Download • Melody = a succession of pitches at specific durations that begins

Lecture Notes -­‐ Music 110 -­‐ Owen J. Lee -­‐ day 5-­‐2 Britten: Young Persons Guide to the Symphony Orchestra http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HhTMJ2bek0 • Melody = a succession of pitches at specific durations that begins, progresses, and ends. There may be pauses, "or commas" along the way, but it is heard as a single, complete statement...A musical sentence. phrase -­‐ usually 4 measures ending with a cadence, resting place either unresolved(?) or resolved(!). period -­‐ usually two 4 measure phrases, the 1st ending unresolved (?), the 2nd ending resolved (!). (8 bar period) Melodic shape typical -­‐ arch climax -­‐ melodic highpoint, melodic gravity step vs. leap melodic range – distance from the highest to the lowest pitch articulation of notes -­‐ character legato (smoothly, long) vs. staccato (short), marcato (accented) combinations thereof motive or motif (a fragment of a melody that is recognizable) repetition, sequence a 'song' = a musical composition which is sung by a singer (with or without instruments). a 'piece' = a musical composition which is played on instruments. • Harmony = the result of tones that have been combined, the art of combining tones. Interval – two pitches heard in relation to each other (harmonic vs. melodic) Triad -­‐ a basic harmony -­‐ a chord consisting of 3 of every other note of a scale: tertian harmony. 7th chords, 9th chords, etc. Dissonance -­‐ clashing, unstable which often create a need for resolution. Consonance -­‐ clear, stable harmonies that often resolve any previous instability and tension . Arrived at two ways: Polyphony (Polyphonic Texture) -­‐ two or more melodies played or sung simultaneously -­‐ Melodies may be the same one heard 2 or more times, or two or more different melodies…fugue. Homophony (Homophonic Texture) -­‐ a succession chords, i.e. triads, 7th chords, etc.) accompanying a single melody. The individual tones of the accompanying chords may be arranged into a rhythmic pattern (rhythmic figuration). Harmonic Progression (Chord Progression) = a sequence of chords (often triads) that creates and releases tension. Since chords are made up of notes from a scale, they too operate within and in fact amplify the system of stable or unstable tones that create the sense of a gravitational center. Cadence = dominant (triad based on the 5th note of the scale) resolving to the tonic (triad based on the1st note of the scale). Has the strongest gravitational pull. ... makes music work! Even Monophony (Monophonic Texture -­‐ a single melody only) can imply harmony since chords may be outlined by the melody.