MUSICAL ELEMENTS Melody, Harmony, Tonality, & Rhythm

INTRODUCTION The relationship among sounds is what gives music its complexity. Musical elements are the primary building blocks of a musical composition. To some extent, all music contains these elements: –Melody –Harmony –Tonality –Rhythm

MELODY Melody is the most easily recalled element of music. –W–We whistle or hum it. It is a series of pitches & time values that sound one after another. Melody can give a sense of movement in a piece of music. –U–Up--even & smooth –D–Down--jerky & angular

Pitches & time values are inseparable. The melodies that are dominant in a composition are called the THEMES. –These are the central musical ideas of composition. –The themes may be stated & restated in many different forms. Melody is a HORIZONTAL aspect of music

HARMONY Harmony gives music its structure & enhances its expressiveness. Western music depends heavily on harmony. Harmony is a composite sound made up of 2 or more tones of different pitch that sound simultaneously. –The smallest unit will have 2 tones. –Three or more tones together: chord Chords can be heard individually or blended into a composite sound.

–A chord played individually is called arpeggio. There are 2 functions of harmony: –Support & enrich melodies –Add energy & interest to the composition (through the use of consonance & dissonance) Harmony is a VERTICAL aspect of music. 2 qualities of harmony are consonance & dissonance. Consonant harmony = stability, simplicity, & repose (calm) Dissonant harmony = complexity, instability, & movement (tension)

Movement between the 2 contributes to balance in a musical composition. In music history, the relationship between the 2 has changed. –Most modern music is predominantly dissonant.

TONALITY Most music is organized around a central tone (AKA key.) The central tone acts as a musical center of gravity; what many composers call the “home base.” –The composition departs & returns to this point. –It helps give music a sense of conclusion. Most composers use the major-minor system of scales.

–A scale is a series of ascending & descending pitches in a certain pattern. Tonality has a psychological aspect associated with it. –Music that is atonal can be disturbing to the listener. (Atonal has NO specific key.) -- The listener expects to hear certain sounds that complete the musical pattern. Many composers use modulation in their longer musical compositions (symphonies & concertos for example.) Modulation is shifting from one key to another. It provides a sense of variety in the music.

–The separate movements will be written in a different key with a return to the original key (this will be discussed later.) Examples of key are –C-major –F-minor Symphony # 9 in D Minor by Beethoven Adagio Cantabile, Piano Sonata #8 in C Minor, Op. 13, “Pathetique” by Beethoven

RHYTHM This is the passage of musical time that is created by change. It consists of 2 different aspects: –Regularity & diversity 4 concepts associated with rhythm are –Beat--Syncopation –Meter--Tempo

BEAT This is the most basic unit of musical time. Measuring device Each note is judged as lasting 1 beat, several beats, or a fraction of a beat (see note values.) Listeners become accustomed to a regular beat in music.

METER This is the grouping of beats into equal units. These units are called MEASURES. Meter is determined by the number of beats per measure. Most of the time, the first beat in a measure is accented (stressed.) NOTATION OF METER There are 2 devices to indicate meter; the time signature & the bar line.

The TIME SIGNATURE consists of 2 numbers written like a fraction. –The numerator represents the number of beats to the measure. –The denominator tells which kind of note is getting the beat. FOR EXAMPLE: 4/4 = 4 beats per measure & quarter note determines the beat. ¾ = 3 beats per measure & quarter note determines the beat.

***The combination of beats & notes is what gives music its rhythm. The BAR LINE separates one measure from another. Each measure has to have the same number of beats as determined in the time signature. This can be a combination of notes &/or rests.

SYNCOPATION This is when the accent falls somewhere other than on the first beat of each measure. The accent is not where it’s expected Jazz uses syncopation.

TEMPO Tempo is the rate of speed of the beat. If there is a quick beat, then there is a fast tempo. If the there is long beat, then there is a slow tempo. Tempo indications will be written at the TOP of the musical composition or WITHIN the composition as the tempo changes.

TEMPO INDICATIONS (usually written in Italian) Very slow –Largo (broad) –Grave (grave, solemn) Slow –Lento –Adagio (leisurely) Moderate –Andante (at a walking pace) –Moderato

Fast –Allegretto (faster than moderate) –Allegro (cheerful) Very fast –Vivace (vivacious) –Presto (very quick) –Prestissimo (as fast as possible) These indications can be modified by using the following –molto: very –Meno: less –Poco: a little –Ma non troppo: not too much

2 other ways that tempo can be changed are –Rubato: freedom to move ahead & fall behind the tempo. –Fermata: hold the note longer than its normal time value (symbol----) Levels of time value are follows --Beat-----Measures-----Phrases The phrase is the largest unit of the measurement of musical time. A phrase will be a group of measures that are to be played as if they go together as unit, separate from the other measures.