Music: An Appreciation, 9th Brief Edition by Roger Kamien

Part I: Elements

Chapter 1: Sound: Pitch, Dynamics, and Tone Color (Page 2-8)

• Definition of Sound

  • Sound begins with a vibrating object (soundwave).

  • Sounds can be categorized as pleasant or unpleasant.

• What is Music?

  • Music is the organization of sounds in time.

• Four Main Properties of Musical Sounds

  • Pitch: Highness or lowness of sound.

    • Determined by frequency of vibration.

    • Fast vibration = high pitch; slow vibration = low pitch.

    • Interval: Distance between two tones.

    • Octave: Doubling/halving of frequency.

    • Range: Distance between highest and lowest tones of an instrument or voice.

  • Dynamics: Loudness or softness of sound.

    • Terms include:

      • pianissimo (pp): very soft

      • piano (p): soft

      • mezzo piano (mp): moderately soft

      • mezzo forte (mf): moderately loud

      • forte (f): loud

    • Crescendo: Gradually louder.

    • Decrescendo (diminuendo): Gradually softer.

  • Tone Color (Timbre): Quality that distinguishes tones.

    • Can be described as bright, dark, mellow, etc.

    • Changes in tone color create variety and contrast.

Listening Examples

• The Firebird Suite, Scene 2 by Igor Stravinsky

• Bolero by Maurice Ravel

Chapter 2: Performing Media: Voices and Instruments (Page 10-14)

• Voices

  • Vocal range depends on physical makeup and training.

  • Classifications:

    • Female: Soprano, Mezzo-soprano, Alto.

    • Male: Tenor, Baritone, Bass.

  • Vocal music often accompanied by instruments, primarily piano.

  • Unaccompanied singing is termed "a cappella."

• Musical Instruments

  • Six broad categories in Western music:

    1. String (e.g., violin, guitar)

    2. Woodwind (e.g., flute, oboe)

    3. Brass (e.g., trumpet, horn)

    4. Percussion (e.g., marimba, snare drum)

    5. Keyboard (e.g., piano, harpsichord)

    6. Electronic (e.g., theremin)

Chapter 3: Rhythm (Page 40-42)

• Definition of Rhythm

  • Flow of music through time; organized durations of sounds and silences.

• Key Concepts

  • Beat: Recurrent pulsation dividing music into equal time units.

  • Meter: Grouping of beats (2’s & 3’s).

  • Accent: Emphasis on a note.

  • Syncopation: Emphasis on unexpected notes or beats.

  • Tempo: Speed of the beat, indicated at the beginning of a piece.

Chapter 4: Music Notation (Page 43-46)

• Notating Pitch

  • Uses letter names (A-G) and staff notation.

• Notating Rhythm

  • Indicates length of tones relative to others; includes duration symbols and rests.

• Notating Meter

  • Time signature indicates the meter, written as two numbers (beats per measure and note type).

Chapter 5: Melody (Page 47)

• Definition of Melody

  • A series of single notes forming a recognizable whole.

  • Composed of phrases and cadences.

Chapter 6: Harmony (Page 48-50)

• Definition of Harmony

  • Construction and progression of chords.

• Key Concepts

  • Chord: Three or more tones sounded simultaneously.

  • Consonance: Stable, restful chords.

  • Dissonance: Tense chords needing resolution.

Chapter 7: Key (Tonality) (Page 52-54)

• Definition of Key

  • Centering of melody or harmony around a central note.

• Scales

  • Major Scale: Bright, happy sound.

  • Minor Scale: Dark, sad sound.

  • Chromatic Scale: Utilizes all 12 notes within an octave.

• Modulation

  • Change of key providing contrast within a piece.

Chapter 8: Musical Texture (Page 55-56)

• Definition of Texture

  • Layering of sound and how layers relate.

• Types of Texture

  • Monophonic: Single melody.

  • Polyphonic: Two or more melodies.

  • Homophonic: One melody with accompaniment.

Chapter 9: Musical Form (Page 57-61)

• Definition of Musical Form

  • Organization of musical elements in time.

• Techniques Creating Musical Form

  • Repetition: Restating musical ideas.

  • Contrast: Introducing new ideas.

  • Variation: Reworking ideas.

• Types of Musical Form

  • Ternary (ABA): Statement-Contrast-Return.

  • Strophic: Same music, changing text.

  • Binary (AB): Two-part form.

Listening Examples

• Dance of the Reed Pipes from Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky

• Bourée from Suite in E Minor for Lute by Bach

This note summarizes the key concepts and details from the transcript, organized by chapters and sections