Melody
the tune, a single line of notes heard in succession as a coherent unit
Note
(melody) the smallest unit of music, the building block out of which larger structures are created, a melody has shape, moving up or down in ways that capture our attention
Phrases
(melody) a brief musical statement
Cadences
(melody) points of arrival, melody comes to a rest
Melodic Motion
the movement of pitches within a melody up or down either by step (conjunct) or by leap (disjunct)
Conjunct Motion
notes next to each other
Disjunct Motion
skipping notes, large leaps between notes
Scale
(melody) a series of notes that provide the essential pitch building blocks of a melody, "do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do
Octave
(melody) the interval between two pitches of the same name (C to C, G to G, etc.) The frequency of the higher pitch is twice that of the lower pitch.
Interval
(melody) Distance between each note
Acoustics
(melody) The science of sound, how it is produced, transmitted, and perceived, and a few basic principles of acoustics help explain the most basic element of melody-- striking a surface, plucking or stroking a taut string, blowing air
Pitch
(melody) the position of a sound on a range from very high to very low
Sound wave
the vibration through air that produces sound
Wavelength
distance between the peak of each wave
Frequency
number of wavelengths in one second, determines the pitch of the sound
Dynamics
the volume of sound--is determined by the size of each wave
Amplitude
size of the sound wave; determines volume
Major Mode
(melody) corresponds to the scale produced by singing "do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do" Melodies using these notes tend to sound brighter and somewhat happier
Minor Mode
(melody) strikes most listeners as darker, more somber, and less optimistic
Rhythm
the time, the ordering of music through time, not all music has melody but all music has rhythm, it can operate at many levels, from a repetitive underlying pulse or beat to rapidly changing patterns of longer or shorter sounds
Meter
underlying pattern of beats
Triple Meter
one accented (strong) beat followed by two unaccented (weak) beats
Duple Meter
only two beats to a measure
Measure
Rhythmic units
Harmony
the sound created by multiple notes playing or sung simultaneously, supporting the melody. Harmony enriches the melody by creating a fuller sound that can be produced in a single voice
Chord/Triad
three or more notes played at the same moment, a melody can be harmonized in more than one way
Tonic
the note that establishes a key, based on its distinctive relationship with a particular set of harmonies or other notes in the underlying scale. Also, the chord based on the first scale degree.
Texture
thick and thin, based on the number of general relationships of musical lines or voices. Every work of music has texture from thick (many voices) to thin (one voice)
Monophonic
One single melodic line with no accompaniment
Homophonic
a single melodic line with accompaniment, melody stands out about accompaniment
Polyphonic
multiple melodies of equal importance (row your boat in a round) can also exist of melodies that are different but sound good when played or sung together
Timbre (tamber)
the color of music, the character of sound. The same melody sounds very different when performed by different instruments. Timbre is what makes instruments and voices sound different from one another
Dynamics
Term used to indicate the volume of sound, ranging from very soft to very loud. Dynamics determines the volume in a given passage
Italian terms for dynamic
Pianissimo (pp)-very soft
Piano (p)-soft
Mezzo piano (mp)-medium soft
Mezzo forte (mf)-medium loud
Forte (f)-loud
Fortissimo (ff)-very loud
Crescendo, Decrescendo
gradually louder, gradually softer
Form
the structure of musical work, the way in which its individual units are put together. Form is based on three and only three possible strategies; repetition (word for word), variation (repeat what we have just said in a slightly different manner), and con
Word Music Relationship
How words shape what we hear, how do the notes relate to the words? Consider the relationship of the words to the music. How does the music capture the spirit and meaning of the text?
Genre
the category of work, determined by a combination of its performance medium and its social function
Contour
upward or downward movements