FTCE Music K-12 cheat sheet

Major scale interval pattern is W-W-H-W-W-W-H; natural minor is W-H-W-W-H-W-W. Harmonic minor raises scale degree 7; melodic minor raises 6 and 7 ascending and reverts to natural minor descending.

Circle of fifths order of sharps: F-C-G-D-A-E-B; order of flats is the reverse (B-E-A-D-G-C-F). Key signatures add sharps in that order, so a key with three sharps contains F#, C#, G#.

Triad quality by intervals above the root: major = M3 + P5, minor = m3 + P5, diminished = m3 + d5, augmented = M3 + A5. In harmonic minor, the tonic triad is minor, the dominant is major, and the mediant is augmented.

Common-practice period anchors: Medieval (c. 500-1400, chant and organum), Renaissance (c. 1400-1600, imitative polyphony), Baroque (c. 1600-1750, continuo and terraced dynamics), Classical (c. 1750-1820, sonata form), Romantic (c. 1820-1900, expanded harmony), and the 20th century onward.

Sonata form sections: exposition (first theme in tonic, second theme in dominant or relative key), development (fragmentation and modulation), recapitulation (both themes in tonic), optional coda. Rondo form alternates a refrain with contrasting episodes (ABACA).

Cadence types: authentic (V-I), half (ends on V), plagal (IV-I), deceptive (V-vi). Perfect authentic cadence requires both chords in root position with the tonic in the soprano of the final chord.

Standard instrumental families in score order: woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon), brass (horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba), percussion, strings (violin I, violin II, viola, cello, bass). Woodwinds read treble clef except bassoon; strings read alto clef for viola and bass clef for cello and bass.

Twelve-bar blues uses I-I-I-I-IV-IV-I-I-V-IV-I-I (or V-IV-I-V turnaround). Compound meter has the beat divided into three (6/8, 9/8); simple meter divides the beat into two (2/4, 3/4, 4/4).

Conducting patterns: 2/4 is down-up; 3/4 is down-out-up; 4/4 is down-in-out-up; 6/8 is a six-beat pattern or a two-beat pattern with subdivided ictus. The preparatory beat reflects the tempo and character of the entrance.

The ictus is the point of rhythmic pulse in the gesture; the rebound is the motion after it. A crescendo is shown with a larger gesture arc, not a faster tempo.

Cueing: eye contact precedes the gesture; the preparatory motion is given on the beat before the entrance, and the cue itself lands on the entrance beat.

Left hand functions independently: dynamics, cutoffs, cues, and expressive shaping, while the right hand maintains the pattern and tempo.

Instrumental transposition: B-flat instruments (trumpet, clarinet, tenor sax) sound a major second below written pitch; F instruments (horn, English horn) sound a perfect fifth below; E-flat instruments (alto sax) sound a major sixth below. Written C for a B-flat instrument sounds B-flat concert.

Range and tessitura: flute sounds as written and is strongest in the middle register; clarinet has a chalumeau, clarion, and altissimo register; horn written pitch sounds a perfect fifth lower, so written C4 sounds F3.

Vocal ranges: soprano approximately C4-A5, alto F3-F5, tenor C3-A4, bass E2-E4. Changing voice (adolescent) often has limited range and unstable pitch control, so parts should be transposed and tessitura kept modest.

Rehearsal technique: diagnose before repeating, isolate the problem passage, slow the tempo, then restore tempo. Balance is adjusted by seating and dynamic planning rather than asking one section to play louder.

Orff-Schulwerk sequence: speech, singing, movement, then instruments (recorder, barred instruments). Its elemental style uses ostinato, bordun (I-V), and pentatonic scales that allow improvisation without wrong notes.

Kodaly approach: movable-do solfege, Curwen hand signs, rhythm syllables (ta, ti-ti), and a sequence moving from pentatonic to diatonic. Folk songs of the students' culture are the core repertoire.

Dalcroze eurhythmics teaches rhythm and phrasing through bodily movement; solfege exercises train inner hearing, and improvisation is done at the instrument or in movement.

Gordon's Music Learning Theory sequence: audiation is the foundation; skill sequence is discrimination (aural/oral, verbal association, partial synthesis, symbolic association, composite synthesis) followed by inference (generalization, creativity, improvisation, theoretical understanding).

Bloom's revised taxonomy order: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create. An objective such as 'students will identify' sits at remember; 'students will compose a four-bar melody' sits at create.

Standard ensemble rehearsal structure: warm-up and tone building, sight-reading or technique, literature rehearsal, and closure. Assessment should align with the stated objective and be observable (performance rubric, written quiz, recorded excerpt).

NAfME-style curriculum strands include creating, performing, responding, and connecting. A curriculum map sequences these across grade levels with measurable benchmarks.

Differentiation in music: transposed parts, alternate instruments, peer modeling, chunked notation, and choice in repertoire or assessment format. Accommodations change how a student demonstrates learning; modifications change the expectation.

Lesson plan components: objective (measurable verb and condition), standards alignment, materials, anticipatory set, modeled instruction, guided practice, independent practice, assessment, and closure.

Formative assessment occurs during instruction to adjust teaching (thumbs up/down, exit tickets, questioning); summative assessment occurs after instruction to measure achievement (concert performance, written exam, portfolio).

Rubrics use analytic (separate criteria scored independently) or holistic (single overall score) formats. Performance rubrics typically address tone, intonation, rhythm, technique, and expression.

Classroom management for ensembles: establish routines and procedures (entrance, warm-up, instrument storage), use proximity and nonverbal signals, and keep transitions under a minute to maximize engaged time.

Legal and ethical duties: student records are confidential under FERPA; copyrighted music may not be copied or arranged without permission or a licensing exemption; mandated reporting of suspected abuse is required.

Special education law: IDEA guarantees a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, with IEP goals and accommodations. Section 504 provides accommodations for students with disabilities who do not need specialized instruction.

Professional development and reflection: teacher evaluation systems commonly use observation plus evidence of student growth; reflective practice uses recorded lessons, peer observation, and data review to revise instruction.

Communicating with stakeholders: concert logistics, rehearsal expectations, and grading criteria should be published in advance; parent contact should be documented, and gradebooks should reflect assessed standards rather than participation alone.