Classical Music post 1910

Tempo/ Texture/ Dynamics

Changing more than once within a piece and perhaps extremely

Melody

Angular or disjunct/ fragmented (not smooth flowing), based on motifs

Tonality/ Harmony

Use of much dissonance, unusual/extended chords, modes instead of major/minor.

Instruments

Unusual combinations, electronic instruments etc

Structure

Not adhering to traditional form

Rhythm/Metre

Metre (time sig.) could change several times, irregular metre (5/4, 7/4), unusual rhythms

Does it draw on the music of other cultures?

Yes, sometimes

Minimalism

Contemporary musical style featuring the repetition of short melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic patterns with little variation.

Repetitive

over and over again

Drones

French bourdon, in music, a sustained tone, usually rather low in pitch, providing a sonorous foundation for a melody or melodies sounding at a higher pitch level. ... A drone may be continuous or intermittent, and an interval, usually the fifth, may replace the single-pitch drone.

Ostinato/ Looping of short motifs/cells

Short repeated phrases/rhythms

Layering

Compiling multiple rhythms and/or instruments together into one piece

Augmentation/ Diminution

Statement of a motive in rhythmic durations that are proportionately doubled or halved.

Note Addition

Note Addition - starting off with a very simple, sparse ostinato containing many rests, and gradually adding notes over a number of repetitions.

Note Subtraction

Note Subtraction - starting off with a more complex ostinato and gradually taking notes away, leaving rests in their place.

Metamorphosis

a transformation or dramatic change

Harmony

Static and diatonic

Phasing

When the parts in a minimalist piece go out of time with one another

Rhythmic displacement

where the motif is moved to different beats in a bar, keeping the motif's rhythmic structure intact.

Syncopation

Deliberate upsetting of the meter or pulse through a temporary shifting of the accent to a weak beat or an offbeat.