Name ___________________________________ Date _______________
CHOIR
Final Exam Study guide
PART I – Music Symbols and Terms
Know the following music symbols and what they mean:
(repeat sign – sing again between
the signs)
(staccato – short,
detached)
(Dal Segno)
(fermata – hold longer))
(accent – add emphasis)
(Decrescendo-get softer)
Know the following Italian terms with their definition:
Ritardando – to slow down
Fine – the end of the song (pronounced fee-nay)
Accelerando – to gradually speed up (like an accelerator)
Forte - loud (f)
Piano - soft (p)
Mezzo – medium (m)
Issimo – more, very
pp – pianissimo – very soft
ff – fortissimo – very loud
mf – mezzo forte, medium loud
mp – mezzo piano, medium soft
Be able to put them in order for softest to loudest or loudest to softest.
(Crescendo-get louder)
Name ___________________________________ Date _______________
PART II – Intervals and Key Signatures
Review the Intervals slides on my web page. The interval is the distance between two notes.
The first note is always “1,” then simply count up to the next note for the distance (interval).
Try these:
SHARP key signatures – always look at the LAST sharp, then go up ½ step for the name of the
key.
FLAT key signatures – always look at the NEXT TO THE LAST FLAT, and that is the name of
your key. The except is when there is only ONE flat – that is the key of F (just memorize it).
If there are no flats or sharps, you are in the key of C.
Try these:
PART III – Rhythm and Meter
A meter of 4/4 means there are FOUR (top number) QUARTER NOTES (bottom number) in
each measure.
A meter of 2/4 means there are TWO QUARTER NOTES in each measure.
A meter of 2/2 means there are TWO HALF NOTES in each measure (bottom number is 2)
A meter of 6/8 means there are SIX EIGHTH NOTES (bottom number is 8) in each measure.
Name ___________________________________ Date _______________
Know each note and its value:
θ = Quarter note – counted 1 beat each
η = Half note – counted 2 beats each = 1 (2) - 2
nd
beat in parenthesis because you don’t say it
ω = Whole note – counted 4 beats each = 1 (2 3 4)
ε = Eighth note – counted 1/2 beat each = 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
x
Œ
= Sixteenth note – counted 1/4 beat each = 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
= Quarter rest – counted 1 beat each in parenthesis (you don’t say it)
= Whole rest – below the line like a “hole” in the ground (hole/whole) = 4 beats of silence
= Half rest – above the line like a “hat” (hat/half) = 2 beats of silence
‰
= Eighth rest – ½ of a beat – like an eighth note, it is counted in “halves” (1 & 2 &)
Rhythm examples – study the counts. Remember a tie connects 2 notes – you don’t say the 2nd
one (use parenthesis)
Meter of 4 = 4 quarter notes in every measure; start over after each bar line.
1
2
3
4
1 &
2
3 & 4
1
(2)
3 & 4 &
(1)
2
3 (4)
Meter of 3 = 3 quarter notes in every measure.
1e&a2
& 3
1
2e& 3&
1 & (2) & 3
1(e)& a 2 e & a 3 &
1 (2 3)
Name ___________________________________ Date _______________
Meter of 6 = 6 eighth notes in each measure.
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
2 &3
4
5 & 6
1 (2 3) 4 (5) 6
1 (23456)
PART III – Choral Knowledge
General Choral knowledge information you should know.
PROPER SINGING POSTURE:
• Hands by your side
• Feet shoulder width apart, one foot slightly in front of the other
PROPER VOWEL PRODUCTION
• stand tall
• tall vowels
• good posture
• soft palate in a raised position
• Good breath support from the diaphram
PURE VOWEL SOUNDS
• ah, eh, ee, oh, oo
• careful with diphthongs – vowels with more than one sound, like “I” – it’s actually ah + ee
VOICE CARE
• drink lots of water
• avoid smoking, yelling
• stretch the body and do vocalises before singing to warm up the voice
RULES
• Melodic Shape – naturally crescendo as your melodic line ascends (goes up)
• Phrases – sing like you speak – don’t breathe in the middle of a phrase
• Punctuation – breathing naturally takes place where there is punctuation, although not
exclusively
• Word Stress – we naturally accent the first syllable of words – sing it the same way
• Arsis – the notes leading to the main theme – all music goes somewhere
• Thesis – the main theme – what you were leading to