Three Little Words—Note, Key, and Tone
Properly defined, a note is a character in written music which indicates the pitch and duration of a sound. A key is a part of the piano which functions as a lever and which, when depressed, produces a sound, and a tone is that sound. Strict adherence to these distinctions results, however, in some ambiguities and anomalies.
For example, the word “key” means not only that piece of mechanism which sets in motion the sound-producing process, but it also means a complex of pitches which form a scale, or tonality. If one refers to “the key of E flat,” one is more likely to mean the scale or tonality of E flat than the higher of the two black levers on the piano keyboard. Moreover, one includes in this meaning both the notes which are written and the pitches which are heard. In fact, the word “key” can refer to written pitches which are far removed, physically, from the piano keyboard, as any harmony student will affirm.
Then there is the word “tone.” The seventh degree of the diatonic scale is called the leading tone, whether it is written, played, or heard. How odd it would seem to say “the leading note” or “the leading key.” Again, when the student is admonished to “keep the common tone,” he is not being restricted to what he hears, but is being directed to write and play in a certain way. Who would say “keep the common key,” or “keep the common note”?
Anyone not too habituated to these terms and thereby dulled to their inconsistencies could compile an amusing list of absurdities associated with our “three little words,” but one more example will suffice. Again, the word is “tone”: it could (and does) reasonably connote sound, pitch, quality, intensity, duration, but how can it define the distance between one pitch and another? Yet, when we speak of a “whole-tone scale” to describe a scale each of whose degrees is a major second apart, we are using the word synonymously with interval. And when we speak of a “half tone” we might as well say a “half pitch” or a “half F.”
For these reasons I have sought to use such terms as would best convey my meaning, knowing that for a musician ideas of sight, touch, and sound often are not separated but combined in one concept and packed into what Humpty Dumpty called a “portmanteau” word. Unlike children in the old precept, who were supposed to he “seen and not heard,” music is to be seen, played, and heard, but we sometimes hear with our eyes, see with our fingers, and play with our minds.
Songs, Melodies, and Repertory
Chapter 1
Lightly Row
Oats and Beans
Merrily We Roll Along, by ear
Hot Cross Buns, by ear
Chapter 2
Sleep, Baby, Sleep
Rosa
Theme from Finale of Ninth Symphony—Beethoven
Lyric Piece, No. I—Banberry
Jingle Bells (chorus), by ear
Chapter 3
Frère Jacques
Tallis’ Canon
Rousseau’s Lullaby
Lavender’s Blue
Oh, Susannah!
Lyric Piece, No. II—Banberry
Italian Hymn (duet)—de Giardini
This Old Man, by ear
London Bridge, by ear
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (to write)
Chapter 4
Theme from the Fourth Symphony—Tchaikovsky
Minor-Major Boogie—McLain
Wayfaring Stranger
Crusaders’ Tune (duet)
Chorale (duet)—Bach
Song of the Volga Boatmen—arr. McLain
Pentatonia—McLain
Club Zara—McLain
Old French Carol—arr. McLain
Maypole Dance—McLain
For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow, by ear
Pop Goes the Weasel, by ear
Chapter 5
The First Noel
Theme from the New World Symphony—Dvořák
Old Black Joe
Swanee River
Minuet in A minor—Purcell
Minuet in F major—W. A. Mozart
German Dance in D major—Haydn
Minuet in G major, No. I—Bach
Circle Game—McLain
Winter, Good-bye
Old Song
Joy to the World, by ear
Three Blind Mice, by ear
Yankee Doodle, by ear
Silent Night, by ear
Auld Lang Syne, by ear
Chapter 6
Did you Ever See a Lassie?
Where, O Where Has My Little Dog Gone?
The Queen’s Dolour—Purcell
Bourlesq—Leopold Mozart
Little Etude No. I—Köhler
Minuet in G major No. II—Bach
Musette—Bach
Cloudy Day—Reinecke
Spanish Dance (duet)—McLain
Gaslight Boogie—McLain
Oh, Dear, What Can the Matter Be?, by ear
Ten Little Indians, by ear
Chapter 7
Venerable Classic (duet)—arr. McLain
Clementine
Polly Wolly Doodle
Long, Long Ago
Little Minka
Reuben, Reuben
Good Night, Ladies
Theme from Freischiitz
The Arkansas Traveler
Carnival—Couperin
Sonatina, Op. 36, No. 1 (first movement)—Clementi
Spinning Song—Ellmenreich
The Three Horns—McLain
America (in G major)—Carey
The Star-Spangled Banner (in A flat major)—J. S. Smith
The Old Gray Mare, by ear
Old MacDonald, by ear
Chapter 8
Velocity Study for the Right Hand—Czerny
Velocity Study for the Left Hand—Czerny
Scale Study for the Right Hand—Lemoine
Scale Study for the Left Hand—Lemoine
Perpetual Motion—McLain
Blow the Man Down
Were You There?
