[Gill:] cos it makes a fun funny humming... or buzzing noise because it picks up the vibrations through the table otherwise. Now then... Pen and pencil would... would be a useful idea. Now what did we do before?
[Tom:] Erm we've done... time signatures, compound time signatures. Erm
[Gill:] Yeah didn't we?
[Tom:] tonics all that sort of stuff, diminished, augmented
[Gill:] We did some intervals
[Tom:] intervals.
[Gill:] Yes. Right.... Now... can you tell me about time signatures? What, what are the two types of time signatures?
[Tom:] Compound
[Gill:] Mhm.
[Tom:] and erm what's the other one?
[Gill:] Simple.
[Tom:] Simple. [dog barks]
[Gill:] Yeah. Just ordinary simple and compound. And there's
[Tom:] Simple and compound. Yeah. Compound's things like six nine, six nine erm
[Gill:] Nine twelve
[Tom:] Yeah. That sort of stuff. [dog barks]
[Gill:] At the top. That's the top number.
[Tom:] Erm. And compound is three four.
[Gill:] Tha that's comp that's compound. Now compound is always six.
[Tom:] Oh.
[Gill:] Simple is just ordinary three beats a bar,
[Tom:] Yeah.
[Gill:] four beats in a bar, two beats in a bar. It's the compou think of compound as being the one that's more difficult to think about. Six eight times, nine eight times.
[Tom:] Yeah. Right.
[Gill:] Still leaves three two three or four beats in a bar, but they're compound times. They're dotted beats.... That's really all that compound means. It means dotted beats. Erm... what would twelve... twelve four? Think about twelve four cos that's a compound time. It's got twelve at the top. Erm it may help to look at it. Cos you can't think about it straight away. Think... twelve, and it'll be twelve what?
[Tom:] Dotted semi-quavers.
[Gill:] No. What does four stand for in an ordinary time signature?
[Tom:] Oh crotchets.
[Gill:] Right so
[Tom:] So.
[Gill:] if there are twelve of those. Twelve crotchets. One two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve. Think of them in groups of threes... and that gives you four... dotted?
[Tom:] Quavers. No. Semi-quavers.
[Gill:] You're, you're going small
[Tom:] Yes.
[Gill:] and you've got to go the other way.
[Tom:] Oh yeah. It's erm
[Gill:] If there are tw if there are twelve crotchets and each of those are in groups of three.
[Tom:] Dotted minims.
[Gill:] So you've got four dotted minims. So twelve, I mean if you can remember them twelve stands for four beats in a bar anyway
[Tom:] Yeah.
[Gill:] and... if you just think what twelve crotchets are going to be divided up into
[Tom:] Mm.
[Gill:] it's going to dotted minims. Cos you know it's going to be dotted something or other.... And if you were to see... er an extract of music... for example here's a twelve eight one. This one actually tells you it's in twelve eight time. And it's asking you to put in the bar lines.... Where would you... put those bar lines do you think? It would al I think it probably also asks you to... to group them properly. But just for the moment we won't worry about the grouping aspect.... I think, assume everything starts on the first beat of the bar as well.
[Tom:] Okay.
[Gill:] It'll tell you if it doesn't.
[Tom:] Erm
[Gill:] [whispering] Eight stands for []?
[Tom:] Quavers.
[Gill:] [whispering] Right []
[Tom:] [whispering] One two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve [].
[Gill:] So obviously the first one would be there. And probably if it's going to be a whole one
[Tom:] One two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve.
[Gill:] So in fact there are just two bars. Now how would you actually group... those notes?
[Tom:] Erm... it'd be groups of three again wouldn't it?
[Gill:] In groups of three. Those two've got to be grouped together. [whispering] One two three four []
[Tom:] Er... it'd be sort of half of that. Half of the erm crotchet. I don't know how you do that.
[Gill:] [whispering] Can we go backwards. One two three four five []
[Tom:] You can only do it if you miss out that. One two three. One two three. And that leaves you with a... a little bit...
[Gill:] Right. Yes. It actually explains it. Exactly what they want you to do.... Er where you've got a note that obviously goes over a beat... as in that one there
[Tom:] Yeah.
[Gill:] you're, you're going to have to write two quavers and tie them. Is that what you said?
[Tom:] Yeah.
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] It might have been what you said []. So those two... okay. That one will be joined to a quaver beat, so that you'll have a group of three. And another quaver, those two will be tied... the join taking them onto the next group of three and so on.
[Tom:] So basically you're splitting this in compound time?
[Gill:] Yes.
