music vocab

rhythm

organization of duration

meter

the organization of pulsation

syncopation

the practice of displacing the beats or accents in music or a rhythm so that strong beats become weak and vice versa.

compound meter

is a metre in which each beat of the bar divides naturally into three equal parts where the beat contains triple pulse

ex) 6/8 time- 6 9 12

simple meter

meters in which the beat divides into two, and then further subdivides into four

ex) 2, 3, 4

song example of compound meter

Example of 9/8: J.S. Bach, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (Jesus bleibet meine Freude)

when counting its : 1 and ah 2 and ah 3 and uh or count 1-2-3-4 etc…

irregular beat

any rhythym that involves dividing the beat into a different number

ex) led zeplins the ocean song

starts at 4/4 then goes to 7/8 rather than being the same

rhythm vs beat

Rhythm has foreground and Beat is background and they work together with the push and pull of syncopation

downbeat

the first beat of a measure and is the strongest most emphasized beat

ex) the 1 in 1-2-3-4

tala

• provides the metrical framework for rhythmic improvisation

• provides a structure for musicians to perform and improvise while staying within a rhythmic pattern.

• the rhythm

bol

• syllables to describe different drum strokes

• refers to the syllables or words that represent specific sounds produced on a musical instrument, especially the tabla or other percussion instruments.

• These syllables are vocalized to communicate or practice rhythms and are tied to the strokes played on the instrument

contour

the shape of the melody

It's like drawing a line that shows whether the notes are rising, falling, staying the same, or creating a particular pattern

conjunct

refers to a melodic motion where the notes move stepwise, meaning they go to the next closest pitch in the scale

ex) gregorian chant

disjunct

refers to a melodic motion where the notes leap or jump, skipping over one or more pitches in the scale.

ex) somewhere over the rainbow

whole step

a musical interval that is equal to two half steps. On a piano, this means skipping one key (white or black) between two notes.

• moving from one key to another, with a key inbetween)

half step

On a piano, a half step is the distance from one key to the very next key, whether black or white.

• moving from one key to the key right beside it

scale

a sequence of notes arranged in ascending or descending order of pitch, usually within an octave

• they are like a ladder

• ▪scale types: where the pitches of the melody come from

theme

• refers to a recognizable musical idea or motif that forms the basis of a composition.

• It is a melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic pattern that is developed, varied, and repeated throughout a piece

• “theme” (a primary melody that is repeated and elaborated; it may contain the basic elements of the rest of the piece)

• gives you information of what you are litenign to- we listened to a violin piece here shcienberg

major scale

• diatonic

• (do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do)--heptatonic (7 notes)

• Diatonic scales: “Joy to the World”

natural minor scale

• (la-ti-do-re-mi-fa-sol-la)--heptatonic 7 notes

• diatonic

major pentatonic

(do-re-mi-sol-la)--pentatonic (5 notes)

• only the black keys on piano

chromatic scale

• (12 notes, all the black and white keys)

• dodecatonic (12 notes)

ex) Arnold Schoenberg, Three Piano Pieces, op. 11 (1909)

whole tone scale

(made entirely of whole steps)

• hexatonic (six notes)

• is a type of scale that consists entirely of whole steps, meaning each note in the scale is separated by a whole step (two half steps).

• It has a very unique and ethereal sound, often used to create a dreamy, atmospheric, or ambiguous effect.

• No single tone stands out !!!

ex) debussy ▪Nuages (1899)

octatonic scale

alternating whole and half steps

• 8 notes

• musically describe soemthing

• Igor Stravinsky uses

atonal

refers to music that does not have a clear tonal center or key

• rejecting the traditional concepts of tonality found in major and minor scales.

• It allows for greater freedom in harmony, melody, and structure, often creating music that is dissonant, unpredictable, and without the sense of resolution common in tonal music.

12-tone

▪Uses chromatic scale in a pre-chosen order; the 12-tone “row” may then serve as a theme, or as simply a strictly ordered collection of pitches

Arnold Schoenberg

The technique involves using all 12 notes of the chromatic scale in a specific, non-repetitive order before any note can be used again, avoiding traditional tonality.

