Music Fundamentals A Balanced Approach

Sharp, Flat, Natural

In music of the West, the octave is divided into 12 equal parts called half steps, or semitones. In non-Western
music (for example, as in Middle Eastern music), the octave may be divided into 24 units (quartertones). In
some more modern Western music, it may be divided into even smaller units (microtones), as in the 43-unit
music by American composer Harry Partch.

TRACK 52

Listening:

Hindustani jor improvisation on a zither accompanied by a tambura, a drone lute

In Module 1 we discussed the white keys of the piano; in this module we will discuss the black keys. On the
keyboard below, each key is numbered from 1 to 12. Notice that the white keys are separated by black keys
except for E to F (5–6) and B to C (12–1). All adjacentnumbered keys are called half steps (HS). Half steps are
paired white to black keys, or black to white keys, like steps 1–2 or 9–10, except for the two adjacent pairs of
white keys (E to F and B to C).

87

BASICS OF RHYTHM

87 Sharp, Flat, Natural

90 Drawing Accidentals on the Staff

91 Relating Accidentals on the Staff to the Keyboard

92 Enharmonic Spellings

93 Diatonic and Chromatic Half Steps

94 Chromatic Scales

97 Whole Steps

101 Double Sharp, Double Flat

105 Workbook

MODULE 4 ACCIDENTALS

1 3 5 6 8 10 12 1

C D E F G A B C

2 4 7 9 11

HS HS

HS HS