CHOIR STUDY GUIDE

Scales
o Major: Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do
o Minor: Do Re Me Fa Sol Le Te Do
o Chromatic Scale:
Do Di Re Ri Mi Fa Fi Sol Si La Li Ti Do
Do Ti Te La Le Sol Se Fa Mi Me Re Ra Do
o Triads:
Major: Do Mi Sol Mi Do
Minor: Do Me Sol Me Do
Diminished: Do Me Se Me Do
Augmented: Do Mi Si Mi Do
Clefs

Music Notes and Rests (Rhythm Symbols)

Hand signs

Crescendo

Gradually Louder

Decrescendo/
Diminuendo

Gradually Softer

Dynamic Symbols and Meanings

Meaning
Symbol

Term
Pianissimo
Piano
Mezzo Piano
Mezzo Forte
Forte
Fortissimo

Very Soft
Soft
Medium Soft
Medium Loud
Loud
Very Loud

pp
p
mf
mf
f
f

Tempo Markings
Term
Largo
Adagio
Andante
Moderato
Allegro
Vivace
Presto
Ritardando
Rallentando
Accelerando

Meaning
Very slow
Slow
Moderate speed (walking
tempo/flowing)
Moderately
Fast (cheerful)
Very fast
Very very fast
Gradually slower
Gradually slower
Gradually faster
A tempo
Return to prev. tempo

Term
Staccato
Accent
Sforzando
Tenuto
Fermata

Meaning
Short, detached
Louder, with special emphasis
Sudden, strong accent
Hold full value, slight emphasis

Dotted Note
Accidental

Lengthen note by half its value

Momentary departure from key
signature (by raising or lowering a
note)
Cancels an accident
Indicates a section should be
repeated
Repeat sign after 1st ending/1st
ending is skipped during
repeat/skip to 2nd ending
A line that divides measures
(which are segments
corresponding to a specific # of
beats, in which each beat is
represented by a particular note
value)
Two lines separating measures.
Added before a key change,
chorus, bridge, etc.; before
changing time signature, or before
a tempo
Different name for a note of the
same pitch
Two staves joined by a brace
meant to be played at the same
time by a single performer
Lines that extend the staff for
higher and lower notes
Notes sung or played smoothly
and connected
Curved line indicating that notes
should be played smoothly
(legato) and in one breath
Curved line connecting two notes
of the same pitch and name (to be
played as a single note with a
duration equal to the sum of their
values)
The distance between two notes
Musical meter with time signature

Natural sign
Repeat sign
1st and 2nd
ending
Barline

Double bar line

Enharmonic
Grand Staf
Ledger line
Legato
Slur
Tie

Interval
Alla breve

Hold longer than normal value (usu.

twice)

Symbol
Sf. Sfz.

Common time
Simile
Octave

2/2
Musical meter with time signature
4/4
In the same way / preceding
groups of beats or measures are
to be repeated
Interval between a musical pitch
with half or double its frequency

sim.