MUS 105, 1 Elements

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