Melodic Composition

Goals of Melodic Composition

Include tonality, signs of internal development, clear shape, memorability, and useful for further development

Melody

A liner succession of tones that a listener perceives as a single entity

Five Features of Tonality

Limited macro harmony, conjunct motion, acoustic consonance, harmonic consistency, centricity

Conjunct Melodic motion

Includes limited range, mostly conjunct motion and occasional leaps

Centricity

One note is heard as being more prominent than the others; anchoring a melody to a specific pitch class

Ingredients of Melody

Include scale lines, chord lines, rhythm, form and embellishment

Scale lines

Melody that moves up and down a specific scale

Inactive tones

Notes of the tonic triad that provide a sense of rest and resolution

Active tones

Other notes of a scale not belonging to a tonic triad; creates musical tension and strong gravitational pull

7-1

Most active scale degrees important for determining keys

4 to 3

Active scale degree most important for defining tonality- Common “amen” sound/ cadence

6-5

Less active scale degree that is stronger in minor key

2-1 or 2-3

Least active degree that doesn’t need to be treated as active tones; one releases more tension than the other

Chord Line melody

Melodies that follow specific chords instead of a scale

Chord line

Leaps within a specific harmony

Appoggiatura

Leaps outside a specific harmony

Melodic Rhythm

How we use weak and strong beats to create forward momentum

Rhythm

Different levels of beats that are cyclical or periodic and symmetrical

Pulse

What you hear or fell as the actual regular beats (aka beat)

Meter

Classifies how we split or group the pulses

Simple meter

Each beat in a bar naturally divides into two equal parts

Compound meter

Each beat in a bar naturally divides into three equal parts

Duple meter

Beats grouped into two beats a measure

Triple Meter

Beats grouped into three beats a measure

Quadruple meter

Beats grouped into four beats a measure

Regular Rhythm

Emphasizes the strong beats of a meter with comparatively larger note values on strong beats

Irregular Rhythm

Emphasizes weak beats of a meter by having comparatively shorter note values on beats

Longer

To create regular rhythms, ______ note values should be placed on accented beats

Shorter

To create irregular rhythm, ______ note values should be placed on accented beats

Equal

Note lengths with _______ values are always regular

Unstressed

Splitting a note on an _________ beat will cause a regular rhythm

Stressed

Splitting a note on a _________ beat will cause a irregular rhythm

regular

Dotting the first note in a rhythmic group makes the rhythm _______

Irregular

Dotting the last note of a rhythmic group makes the rhythm ________

Accented

Combining notes on an _________ beat will cause a regular rhythm

Unaccented

Combining notes on an ________ will cause irregular rhythm

accented

placing a rest on an _______ beat makes the rhythm irregular

Unaccented

placing a rest on an _________ keeps the rhythm regular

Irregular

A large difference between short and long notes will make the rhythm feel more ______

Regular

Repeating irregular rhythms makes melody feel a bit more _______