Q: So far we've covered the very basics of rhythm and melody, and you should possess the basic skills necessary that you now understand what all those dots and squiggles represent. While this might get you through basic Flutophone class, there are still a few more things you'll want to know. Chief among these are key signatures. You may have seen sharps and flats in music: a sharp looks like a hashtag () and a flat looks like a lowercase B (). They are placed to the left of a note head and indicate that the note to follow is played a half-step (semitone) higher for a sharp, or a half-step lower for a flat. The C scale, as we learned, comprises the white keys on the piano. When you're beginning to read music, it's easiest to think of the sharps and flats as the black keys. C major and A minor have no sharps or flats. In Western music, notes are either a whole tone or a semitone apart. If you look at the C note on the piano keyboard, you'll see there's a black key between it and the next note up, the D. The musical distance between the C and the D is called a whole tone. The distance between the C and the black key is called a semitone. Now, you may be wondering what that black key is called. The answer is, "it depends." A good rule of thumb is if you are going up the scale, that note is the sharp version of the beginning note. When moving down the scale, that note would be the flat version of the beginning note. Thus, if you are moving from C to D with the black key, it would be written using a sharp (). In this case, the black note is written as C. When moving down the scale, from D to C and using the black note as a passing tone between them, the black key would be written using a flat (). Conventions like that makes music a little easier to read. If you were to write those three notes going up and used a D instead of a C, the notation would be written using a natural sign (). Notice that there's a new signthe natural. Whenever you see a natural sign () that means that the note cancels any sharps or flats previously written. In this example, the second and third notes are both "D"s: the first a D, and so the second D, since it goes up a semitone from the first D, has to have the note "corrected" to show the right note. The more sharps and flats scattered around a sheet of music, the more a musician must take in before the score can be played. Often, composers that previously used accidentals in previous measures may put "unnecessary" natural signs to provide clarity for the player. For example, if a previous measure in a D major piece used an A, the next measure that uses an A may be notated with an A-natural instead. So far, we've been looking at the C major scale: eight notes, all the white keys, starting on C. However, you can start a scale on any note. If you just play all the white keys, though, you will not be playing a major scale, but something called a "modal scale," which is beyond the scope of this article. The starting note, or tonic, is also the name of the key. You may have heard somebody say "It's in the key of C" or something similar. This example means that the basic scale starts on C, and includes the notes C D E F G A B C. The notes in a major scale have a very specific relationship to each other. Take a look at the keyboard above. Note that between most notes, there is a whole step. But there is only a half step (semitone) between E and F, and between B and C. Every major scale has this same relationship: whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half. If you start your scale on G, for example, it could be written like this: Notice the F near the top. In order to maintain the proper relationship, the F has to be raised a semitone so that it's a half step from the G, not a whole step. That's easy enough to read by itself, but what if you started a major scale in C? (See above.) Now it starts to get complicated! In order to cut down the confusion and make music easier to read, key signatures were created. Each major scale has a particular set of sharps or flats, and those are shown at the very beginning of the music. Looking again at the key of G, we notice that has one sharpF. Instead of putting that sharp next to the F on the staff, we move it all the way to the left, and it is just assumed from that point on that every F you see is played as an F. (See above picture.) This sounds, and is played, exactly the same as the G major scale above, with no key signature.
A: Take the next step. Know the whole tones and semitones. Understand key signatures.

Q: Since mantises might cannibalize each other, purchase a plant for each one that you intend to keep. Pick a tall plant so they have plenty of room to climb. Stick to a small pot, however, so they can find their food at the base more easily. Choose a plant with plentiful wide leaves so the mantis has adequate shade to escape the sun. Since your mantis won't be enclosed, be sure to select a breed that doesn't develop wings so it doesn't fly away and escape! If the pot is circular, the diameter of the surface area should be at least three times wider than the mantis's body length. If the pot is box-shaped, it should be twice as wide as the mantis's body length and three times as long. Place it on a windowsill so the plant receives direct sunlight and remains healthy. If your windowsill is too narrow, place your plant where sunlight can reach it. Be sure to keep it out of reach of other pets, since dogs or cats may eat your mantis. Collect or purchase other insects with soft bodies to use as pet food. Be sure to use live prey that is only a quarter of the size of the mantis itself. If possible, feed them insects that don't fly so they don't escape. When using a caged enclosure to house your mantis, it's recommended to keep a continuous supply of food. But since you're not using a cage, be vigilant with feeding to make sure the mantis is eating regularly. Keep the soil free of fallen leaves or other obstructions where prey can hide. Try using tweezers to offer food. This way you can gauge how hungry your mantis is as well as use prey that is able to fly or otherwise escape. Fruit flies are a popular food for smaller mantises, and crickets for larger ones. Keep the room temperature warm. Mist the leaves and soil regularly to maintain proper humidity. Since you're keeping your mantis in the open instead of an enclosure, keep a sharp eye on the soil to make sure it doesn't dry out. If prolonged sunlight dries your plant quickly on a regular basis, rotate the plant between direct sunlight (for the plant's health) to other areas in the room where the sun doesn't reach (to maintain moisture). Between regular misting and the moisture received from eating prey, the mantis shouldn't need another water source. However, for your own peace of mind if this is a concern, go ahead and give it a small water bowl.
A:
Buy a potted plant. Situate your plant. Feed your mantis. Maintain the right environment.