The Art of Mindfulness: Understanding Meditatio in 2 Minutes

The Basics of Sound and Notes:

Sound is created by vibrations, with higher vibrations creating higher notes and lower vibrations creating lower notes. The repeating pattern of two black keys and three black keys on a piano keyboard creates a certain symmetry and the distance between two of the same notes in this pattern is called an octave. To divide this octave, we break it down into 12 equal steps, making up all the black and white notes on the keyboard. The distance between two notes is called a half-step in the United States and a semitone in the United Kingdom. Two half-steps make a whole step, also known as a tone in the UK.

Naming Notes:

Thanks to the sixth century Roman philosopher, Boethius, we can give these notes names using letters. Starting on the note A, we have the notes A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. When we reach the octave, we start over with A again, and this pattern continues up the keyboard. The black keys can be named as sharps (going up a half-step) or flats (going down a half-step). For example, going up a half-step from G gets us G sharp or, going down a half-step, G flat. G sharp and G flat are the same note, just accessed by different routes.

Scales:

A scale is simply a pattern of intervals. If we start on any note and go up a whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step, we will have a major scale. In the UK, this pattern is expressed as tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone. Starting on any note and following this pattern will create a major scale in a different key, but it will still sound recognizable. For example, starting on G, we go whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step (note the F must be sharp in order to maintain the pattern).

Conclusion:

We have covered the basics of sound and notes, how to name them, and what a scale is and why it matters. Understanding these fundamental concepts will greatly enhance your appreciation and understanding of music. Remember to have fun and keep practicing!

You May Like it: How To Write Meaningful and Impactful Lyrics Write