Theory1

staff
ledger lines
grand staff
note duration (4/4)(3/4)(6/8)(3/2)
rest duration
...above the line (1/2)
...below the line (whole)
...the quarter rest has not flags
...the 8th rest has one flag
...the 16th rest has two flags.
augmentation dots and tenuto ties
...dots add half of the value of the note
...ties extend notes length for written values.
Simple and Compound meter
...duple, triple, quadruple(2,3,4) beats per meter
...simple means each of above can be broken into two notes (simple duple for example).
...beats in compound meter can be broken down into three notes (6/8 = 1+1+1-- 1+1+1 compound duple) or (1+1--1+1--1+1 simple triple)
...Notice that each beat in 6/8 is a dotted quarter note. In fact, all compound meters will have some dotted note as its beat.
...Any time signature with a 6 on top is compound duple. Of the above time signatures, 6/8 and 6/4 are the most commonly used.
...9/8 time is classified as compound triple. (another example).
.........there are three beats (three dotted quarter notes), thus making the meter triple.
.........Any time signature with a 9 on top is compound triple. Although 9/8 is the most common; 9/2, 9/4, and 9/16 can also be used.
.........Finally, 12/8 time is classified as compound quadruple. (another example)
Odd Meter (An odd meter is a meter which contains both simple and compound beats.)
...The first odd meter that we will discuss is 5/8 time. It contains one simple beat and one compound.
...order of the compound or simple beat does not matter.
...(7/8's) has two simple beats and one compound beat--order not important.
...8/8 time contains two compound beats and one simple beat.
...10/8 time has two compound beats and two simple beats.
...11/8 time has three compound beats and one simple beat.
Steps and Accidentals
...half step is distance between any two adjacent notes or keys.
...whole = 2 halves.
...flats and sharps are called accidentals
...Whenever a certain pitch has multiple names, it is called enharmonic spelling. (e as f-flat, b-flat as a-sharp).
...there are also double flats and double sharps--the flats are two flat signs, the sharps is a little x looking character with tiny squares in four corners.
...the natural mark returns a key to it's natural value. When a song uses a sharp/flat beyond the song's key signature, that note stays that way until it is naturalized.
Scales
...major = wwhwwwh,--- this whole whole half.... is true of any major scale, and adds sharps and flats to our key signature e-flat maj=3 flats b-flat maj=2 flats and f major = 1 flat
...minor = whwwhww----same as majors (in piano it's more complicated because one must also have strict fingering in practicing these scales.)
...harmonic minor - to convert any natural minor scale into harmonic minor, raise the seventh note by a half step.
...melodic minor - to convert a natural minor scale into melodic minor, raise both the sixth and seventh notes by a half step.
............Most of the time, melodic minor is used only when ascending. When descending, composers prefer to use the natural minor scale.