Transcript Document

Chapter 3
Scales and Melody
Key Terms
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Pitch
Scale
Interval
Octave
Diatonic scale
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Chromatic scale
Flat
Sharp
Half step
Whole step
Aspects of Pitch
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Definite or indefinite
High or low
Scale: a pool of definite pitches
Interval: the distance between any
two notes
Octave
• “Eight span”
• Higher note seems to duplicate
lower note
• Smooth blend of sound comes from
overtone series
Step
• Usually the distance between
adjacent notes of a scale
• Suggests a ladder of discrete
pitches
• Scale steps: specific notes of a
scale (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do)
Half Step (Semitone)
• The smallest interval
• The distance between two adjacent
notes of the chromatic scale
• The distance between two adjacent
notes on the keyboard
Whole Step
• The most common interval in
diatonic scales
• Equals two consecutive half steps
Scales
• Fixed collections of pitches used to
construct music
• Diatonic scales
• Chromatic scales
• Other scales (modern and world
music)
Diatonic Scales
• Contain five whole steps and two
half steps
• Contain seven pitches
• The eighth note of the scale
(octave) repeats the starting pitch
• Examples: major scales, minor
scales, church modes
Diatonic Scale
Chromatic Scale
• Contains 12 pitches
• Consists entirely of half steps
• Requires sharps or flats
Chromatic Scale
Sharps and Flats
• Flat lowers a note by a half step
• Sharp raises a note by a half step
Diatonic vs. Chromatic
Listening
• Chromatic scale
• Diatonic scale
• Non-Western scales
Key Terms
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Melody
Tune
Motive
Theme
Phrase
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Parallelism
Contrast
Sequence
Climax
Cadence
Melody
• The primary bearer of
musical meaning
• Most likely to move the
listener
• An organized series of
pitches
• Combines pitch and rhythm
Tune
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A special kind of melody
Simple, easy to sing
Often catchy
Folk songs, dances, pop songs,
patriotic songs, Christmas carols
Characteristics of Tunes
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Division into phrases
Balance between phrases
Parallelism and contrast
Climax and cadence
Division into Phrases
• Often correspond to poetic lines
• Often two, four, or eight measures long
• Tend to be natural breathing points
Balance between Phrases
• Creates an overall sense of
proportion
• Many phrases of the same length
• Longer and shorter phrases
• Parallel and contrasting phrases
Parallelism
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Exact repetition of a phrase
Partial repetition of a phrase
Repetition of rhythm
Repetition of a pattern at higher or
lower pitch (sequence)
Contrast
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Provides variety and interest
Higher or lower phrases
Shorter or longer phrases
Different rhythms or melodic
shapes
Form of Tunes
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Clear beginning
Building up in the middle
Distinct high point (climax)
Winding down to the end
Cadence
• Weak cadences
– Points of relaxation to breathe or pause
– Create need to go on
– End phrases
• Strong cadences
– Full stops
– Create sense of finality
– End sections or pieces
Motive
• Distinctive fragment of a melody or
distinctive rhythm
• Used to construct tunes, melodies,
themes
• Can be repeated, transposed, reversed,
inverted, or fragmented
Theme
• The basic subject matter for a piece
of music
• Usually a melody
• Can be a phrase, motive, tune,
tone color
Listening Exercises
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Phrases and cadences
Repetition and contrast
Motives and sequence
Balance, form, and climax
Tune, motive, and theme
Melodic character and emotional
quality