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Today’s vocabulary
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Standard and non-standard notation
Examine two representations of the beginning of the song “St. Louis Blues” by W.C. Handy.
One representation is made using standard notation, which refers to the use of a five-line staff. Notes are organized in bars or measures and communicate how the music is to be played.
The other representation is made using non-standard notation, which is a representation of notes without using the five-line staff. It was created using a program called Chrome Music Lab. The notes are organized using tiles. The tiles are different lengths to represent how long the note is to be played, and the tiles are positioned in different levels to represent pitches.
Brainstorm
Brainstorm
Consider these questions:
- What are the similarities between the two representations?
- What are the differences between the two representations?
- What stands out to you in each representation?
Standard notation of “St. Louis Blues” by W.C. Handy
This is the music sheet for an excerpt of a song called “St. Louis Blues”. The time signature indicates that it is to be played in a moderate tempo in 4/4 time. The music is organized using a five-lined staff. There are four lines of music and three measures or bars on each line. In each of the bars, there are different notes which represent the melody. The lyrics are:
I hate to see de evenin’ sun go down
Hate to see de evenin’ sun go down
Cause my baby, he done left dis town
To access the non-standard notation of “St. Louis Blues” by W.C. Handy, press the following link to Chrome Music Lab(Opens in a new window).
Action
Get ready, get set…
Elements in standard notation
Let’s examine another Blues song called “Backwater Blues” by Bessie Smith to find out how the elements of music are represented using standard notation.
This is the music sheet for an excerpt of a song called “Backwater Blues”. There are different markings on the music sheet to communicate how the music is to be played.
The music is organized using a five-lined staff. There are three lines of music and three measures or bars on each line. In each of the bars, there are different notes which represent the pitches of the melody.
There are words above the five-lined staff that indicate that it is to be played in a moderately slow tempo. The time signature indicates that it is in 4/4 time, which means there are four beats in every bar.
The notes have different values which represent the element of duration and indicate how long each note should be played. There are also symbols that represent a rest or a silent beat.
Underneath the fourth bar, there is a cursive letter “f”, which represents the dynamics and indicates that the music should be played “forte” or loudly. Underneath the fifth bar, the cursive letters “mf” indicate that the music should be played “mezzo forte” or slightly loud.
The lyrics are written underneath the notes, below the five-lined staff.
They are:
When it rains five days, and the skies turn dark as night
When it rains five days, and the skies turn dark as night
Think about the following questions. Then, press the following tabs to access the answers to each question.
Standard notation uses the five-line staff. You can represent pitch using notes in treble or bass clef.
There are two five-lined staffs with whole notes that rise from low to high. The first staff has a treble clef and the notes begin with C and rise in the following order: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A. The second staff has a bass clef and the notes begin with E and rise in the following order: E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C.
Standard notation uses rhythms such as whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes and rests.
An image to show different rhythmic symbols in music.
This chart shows different rhythmic symbols and their value in 4/4 music.
The whole note is represented by the outline of a circle. There is one note per measure (or bar). A whole note rest symbol is a short line with a small rectangle below it.
The half note is represented by the outline of a circle with a stem reaching up on the right side. There are two notes per measure. The half note rest is represented by a short line with a small rectangle above it.
The quarter note is represented by a circle filled in with a stem reaching up on the right side. There are four notes per measure. The quarter note rest is represented by a wavy line, like an inverted number 3.
The eighth note is represented by a circle filled in with a stem reaching up on the right side with a tail. There are eight notes per measure. They are in two groups of four and connected with a vertical line on the top. The eighth note rest is represented by a circle connected to a diagonal line, like the number 7.
The sixteenth note is represented by a circle filled in with a stem reaching up on the right side with two tails. There are sixteen notes per measure. They are in four groups of four and connected with two vertical lines on the top. The sixteenth note rest is represented by two circles connected to a diagonal line, like the number 7.
This is the music sheet for an excerpt of a song called “Backwater Blues”.
The music is organized using a five-lined staff. In each of the bars, there are different notes which represent the pitches of the melody. The notes have different values which represent the element of duration and indicate how long each note should be played. An example of rhythm in sixteenth notes is marked. Underneath the third bar, there is a cursive letter “f”, which represents the dynamics and indicates that the music should be played “forte” or loudly. There are also symbols that represent a rest or a silent beat. Some of the lyrics from the first line of the song are written underneath the notes. The missing lyrics are: "When it rains....". This excerpt includes the rest of the lyrics from the first line "....five days, and the skies turn dark as night"
Dynamics and other expressive controls include special names and symbols that are written above or below the notes. For example, “mezzo forte” indicates that the music is to be played “slightly loud”.
An image to show different dynamic markings in music.
This chart includes different terms used to describe the element of dynamics in music. Beside each term is the symbol used in standard notation, and the effect.
Piano is symbolized with the lower-case letter p. It is played softly.
Pianissimo is symbolized with two lower case letter p. It is played very softly.
Mezzo piano is symbolized with the lower-case letters mp. It is played slightly softly.
Forte is symbolized by the lower-case letter f. It is played loudly.
Fortissimo is symbolized by the lower-case letters ff. It is played very loudly.
Mezzo Forte is symbolized by the lower-case letters mf. It is played slightly loud.
Fortepiano is symbolized by the lower-case letters fp. It is played loud, then softly.
