1 Language of Music

I. Word List

a. General Words

Alteration /O:lt@"reIS(@)n/ (n)

variation; change
- This software is an alteration of the previous version.

Assign /@"sVIn/ (v)

allocate; give
- The teacher assigned the students their homework.

Extend /Ek"stEnd/ (v)

make larger or longer in space or time
- They want to extend the project to other cities.

Function /"fVN(k)S(@)n/ (v, n)

work; operate; task; activity
- The new machine functions well.

Integrity /In"tEgrIti/ (n)

the state of being whole; completeness; unity
- Without music, the film loses its integrity.

Locate /l@(U)"keIt/ (v)

place; put; find and indicate the place or position
of
- The company is located near the airport.
- Can you locate your town on the map?

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Neutralise /"Ju:tr@lVIz/ (v) (also Neutralize)
make ineffective; deactivate
- The police managed to neutralise the bomb.

Occur /@"k@:/ (v)

happen; take place
- This disease tends to occur in children under the age of five.

Represent /rEprI"zEnt/ (v)

signify; indicate
- The new prices represent a substantial increase over the last year’s
prices.

b. Technical Terms

Clef /klEf/ (n)

a symbol placed at the beginning of a staff,
indicating the pitch of the notes written on the
staff

=&==== =¯==== =ÿ====

Flat /flat/ (n, adj, v)
a musical note lowered a semitone (half step)
below natural pitch, the sign v indicating this; to
lower the pitch of a note

===ç===
Harmony /"hA:m@ni/ (n)
two or more notes sounded together (in unison);
the structure of a piece of music with regard to its
chords

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Ledger line /"lEdZ@ "lVIn/ (n) (also Leger)
a short line added for notes above or below the
range of a staff

=====p=q=r=~======
Measure /"mEZ@/ (n)
a subdivision (part) of time in music; a bar

=¨==========¨
Melody /"mEl@di/ (n)
a series of musical notes played one after
another; the most recognisable part of a song

Natural /"natS(@)r(@)l/ (n, adj)

neither sharp nor flat; restoring a note to its
original position, the sign F indicating this

===ù===
Octave /"QktIv/ (n)
a series of eight consecutive notes, the highest
having the same alphabetical name as the lowest,
but higher in pitch; the note an octave apart from
a given note; two notes an octave apart sounding
together

=&===r=s=t=u=v=w=x=y===
1 8 (Octave)

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Pitch /pItS/ (n)
the degree of highness or lowness of a musical
note

Rhythm /"rID(@)m/ (n)

the systematic arrangement of musical sounds
according to duration and periodical stress

Sharp /SA:p/ (n, adj, v)

a musical note raised a semitone (half step)
above natural pitch, the sign # indicating this; to
raise the pitch of a note

===Ü===
Staff /stA:f/ (n) (also Stave /steIv/)
a set of five parallel lines on which musical notes
are written

============
Step /stEp/ (n)
an interval between two adjacent notes; a tone
(whole step) or semitone (half step)

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II. Vocabulary Practice

a. Match the words with their definitions.

____ 1. sharp a. relative highness or lowness of a note

____ 2. step b. the systematic arrangement of musical sounds

according to duration and periodical stress
____ 3. pitch c. operate; work
____ 4. represent d. the symbol at the beginning of a piece of music;
the first symbol that appears on the staff
____ 5. locate
e. make larger or longer in space or time
____ 6. clef f. a series of musical notes played one after
another
____ 7. rhythm
g. happen; take place
____ 8. melody
h. an interval between two notes; a tone or
____ 9. extend semitone
i. two or more notes sounded together
____ 10. harmony
j. place; put; find and indicate the place or position
____ 11. function of

____ 12. occur k. signify; indicate

l. a note raised a half step above its natural pitch

b. Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

flat neutralise ledger octave half step natural

staff measure

1. A ____________ is equal to one fret on the guitar (notes right next to

each other).

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2. When the ____________ symbol is placed next to a note, it means to
cancel any sharps or flats previously used within that bar of music.

3. The ____________ is comprised of five lines and four spaces. Notes

are placed on these lines and spaces.

4. A ____________ lowers a note one half step in pitch.

5. The bar is a subdivision of time in music. It’s one ____________ of a

piece of music.

6. A ____________ line is a small line that extends the staff for higher or
lower pitches.

7. A natural will ____________ a sharp or flat, so that the note

reverts to its original position.

8. The ____________ is the eighth note with the same name as the first
one, in a set of consecutive notes.

c. Synonyms: choose the word that means the same as the given word.

1. alteration
a. equal b. condition
c. variation d. duration

2. assign
a. allocate b. extend
c. remain d. restore

3. represent
a. return b. create
c. signify d. clarify

4. semitone
a. whole step b. half step
c. octave d. bar

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d. Choose the symbol that represents the given word.