[Tom:] So it it'd still sound
[Gill:] Cos that, that actually looks as though it's the half way part of the bar too doesn't it? So, and you, you don't actually go over the half
[Tom:] Yeah.
[Gill:] way part of the bar with one single note. If you've got a note it's got to be held. You actually split into two an and use a tie.... If you're in two time or four time which you are. You're in four... four dotted... crotchets beats there aren't they?... You will sometimes be asked to... er look at something like that and then put the time signature in. These have got the time signature in but you're, they're asking you to put in the bar lines and then grouping the notes properly. As in that one, you've go you've got to alter what they actually put there. Not going to alter the sound of it. The sound must still be the same but you've got to alter the notes for grouping purposes. That may happen in any of those. I wonder if they've got any here now that haven't got... any time signatures, because that's the other thing that they... they like to give you.... Down here. Add time signatures. Alright. Let's see what you can make of first of all that one. And whether they're all compound, they may not all be compound. Some may be, some may not. I don't know.... Find the simplest bar... in each one.
[Tom:] this one.
[Gill:] Looking through it that is the simplest one cos you can see
[Tom:] Yes.
[Gill:] at a glance there are two
[Tom:] It's all, it's all
[Gill:] groups of three aren't there?
[Tom:] Yeah.
[Gill:] So that's obviously going to be in compound time. What though?
[Tom:] Erm
[Gill:] Fairly easy to put in a time signature.
[Tom:] Six twelve.
[Gill:] Six er... now wait a minute. What's... four is for crotchets. Eight is for quavers. Double it again, sixteen.
[Tom:] Six sixteen.
[Gill:] It's gonna be sixteen. So six sixteen. And that actually means two dotted crotch two dotted quavers I mean, doesn't it?... Cos each group adds up to a dotted quaver.
[Tom:] Mm.
[Gill:] So it
[Tom:] Yeah. As you've got here.
[Gill:] That's right. In fact, if anything, which is the easiest way round of doing it? To be, if you're asked to put in a time signature? It's not always so easy to... to group notes. I think people find that more difficult than actually saying what a time signature is.
[Tom:] Mhm.
[Gill:] What about that one?
[Tom:] Erm
[Gill:] Take the simplest bar.
[Tom:] Three quavers.
[Gill:] So the time signature is?
[Tom:] Erm... three eight.
[Gill:] Three eight. Now
[Tom:] And it's grouped in a dotted crotchet.
[Gill:] Yes it is. Now is that compound or is that simple?
[Tom:] Three eight is simple.
[Gill:] It's simple because it's just got three at the top.
[Tom:] Mm.
[Gill:] It looks as if it ought to be with the compound ones but it's not. It's just an ordinary simple one. But it's quaver beats instead of crotchet beats, that's all. So that was a simple one, that one was a compound one.... We'll do one more. What about this one? Is there an easy? No they're, they're all, virtually all exactly the same
[Tom:] Erm
[Gill:] timing aren't they? They're not quite the same.
[Tom:] two three... four five six
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Tom:] six erm... six four.
[Gill:] Yes. Six four which is dotted?
[Tom:] Minims.
[Gill:] Two dotted minims. Yes, yes. Two dotted minims in a bar. That's one of them. And that, in fact that's probably the simplest bar isn't it? Because
[Tom:] Mm.
[Gill:] that's a group of three.... Much the same as a dotted, dotted minim.... Erm simple or compound time then?
[Tom:] It's
[Gill:] Six
[Tom:] six four
[Gill:] four
[Tom:] that's simple. No, compound.
[Gill:] Compound. Two, three, four or five would be simple times. Six, twelve... They sound more complicated
[Tom:] Mm.
[Gill:] so think of them as being compound.... Right. That way round then isn't so difficult. That I think you... I think most people find it more difficult having to group the notes in the right, in exactly the right way. So... I think. This is actually a grade four one. We'll lead up gradually [LAUGHTER] to grade five [].
[Tom:] Yeah.
[Gill:] I'm not going to go all the way back through... grades two and three. You started on two I think. Or you've got Book Two. We'll go, we'll go from
[Tom:] I think.
[Gill:] here.... And anything that you find you don't know then we can perhaps go back on just the bits that you don't know. Because you're not going to have to go back on many of the things. This book, these books are quite good because they do give you a little bit of explanation.... You've also got er other books or another book at home which you can refer to if you need any extra.... Erm it might be an idea to go back. You won't find you're going to take much time doing some of these. If you do exercise one... for the time being don't worry about that one, exercise three. Shall I write it down? Yes, it would be a good idea, wouldn't it?
