Class Notes: Chapters 1-3

Class Notes: Chapters 1 - 3

Melody – Horizontal Aspect of Music

A melody is the line, or tune in music –

·         Each melody has its own distinct character: Range, Contour, and Interval

·         Range is the distance between the lowest and highest notes.  Range is described as narrow, medium, or wide.

·         Contour of a melody is its overall shape as it turns upward, downward, or remains static.

·         Interval is the distance between any two pitches of a melody.  Melodies that move by small intervals in a joined, connected manner are called conjunct.  Melodies that move in larger, disconnected intervals are described as disjunct.  There can be a combination of melodies in one song.

Each melody is made up of 4 units: Phrases, Cadences, Climax, Countermelody

·         Phrase in music, as in language, is a unit of meaning within a larger structure.

·         Cadence is a resting place where the performer pauses to draw a breath.  The cadence ends a phrase and punctuates the music in the same way that the comma or period punctuates a sentence.  Conclusive Cadence sounds final giving the listener the sense that the melody has reached the end.  Inconclusive Cadence leaves the listener with the impression that more is to come, or it may sound final giving the listener the sense that the melody has reached the end. 

·         Climax is the high point in a melodic line usually represents a peak in intensity as well as in range.

·         Countermelody (against a melody) second melody in complex music

Rhythm and Meter:  Musical Time

Rhythm moves music forward in time. 

Each note has a length, or duration – some long and some short.

The beat is the basic unit of rhythm.  It is a regular pulse that divides time into equal segments.  Some beats are strong (accented) and others are weak (unaccented)

Meter organizes groups of beats where accented beats occur at regular intervals (every other beat, every third beat, every fourth, and so on)

·         Measures mark off meters.  Each measure contains a fixed number of beats and the first beat in a measure receives the strongest accent (downbeat). 

·         Upbeat is the last beat of the measure

·         Measure lines are vertical lines that mark off measures

Simple Meters

·         Duple meter: two beats to a measure (ONE two ONE two)

·         Triple meter: three beats to a measure (ONE two three, ONE two three)

·         Quadruple meter: four beats to a measure with a primary accent on the first beat and a secondary accent on the third (ONE two Three four, ONE two Three four)

Syncopation - Deliberate upsetting of the normal pattern of accents.  Instead of falling on the strong beat of the measure, the accent is shifted to a weak beat or to the off-beats (in between the stronger beats). Found in African American dance rhythms, jazz, gospel.

Polyrhythm – many rhythms.  Simultaneous use of rhythmic patterns that conflict with the underlying beat. (two against three or three against four)

Nonmetric – moves without any strong sense of beat or meter; Found in Christian chants

Harmony – Vertical Aspect of Music

Harmony is a combination of sounds that supports the melody and adds depth to music using intervals, chords, and progression.

Intervals (distance between any two tones) can occur successively (played one at a time) or simultaneously

Scale: intervals from which chords and melodies are built are chosen from a particular collection of pitches arranged in ascending or descending order known as a scale (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-1 or do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do); 

Two different types of scales and chords: Major (sounds happy) and Minor (sounds sad).

Chord is when three or more tones are sounded together.

Triad is the most common chord in Western music; Three notes built on alternate pitches of a scale (1-3-5, 2-4-6, etc)

Dissonance is created by an unstable, or discordant, combination of tones.  Seems harsh.

Consonance occurs with a resolution of dissonance, producing a stable or restful sound. More pleasing to the ear