Thank you Mary and MTed for the SIMPLE explanations!! My ear and heart in the music understands EXACTLY what you said...and it's encouraging to know it's there just because it SOUNDS good and wants to be...(right??) Could you just give a brief definition of what "dissonance" means?? I thought it was the sound I hear when I hit a wrong note and it clashes against a prior note. A negative thing!!

Mary..can we make a "rule" here?? NEVER, never mention the word "Algebra". lol

RE the 8 note which for some reason is a problem here. I had decided that I would just translate it to 8/1 to help absorb some of this info. Gary...are you saying it would be 1b for the high do instead of my 8/1?? If so, works for me!

Rog....I have a box of kleenex in my desk here. I just moved my seat away from the window cause I started watching a squirrel play in a tree. Blow your nose and take my seat there. Anyone remember how to make spitballs??