PART I: Fundamentals

Week 1- Elements of Pitch

Topics to be covered this week are below: 

1. The Keyboard & Octave Registers (1)
2. Notation on the Staff (2)
3. The Major Scale (4)
4. The Major Key Signatures (6)
5. Scale Degree Names (10)
6. Intervals (16)
7. Perfect, Major, and Minor Intervals (17)
8. Augmented and Diminished Intervals (19)
9. Inversion of Intervals (20)
10. Consonant and Dissonant Harmonic Intervals (21)
11. Chapter Summary: KEY TERMS:

• Pitch- highness or lowness of sound
• Octave- the length between two notes that share the same name, and pitch, displaced by 7 steps. 
• Major Scale- two tetrachords that have a particular arrangement of whole and half steps
• Parallel Minor (Natural Minor)- Begins on the same note as a major scale, however lowering the 3rd 6th and 7th scale degrees by one half step.
• Harmonic Minor- Similar to parellel minor, only this scale alters just the 3rd and 6th scale degrees by 1 half step. 
• Melodic Minor- Lowers only the 3rd scale degree ascending, and the 7th 6th and 3rd on the descend. 
• Interval- Difference between two pitches
• Harmonic Interval- Separates pitches sounded simultaneously
• Melodic Interval- Separates pitches that are played in succession 
• Modifiers- Association used to describe the quality of an interval (perfect, major, minor, augmented, diminished). 

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Week 2- Elements of Rhythm

Topics to be covered this week are below:

1. Rhythm (24)
2. Durational Symbols (24)
3. Beat and Tempo (24)
4. Meter (25)
5. Division of the beat (27)
6. Simple Time Signatures (28)
7. Compound Time Signatures (29)
8. Time Signatures Summarized (32)
9. More on Durational Symbols (33)
10. Chapter Summary (37):  KEY TERMS:

• Rhythm- refers to the time aspect of music
• Durational Symbol- indicates the duration of sound (durational symbols are a fancy name for "notes")
• Dots- increase the duration of a note by one half of the value of the note that the dot is assigned to
• Beat- basic pulse of a musical passage
• Tempo- rate of speed at which beats pass
• Grouping- beats are usually grouped into patterns of two, three or four

1. Duple
2. Triple
3. Quadruple 

• Simple Meter- dividing beats in any meter equally in two parts
• Compound Meter- dividing beats in any meter equally in three equal parts
• Time Signature- Indicates to the performer, beat and meter types and what note value will represent the beat. 

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Week 2/3- Introduction to Triads & Seventh Chords

Topics to be covered this week are below:

1. Triads (38)
2. Seventh Chords (40)
3. Inversions of Chords (42)
4. Inversion Symbols and Figured Bass (44)
5. Lead Sheet Symbols (45)
6. Recognizing Chords in Various Textures (49)
7. Chapter Summary & Key Terms (53)

• Triad- A three note chord consisting of a 5th divided into two superimposed 3rds
• Root- Tonic note of the triad
• 3rd- The note that divides the root from the 5th
• 5th-  The top note of a triad
• Types of triads are: major, minor, diminished, augmented
• Seventh Chord- A triad with another added above the 5th of the triad (added note is a 7th above the root)
• Major Seventh Chord (M7)- Major triad w/major 7th above the root
• Major-Minor Seventh Chord (Mm7)- Major triad with a m7 above the root
• Minor Seventh Chord (m7)- Minor triad with a m7 above the root
• Half-Diminished Seventh (draw symbol)- Diminished triad with a m7 above the root 
• Diminished Seventh Chord (º7)- Diminished triad with a º7 above the root
• Root Position- A chord with the root notated as the lowest tone. Any other arrangement is called an inversion
• First Inversion- 3rd is in the bass
• Second Inversion- 5th is in the bass
• Third Inversion (applies to 7th chords)- 7th is in the bass