Music Appreciation 1306 Unit 1 Notes

Music Appreciation 1306: Unit One Materials of Music

General Overview

• Covers music from various historical periods: Middle Ages (400-1450), Renaissance (1450-1600), Baroque (1600-1750), Classical (1750-1825), Romantic (1820-1900), and 20th Century (1900-).

• Structure of music concepts discussed include melody, rhythm, harmony, texture, form, and instrumental families.

Melody

• Definition: Succession of single pitches perceived by the ear as a unit.

• Contour: The overall shape of a melodic line.

• Range: Distance between the lowest and highest pitches.

• Interval: The distance and relationship between two notes.

  • Conjunct: Smooth, connected melody that moves principally by small intervals.

  • Disjunct: Melody with many leaps or larger intervals.

• Phrases: Musical units or components of a melody.

• Cadences: Resting place in a musical phrase (musical punctuation).

• Countermelody: An accompanying melody against the principal melody.

Rhythm

• Definition: Controlled movement of music in time.

• Meter: Organization of rhythm in larger patterns, notated in measures.

• Measures/Bars: Metric groupings of beats.

• Beat: Regular pulsation or basic unit of musical time.

  • Simple Meter: Main beat divided into two (duple, triple, quadruple).

  • Compound Meter: Main beat subdivided into three.

• Offbeats: Weak beats or portions of a beat.

• Syncopation: Upsetting the meter through a temporary shifting of the accent.

• Polyrhythm: Simultaneous use of multiple rhythmic patterns.

• Nonmetric: Music lacking a strong sense of beat or meter.

Harmony

• Chord: Simultaneous combination of three or more pitches.

• Scale: Series of pitches in ascending or descending order.

  • Major Scale: Seven pitches with a specific pattern (WWHWWWH).

  • Minor Scale: Seven pitches following a different pattern (WHWWHWW).

• Triad: A common chord made up of three pitches (1-3-5).

• Tonic: The first note of a scale.

• Tonality: Organization around the tonic note, based on a major or minor scale.

• Dissonance: Discordant combination in need of resolution.

• Consonance: Harmonious combination providing relaxation/stability.

• Octave: Interval between notes eight pitches apart.

• Half Steps: Smallest interval used; twelve intervals in an octave.

• Whole Steps: Interval of two half steps.

• Chromatic Scale: Scale comprised of half steps.

• Diatonic Scale: Built from the seven pitches of a major/minor scale.

• Microtones: Intervals smaller than a semitone, common in non-Western music.

• Key: Defines pitch relationships centered around tonic.

• Modulation: Changing from one key to another.

Texture

• Definition: The interplay of melodic and harmonic elements.

  • Monophony: Single melody without accompaniment.

  • Polyphony: Combination of two or more melodic lines.

  • Homophony: Principal melody with accompanying harmony.

  • Counterpoint: Combining multiple melodic lines.

Form

• Definition: Structure or design of music based on repetition, contrast, and variation.

• Examples of Forms: Strophic, Through Composed, Binary, Ternary, Theme and Variations.

Musical Devices

• Motive: Short melodic or rhythmic idea; smallest fragment of a theme.

• Sequence: Restatement of an idea at a different pitch.

• Call and Response: Leader followed by a chorus.

• Improvisation: Spontaneous music creation.

• Ostinato: Repeated short melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic pattern.

• Movements: Self-contained parts of larger works.

Tempo

• Terms: Grave (very slow), Largo (slow), Adagio (quite slow), Andante (walking pace), Moderato (moderate), Allegro (fast), Vivace (lively), Presto (very fast).

• Dynamics: Volume levels in music, indicated as:

  • pp: pianissimo (very soft)

  • p: piano (soft)

  • mf: mezzo forte (medium loud)

  • f: forte (loud)

  • ff: fortissimo (very loud)

  • crescendo: gradually getting louder

  • decrescendo: gradually getting softer.

Vocal and Musical Styles

• Vocalise: Textless vocal melody.

• Scat Singing: Jazz vocal improvisation with nonsensical syllables.

• Secular Music: Non-religious; text usually in vernacular language.

• Sacred Music: Religious or spiritual music.

• Melodic Styles:

  • Syllabic: One note per syllable.

  • Neumatic/Melismatic: Many notes for one syllable.

Word Painting

• Definition: Musical picturization of words, especially in Renaissance madrigals.

Instrumental Family Overview

• Strings: Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Guitar, Harp, Banjo.

• Woodwinds: Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, Clarinet, Saxophone.

• Brass: Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba.

• Percussion: Drum Set, Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Cymbals, Xylophone, Bells, Chimes, Timpani.

• Keyboards: Piano, Organ, Harpsichord.