100 cards
A scale is a sequence of notes arranged in ascending or descending order that forms the melodic and harmonic foundation of a piece. The most fundamental scale in Western music is the major scale, which follows the interval pattern whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half. The C major scale, consisting of C, D, E, F, G,...
An interval is the distance in pitch between two notes, described by a numeric value that indicates how many letter names are spanned, and a quality that specifies the exact number of half steps. The perfect intervals are the unison, perfect fourth, perfect fifth, and perfect octave. These are called perfect because of...
A triad is a three-note chord built by stacking two thirds on top of a root note. The four basic triad qualities are major, minor, augmented, and diminished. A major triad contains a root, a major third, and a perfect fifth, with four half steps between the root and third and three between the third and fifth. A minor...
A few foundational chord progressions recur throughout Western music. The I–IV–V–I progression cycles through tonic, subdominant, dominant, and back to tonic and is the bedrock of countless songs across genres. In C major, this is C–F–G–C. The ii–V–I progression is the most important progression in jazz harmony; the ii...
Rhythm is organized through meter, which groups beats into recurring patterns called measures. A time signature, placed at the beginning of a piece, indicates both how many beats are in each measure and which note value receives one beat. The 4/4 time signature, also called common time and often denoted by a C symbol,...
A key signature is a set of sharps or flats placed at the beginning of a staff, after the clef, that indicates which notes are consistently raised or lowered throughout a piece. The key signature establishes the key and eliminates the need for repeated accidentals. Sharps and flats appear in key signatures in a specifi...
Musical notation provides the visual framework for communicating pitch and rhythm. The treble clef, also called the G clef, curls around the second line of the staff to indicate that line is G4, and is used for higher-pitched instruments and voices as well as the right hand in piano music. The bass clef, also called th...