Winter Landscape—McLain
Little Prelude in C major—Bach
Sonatina, Op. 36, No. 1 (2nd and 3rd movements)—Clementi
Arabesque—Burgmüller
Ballade—Burgmüller
Smoke Rings—McLain
Doxology, by ear
Vive la Compagnie, by ear
Loch Lomond, by ear
Chapter 9
Happy Birthday
Skip to My Lou
In Old Madrid
Go Down, Moses
Jingle Bells (chorus)
Accompaniment to Perpetual Motion
Turkey In the Straw
Dixie
Short’nin’ Bread
Accompaniment to Warmup XlVa
Mystery Tune—arr. McLain
Accompaniment to Warmup XXI
Those Broken Octaves!—Türk
Waltz in B flat major—Schubert
Elfin Dance—Grieg
Jingle Bells (complete), by ear
Away in a Manger, by ear
Cielito Lindo, by ear
Dark Eyes, by ear
My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, by ear
Home on the Range, by ear
Chapter 10
Passacaille from Suite VII—Handel
The Turn—Türk
Saint James Infirmary
Greensleeves
The Battle Hymn of the Republic
Lullaby (song)—Mozart
Valse—Grieg
Sarabande from Suite XI—Handel
When Johnny Comes Marching Home, by ear
We Three Kings, by ear
I Wonder as I Wander, by ear
Country Gardens, by ear
Sorrento, by ear
Waves of the Danube, by ear
Chapter 11
Arioso—McLain
Homage to Mr. Czerny—McLain
Chicken Reel
The Irish Washerwoman
The British Grenadiers
A Ground—Purcell
Viennese Refrain
Londonderry Air
“Indian Music”—McLain
Prelude, Op. 28, No. 20—Chopin
Two-Part Invention, No. I—Bach
America the Beautiful—S. A. Ward
Prayer of Thanksgiving, by ear
The Caissons, by ear
Songs and Melodies to Harmonize and Transpose
| Chapter | Page | |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas Traveler, The | 7 | 124 |
| Auld Lang Syne, by ear | 5 | 78 |
| Away in a Manger, by ear | 9 | 210 |
| Battle Hymn of the Republic, The | 10 | 226 |
| Blow the Man Down | 8 | 159 |
| British Grenadiers, The | 11 | 244 |
| Caissons, The, by ear | 11 | 261 |
| Chicken Reel | 11 | 242 |
| Cielito Lindo, by ear | 9 | 210 |
| Clementine | 7 | 116 |
| Country Gardens, by ear | 10 | 234 |
| Dark Eyes, by ear | 9 | 210 |
| Did You Ever See a Lassie? | 6 | 92 |
| Dixie | 9 | 193 |
| Doxology, by ear | 8 | 176 |
| First Noel, The | 5 | 63 |
| For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow, by ear | 4 | 59 |
| Fourth Symphony (Tchaikovsky), Theme | 4 | 40 |
| Freischiitz, Theme | 7 | 123 |
| Frère Jacques | 3 | 27 |
| Go Down, Moses | 9 | 186 |
| Good Night, Ladies | 7 | 123 |
| Greensleeves | 10 | 225 |
| Home on the Range, by ear | 9 | 192, 210 |
| Hot Cross Buns, by ear | 1 | 9, 12 |
| I Wonder as I Wander, by ear | 10 | 234 |
| In Old Madrid | 9 | 185 |
| Irish Washerwoman | 11 | 244 |
| Jingle Bells, by ear | 2, 9 | 23, 210 |
| Joy to the World, by ear | 5 | 63, 78 |
| Lavender’s Blue | 3 | 30 |
| Lightly Row | 1 | 7 |
| Little Minka | 7 | 117 |
| Loch Lomond, by ear | 8 | 176 |
| London Bridge, by ear | 3 | 28, 39 |
| Londonderry Air | 11 | 251 |
| Long, Long Ago | 7 | 116 |
| Merrily We Roll Along, by ear | 1 | 9, 12 |
| My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, by ear | 9 | 192, 210 |
| New World Symphony (Dvořák), Theme | 5 | 67 |
| Ninth Symphony (Beethoven), Theme | 2 | 18 |
| Oats and Beans | 1 | 8 |
| Oh, Dear, What Can the Matter Be?, by ear | 6 | 108 |
| Oh, Susannah! | 3 | 31 |
| Old Black Joe | 5 | 68 |
| Old Gray Mare, The, by ear | 7 | 145 |
| Old MacDonald, by ear | 7 | 122, 145 |
| Old Song | 5 | 75 |
| Polly Wolly Doodle | 7 | 116 |
| Pop Goes the Weasel, by ear | 4 | 59 |
| Prayer of Thanksgiving, by ear | 11 | 261 |
| Reuben, Reuben | 7 | 123 |
| Rosa | 2 | 16 |
| Rousseau’s Lullaby | 3 | 30 |