1. flat

a. =×= b. =ç= c. =ù= d. =¯=

2. clef

a. =¨ b. =×= c. =&= d. =ç=

3. sharp

a. =&= b. =ù= c. =ÿ= d. =×=

III. Reading Passage

Language of Music

M
usic is made up of sounds that can be organised into three main
elements: melody, rhythm, and harmony. These elements are
passed from one musician to another by music notation, which
allows a reader to precisely locate and reproduce any musical sound by a
set of symbols that represent both the pitch of a note and its rhythm
(placement in time).
The foundation of our notation system is a set of five lines called a
staff. The position of notes placed on the staff represents relative highness
or lowness of the pitches. The higher the pitch, the higher the note is
placed on the staff.

==s=====v=====x=====z=====}===
low high

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Each line and space of the staff may be assigned a note name. These note
names are the same as the first seven letters of the alphabet (A, B, C, D, E,
F, and G) and together are called the musical alphabet. Despite the large
number of notes that can be produced by musical instruments, only seven
note names are needed because the eighth note, called the octave, has the
same sound as the first, but higher in pitch, and therefore uses the same
letter name as the first note. The octave is both the end of the first set of
notes and the beginning of the next. So the music alphabet goes from A to
G, and then starts over. Different instruments are capable of producing
sounds in different ranges of pitch, some in many different octaves and
some in only a few, but all of these pitches are notated with the same seven
letter names.
Because different instruments produce higher or lower ranges of pitch,
the staff can be made to represent different ranges of pitch by means of a
clef sign. The two most usual clef signs are treble clef, which is used to
notate higher-pitched sounds (e.g. the guitar, the right hand of the
keyboard), and bass clef, which is used to notate lower-pitched sounds
(e.g., the bass, the left hand of the keyboard).
The location of the note names is determined by the clef placed at the
beginning of the staff. The following example uses the treble clef. The
treble clef, also known as the G clef, locates G above ‘middle C’ on the
second line of the staff.

=&====v=w=x=y=z={=|==
G A B C D E F

The bass clef (also called the F clef) locates F below ‘middle C’ on the
fourth line of the staff.

=¯====u=v=w=x=y=z={==
A B C D E F G

Because the keyboard uses both the treble and bass clef, the two clefs and
two staves are used together, one placed above the other, to form the grand

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staff (also called the great staff). This way, both the highest and lowest
pitches can be seen and played together.
There is also another clef used in music notation; the C clef which
locates ‘middle C’ on the middle line (or, in some cases, on the fourth line)
of the staff.

=ÿ====v=w=x=y=z={=|==
A B C D E F G

For notes above or below the range of staff, small lines called ledger lines
are added to extend the staff. Ledger lines function like the lines of the
staff, and notes can be placed on or between the lines just as in the lines
and spaces of a staff.

=&=====p=q=r=~======
Every line or space on the staff represents a white key on the keyboard.
What about the other five notes (the black keys)?
In order to maintain the integrity of the alphabet, the other five pitches
are represented as alterations of the basic seven pitches. The terms used are
sharp and flat. Sharp means half step higher, written as #; and flat means
half step lower, written as v. The sharp and flat signs are placed before the
note for reading purposes.

=&=====|====Ü|====}=====
F F# G

Once a sharp or flat has occurred in a measure, there must be a way of

cancelling (neutralising) it so that the note reverts to its unaltered
condition. The symbol used for this is a natural ( F ). Collectively, sharps,
flats and naturals are called accidentals.
In certain situations, it may become necessary to raise or lower a pitch
by two half steps. The symbols for these purposes are ӿ for a double sharp
and vv for a double flat. These symbols are also called accidentals.

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The rules for sharps ( # ), flats ( v ), naturals ( F ), double sharps ( ӿ ), and
double flats ( vv ) are:
1) A natural cancels a sharp or flat.
2) A single sharp or flat cancels a double sharp or double flat
respectively.
3) One natural alone cancels both double sharps and double flats.
4) An accidental remains in effect for the duration of the measure it is
in, or for the duration of tied pitches, inside a measure or across the
bar line
5) To raise a note which has previously been sharped, use a double
sharp; to lower a note which has been flatted, use a double flat.
6) An accidental only affects a specific note in that octave, in that clef.
All other notes of the same name are not affected.

IV. Comprehension Exercises

a. Write T (true) or F (false).

____ 1. The music alphabet is made up of seven letters, and then it starts
over.

____ 2. Two clefs are used in the grand staff: the G and C clefs.

____ 3. The treble clef locates G below ‘middle C’ on the second line of
the staff.

____ 4. The F clef is used to notate lower-pitched sounds.

____ 5. Notes can be placed on or between the ledger lines just like the
lines of the staff.

____ 6. Sharps and flats represent black keys on the keyboard.

____ 7. The sharp and flat signs are written before the note on the staff.

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____ 8. An accidental remains in effect for the duration of the entire song.

