Intro to Music

Becoming a good listener

  • know how it works

  • Commit to memory

  • Lock in

  • Practice


The symphony: an instrumental genre for orchestra

  • a type of composition often made up of four separate instrumental pieces called movements

  • A motive is a short, distinctive musical unit that can stand by itself

    • A tiny little musical note that the whole idea of the music is wrapped around (identity)

  • A famous example is Beethoven 5th symphony (short - short - short - long)


Also sprang Zarathustra:

  • advent of a superhero, apex of human development and thinking, ascending with the sunrise (superhero/main character vibe of music) (Barbie intro)

  • First 3 notes are call the “Dawn” motive



Terms:

  • Diminuendo = gradually softer

  • Crescendo = gradually louder

    • Ex. Maurice Ravel, Bolero

    • Textural density (more vocal or instrumental force to build the audio) (adding more layers)

  • Concerto = when an orchestra accompanies a soloist

  • Lyrics = the text of a song

  • Chord = two or more pitches played or sung at the same time

    • Ex. Claude Debussy, Pour Lee piano - sarabande

    • High and low

  • Pizzicato = plucking the strings

    • Softer/quieter

    • Ex. Benjamin Britten, Playful Pizzicato

  • Genre = term to describe a ‘type of music” or category



Rhythm = the organization of time in music

  • gives shape or profile to the melody

  • Provides definition to a melody


Beat

  • an even pulse

  • Divides musical time into equal segments

  • Present in a all music (exception of some experimental music)

  • Can be strongly felt or barley perceptible

  • Often create a physical response; tapping the foot, clapping, dancing, etc (moving along with it)


Meter is the result of gathering beats into measures

  • measure: a group of beats

  • Also called a bar

  • Written as a vertical line in the score

Meter/Time signature:

  • a numerical symbol indicating the type of meter

    • Bottom number= note value of the beat

    • Top number = number of beats per measure

    • Normally found at the beginning of the score


Beats within a measure

  • a group of beat form a measure

  • The downbeat is the strongest beat

    • First beat in a measure

    • Downward motion of conductors baton

  • The upbeat is the last in a measure

    • An weak beat

    • Upward motion of conductors baton

  • Pickup= an upbeat prior to a compositions first downbeat (start of a song)

    • Adds momentum

    • Not all pieces have a pickup beat


Accent

  • emphasis placed on a musical tone or chord

  • The heaviest accent typically occurs on downbeats; however, any beat can be accented


Syncopation = displaces the natural accent

  • gives an unexpected “bounce”

  • Used often in jazz


Tempo= speed in which beats progress

  • composers provide a tempo marking to indicate the appropriate speed

  • Tempo can change (Ex. accelerando: getting faster, ritardando: getting slower)