Pitch

 

 

 

Pitch is percieved by the human ear as varying degrees of high or low.

The scientific measurement of the vibration is called frequency.

Frequency is measured in cycles per second.

Pitch can be varied on different instruments by changing certain conditions which in turn change the frequency of the wave.

These are: tension, size and density.

Combined with rhythm, pitch makes melody and or harmony.

Pitches can be referred to by their solfege names: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la and ti.

There are two methods of solfege fixed do and movable do.

In the fixed do method, C is always do.

In the movable do method,  do is the current tonal center of the passage.

Staves provide us with a way of notating pitches.

The five lines and four spaces of the conventional staff provide eleven places for varying pitch.

The addition of leger lines makes the writing of higher and lower pitches possible.

Clefs enable us to identify exactly what the frequency  of the notes on the staff are.

Treble Clef

The treble, or G clef, identifies the second line from the bottom as G.

        The lines are (in order from the bottom to the top): E, G, B, D, F.

        Many sentences have been created for students to remember this. The possibilities are endless. 

                            Some examples are: Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge 

                                                             Eleven G oofy Boys Dance Forever

                                                             Ernie Gives Bert Dog Food

       The spaces on the G Clef staff are F, A, C, E.

       Some examples of sentences devised to remember those letters are: Fat Albert Can Eat

                                                                                                                    Fire Ants Climb Everything

                                                                                                                     FACE rhymes with Space!

The bass, or F clef, identifies the fourth line from the bottom as F.

         The lines are (in order from bottom to top): G, B, D, F, A.

        An example of sentences to remember these are: Great Big Dogs Fight Animals. 

        The spaces on the F Clef staff are A, C, E, G

          An example of a sentence to remember them is: All Cows Eat Grass.

There are other clefs that denote different pitches for the lines and spaces, such as the tenor clef and the alto clef.

They are not used as often today as they were many years ago, except for certain instruments like the viola, cello and bassoon.

Some pitch games to play can be found here:

https://trainer.thetamusic.com/en/content/music-training-games

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