An

Introduction
to Music
Theory
Grand Staff/Great Stave
The Great Staff
 Grand Staff/Great Stave

• The Staff consists of five parallel horizontal

lines, on and between which musical notes
are written.
Clefs
 Clefs
• Clefs are signs placed at the beginning of a
staff to provide pitch reference.

• They identify the pitch that a particular line or

space represents.
 Key Signatures

Sharps
Flats
 Key Signature

• A key signature consist of a sharp(#) or flat(b),

or a group of sharps or a group of flats,
arranged in a definite order, place at the
beginning of a piece to indicate the key in
which it is written, and which notes are to be
raised or lowered.
Accidentals
 Accidentals

• A sign indicating a momentary departure from

the key signature by raising or lowering a
note.
Sharp(#)- raises the note 1 semi-tone.
Flat(b)- lowers the note 1 semi-tone.
Double sharp(x)- raises the note 1 whole tone.
Double flat(bb)- lowers the note 1 whole tone.
Natural sign( )- cancels the effect of a previously used accidental.
Time Signature
Time Signature
 Time Signature
Simple time signatures consist of two numerals, one stacked
above the other:

• The lower numeral indicates the note value

that represents one beat (the beat unit). This
number is typically a power of 2.
• The upper numeral indicates how many such
beats constitute a bar.
Notes
Notes
Dotted Notes
 Notes

• A note is the pitch and duration of a sound,

and also its representation in musical
notation.
Ledger Lines
Bar Lines
C Major Scale
Assignment:
Assignment: