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ANALYSIS
The following items and questions are intended to serve as a guide to musical analysis. Discuss
those items that are most appropriate to the given composition.
I. MELODY (horizontal pitch relationships)
A. Scale/Tonality:
1. On what scale(s) or collection of pitches is the melody based?
2. What is the tonal center?
B. Intervallic motion:
1. Does conjunct (stepwise) or disjunct (leaps) motion characterize each phrase?
How are they similar or different?
2. What intervals begin (and end) each phrase or section? How do they relate?
3. Is any interval used motivically (repeated often throughout)?
C. Motives:
1. Are any melodic motives used (a short pitch pattern often combined with a
rhythmic pattern)?
2. What pitch relationships characterize such motives (such as repeated tones or
certain intervals)?
D. Phrases:
1. How does the melody divide into phrases (how many measures in each phrase)?
2. What phrase contours are used (such as arch, inverted arch, etc)--how are they
similar or different?
E. Climax: where is the overall melodic climax?
F. Range:
1. What is the overall range used?
2. Does the range vary from phrase to phrase, and how is this significant?
G. Tone Painting: If there is text or a programmatic intent, how is this reflected in the
music (give specific examples)
H. Non-harmonic tones: how are non-harmonic tones used, if at all?
II. HARMONY (vertical pitch relationships)
A. Chord structures:
1. What types of vertical structures are used (tertian, quartall, quintal, clusters,
mixed interval, etc)?
2. Progression:
a. Is the chord structure functional (from the common practice period)
b. What patterns of chord change occur?
3. If functional harmony, are altered chords used?
a. Where do they appear? (Greater use in some phrases than others?) How
does this contribute to the phrase structure and climax of the piece?
b. How do they function in the overall scheme of the work? (contribute to the
tension/relaxation points?)
B. Harmonic Rhythm:
1. What is the rate of change of chords? (number of changes per unit of music?)
2. Does the harmonic rhythm change--where? What patterns of harmonic duration
exist? How does this affect tension/relaxation points, formal structure, climax?
C. Key relationships: If the work is in more than one key, how do the keys relate (close,
foreign) and how does this contribute to the overall form?
III. RHYTHM
A. Type: what is the nature of the rhythmic activity? Patterned or unpatterned, regular or
irregular, simple or complex, repetitive or non-repetitive, sustained or sporadic?
B. Activity:
1. If the rhythm changes, how and where does it become more or less active? How
does this relate to the overall phrase structure/form, the climactic point?
2. How is duration used (length of notes, such as longer durations or silences at
cadence points, etc)
C. Tempo and tempo changes: are they consistent or inconsistent, fast or slow, many
changes or few, etc.?
D. Motives:
1. If rhythmic patterns or motives are used in the piece, where do they appear?
2. How and where do these patterns/motives unify the work? Provide contrast?
E. Layers:
1. Is there more than one layer of rhythmic activity present?
2. How and where does each layer function (primary, such as melody or
countermelody; secondary, such as accompaniment figure, etc.)
IV. TEXTURE
A. Type:
1. What is the primary texture of the piece? (monophonic, homophonic, polyphonic)
2. Does the work use more than one texture? How do the changes relate to the
overall formal structure?
B. Density:
1. Does the relative density or mass (thickness or thinness of texture) remain
consistent throughout the work?
2. If there are density changes, how does this relate to the overall form or climax?
Are there textural "crescendi or decrescendi" (gradual thickening or thinning) or
sudden changes?
C. Articulation:
1. What type of articulation(s) is used--legato, staccato, accented, etc?
2. Are any special articulations used--pizzicato, piano pedaling, special effects?
D. Dynamics:
1. What is the dynamic structure of the work?
2. How does this relate to the form, climax?
E. Accents:
1. Consider what types of accents are used, if any (rhythmic, dynamic, agogic)
2. Where do they occur, and how do they function?
V. TEXT
A. Tone painting: is there any obvious tone painting used to support the text?
B. Text setting:
1. Does the text setting follow speech accents or inflections?
2. How does the text setting relate to the overall form of the work? (Follow normal
phrasing, emphasis?)
VI. FORM
A. Micro relationships:
1. Motives/cells: Discuss the use of generating or unifying factors, such as motives
or cells
2. Phrases: discuss the relationship of phrases (similar, parallel, contrasting) and
how they combine to form larger units such as periods or sections.
B. Macro relationships:
1. What is the overall form of the work?
2. Where is the overall climactic point, and what factors in the above categories
contribute to it?