____ 9. Sharps and flats only affect a specific note in that octave, in that
clef.

b. Choose the correct answer.

1. Musical sounds are organised into all the following elements except
________.
a. melody b. notation
c. harmony d. rhythm

2. The position of notes placed on the staff represents ________.

a. the duration of notes b. the pitch of notes
c. the highness or lowness of notes d. b and c

3. Which of the following is not true about the music alphabet?

a. The note names are the same as the first seven letters of the
alphabet.
b. It goes from A to G.
c. The eighth note has the same name as the first one.
d. The eighth note has the same pitch as the first one.

4. The octave ________.

a. is the eighth note in a set of consecutive notes
b. has the same name as the first note
c. has the same pitch as the first note
d. a and b

5. Which of the following is not true about the G clef?

a. It is used to notate higher-pitched sounds.
b. It is used to notate lower-pitched sounds.
c. It is one of the clefs used in the grand staff.
d. It is also called treble clef.

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6. The grand staff is made up of all the following, except ________.
a. the G clef b. the C clef
c. the F clef d. two staves

7. All the following except ________ are called accidentals.

a. flat b. natural
c. octave d. sharp

8. The symbol ‘vv’ is used to indicate a ________.

a. flat b. sharp
c. double flat d. double sharp

9. The symbol ‘F’ is used to indicate a ________.

a. flat b. natural
c. sharp d. double sharp

10. A ________ is used to raise a note by two half steps.

a. flat b. sharp
c. double flat d. double sharp

c. Answer the following questions orally.

1. How many clefs are there in modern music notation? Why do you think
we need all these clefs in music notation?

2. What different meanings does the word ‘octave’ have in music

language?

3. What are the meanings of whole step (tone) and half step (semitone) in
music language?

4. How many half steps are there in an octave?

5. When do we need to add ledger lines to the staff?

6. How can we neutralise a sharp or flat?

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7. What are all the accidentals used in music notation?

V. Grammar

Passive Voice

Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important,
or not known, who or what is performing the action.
Example: We place the sharp and flat signs before the note. (active)
The sharp and flat signs are placed before the note. (passive)

General form: Subject + a finite form of be + Past Participle

Tense Subject Verb Object

Active: He Writes the song.

Simple Present
Passive: The song is written by him.

Active: He Wrote the song.

Simple Past
Passive: The song was written by him.

Active: He will write the song.

Future
Passive: The song will be written by him.

Present Active: He is writing the song.

Progressive Passive: The song is being written by him.

Active: He was writing the song.

Past Progressive
Passive: The song was being written by him.

Active: He has written the song.

Present Perfect
Passive: The song has been written by him.

Active: He had written the song.

Past Perfect
Passive: The song had been written by him.

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 Active: He will have written the song.
Future Perfect
Passive: The song will have been written by him.

Active: He can/may/should/ write the song.

Modals
Passive: The song can/may/should be written by him.

When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

 The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive
sentence.
 The finite form of the verb is changed (be + past participle).
 The subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive
sentence (or else, it is dropped).

a. Change the following sentences into passive voice.

1. The people speak English in Australia.

________________________________________

2. They are producing another album this year.

________________________________________

3. The police helped the children.

________________________________________

4. He has recorded a new song.

________________________________________

5. I will send the e-mail tomorrow.

________________________________________

6. You should fill in the form.

________________________________________

7. Will the teacher test our English?

________________________________________

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8. Was she reading the newspaper?
________________________________________

b. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in passive. Use
the verb and the tense given in brackets.

1. She _______________ to the wedding party yesterday. (invite - simple

past)

2. The new words _______________ by the teacher. (explain - simple

present)

3. Their new album _______________ next month. (release - future)

4. The street _______________ because of snow. (close - present perfect)

5. It says here that credit cards _______________ in this restaurant. (not

accept - future)

VI. Learn More

A note on accidentals
When spoken, the sharp and flat are said after the name of the note, as in
‘F sharp’. Similarly, when written in text, the sharp and flat follow the
letter name: ‘F#’. When written as a note on the staff, however, the sharp
and flat are always written before the note, centred on exactly the same
line or space as the note itself.

=&====Ü|========çw=====
F# Av

Enharmonic spelling
There are two options for naming the five black key pitches (e.g. Dv or C#,
Ev or D#, etc). When a pitch has two possible names, their relationship is

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described as enharmonic. Enharmonic notes sound the same but are
spelled differently. Depending on the context of the melody or harmony,
one of the two possible names is chosen in a given situation.

Did you know?

 Birds, similar to human beings, can learn music while still in the egg
stage.

 The earliest known example of musical notation was found on a clay

tablet in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), dated to around 1,800 B.C.

“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is

music.”
– Aldous Huxley

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