[Tom:] Mm. Do you want to write on the back of
[Gill:] It would be because you've already got some in here haven't you? I think I probably...
[Tom:] Yeah.
[Gill:] Actually I'll carr I'll carry on on And the date today is... the
[Tom:] The twenty... eighth I think.
[Gill:] [whispering] Ah the twenty eighth. It's the next thing on isn't it []? So if you're looking in the grade four book... put down page four, exercise one. If you have a look at each one of those. Rather than write them in the book, just put the answers down either on a... on a piece of paper. As long as you put clearly what it is you're putting in. Then I can just use these books over and over again. It's a bit pointless writing in them. When it comes to exercise three... that's on page five, exercise three. When it says add bar lines it won it won't hurt you to actually write those out. Because
[Tom:] Okay....
[Gill:] you really need to group the notes. Well the notes are grouped but you're gonna add the. Write it out because it's all good practice for for you actually. At er writing out notes as well.... So... you can do exercise three.... Not that one for now because that's doing something different. Now which are the ones that you've got to... to group?... So far over here. Right. Page... page eight starts... exercise six. In fact do... all of those. Do A through to F. And that's grouping notes... plus the bar lines.... The later ones are always quite hard.... And they've given you... they've actually given you, not in this one, but they do give you the clefs here. They've given you the clefs. Did we look at those before?... Alto clefs and tenor clefs?
[Tom:] Er... don't think so.
[Gill:] Have you come across those before?
[Tom:] come across these.
[Gill:] You've come across the treble and the bass right?
[Tom:] and the bass, not these alto or whatever.
[Gill:] Erm if... just take... just think of singers at the moment. Soprano is the highest, then an alto
[Tom:] Soprano, then an alto, tenor, bass
[Gill:] tenor and bass. Soprano is the highest voice. Then comes the alto. Then the tenor and then the bass at the.
[Tom:] Oh right. So is
[Gill:] So
[Tom:] that's that's alto. So is that... one up from
[Gill:] It's one down from the treble.... Think of it as being the next lot down if you like. Then there would be a tenor clef and then a bass clef. The only reason that, that you're using a different clef is that it's actually putting middle C in a different place. On the stave.... So that for example an alto doesn't need so many... notes, high notes, but needs a few more lower notes. So if you just kept your treble clef you'd have a lot of lines possibly that you weren't using at all. And having to add a lot of low ledger line notes.... That saves doing that. Because they position middle C. Middle C's actually positioned between those bits there so the middle line there becomes middle C.... Which means that you're unlikely to have to have quite so many ledger line notes. Although this has got one or two. But not as many as you would have if you were using the treble clef because you'd probably end up with a lot of lower... this is wha, that isn't a particularly good example really because... it hasn't given a lot of lower notes but normally you'd expect to see more notes down on these... lines. Soprano wouldn't go down that far. A soprano would only go down to about... erm... oh about what? Middle C is probably a bit too low for, for most sopranos.... But an alto would go a lot lower, would go down probably to an F or a G.... So that these notes would be low. If that's middle C you can te what would the bottom line actually be?
[Tom:] Bottom line?
[Gill:] That's C
[Tom:] Er it would
[Gill:] It's here.
[Tom:] er G.
[Gill:] C A F, you're right, yes.... Erm so that in fact... a true alto would be using most of the notes there. And just a few ledger lines above. Unlikely to be using whereas if they were using the treble clef for most of the time...
[Tom:] F G.
[Gill:] Yes.... And then the other one, the tenor clef.... Have they given you a tenor clef? No. They'll give you a tenor clef a little bit further on. They may not actually put the tenor clef in till grade... grade five now I come to think about that. But there's no point in
[Tom:] Not learning it
[Gill:] about it now because it's... just as easy really. Tenor clef looks exactly the same but middle C is now there. Next line up in fact.... So... because a tenor sings a little bit lower... you've got more of the lower notes and fewer of the higher... notes before you need to add... start adding ledger line notes. Sometimes of course you'll, they'll still need ledger line notes up there. And perhaps one down there but not very likely. So it's just to make it much more comfortable to look at.... Just means you have to get used to thinking, right if that's... if, if that's er er a tenor clef then that note won't be... it would be, be an A in a bass clef and F in a treble clef. What will it be for that clef?
[Tom:] In this... erm... oh
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] Going downwards going backwards is, is more difficult isn't it? []
[Tom:] Yeah.
[Gill:] Much easier working upwards from C.... That line's C. So that line
[Tom:] C.
[Gill:] would be?
[Tom:] C A F D
[Gill:] Er C A... E... You go one below it.
