Six Concepts of Music

Pitch
(Melody) Think Vocals

Steps or leaps (or both)
- Step is a semi tone or tone
- Leap is a 3rd, 4th, 5th etc etc
Contour shape of a melody
- Jegged (leaps)
- Smooth (steps)
- Ascending or descending
- Draw diagram
Basics
Scalic melodies
Chord based melodies
Imitation
Repeition
Developments of the melody
Cadences
Balance between variety and unity
Melisma
Chromatism
Range
- Wide (2-3 octaves)
- Narrow (few notes 1 octave)
Phrase lengths
- Even (symmetrical)
- Uneven (asymmetrical)
Imitation
- entire melody copied with another instrument
- often used with motifs
Repetition - memorable impact.
Ostinato repeated pattern of notes
Ornamentation
- trills
- filly bits (if lots write- heavily ornamented)
Call and response
Canon
theme/tune introduced then another instrument is added playing the same
melody, a few bars later, another instrument plays the same melody etc.
Builds texture
Improvisation heavily ornamented
Counter melody contrasting melody played at the same time as the main melody
Sequence motif repeated in different pitches
Melody question template
Harmony question template
Main melody
- What instruments plays it?
- Wide narrow range?
- Describe contour (smooth, jagged,
ascending, descending, sequence)
- Draw contour
- Phrases are long or short? (count number
of bars in each phrase)
- Ornamentation or improvisation?
Tonality
Describe the overall tonality of the piece.
Chords used (Major/minor, dissonant, blues
scales, atonal, modal)
Does the piece modulate? When?
Counter melody; motifs or fragments

- (same as main melody)
Other riffs or melodic ostinato
- what instruments plays it?
- How many notes in the ostinato?
- Describe contour
- Where does the ostinato appear?
- How often is it repeated?
How do the melodies work together?
- Call and response? (What instruments?)
- Repetition (what is repeated, by whom?)
- Imitation (what is imitated, by whom?)
- Counter melody or canon?
Tone colour question template

Describe Overall mood and atmosphere
- Describe tone colour in each section
- How does the tone colour change from
section to section
Role of performing media
- List performing media and specify its
role(main melody, ostinato, riff, harmonic
or rhythmic role)
- Write about tone colour of each instrument
Performing techniques
- Specific techniques used to create effects in
instruments or voices?
Contrast of mood and sound
- Any contrasts?
- Which instruments?
- Where do they occur?
- Describe the tone colour of each and how it
changes
Structure question template

-
discuss every concept in each section

draw table
Sections ABC etc

- Repeated chord patterns?
- Rate of harmonic change?
- Style of chords?
- Identify cadences
Duration question template

Tempo and metre
- What is the tempo? (allegro, lento, moderato)
- Tempo constant or change? Where does it
change?
- Time signature? Multimeter?
- Describe beat (strong, indefinite, backbeat)
Introduction (do for each section)
- How many bars?
- Describe rhythm (lively, free, rigid)
- What instruments create the rhythm?
- Note values (long, short, dotted)
- Syncopation? Ostinatos? Polyrhythm?
Imitation?
- Describe and notate the main rhythms
Dynamics and expressive question

template
Overall dynamics
- forte, piano, mezzoforte
- Constant volume or changes?
How are dynamics achieved?
- texture, layers of instruments
- crescendos and dimuendos
Expressive techniques
- staccato
- legato
- tremolo
- pizzicato
Performing techniques
- go through each instrument and mention
techniques
Pitch
(Harmony) think chords
Tonality
- Major (happy)
- Minor (sad)
- Modal (not major or minor)
- Pentatonic (five notes)
- Atonal
Basics
Chords major minor
Ostinatos
Rate of chord changes (harmonic change)
Cadence
12 Bar blues
Jazz chords
Dissonance
Pedal point (pedal point)
Modulation
- Where a piece moves away from the home key and then back again.
Harmonic change rate of chord changes
Style of chords
- Triads
- Arpeggios
- Alberti bass
- Tone clusters
Blues
- blues scale
- 12 bar blues
Drone
continuous low pitch played to keep a tonal centre (eye of the tiger)
known on Piano as pedal point
Cadence
- Perfect
- Plagal cadence
- Interrupted
- Imperfect
Consonant Chords
- based on major minor scales
- creates feeling of resolution and stability
- pleasant
Dissonant Chords
- tone clusters
- creates feeling of tension and unease
- clashing intervals
Tone Colour (performing media)