Sforzando is symbolized by the lower-case letters sfz. It is a sudden accent sound.
Crescendo is symbolized by two lines that come together at the left and open up like a “less than” symbol in Math. It is played gradually louder.
Diminuendo is symbolized by two lines that are open on the left and come together on the right, like a “more than” symbol in Math. It is played gradually softer.
Now, it’s your turn! Use the sheet music to highlight dynamics. Complete the Dynamics in your notebook or using the following printable document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.
This is the music sheet for an excerpt of a song called “Backwater Blues”. There are different markings on the music sheet to communicate how the music is to be played.
The music is organized using a five-lined staff. There are three lines of music and three measures or bars on each line. In each of the bars, there are different notes which represent the pitches of the melody.
There are words above the five-lined staff that indicate that it is to be played in a moderately slow tempo. The time signature indicates that it is in 4/4 time, which means there are four beats in every bar.
The notes have different values which represent the element of duration and indicate how long each note should be played. There are also symbols that represent a rest or a silent beat.
Underneath the fourth bar, there is a cursive letter “f”, which represents the dynamics and indicates that the music should be played “forte” or loudly. Underneath the fifth bar, the cursive letters “mf” indicate that the music should be played “mezzo forte” or slightly loud.
The lyrics are written underneath the notes, below the five-lined staff.
They are:
When it rains five days, and the skies turn dark as night
When it rains five days, and the skies turn dark as night
Elements in non-standard notation
The elements of music can be represented using non-standard notation through shapes, images, objects, lines, and other forms.
Graphic scores are one way of representing non-standard notation in music with images rather than music notes. For example, to represent pitch: The higher the placement of the image, the higher the pitch. The lower the placement of the image, the lower the pitch.
This is an example of a graphic score of the song “Backwater Blues” by Bessie Smith. It uses non-standard notation to represent different elements of music.
Access this recording of Bessie Smith’s “Backwater Blues” and then explore the graphic score.
Bessie Smith’s Backwater Blues
On the left side of the page is a curved, pink line. It has 4 distinct loops. Then there is a dark blue line that starts straight, rises into a curve, and then dips down to end in a straight line that is lower than the starting line. The next line is a collection of 6 orange arrows all pointing upwards but sticking out in slightly different directions. The last line is a repetition of the second line.
What do you notice about the images that are represented in the graphic score? How might these images connect to the elements of music?
Record your ideas using the graphic organizer provided or another method of your choice.
Complete the Non-Standard Notation in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.
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Non-Standard Notation |
How the Image Could Be Translated into Music |
|---|---|
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For example, this: 
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Could become: Pitch of notes rising and falling Rhythm repeating A tempo that moves slowly |
Now, you can check your answer by pressing the “Activity” button
Press the Activity button to access Completed Non-Standard Notation.
Activity (Open PDF in a new tab)Go!
Choose between the following tasks:
Notating a blues song: Option one
Explore the song “C Jam Blues” played by Oscar Peterson. Using non-standard notation, notate this excerpt of the song. Think about how you will represent rhythm, pitch, dynamics, and other elements.
Remember: We can respond to the music using lines, shapes, and/or colours. For example, a line travelling in an upwards diagonal could indicate an increase in the pitch of the song. The length of the line might relate to the articulation or duration of a note. Different colours can evoke different feelings or moods. For example, cool colours like dark blue or purple could represent notes at a lower pitch.
Notate the song digitally, orally, on paper, or use another method of your choice.
Access this recording of Oscar Peterson’s recording of “C Jam Blues.”
C Jam Blues
Press ‘Description’ to access a description of this recording.
This audio clip is the first 25 seconds of Oscar Peterson’s recording of “C Jam Blues”. It begins with a quick brush drumbeat, and a stand-up bass plays a melody overtop. This background music continues throughout the clip. Then, a piano is added, playing just two notes: C and D. The rhythm is repeated three times: two eighth notes, quarter rest, two eight notes, quarter rest, two eight notes, quarter rest, one eighth note.
Notating a blues song: Option two
Use the standard notation of the “C-Jam Blues” and the elements of music to describe what each symbol represents.
How might you notate the 12-bar blues progression that is played underneath the melody, using non-standard notation?
Record your ideas in any method of your choice. Share your graphic score with a partner, if possible.
This is the sheet music for the song “C Jam Blues”. It is written on a five-lined staff with a treble clef in 4/4 time. There are three lines with 12 measures. The notes represent the melody, which is played over the 12-bar chord progression. It is played in an “Uptempo Swing”. The rhythm is repeated three times: two eighth notes, quarter rest, half note rest, two eight notes, quarter rest, two eight notes, quarter rest, one eighth note.
Consolidation
Putting it all together
Let’s reflect
Portfolio
Review your learning
Use the following questions to reflect on your learning. Record your responses digitally, orally, or in print.
- How did you represent the elements of music using non-standard notation? Explain how each element you used was represented.
- What did you enjoy about creating non-standard notation?
- What would you like to continue to practice?
Reflection
As you read the following descriptions, select the one that best describes your current understanding of the learning in this activity. Press the corresponding button once you have made your choice.
I feel…
Now, expand on your ideas by recording your thoughts using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.
When you review your notes on this learning activity later, reflect on whether you would select a different description based on your further review of the material in this learning activity.