| Saint James Infirmary | 10 | 225 |
| Short’nin’ Bread | 9 | 194 |
| Silent Night, by ear | 5 | 78 |
| Skip to my Lou | 9 | 185 |
| Sleep, Baby, Sleep | 2 | 16 |
| Sorrento, by ear | 10 | 234 |
| Swanee River | 5 | 68 |
| Ten Little Indians, by ear | 6 | 93, 108 |
| This Old Man, by ear | 3 | 38 |
| Three Blind Mice, by ear | 5 | 78 |
| Turkey in the Straw | 9 | 193 |
| Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, by ear | 3 | 39 |
| Viennese Refrain | 11 | 250 |
| Vive la Compagnie, by ear | 8 | 176 |
| Waves of the Danube, by ear | 10 | 234 |
| Wayfaring Stranger | 4 | 44 |
| We Three Kings, by ear | 10 | 234 |
| Were You There? | 8 | 160 |
| When Johnny Comes Marching Home, by ear | 10 | 234 |
| Where, O Where Has My Little Dog Gone? | 6 | 93 |
| Winter, Good-bye | 5 | 75 |
| Yankee Doodle, by ear | 5 | 78 |
| Chapter | Page | |
|---|---|---|
| Accompaniment to Perpetual Motion | 9 | 192 |
| Accompaniment to Warmup XlVa | 9 | 197 |
| Accompaniment to Warmup XXI | 9 | 200 |
| America, in G major—Carey | 7 | 143 |
| America the Beautiful—S. A. Ward | 11 | 260 |
| Arabesque—Burgmüller | 8 | 170 |
| Arioso—McLain | 11 | 238 |
| Ballade—Burgmiiller | 8 | 171 |
| Bourlesq—L. Mozart | 6 | 97 |
| Carnival—Couperin | 7 | 137 |
| Chorale (four hands)—Bach | 4 | 49 |
| Circle Game—McLain | 5 | 74 |
| Cloudy Day—Reinecke | 6 | 102 |
| Club Zara—McLain | 4 | 55 |
| Crusaders’ Tune (four hands) | 4 | 47 |
| Elfin Dance—Grieg | 9 | 207 |
| Gaslight Boogie—McLain | 6 | 104 |
| German Dance in D major—Haydn | 5 | 72 |
| Ground, A—Purcell | 11 | 248 |
| Happy Birthday | 9 | 185 |
| Homage to Mr. Czerny—McLain | 11 | 241 |
| “Indian Music”—McLain | 11 | 254 |
| Italian Hymn (four hands)—de Giardini | 3 | 33 |
| Jingle Bells—J. Pierpont | 9 | 190 |
| Little Etude No. I—Kohler | 6 | 98 |
| Little Prelude in C major—Bach | 8 | 166 |
| Lullaby (song)—W. A. Mozart | 10 | 227 |
| Lyric Piece No. I—Banberry | 2 | 19 |
| Lyric Piece No. II—Banberry | 3 | 32 |
| Maypole Dance—McLain | 4 | 56 |
| Menuet in F major—W. A. Mozart | 5 | 72 |
| Minor-Major Boogie—McLain | 4 | 41 |
| Minuet in A minor—Purcell | 5 | 71 |
| Minuet in G major No. I—Bach | 5 | 73 |
| Minuet in G major No. II—Bach | 6 | 99 |
| Musette—Bach | 6 | 100 |
| Mystery Tune (four hands)—McLain | 9 | 198 |
| Ninth Symphony, Theme—Beethoven | 2 | 18 |
| Old French Carol—arr. McLain | 4 | 55 |
| Passacaille—Handel | 10 | 214 |
| Pentatonia—McLain | 4 | 54 |
| Perpetual Motion—McLain | 8 | 151 |
| Prelude, Op. 28, No. 20—Chopin | 11 | 257 |
| Queen’s Dolour, The—Purcell | 6 | 97 |
| Sarabande—Handel | 10 | 232 |
| Scale Study for the Left Hand—Lemoine | 8 | 149 |
| Scale Study for the Right Hand—Lemoine | 8 | 149 |
| Smoke Rings—McLain | 8 | 174 |
| Sonatina, Op. 36, No. I (first movement)—Clementi | 7 | 138 |
| Sonatina, Op. 36, No. I (second and third movements)—Clementi | 8 | 166 |
| Song of the Volga Boatmen—arr. McLain | 4 | 50 |
| Spanish Dance (four hands)—McLain | 6 | 102 |
| Spinning Song—Ellmenreich | 7 | 140 |
| Star-Spangled Banner, in A flat major, The—J. S. Smith | 7 | 143 |
| Tallis’ Canon—Tallis | 3 | 28 |
| Those Broken Octaves!—Türk | 9 | 205 |
| Three Horns, The—McLain | 7 | 142 |
| Turn, The—Türk | 10 | 223 |
| Two-Part Invention, No. I—Bach | 11 | 258 |
| Valse—Grieg | 10 | 229 |
| Velocity Study for the Left Hand—Czerny | 8 | 148 |
| Velocity Study for the Right Hand—Czerny | 8 | 148 |
| Venerable Classic (four hands) | 7 | 112 |
| Waltz in B flat major—Schubert | 9 | 206 |
| Winter Landscape—McLain | 8 | 161 |