Fundamentals of Music: Melody, Rhythm, and Harmony

Melody

Created by a succession of notes. It is the tune.

Motive

A small recognizable melodic fragment.

Countermelody

A secondary melody.

Melodic structure

The arrangement of melodies and their components.

Phrase

Unit of the melody that ends with a cadence.

Cadence

Rhythmic resting place at the end of a phrase.

Interval

The distance from one note to the next in the melodic line.

Contour

How the melody moves up and down.

Conjunct contour

A melody consisting of small connected intervals.

Disjunct contour

A melody consisting of large intervals in leaps.

Range

The distance from the lowest to the highest note.

Texture

The setting of the melody - the interweaving of the melodic lines with harmony.

Monophonic texture

A single-voice - an unaccompanied melody.

Homophonic texture

Melody (voice) is performed with chordal accompaniment.

Polyphonic texture

Simultaneous multiple melodies occurring.

Imitative

The same melody at staggered entrances.

Non-imitative

Simultaneous performance of different melodies.

Homorhythmic texture

Melodic and harmonic lines are performed in rhythmic unison.

Heterophonic texture

Multiple versions of the same melody are heard simultaneously.

Rhythm

A pattern of short and long duration.

Beat

A recurring pulse that you tap your foot to.

Tempo

Speed of the beat.

Ritardando or rallentando

A gradual slowing down of the tempo.

Accelerando

A gradual speeding up of the tempo.

Accent

An emphasized beat.

Meter

The pattern of accented and unaccented beats.

Duple

A metric accent pattern of STRONG - weak.

Simple meter

Each beat can be divided into 2 equal parts- down and up beats

Compound meter

Each beat can be divided into 3 equal parts

Syncopation

Accents fall on weak beats rather than strong beats within the meter which makes it sounds like it is holding back the melody

Harmony

Supports the melody. How notes sound together. A series of chords

Chord

3 or more notes sounded together

Chord progression

Series of chords

Consonant

Harmony is consonant if it is stable and pleasing to the ear

Dissonant

Harmony is dissonant if it is unstable and sounds tense

Tonality

The tone of a piece is either major or minor

Major mode

Bright and happy

Minor mode

Sad and dark

Scales

7 notes arranged in ascending and descending order

Tonic

1st note of a scale

Modulation

A key change

Diatonic music

All the notes are within the key

Chromatic music

It incorporates notes outside of the key

Tonal music

If music is based on a scale (major or minor)

Atonal music

It is not based on a scale and uses notes freely. Lacks tonality (not based on a series of organized pitches)

Dynamics

Refer to the volume of music

Forte

Means loud

Piano

Means soft

Crescendo

Gradual increase of volume

Decrescendo/Diminuendo

Gradual decrease of volume

Musical form

The organization or structure of music

Binary form

2 contrasting sections - A and B sections

Ternary form

3 contrasting sections A B A

Syllabic text setting

1 note per syllable

Neumatic text setting

A few notes per syllable

Melismatic text setting

Many notes per syllable

Timbre

Sound quality

Aerophones

Woodwinds and brass

Membranophones

Drums

Idiophones

Marimba, triangle, and gong

Chordophones

Strings are plucked or bowed (violins or guitars)

Musical style periods

Middle ages 450-1450, Renaissance (1450-1600), Baroque Era (1600-1750), Classical Era (1750-1825), Romantic Era (1820-1900), 20th Century and Beyond (1900-present)