• ▪12-tone music: Arnold Schoenberg, Third String Quartet

raga

is quasi-improvised Indian classical music

▪In two main parts: alap and gat

• alap = improvised section

• gat = structured part

• is a system of rules and guidelines that organize pitches, rhythms, and emotions to create a distinct musical atmosphere.

ex) Raga Bhairavi (Sitar, Irshad Khan)—any season, night, peaceful and sombre; 7-note scale

texture

refers to the way different musical elements (such as melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre) interact and are combined in a piece of music.

polyphonic

• multiple independent melodic lines

  • Multiple melodies

each melody (or "voice") is equally important and maintains its individuality, but they interact and create harmony together.

homophonic

there is a clear melody accompanied by harmonies

• the melody is over the chords

• the melody is the focal point, and the accompanying parts or instruments usually move in the same rhythm as the melody, providing harmonic support

ex) chorale in lutheran church

guitar and singer harmonize the melody

monophonic

refers to a type of texture that consists of only one melody or musical line, with no accompaniment or harmonies

• single voice or instrument

  ex) gregorian chant

Tristan chord

complete work of art

• Wagner created it to symbolize the whole opera world

• It is erotic

• The chord never settles down until the last chord

• The chord is “unresolved” (it is dissonant, but does not settle into consonance)

• The unresolved sonic tension of the chord serves as a metaphor for the “unresolved” desire between Tristan and Isolde

• The chord resolves at the end of the opera, when both main characters die

dissonance

pitches that sound bad together

“devil tone”

bad sounds make music interesting

sound ssad and full of sorroe

ex) Stravinsky, wagner and webern

Anton Webern, “Bewegt” (no. 2) from Six Pieces for Orchestra (1909) https://youtu.be/EurYXlCVBcc

consonance

pitches that sound good together

• generally perceived as pleasant or at rest, and they do not create a sense of tension or need for resolution, as dissonance does.

Ex) ode to joy

• Aria Johann Sebastian Bach, “Aria” from Goldberg Variations (1741) https://youtu.be/rCuALWK6ZNg

resolution

• the process by which a dissonant or unstable harmony (or melodic tension) moves to a consonant, stable harmony, giving a sense of closure or relief.

• It plays a key role in shaping musical form and emotional expression.

• It is the push and pull of sweet and harsh sounds—or, the creation of tension, followed by resolution—that gives music not only momentum, but expressive depth

song form

is the battleground upon which convention and originality struggle

• —allows us, as viewers, to mentally capture the work and understand it”

  “the visible elements of a piece, independent of their meaning...color, dimension, lines, mass, shape

ex) celine diones song “thats the way it is” which has the normal form of a song vs “dont stop believing” which differs

• dont stop beleivign is a plagal relationship of I and IV chords the “amen” chords

fugue

• a musical composition in which one or two themes are repeated or imitated by successively entering voices and contrapuntally developed in a continuous interweaving of the voice parts

  • Wrote it as : subject,answer,subject,answer

variation

• where a theme or musical material is repeated with alterations or transformations.

• These alterations can affect various aspects of the music, such as rhythm, harmony, melody, orchestration, or texture, while still maintaining some identifiable connection to the original theme

—Mozart, Twelve Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman", K. 265/300^e (1781-82)

• sounds like twinkle twinkle but on crack

da capo aria

• vocal form with an ABA structure, in which the A section is repeated after a contrasting B section.

• The repetition of the A section allows for ornamentation and expressive freedom, providing a space for vocal virtuosity and dramatic impact

• A B A' - main form for songs in opera

• Guillo cesare song / lucie chartin

  • —Ternary (A-B-A1’)

    —G. F. Handel, “V’adoro pupille” from the opera Giulio Cesare (1724)

    —Each section=different emotion

psychological form

• Formless music, or music whose form derives from subjective, instinctual processes

• in which musical structures and elements can evoke or mirror psychological states, emotional processes, or cognitive experiences.

Arnold Schoenberg, Three Piano Pieces, op, 11, no. 3 (1909)

simple form

• refer to basic structures that are easy to recognize, understand, and follow.

• These forms often consist of fewer sections and are used in a variety of musical genres, from classical to folk, popular, and contemporary music

For example:

• Binary and ternary (small 2 and 3 part forms)

• Variation form (a theme is stated, then restated, slightly altered, in a variety of ways)

• Passacaglia/chaccone/ground bass (a repeating bass pattern, with variation over top)

• Fugue (technique as form; theme is stated in succession by all voices in a piece of music)

compound forms

• typically involve multiple smaller sections that may themselves follow a simple form, but are organized together to create a more intricate and developed musical structure.

For example: symphonic form, opera forms, sonata form—how music unfolds over the long range