Create a Basic Melody

What makes a decent melody? 

Small Ternary Form: Exposition (A) → Contrasting Middle (B) → Recapitulation (A’) 

    Exposition

  •     Basic idea and contracting idea are relatively similar 

  • Antecedent contrasting idea and consequent contrasting idea differ only by two notes 

    Contrasting Middle 

  • Borrows and transforms the rhythmic figure from the exposition 

    Recapitulation

  • Elision and a symmetrical rhythmic pattern help tie the contrasting middle with the recapitulation 

Variation in accompaniment 

  • Single melody 

  • Peaceful accompaniment 

  • March 

  • Full tutti and choir 

Major/ Minor Tonality 

Music History 

  • Prehistoric Music- Voice- Maybe a bone flute 

  • Medieval Music

    • Gregorian Chant: Single line singing that included modes 

      • Modes: Cover white notes on the Piano 

                Dorian Mode: D-D                                             

                Phrygian Mode: E-E 

                Lydian Mode: F-F 

                Mixolydian Mode: G-G 

                Aeolian Mode: A-A 

                Locrian Mode: B-B 

                Ionian Mode: C-C 

***Locrian mode not used much because B-F-B interval is diminished 5th/ Augmented 4th 

Twelve mode System- Drops the starting note down 4th, but have original note as the tonic 

  1. Hypodorian 

  2. Hypophrygian 

  3. Hypolydian 

  4. Hypomixolydian 

  5. Hypoaeolian 

  6. -

  7. Hypoionian 

  •   -

    • Polyphony- Added second line to music (organum) 

    • Modal Counterpoint- Complex system of intervals and composition

      • Brings together multiple melodic lines 

Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) 

  • Treatise on Harmony (1722) 

  • Major-Minor Tonality 

  • Mastered system of Harmony 

Tonality 

  • Key Center 

  • Consonance and Dissonance 

  • Hierarchal Arrangement of notes or Harmonies 

  • Central Note 

  • **Tonality is built on Major/Minor Scales 

Major Scale 

  • 7 notes 

  • Ionian Mode: W W H W W W H 

Scale Degree 1:  I            Tonic                                Major           

Scale Degree 2:  ii            Supertonic                        Minor 

Scale Degree 3: iii            Mediant                             Minor

Scale Degree 4: IV            Subdominant                     Major 

Scale Degree 5: V            Dominant                         Major 

Scale Degree 6: vi            Submediant                        Minor 

Scale Degree 7: vii            Leading Tone                 Diminished 

Chords

  • Triad- Most common chord structure 

    • Ex.  1-3-5 is an example of a tonic triad because it is built off of the tonic scale degree 

Connecting the Chord Tones

  • Non-Chord Tone- A tone or note that does not fall within the harmony of a chord

Neighbor Tones and Passing Tones

  • Neighbor Tones- Moves stepwise up or down then resolves back to the original note

    • Upward: Upper Neighbor Tone (UNT)

    • Downward: Lower Neighbor Tone (LNT)

  • Resolve- Move from dissonance to tension, to consonance or rest

  • Passing Tone- Non-Chord tone, that moves stepwise from one chord to the next closest chord tone

    • Single: One passing tone

    • Double: Two passing tones

Using Neighbor Tones

  • When you have two of the same chord tones in a row, then you can add a neighbor tone

  • You can use UNT”S and LNT’s by going up one step or down one step

  • Add rhythmic interest by making the neighbor tones different lengths from the chord tones

Using Passing Tones

  • When you have two different chord tones in a row, you can connect them using passing tones

  • You can use single passing tones and double passing tones

  • You can also add rhythmic interest by making the chord tones and passing tones different lengths