music theory iv midterm

pitch collection

group of pitch classes without any specific ordering

scale / mode

specific ordering of a collection that emphasizes a tonal center

quartal chord

chords created through intervals fourths apart

eg. Eb. Ab, Db is notated as 3 × 4 on Eb

n x 4 on y

tall tertian

chords with thirds beyond 7ths, including a 9th, 11th, 13th

split chord

two pitch classes that are a semitone apart

eg. C E G Eb is notated by C(3!)

C E G Gb is notated by C(5!)

polychords

combines two triads that don’t belong to the same key

eg. William Grant Still, Poeme

tall tertian chord is a kind of polychord

t/f

false

Harmonic profiles of whole tone vs octatonic

Whole tone = major thirds, major seconds, two aug triads a WT apart, incomplete V7s

Octatonic = Lots of triads! Two 07s a semitone apart

Pentatonic major vs minor

major = do re mi so la

any five pitches circled on the circle of fourths create major pentatonic

minor = do me fa so te

quartal chords associated with pentatonic

hexatonic blues

minor: do me fa fi so te

major: do re ri/me mi so la

how to identify mode

find the key signature, use the mnemonic “i dont play lydian music after lunch” to find the starting pitch name

c ionian = c major, first note

3 flats, starting G = E flat major, third note = G Phrygian

how to fill matrix for serialism

1. identify all the pitch class intervals (clockwise) for the PRIME form, then the INVERSION, then RETROGRADE and RETROGRADE inversion

prime, inversion, retrograde and retrograde inversion

prime is the pitch class intervals of the original row

inversion is the same intervals but in the opposite direction (complimentary = 12 for pitch class intervals)

retrograde is always read BACKWARDS (make sure u notated with the prime / inverted in brackets)

characteristics of minimalist music

• repetition

• gradual changes

• simple pitch classes

• diatonic, better on the ears

claude debussy, voiles

• layering

• whole-tone-0, Gb pentatonic for B section, whole-tone for the end

• ABA’

william grant still, poème

• begins with D tonality, modulates to B minor, returns to D

• moves into Oct (0,1) in the middle of

• features polychord

steve reich, violin phase

• phase shifting, instruments playing same pitches and rhythms at different speeds

• pattern is diatonic or interpreted as quartal

• pattern is 12 eights long, the pattern shifts by one eighth

• meta music is music resulting from layering

julius eastman, gay guerrila

• Organic music is a compositional technique where the subsequent bars are built out of material that has come right before it

arvo pärt, cantus in memory of benjamin britten

• every part moves twice as slow (augmented rhythm)

• tintinnabulation = melody moves by step, T voice plays pitches of a diatonic triad

• eg. M = A aelioan, T = A minor