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Choir Final Exam Study Guide: PART I - Music Symbols and Terms Know The Following Music Symbols and What They Mean

This study guide covers three parts for a choir final exam: 1. Music symbols and Italian terms including dynamics, tempo markings, and musical directions. 2. Key signatures and intervals including identifying the key based on sharps or flats. 3. Rhythm, meter, note values, time signatures, and examples of counting rhythms. Proper singing posture, breath support, and general choral knowledge are also reviewed.

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366 views4 pages

Choir Final Exam Study Guide: PART I - Music Symbols and Terms Know The Following Music Symbols and What They Mean

This study guide covers three parts for a choir final exam: 1. Music symbols and Italian terms including dynamics, tempo markings, and musical directions. 2. Key signatures and intervals including identifying the key based on sharps or flats. 3. Rhythm, meter, note values, time signatures, and examples of counting rhythms. Proper singing posture, breath support, and general choral knowledge are also reviewed.

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FR
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Name ___________________________________ Date _______________

CHOIR
Final Exam Study guide

PART I – Music Symbols and Terms

Know the following music symbols and what they mean:

(repeat sign – sing again between (fermata – hold longer)) (accent – add emphasis)
the signs)

(staccato – short, (Dal Segno) (Decrescendo-get softer) (Crescendo-get louder)


detached)

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 (m)
Issimo – more, very
pp – pianissimo – very soft

ff – fortissimo – very loud

mf – mezzo forte, medium loud

mp – mezzo piano, medium soft

Be able to put them in order for softest to loudest or loudest to softest.


Name ___________________________________ Date _______________

PART II – Intervals and Key Signatures


Review the Intervals slides on my web page. 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).
Try these:

SHARP key signatures – always look at the LAST sharp, then go up ½ step for the name of the
key.

FLAT key signatures – always look at the NEXT TO THE LAST FLAT, and that is the name of
your key. The except is when there is only ONE flat – that is the key of F (just memorize it).

If there are no flats or sharps, you are in the key of C.

Try these:

PART III – Rhythm and Meter

A meter of 4/4 means there are FOUR (top number) QUARTER NOTES (bottom number) in
each measure.

A meter of 2/4 means there are TWO QUARTER NOTES in each measure.

A meter of 2/2 means there are TWO HALF NOTES in each measure (bottom number is 2)

A meter of 6/8 means there are SIX EIGHTH NOTES (bottom number is 8) in each measure.
Name ___________________________________ Date _______________
Know each note and its value:

θ = Quarter note – counted 1 beat each


η = Half note – counted 2 beats each = 1 (2) - 2 nd
beat in parenthesis because you don’t say it

ω = Whole note – counted 4 beats each = 1 (2 3 4)


ε = Eighth note – counted 1/2 beat each = 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
x = Sixteenth note – counted 1/4 beat each = 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Œ = Quarter rest – counted 1 beat each in parenthesis (you don’t say it)

= Whole rest – below the line like a “hole” in the ground (hole/whole) = 4 beats of silence

= Half rest – above the line like a “hat” (hat/half) = 2 beats of silence

‰ = Eighth rest – ½ of a beat – like an eighth note, it is counted in “halves” (1 & 2 &)

Rhythm examples – study the counts. Remember a tie connects 2 notes – you don’t say the 2nd
one (use parenthesis)

Meter of 4 = 4 quarter notes in every measure; start over after each bar line.

1 2 3 4 1 & 2 3 & 4 1 (2) 3 & 4 & (1) 2 3 (4)

Meter of 3 = 3 quarter notes in every measure.

1e&a2 & 3 1 2e& 3& 1 & (2) & 3 1(e)& a 2 e & a 3 & 1 (2 3)
Name ___________________________________ Date _______________

Meter of 6 = 6 eighth notes in each measure.

1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 &3 4 5 & 6 1 (2 3) 4 (5) 6 1 (23456)

PART III – Choral Knowledge

General Choral knowledge information you should know.


PROPER SINGING POSTURE:
• Hands by your side
• Feet shoulder width apart, one foot slightly in front of the other

PROPER VOWEL PRODUCTION


• stand tall
• tall vowels
• good posture
• soft palate in a raised position
• Good breath support from the diaphram

PURE VOWEL SOUNDS


• ah, eh, ee, oh, oo
• careful with diphthongs – vowels with more than one sound, like “I” – it’s actually ah + ee

VOICE CARE
• drink lots of water
• avoid smoking, yelling
• stretch the body and do vocalises before singing to warm up the voice

RULES
• Melodic Shape – naturally crescendo as your melodic line ascends (goes up)
• Phrases – sing like you speak – don’t breathe in the middle of a phrase
• Punctuation – breathing naturally takes place where there is punctuation, although not
exclusively
• Word Stress – we naturally accent the first syllable of words – sing it the same way
• Arsis – the notes leading to the main theme – all music goes somewhere
• Thesis – the main theme – what you were leading to

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