[Tom:] Oh yeah.
[Gill:] You know F is next in fact C yes. That's A, that's F, that would be D so it's between the two which, which is an E.... And if you were going above of course, that note would be?
[Tom:] E.
[Gill:] E and remember that it's the E just above middle C. And that's the E
[Tom:] Does the middle C always come up on a line?
[Gill:] Well it's... yes it does in fact. Mm. I hadn't actually thought of that before. But yes it does seem to. I suppose theoret theoretically you could actually move middle C to wherever you wanted to have it. But generally speaking they us they use just the four clefs. Now... certain instruments use the [phone rings] alto clef. Just a minute.... [phonecall starts] Hello.... Oh hello.... Alright.... Right I'll fetch him, I'll fetch him. Yes he's here.... Oh somewhere he is.... He's jus just upstai he's just upstairs so I shan't be a moment I'll go and call him [phonecall ends]. [dog barks]... Gosh she's going to have fun with this tape. Go on out you go. [LAUGHTER] [dog barks]... Right... Yes. So middle C then can be almost anywhere.
[Tom:] Yeah.
[Gill:] What instrument... do you know about... do you think... that uses something other than the treble clef... and a bass clef?... Or have you come across the one that
[Tom:] Erm... instrument that I know.
[Gill:] Well that, that you might know.... It's not actually a percussion one but it's er... in fact I don't, I think most of the percussion ones tend to use a... a bass clef don't they?
[Tom:] Yeah, yeah.
[Gill:] If you see one at all.
[Tom:] Yeah or erm... xylophones... and glocks and those. Except they use treble and bass
[Gill:] They use the treble don't they? Yes. Er... Bass or whatever.
[Tom:] Yeah.
[Gill:] Xylophone. Yes, it's a treble. And a vibraphone?
[Tom:] Just... I've got one of those nice little
[Gill:] Yes. It's just like a, a small... sort of piano. Doesn't have a very long key keyboard. It doesn't I don't think. Quite an
[Tom:] It's a piano and it's
[Gill:] odd range. It's very high.... Because in fact although it's written from there all the way up to there, erm... that is it starts at the C above middle C and goes up
[Tom:] Yeah.
[Gill:] to very high... the unfortunate thing
[Tom:] snare drum. I think that's played... on the bass... what would be on the piano an A.
[Gill:] Yes. It, it, they use cert certain lines don't they?
[Tom:] They use yeah erm
[Gill:] So that you, you get to know what is
[Tom:] I think it's er
[Gill:] what is what.
[Tom:] A is the bass drum.
[Gill:] Yeah. er
[Tom:] I think it's G they use as the high-hat and there's all sorts of things.
[Gill:] Yeah. I don't thing they... one thing they don't give in this book is a complete score
[Tom:] Yeah.
[Gill:] which... oh do they? No they don't. No. Which of course I'll ask yeah I've got plenty of those sort
[Tom:] Mm.
[Gill:] of things anyway. You have to know an awful lot you know for grade five. You, you've gotta have quite a wide knowledge. You, you don't have to, need to know anything in, in depth but you've got to know
[Tom:] But you've got to know shallow a wider range.
[Gill:] Yes that's right which means in a way that you've got to know quite a lot. There's... erm an alto, no, yes an alto clef, isn't it? For... trombone, no, it's not, it's for, yes it's for one of the trombones, isn't it?... Tuba.
[Tom:] Oh I erm found out what that... brass instrument we couldn't think of.
[Gill:] What was it?
[Tom:] Euphonium.
[Gill:] Euphon yes. You're erm... [LAUGHTER] isn't it silly
[Tom:] Mm. I've, I've
[Gill:] because [] you see I could see wh exactly what you were talking about in my mind
[Tom:] Mm.
[Gill:] but I could not think of its name.
[Tom:] Yeah. I got into the car and I was still erm thinking all about this
[Gill:] It's, it's, yeah.
[Tom:] and my mother said straight away, oh you're thinking of a euphonium.
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Tom:] That's the one.
[Gill:] Yes. It's so silly isn't it when er... you know that you knew it all the time. Now then. The one I'm looking for is what, have I got to the strings yet? No I haven't got back to the strings. These just use the bass or the treble clef.... And when you get back... to the...... There we are. The strings. It's the viola that we're actually looking for.
[Tom:] Sort of bass violin.
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] Sort of bass violin, yes []. There we are. That's the one that uses it. So that you see even in a score it would be written like that.... So that's the only, only instrument that you generally see, actually see using it... in most, most schools. Unless you're going into some of the tenor... erm... and alto