The Elements of Music

The Elements of Music

Melody-succession of pitches with a memorable shape

Pitch-the relative height or depth of a musical sound

Scales-"a scale is any set of musical notes ordered by fundamental frequency or pitch. A scale ordered by increasing pitch is an ascending scale, and a scale ordered by decreasing pitch is a descending scale. Some scales contain different pitches when ascending than when descending, for example, the melodic minor scale."  [Wikipedia].   

Key--a melody and/or harmonies set in a given scale.  The most usual types of keys in Western music are the major and minor key

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHlWP-nc4tM&t=58s

As discussed, major keys are perceived as been bright, happy, calm, upbeat, whereas minor keys are considered to be darker, sad, passionate, etc.  Comedian Bill Bailey demonstrates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dVFknALySA

In a similar vein, we can see the difference if we take a famous movie theme, the "Imperial March" from "Star Wars"  which a serious tune in a minor key,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzWSJG93P8  ,  and change it into major https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9MShtCg4fk&t=38s.

Other types of scales used by Medieval and Renaissance music, as well by folk and non-Western musics are referred to as modal scales, or church modes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RFTJZa414c

 

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Harmony-the art of setting two or more lines to sound simultaneously

           dissonance--an interval or chord that sounds unstable and harsh, as opposed to consonance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1Ph0sa0Gc0

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Rhythm- the branch of music that concerns durations of individual pitches and the organization of time in general

This video gives us one way to envision how rhythms can be organized.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UphAzryVpY

      tempo-the speed of a musical composition

      Meter (metrical) --a regular arrangement of stressed and unstressed beats

• duple meter a- meter with two beats per measure, with emphasis on the first beat, Simple examples are marches https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvWWXv59apY
• quadruple meter- meter with four beat per measure with emphasis on the first beat.  The Irish dance genre know as a reel is an example of this meter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS7NxJDp4zQ
• triple meter -  meter with three beats per measure, with  emphasis on the first beat.  A common example is a waltz:  This example is by the contemporary Swedish folk group, Väsen.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJS3ZTf-sWI
• compound meters - meters composed of groups of three, example ware two groups of three (6/8 time) such as an Irish jig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoiB1-Ubn2I
• complex meters - combinations of groups of beats, eg. 3-2-2, 2-2-2-3, 3-4-3-4, 5-2-3-4.                                                                       

This example is in 7, divided 3-2-2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbVbQuYcr9E                                                                           This example is the Turkish rhythm know as Aksak or Karşilama, divided 2-2-2-3  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPC03bOz7d0

Textures -  Describing how many different parts, and what they are to in relation to each other

• more parts or voices—thicker texture
• fewer parts or voices-thinner texture
• Monophony-one part, no matter how many are singing or playing it.  Often referred to as à capella.  Examples are Gregorian chant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjU-1leykmE
• Heterophony-A variant of monophony, when two instruments play the same melody at the same time, but one is in an embellished form  
• Polyphony-two or more equal melodies.  This example is a four-part from 16th-Century France: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx2k3R_ACls
• Homophony-a main melody with supporting accompaniment   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq01OuEGCfA
• Here is a good summary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teh22szdnRQ

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Text to music relationships

• melismatic - a syllable contains many notes.  An example is the Gregorian chant "Viderunt Omnes" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN73kO2_PZA.   Notice how the notes in the score are set to the words.
• syllabic-a syllable contains only one or two notes. An example is the Gregorian chant "Dies Irae" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMZPdSo2qUQ  or the Irish drinking song the Rocky Road to Dublin   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB-y6SjIq_E
• strophic—the same music for multiple verses.  An example is the Irish folk song "The Banks of the Bann"   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq01OuEGCfA&t=14s
• through composed—different music throughout the piece. A famous example is "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axAtWjn3MfI

Cadences are stopping points in music—like periods in verbal expression 

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Form—how a piece of music is constructed. A common issue is to balance the competing needs of unity versus variety

Common forms: 

• Binary form:  AA BB  two parts, each repeate
• Ternary form:  ABA  three parts, with contrast in the middle
• Strophic song form: A, A1, A2, A3…  same music with different verses
• Strophic form with chorus  A, B, A1, B, A2, B…..
• 32-bar song form (common in Broadway show tunes and jazz) 
• A, A1, B (bridge), A3
• On a repeating pattern, either rhythm or harmonic.
  • A repeating rhythm is used much African influenced music like the clave pattern in salsa and Cuban son.
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi7FFypHLpM
  • A repeating harmony pattern is used in the famous pop song "The Shape of You"
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ2rlci9PE0
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Timbre-the quality of sound of a musical instrument  or voice (also, tone color)

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Dynamics-the levels of loudness and softness in music

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Genre -  Expectations regarding a given type of music.  For example, we expect a lullaby to be a quiet, slow, vocal genre