Elements of Music – Melody, Harmony & Key Concepts

Melody – Core Definition and Features

• Working definition: series of single pitches that, when heard in order, form a recognizable whole.
• Physical behaviors of melodic lines
  • Move by step (adjacent scale degrees)
  • Leap (skip over one or more notes) – short vs. wide skips
  • Ascending, descending, seesaw (up-down-up-down) contour patterns
• Memory & recognizability
  • Melodies are what we whistle, hum, or recall first (e.g., \text{Star Wars} fan-fare)
• “Talking-point” checklist for critical listening
  • Direction of movement: sequential ascent, descent, oscillation
  • Range: span from lowest to highest pitch
  • Does the range require a single instrument/voice or multiple hand-offs (e.g., cello → clarinet → violin → flute)?
  • Number of themes: mono-thematic vs. multi-thematic (common in Classical era)
  • Motive (a.k.a. "cell"): very short, characteristic pitch-rhythm idea that recurs & develops
  • Beethoven 5^{\text{th}}: \text{bom-bom-bom-BOOM} = 3 short + 1 long ⇒ 4-note motive
  • Mozart 40^{\text{th}}: \text{ba-da-dum} = 3-note motive
  • Climax: emotional high point produced by melodic peak + dynamics (crescendo)
  • Syncopation: primary accents fall between the beats (ex. Stevie Wonder “Superstition” vocal line)
  • Technical difficulty / virtuosity: fast tempo, large leaps, awkward fingering, breath control, etc.
  • Improvisation & embellishment: scat syllables, ornamental runs, spontaneous variations
  • Memorability / “ear-worm” factor: ease of internal recall after 1–2 hearings
  • Lyric integration: do words enhance melodic expressiveness?
  • Intonation: performance accuracy – “in tune” vs. audibly off-pitch

Case Study – “Yesterday” (Paul McCartney, 1965)

• Historical note: most-covered pop song per Guinness World Records
• Formal design: two large sections (A + B); melodic climax at “Why she had to go…”
• Range considerations
  • Starts near bottom of male tessitura, then soars upward; challenging even for McCartney in his 70s
• Accompaniment cues
  • Solo acoustic guitar + soft lower strings (cellos, violas)
• Emotional character: melancholy, longing, nostalgia
• Objective observations from instructor demo
  • Wide leaps, noticeable strain in upper register (aging voice)
  • Still largely in tune; iconic contour remains memorable
• Counter-example (humorous “bad” cover)
  • Singer wanders off-key; abandons high notes ⇒ illustrates importance of accurate pitch & range suitability

Harmony – Fundamentals

• Definition: simultaneous sounding of \ge 2 pitches at specified intervals, vocal or instrumental.
• Chord = \ge 3 concurrent tones.
• Interval = pitch distance between two notes.
  • Seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths, etc. (e.g., C→D = 2^{\text{nd}}; C→E = 3^{\text{rd}})
• Western music’s hallmark: sophisticated harmonic practice (vs. many global traditions focused on melody/rhythm only).
• Talking-point checklist for listening
  • Texture of harmonic support: block chords, broken arpeggios, sustained pads, contrapuntal lines
  • Location relative to melody: above, below, or intertwined
  • Range spread: tight cluster vs. wide open voicing
  • Instrumentation: different timbres creating composite chords (e.g., trumpet + trombone + flute)

Consonance vs. Dissonance

• Consonant intervals: pleasant, stable, low tension (e.g., 3^{\text{rd}}, 6^{\text{th}})
• Dissonant intervals: tense, unstable, demand resolution (e.g., major 7^{\text{th}} cluster)
• Music relies on alternation of tension (dissonance) & release (consonance) for interest.

Tension & Release – Illustrative Examples

• Gregorian “Amen”: dissonant suspension resolved to consonant chord (listener relief)
• Mozart “Prague” Symphony opening: rhythmic repetition builds expectation; dynamic swell softens ⇒ release
• Boys II Men a cappella “Yesterday” cover: close-harmony clashes → smooth resolutions (ear-pleasing)
• Chopin Nocturne (Op.9 No.2): right-hand melody rubs against left-hand chord, then corrects ⇒ subtle rub / release
• Mozart Piano Sonata in minor key: minor tonality + dynamic outbursts = moderate dissonance & dramatic relief
• Early 20th-century modernist excerpt: heavy dissonance, deliberately unresolved for expressionistic effect

Keys, Key Signatures & Accidentals

• Accidentals
  • Sharp ( \sharp ): raises pitch by one semitone (half-step)
  • Flat ( \flat ): lowers pitch by one semitone
  • Natural ( \natural ): cancels previous sharp/flat – restores “regular” note
• Key signature: collection of sharps or flats placed at score’s beginning; tells performer which diatonic scale (key) applies for the entire piece.
  • 1 sharp \Rightarrow G Major / E Minor
  • 2 sharps \Rightarrow D Major / B Minor
  • etc. (no memorization required for exam; know concept)
• Practical importance
  • Vocalists & instrumentalists must choose keys fitting their range & technical comfort (e.g., guitar favors E, A, D, G; brass dislike G, D, A).
  • “Can we modulate it down a whole step?” = shift to easier range.

Modulation

• Definition: deliberate change of key within a composition to heighten contrast / emotion.
  • Example: “The Way You Look Tonight” starts in C Major → pivots → E-flat Major (middle section) → returns to C.
  • Achieved using “pivotal” chords common to both keys.

Supplemental Classroom / Exam Notes

• Course emphasis: develop critical listening skills for each musical element (melody, rhythm, instrumentation, harmony, etc.).
• Upcoming exam
  • Covers first 50 pages, “Elements of Music” chapter.
  • Format: multiple-choice, including listening excerpts.
  • Study resources: downloadable study guide in Canvas; connect reading assignments.
• Instructor suggestions
  • Practice labeling motives, climaxes, syncopation, consonance/dissonance while listening.
  • Observe performance quality, technical difficulty, and emotional impact.
  • Use provided YouTube links for self-testing.