An Introduction to Music as Social Experience Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Active listening versus hearing Attentiveness Analysis Interpretation Music listening Instrument sound quality Shape of melodies Rhythmic changes Patterns that repeat Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Elements of Music Melody Rhythm Harmony Timbre Texture Form Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Melody Pitches (or tones) heard one after the other The part of a song or composition you sing along with Melodic contour: tones move up or down in pitch Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Components of Melody: Intervals Pitch difference between two consecutive tones is an interval Step intervals Two consecutive tones close in pitch In scale order, such as do – re Leap intervals Two consecutive tones significantly different in pitch Not in scale order, such as do – sol Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Occurs in melodies with step intervals Conjunct motion Occurs in melodies with step intervals Narrow range (distance between highest and lowest pitches) May convey calm emotion Disjunct motion Occurs in melodies with leap intervals Wide range May convey anxiety or excitement Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Melodic structure A phrase is “a sentence in tones.” Each phrase has a point of arrival or cadence. A singer might breathe at the cadence. Phrases ending on the tonic harmony sound finished. Phrases not ending on the tonic harmony sound unfinished. Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Rhythm How music is organized in time Patterns of sounds and silences Timing of sounds: long and short, fast and slow Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Components of Rhythm: Meter patterns Tempo Beat Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Beat Most basic time unit in music Musical heartbeat, organizes the musical flow The part of the music you tap your feet or dance to Quantifies duration of musical sound: how long or how short Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Meter patterns Repeating patterns of strong and weak pulses Recurring strong pulse is the downbeat Each downbeat is followed by one or more upbeats Each group of one downbeat + upbeat(s) is called a measure Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Duple meter Triple meter Recurring pattern of one downbeat + one upbeat Marches, most popular songs are in duple meter Triple meter Recurring pattern of one downbeat + two upbeats Waltzes are in triple meter Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Tempo Speed or pace of the beat pattern May remain constant throughout a composition OR May speed up or slow down temporarily Ask: Does the pace of your foot-tapping change? Italian terms used in concert programs, such as: Adagio (at ease) Andante (walking tempo) Allegro (lively) Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Harmony Two or more different pitches heard at the same time. Ex: chords strummed on a guitar or two people singing different tones May be consonant (stable) or dissonant (seeks stability or resolution) Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Timbre Specific tone color of an individual sound Combination of three factors: Instrument size Instrument material (what it is made of) How sound is produced/style of playing Orchestration: intentional combination of instruments to create a soundscape Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Musical Texture How different musical parts fit together. Blend of musical layers heard at the same time. Four kinds of musical texture: Monophony Polyphony Homophony Heterophony Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Monophony A single musical line performed by one person or a group in unison Without accompaniment Without harmony Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Polyphony Several independent musical lines heard at the same time. Simplest kind of polyphony: round or canon Ex: “Row, Row, Row, Your Boat” with different voices starting at different times. More complex polyphony: different melodies interwoven, may or may not start together Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Homophony A melody with supporting sounds, chordal accompaniment. In the Western tradition, most hymns, folk tunes, and popular songs are set in a homophonic texture. Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Heterophony A single melody performed slightly differently by two performers Ex: One performer embellishes the melody or changes the rhythm slightly Uncommon in Western music Heard often in Native American or Middle Eastern music Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Form Overall structure in a piece of music Organization of musical elements builds a cohesive composition Composers use repetition, contrast and development to create tension or relaxation Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music

Alphabet letters used to identify Repeated parts (A A) Contrasting parts (A B C) Development parts (A A’ A”) Traditional Western art music forms: Binary (two parts: AB) Ternary (three parts: ABA) Rondo (refrain alternates with new material: ABACA) Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 2: Listening to Music