Chapter 4: Organization of Musical Sounds +

Octave and Scale Basics

A. Octave: - Interval of eight notes in Western music. - Divided into 12 half steps (semitones). - Two half steps make a whole step.

B. Chromatic Scale: - Comprises 12 half steps. - Foundation for Western music. - Utilizes sharp (#) to raise pitch and flat (♭) to lower pitch (accending or descent half steps)

C. Diatonic Scale: - Consists of seven whole and half steps. - Forms major and minor scales. - Tonic chord on the first scale note is the home base.

D. Microtones: - Intervals smaller than half steps. - Found in some non-Western music

•  one way of producing microtonal music is by an inflection of a pitch Making a brief microtonal dip or rise from the original pitch

• technique similar to that of the Blue Note in jazz makes possible a host of subtle pitch changes

• may sound off key to western ears

• Inflection: Small alteration of the pitch by a microtonal interval 

E. Pitch Level and Key:

• Transposition: Shift in pitch (key) level for an entire work

• Modulation: Change in key during a work.

Sharp (#) is a symbol that raises a pitch by a half step

Flat (♭) lowers a pitch by a half step

Whole step two half steps

II. Recognizing Pitches:

A. Alphabetic Naming: - Notes named A through G. - Cycle restarts at the octave.

B. Octave Recognition: - Hearing two notes an octave apart sounds identical. - Western music divides octaves into 12 equal semitones.

III. The Chromatic Scale:

• Consists of 12 half steps

• in Western music.

• White and black keys from C to the C above it.

• Sharps and flats depend on context.

• Distance between C and D is two half steps.

•  composers can shift the pitch level (key)  of an entire work ( transposition)  or change the key during a work ( modulation) 

• gives color to music

V. Major and Minor Scales:

These two main scale types function within this organizational system = Tonality

• tonality basic harmonic principle in most western music written around 1600 to 1900 and in most popular music Still today

A. Major Scale:

• Most common sequence of pitches

• Creates a cheerful or triumphant mood ( tonic moving to dominant and returning to tonic progression)

• 7 different pitches

• specific pattern of whole and half steps (W-W-H-W-W-W-H)

• third degree is raised by half a step

•  within each major scale are certain relationships based on tension and resolution

•  defines two poles of traditional music, Defines tonic (rest) and dominant (active):

  1. the tonic: the point of ultimate rest

  2. the dominant: the most important active Harmony

B. Minor Scale:

• Sounds quite different due to a lowered or flattened third note (third degree lowered half a step)

• In C minor, there is an E flat rather than an E natural of the major scale.

• Minor key pieces sound sadder and darker than those in a major key.

• has a certain pattern (W-H-W-W-H-W-W)

V. Diatonic vs. Chromatic:

A. Diatonic:

• Music in a major or minor key

• seven notes whole and half steps of the respective scale

• Both melody and harmony are firmly rooted in the key

• music of the baroque and classical eras  is largely diatonic centering on a tonic note and it's related harmonies

• seven whole steps and half steps

B. Chromatic:

• Compositions that introduce other notes that are foreign to the scale

• drawing from 12 half steps that span the octave

• Romantic Era composers explore chromaticism for emotional depth or give it color

• Western musical system is only one way to structure music; other cultures may divide the octave differently, producing different scale patterns

• ascending or descending sequence of half steps

Other scale patterns

• some scales are not easily playable on Western instruments because they employ intervals smaller than the half step such intervals are known as microtones and may sound off key to Western ears

Pentatonic

• among the most common

• five note scale

• used in African Asian and Native American musics

Tritonic

• three note pattern

• also found in the music of some African culturen (non western).

VI. Major-Minor System:

A. Harmony and Chords:The three main chords of a musical  work,  are the foundations over which Melodies and harmonic progressions unfold

1. tonic (I) chord = The three-note chord or triad built on the first scale step. Serves as a point of rest. rest chord.

Active Chords: chords that need to resolve the tonic chord

1. The dominant (V)

   • forms the chief active chord

   • bringing a feeling of restlessness

   • seeks to resolve to the tonic

   • Fifth Scale step (sol),

2. subdominant, IV

   • triad built on the fourth scale step

   • An active chord seeking resolution.

   • familiar to the “Amen” sung at the close of many hymms

B. Key as a Form Building Element: Modulation

Modulation: Process of changing from one key to another

• creates tension

  • tension requires resolution, provided by return to home key

• Composers establish the home key, change to a related key through modulation, creating tension and resolution.

• home key provides unity, and the foreign key ensures variety and contrast

Tonic Chord

• built on the first scale note

• the home base to which active cords (dominant and subjective) need to resolve

• the home base to which active chords ( dominant and subdominant)  need to resolve

Half Steps

• in western music, its divided into 12 semitones, or half steps

• smallest interval used in Western music system

Other definitions

Transpose = shifting of a song to a different pitch level — Transposition