MUSICAL CHEAT SHEET

Ear training is the process of connecting music theory (notes, intervals, chords, etc.) with the sounds we hear. The more we train our ear to recognize
this connection, the more we enjoy singing music, because we learn to understand what we sing. training your ear will widen your understanding and
mastery of music as a whole, and will simply help you become a better musician!

Musical Intervals
An interval is a combination of two notes, or the distance between their pitches. Intervals are labeled according to the number of staff positions they
encompass. Both the lines and the gaps between lines are counted, including the position of the lower note. For instance, the number of staff positions
from C to G is 5, therefore the interval C-G is a fifth (denoted P5 in the figure below). The name of any interval is qualified using the terms perfect
(P), major (M) and minor (m).

Interval Ascending Descending

nd
m2
(also called a “half step”) White Christmas (Irving Berlin) Joy to the World (Christmas)
M2nd
(also called a “whole step”) Silent Night (Christmas) The First Noel (Christmas)
m3rd Greensleeves Frosty the snowman (Christmas)
M3rd Sweet Hour Of Prayer Swing Low Sweet Chariot
P4th Amazing Grace Oh, come all ye faithful
Tritone Simpsons
P5th Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Flintstones theme
m6th In My Life (Beatles) Love story theme
M6th It came upon a midnight clear (Christmas) Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen
m7th Somewhere (West side story) An American in Paris (Gershwin)
M7th Bali Ha’I: 1st-3rd pitch (South Pacific) I Love You (Cole Porter)
P8 Somewhere over the Rainbow (Wizard of Oz) Willow Weep for Me
Musical Symbols Time Signatures (Most Common )
Sharp. A tack is sharp. Two beats per measure; half
 What happens when you sit 2/2 or  note gets one beat.
on a tack? You jump UP
(“Cut Time”)
Flat. A flat tire goes down .

Four beats per measure;
4/4 or  quarter note gets one beat

Natural. If there was a sharp Three beats per measure;


3/4
or flat before, ignore it and quarter note gets one beat
go back to the “natural” note. 6/8 Six beats per measure; eigth
Treble clef – women usually note gets one beat

sing in the treble clef.
Bass clef – men usually sing
 Notes
in the bass clef.
Whole note

Tenor clef – will look like a 
soprano part, but sung an
octave lower. Used in men’s Half note
choruses 
Mezzo Forte (medium loud);
; ; 
forte (loud); fortissimo (very Quarter note
loud) 
Mezzo piano (medium soft);
; ; 
piano (soft); pianissimo (very Eighth note
soft) 
Fermata. Hold that note out.
 16th note
