M2 - Notation, Melody, Harmony, Key, Texture, Form

Music Appreciation Module 2 – Elements Notation, Melody, Harmony, Key, Texture, Form Text Book: Chapters 4-10 Music Notation Written music stores information – Allows absent (or even dead) composers to communicate their ideas to others - The two properties of sound that must be represented are: pitch and rhythm (duration). A musician must know which pitch to play and its duration. Notating Pitch Pitches are indicated by the line or space where they are placed on the staff. à (5 horizontal lines each staff) Notating Pitch - Keyboard note naming with notation - Only the first seven letters of the alphabet are used. – Sharp, flat, & natural notes à See An Introduction to Notation in the ebook for examples. Notating Rhythm Music notation indicates length of tone in relation to other tones in the piece. – How a note looks indicates duration. Notating Silence - Rests indicate notated silence. à See An Introduction to Notation in the ebook for examples. Melody A melody is a series of notes that add up to a recognizable whole. • Melodies played in a smooth, connected style are called legato. • A short and detached style is called staccato. Listening Activities: Two Styles of Playing Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun (1894) By Claude Debussy Listening Outline p.319-320 à Note legato style of the flute at the beginning Dance of the Reed Pipes from Nutcracker Suite (1892) by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Listening Outline: p. 52-53 à Note staccato style of the woodwinds at the beginning. Think of a melody as a musical sentence. A sentence is a complete thought and it may contain phrases. • Melodies can also contain shorter sections called phrases. Depending on how it ends (cadence), a phrase may sound complete or incomplete. • A theme is a melody that is expanded upon or lengthened. You could think of a theme as a musical paragraph. • One way to expand a melody is the use of a sequence which is using a melodic pattern that repeats at a higher or lower pitch. à See the embedded videos in the ebook for demonstrations. à Refer to Music Fundamentals Review: Melody, Legato, Staccato, Phrase and Cadence in the ebook. Harmony Harmony refers to the way chords are constructed and how they follow each other. A chord is a combination of three or more tones sounded at once. – A chord uses tones simultaneously. – A melody is a series of individual tones. A progression refers to how chords follow each other. To listen to 2 different harmonies to a simple tune refer to An Introduction to Harmony in the ebook à Refer to Music Fundamentals Review: Chord, Harmony, Progression à See the embedded video in the ebook for a demonstration. Consonance and Dissonance Stable, restful chords = consonant Unstable, tense chords = dissonant Resolution refers to movement away from dissonance. Traditionally, a dissonant chord will ultimately resolve to a consonant chord. à Refer to Music Fundamentals Review: Consonance and Dissonance à See the embedded video in the ebook for a demonstration. The Triad A triad is the simplest, most basic chord. – A triad is made up of three alternating notes of a scale. – A scale is a series of pitches arranged in a specific order such as the familiar scale – Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do. A triad built on the 1st scale note is called tonic. – Most stable, restful chord - Pieces usually begin and end on this chord A triad built on the 5th scale note is called dominant. – Most unstable, tense chord - Dominant --> tonic movement, feels conclusive or complete Chord tones sounded in a series (broken) are called arpeggios. à Refer to Music Fundamentals Review: Triad, Tonic and Dominant à See the embedded video in the ebook for a demonstration. Listening Activity - Harmony Prelude in E minor for Piano, Op. 28, No. 4 (1839) by Frederic Chopin Listening Outline: p. 43 Listen for: -Pulsating chords & monotonous melody -Dissonant chords underlying melody -Climax with faster rhythm & crescendo -Near end, dissonant chord, silence, -Resolution at cadence Also listen for the performer’s interpretation of the tempo and dynamics Key Key refers to the centering or building of a melody or harmony around a central note. That central tone is also known as the tonic pitch. For example: A melody in the key of C would be based on the notes of a scale that begins with C’. The melody also would end on C and the final chord built on C . The Major Scale/Chord The mood of a major scale or a major chord is a bright and happy sound. The Minor Scale/Chord The mood of a minor scale or a minor chord is a dark and sad sound. à See An Introduction to Key in the ebook à Refer to Music Fundamentals Review: Key and Scales à See the embedded video in the ebook for a demonstration. Modulation Modulation is shifting from one key to another within the same piece. - Changing keys provides contrast within a longer piece. - Modulation is like a temporary shift in gravity. The new key becomes home . à Refer to Music Fundamentals Review: Modulation Tonic Key The main or central key of a piece is known as the tonic key. – Modulations away from the tonic key usually return to the tonic key. – A return to the tonic key creates a feeling of conclusion or finality. à Refer to Music Fundamentals Review: Tonic à See the embedded video in the ebook for a demonstration. Musical Texture Musical texture refers to the layering of sounds and how they relate. - Texture is determined by the kind and number of layers of sound that are heard (melody or harmony). Types of texture: • monophonic – a single melodic line with no accompaniment or literally one sound (unison) • polyphonic - two or more equally important melodies sounding simultaneously (counterpoint and imitation) • homophonic - one melody accompanied by chords Changing textures within a piece, creates variety and contrast. à Refer to Music Fundamentals Review: Texture àSee An Introduction to Texture à See the embedded video in the ebook for a demonstration. Listening Activity – Musical Textures Farandole from L’Arlesienne Suite No. 2 (1879) by Georges Bizet Listening Outline: page 50 à Note the contrasting textures within the piece. Musical Form Musical form is the organization of musical elements in time. Techniques that Create Musical Form • Repetition: restating musical ideas • Contrast: avoiding monotony with new ideas • Variation: reworking ideas to keep them new Types of Musical Form Ternary ternary = ABA1 Listening Activity – Ternary Form: Dance of the Reed Pipes from Nutcracker Suite (1892) by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Listening Outline: p. 52-53 à Note ternary form à Refer to Music Fundamentals Review: Three-Part Form Types of Musical Form Binary There are several types of binary form = – AB – AA B – ABB – AA B B Listening Activity – Binary Form: Bourrée from Suite in E Minor for Lute (probably around 1710) by Johann Sebastian Bach Listening Outline: p. 54 à Note binary form à Refer to Music Fundamentals Review: Two-Part Form Musical Style Musical Style refers to a characteristic way of using the elements of music. - Compositions created around the same time are often similar in style. - Musical styles change from one era in history to the next. Western art music can be divided into the following stylistic periods: • Middle Ages: 450-1450 • Renaissance: 1450-1600 • Baroque: 1600-1750 • Classical: 1750-1820 • Romantic: 1820-1900 • 20th century, to 1945 • 1945 to present The music of each these periods reflects the society that supported it. End of Module 2! • This module provides the basic concepts and components of musical compositions. This information will be used throughout the course and is essential to understanding and analyzing the music in subsequent modules. • Please check the task list and due dates to make sure that you have completed all of the items on time before proceeding to Module 3.