Class 7

B. The melody below features whole and half steps. Circle each whole step, and put a box
around each half step. Ignore for now any pair of pitches that does not span a whole or half step.
Look carefully at the clef of the tenor line; this line sounds an octave lower than it would in the
treble clef.

Mozart, Dies Irae, from Requiem, mm. 3644 (choral parts)

b # b #
Soprano
& c #
tu - rus, cun - cta
j
.
stri - cte dis - cus - su - rus!

Alto
&c b b n
b
tu - rus, cun - cta stri - cte dis - cus - su - rus!

Tenor
Vc b

?c
tu - rus,

cun -

cta
bstri -

cte

dis -
#
cus -
.
su - rus!

Bass J
tu - rus, cun - cta stri - cte dis - cus - su - rus! Quan - tus

41
j j
S. & . # . #
Di - es i - rae, di - es il - la

& j j
A.
. .
Di - es i - rae, di - es il - la,

#. # . #
T.
V J J
? # b
Di - es i - rae, di - es il - la

B.
tre - mor est fu - tu - rus,