Core music theory vocabulary: intervals, scales, chords, and notation terms.
40 cards · basic cards · AI-written, checked twice. Edit anything.
- What is an interval in music?
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The distance between two pitches, measured in semitones or by counting letter names.- What is a semitone (or half step)?
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The smallest interval in Western music; the distance between any two adjacent keys on a piano.- What is a whole step (or tone)?
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An interval equal to two semitones.- Name the perfect intervals.
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Unison (0), perfect fourth (5 semitones), perfect fifth (7 semitones), and octave (12 semitones).- What is a major second?
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An interval of 2 semitones.- What is a minor third?
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An interval of 3 semitones.- What is a major third?
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An interval of 4 semitones.- What is a tritone?
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An interval of 6 semitones; the interval between a perfect fourth and a perfect fifth.- What is the major scale pattern?
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Whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half (W-W-H-W-W-W-H).- What is the natural minor scale pattern?
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Whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole (W-H-W-W-H-W-W).- What is the harmonic minor scale?
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The natural minor scale with a raised seventh scale degree.- What is the melodic minor scale?
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Going up, the natural minor scale with raised sixth and seventh degrees; going down, the same as natural minor.- What is a pentatonic scale?
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A five-note scale, most commonly major pentatonic (omitting the fourth and seventh) or minor pentatonic (omitting the second and sixth).- What is the chromatic scale?
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A twelve-note scale consisting of all semitones, containing every black and white key in one octave on piano.- What is a scale degree?
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A position within a scale, numbered 1 through 7 in a diatonic scale, with names: tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, leading tone.
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