Elements of Music (Continued) Melody

(General) the horizontal aspect of music; pitches heard one after another (Specific) a series of single tones that add up to a recognizable whole

Melody Characteristics Direction –Curve, Line Shape –Beginning, Middle, End Continuity –How one pitch leads to another –Setting up expectations and fulfilling them

By the dawn’s ear-ly light Oh, say can you see,

At the twilight’s last gleam-ing What so proud-ly we hailed

Are you sleep-ing? Bro-ther John? Morn-ing bells are ring-ing. Morn-ing bells are ring-ing. Ding, dong, ding. Ding, dong ding.

MOTIVE A fragment of a melody, or short musical idea that is developed within a composition A group of notes recognizable for its pitch and rhythmic formulation –Can be repeated in a number of ways and contexts

PHRASE Part of a melody A combination of motives forming a longer connected unit Finished by a musical punctuation called a CADENCE

CADENCE Resting place at the end of a phrase in a melody Musical “punctuation mark” From Latin cadare meaning “to fall” 2 types –INCOMPLETE or OPEN Does not sound like you can end the piece here Gives expectation of continuing (Usually SD 5) –COMPLETE or CLOSED Does sound like you can end piece here Feels complete (Usually SD 1)

JOSEPH HAYDN Symphony No. 94 in G Major (the “Surprise”), Movement 2. motive X Y X Z

Motive X Y X Z PHRASE CADENCE

MELODY A succession of phrases making a whole span of music

PARAGRAPH = SENTENCE = WORD = Melody Phrase Motive Punctuation Mark Cadence

… LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 in C Major, Movement 1. motive X X’ repeated and transposed down X X’ repeated and transposed up X’’ contracted and transposed Beginning of Melody One

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 in C Major, Movement 1. New motive Z X’ from melody one Inverted in shape New Motive Z repeated X’ from melody one Inverted in shape Beginning of Melody Two

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 in C Major, Movement 1 Motive “x” - the motive Beethoven called “fate knocking at the door” is constantly present in the whole movement This motive appears in other 3 movements of symphony also This motive IS the MAIN IDEA of work

THEME Main idea of a composition Main idea that serves as a starting point for an extended piece of music Something that unites and marks a piece –Can be a motive –Can be a melody –Can be other musical elements Dynamics Timbre, etc.

ANTON WEBERN Third piece from Five Pieces for Orchestra What is theme? What is main idea? Is it a motive or melody? What seems to be the focus or main idea of this composition?

Melodic Articulations STACCATO –short, detached, sharp-sounding Example: JOSEPH HAYDN Movement 2 from “Surprise” Symphony No. 94 in G Major LEGATO – smooth Example: J.S. BACH “Wachet Auf” Chorale from Cantata #140

CLIMAX Highest pitch or emotional focus point in a melody or a larger musical work

J.S. BACH Cantata No. 140 “Wachet auf” (Awake), Movement 7. Phrase 1, 2 & 3

J.S. BACH Cantata No. 140 “Wachet auf” (Awake), Movement 7. Phrases 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8

Elements of Music (continued) Harmony

(General) Results when different pitches are sounded at the same time (Specific) How chords are constructed and how they follow each other

Harmony Terms INTERVAL –“Distance” in pitch between any 2 tones –Can also refer to 2 pitches sounded simultaneously CHORD –Combination of 3 or more pitches sounded at once

Main Concepts of HARMONY these are CULTURALLY DETERMINED CONSONANCE (n.), CONSONANT (adj.) –Intervals or chords that sound: pleasant relatively stable free of tension DISSONANCE (n.), DISSONANT (adj.) –Intervals or chords that sound: unpleasant relatively unstable full of tension

Examples CONSONANCE –(1) JOSEPH HAYDN Movement 2 from “Surprise” Symphony No. 94 in G Major –(2) J.S. BACH Chorale from Cantata #140 “Wachet Auf” DISSONANCE –(1) ARNOLD SCHOENBERG “Mondestrunken” (Moondrunk) from Pierrot Lunaire –(2) ANTON WEBERN Third piece from Five Pieces for Orchestra

CHROMATICISM Using pitches that are “in-between” the regular notes of the scale Leads to greater amount of DISSONANCE in harmony b2 b3 b5 b6 b7 #1 #2 #4 #5 #6

CHROMATICISM Use of chords containing tones not found in the prevailing major or minor scale but included in the chormatic scale (which has twelve tones); often found in Romantic music Example: FREDERIC CHOPIN Nocturne in Eb Major

TRIAD Main type of chord used in classical music Often called “the common chord” Constructed of 3 notes each 1 step apart on scale

MAJOR TRIAD Triad with the interval pattern that is formed by notes 1,3, & 5 of a MAJOR SCALE

MINOR TRIAD Triad with the interval pattern that is formed by notes 1,3, & 5 of a MINOR SCALE

KEY (tonality) - central note, scale, and chord within a piece, in relationship to which all other tones in the composition are heard MAJOR KEY – music based on major scale MINOR KEY –music based on minor scale