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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.
