Chapter 1: Melody & Pitch

Melody

Definition of Melody:

• Melody is a succession of single pitches perceived as a whole, often referred to as the tune in music.

• Unfolds over time

• the horizontal dimension in music

• do not have to be agreeable, just understandable (not all melodies are ‘pleasing’)

• fundamental means of communication between composers/performers and listeners.

• A melody may stand alone or be accompanied by a secondary melody (counter melody).

Elements of Melody:

Contour

• The shape and movement of a melody

• whether it moves up, down, or remains constant.

• the visual representation of the melody’s shape (graphic representation)

Range

• The distance between the lowest and highest notes, determining the span of pitches

• Can be narrow or wide

• the total span on the pitches present

Intervals

• The distances between any two pitches

• describes note to note relationships

  • conjunct (small, connected intervals) (two adjacent notes) (steps)

  • disjunct (disconnected intervals) (two non adjacent notes) (leaps)

Phrase

• A unit of meaning within a larger musical structure

• Often coincides with text lines and ends in a cadence

• punctuates the music.

Cadence

• The concluding notes or chords

• mark the end of a section

• can be either conclusive (providing a sense of finality) or inconclusive (suggesting more is to come).

• important in the imaginal level of listening to music

• where it feels it comes to a rest

• cadences often involve a harmonic progression that leads to the tonic

Tonic:

• the first scale degree of a diatonic scale

• the central and most stable pitch in a musical piece.

• In Western music, the most common tonic is the first note of a major or minor scale.

• with authentic cadences, the final chords of the cadence often include the tonic chord.

Climax

• The high point in a melodic line

• representing a peak in intensity and range.

Modes

• set = scale or modes. There is also different scale types

  • Diatonic = 7 notes in a row arranged in conjuct motion

  • Chromatic = provides color

• Different types of tonality or scales

  • major

  • minor

  • atonal = lacks a clear tonal center or key.

Length

• The number of measures a melody consists of

• can be short or long.

Direction

• the upward or downward movement of the melody in terms of pitch.

  • Ascending

  • Decending

Shape

• how the melody moves

• Whether the melody moves predominantly by…

  • steps (smooth) = Conjunct

  • leaps (jagged) = Disjunct

Register

• Relative placement of pitches from high to low

Structure

• The texture or organization of the melody.

Usage

• Can be motivic (based on short melodic fragments)

• Can be thematic (a longer melody serving as the basis for development)

• Can be complete (a melody that recurs in its entirety)

Pitch

1. Pitch Determined by its frequency (number of vibration per second)

2. Depends on the length or size of a vibrating object

   • (faster vibration, short string = higher frequency)

   • (slow, long string = low frequency)

3. Represent each pitch with a note thats on a staff

   • Notes designate the frequency and the duration (length of time, of the pitch)

4. Has a certain volume

   • loudness or softness

5. Has a distinct quality known as tone, color, or timbre

   • this is what distinguishes voices from instruments or instruments from instruments

1 Cycle or Hz

Higher and lower pitches defined how?

• wave frequency

• wave intensity

• octave (8ve)

1. Wave Frequency (Pitch):

   • Definition: Pitch in sound is related to the frequency of sound waves.

   • Explanation: Higher pitch sounds are produced by waves with higher frequencies, meaning they vibrate faster per second.

2. Wave Intensity:

   • Definition: Intensity or amplitude of sound waves influences our perception of volume or loudness.

   • Explanation: the intensity of sound waves affects how we perceive volume. Higher amplitude doesn't necessarily mean a higher pitch, but it can influence how loud a sound appears.

3. Octave (8ve):

   • Definition: an octave is a specific interval between two pitches where the frequency of one pitch is double (or halved) the frequency of the other.

   • Explanation: Moving up or down by an octave results in a doubling or halving of the frequency, but the perceived pitch remains the same. For instance, if a note has a frequency of 440 Hz (A4), the next higher octave (A5) will have a frequency of 880 Hz.

Rhyme Scheme: The arrangement of rhyming words or corresponding sounds at the end of poetic lines