Pick a song to start playing
Pattern: W W H W W W H (Whole and Half steps). The C major scale has no sharps or flats — the best place to start!
Natural minor pattern: W H W W H W W. A minor is the relative minor of C major — same notes, different starting point.
Major 2nd — 2 half steps (C → D)
Major 3rd — 4 half steps (C → E)
Perfect 4th — 5 half steps (C → F)
Perfect 5th — 7 half steps (C → G)
Octave — 12 half steps (C → C')
The clarinet is a B♭ transposing instrument. When you play a written C, the audience hears B♭. So clarinet sheet music is written a whole step higher than concert pitch!
Sharps: F C G D A E B — "Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Birds"
Flats: B E A D G C F — "BEAD + GCF"
pp pianissimo (very soft) ·
p piano (soft) ·
mp mezzo-piano
mf mezzo-forte ·
f forte (loud) ·
ff fortissimo (very loud)
A crescendo (cresc.) means gradually get louder. A decrescendo (dim.) means gradually get softer.