Performing Media
Sounds
- Aerophones: wind instruments
- Chordophones: stringed instruments
- Membranophones: drums covered by a membrane
- Idiophones: percussion
- Electronic sounds: computerised sounds
Roles of performing media
- What has the main melody?
- What has a harmonic accompaniment role?
- What has a rhythmic role
- What provides a counter melody?
- What plays an ostinato riff?
Tone colour words/description
Mood
- Bright and energetic
- Calm and mellow
- Sombre and dark
Sound
- metallic
- Brassy
- Dry
- Majestic
- Sparkling
- Distorted
- Warm
- Breathy
- Rumbling
Changes in tone colour
- Does change
- Does not
Basics
-
solos
groups
trios
ensembles
electronic
cultural groups
dark, sombre, mysterious
Warm, bright, clear
Liquid, nasal, harsh
Duration (rhythm)
Tempo
- Adagio/ Lento (Slowly)
- Andante/ Moderato (Moderately fast)
- Vivace/ Presto (Quickly)
-
tempo remains constant

tempo changes
Accelerando - gradually getting faster
Ritardando - gradually getting slower
Rubato expressive climaxes in each phrase
Time signatures and metre

- simple time - simple whole beats, crotchets or minims (4/4)
- compound time - based on dotted beats (6/8)
- multimeter - numerous changes in time signature (5/4, 7/4)
Accent and ostinato
- Accent - emphasis or stress
- Syncopation - When accent is on the weaker beats
- Backbeat Accent is on second and fourth beats (form of syncopation)
- Polyrhythm two or more conflicting rhythmic patterns or accents at the same
time (many rhythms)
- Cross rhythm where two metres are played at the same time
- Free rhythm beat is indefinite (no regular accents)
- Ostinato repeated pattern
Note values long or short
Dynamics and expressive techniques

Dynamics
- constant or changes
- crescendo or dimuendo
- dynamic level is piano (soft)
- dynamic level is moderately loud (mezzo forte)
- dynamic level is forte (forte)
Expressive techniques
- Legato smooth and connected
- Staccato short and detached
- Vibrato vibrating or slightly shaking the sound
- Tremolo quick repetition of the same note
- Tenuto drawing out the full length of a note
- Glissando rapid scale played in a sliding motion
- Pizzicato plucked with the fingers
- Use of mute
- Strumming
- Drum roll alternating drum strokes
- Distortion electronic filter
- Double stopping playing two strings at the same time
- Note bending
- Vocal effects falsetto, scat
Structure
Binary Form two main sections
Ternary Form three main sections
Rondo From many sections
Theme and Variation a main theme still exists, it is changed in different sections
Through composed does not repeat any previous material
Strophic hymn
Coda the end of a piece (outro)
Texture
-
Thin
Thick
Changes in texture
Build up of layers (canon)
Lines and layers

- Similar motion melodic contour of two melodies imitate either ascending or
descending together
- Contrary motion melodies move in opposite directions. One descends the
other ascends
Types of texture
- Monophonic texture single layer
- Homophonic texture melody with chordal accompaniment
- Polyphonic texture many melodic lines (counter melodies)
- Unison more than one instrument playing same note at same pitch
- Doubling same melody played an octave apart
- Imitation
- Call and response
Texture question template
Overall density and layers
- Same all the way through?
- Texture builds up?
- Contrast thick and thin textures?
Texture changes
- Where do they occur?
- Effect of texture changes
Introduction (do for each section)
- How many bars in each section?
- How many layers?
- What instruments play each layer?
- What kind of texture? (polyphonic etc)
- Describe function of each layer (melody,
accompaniment)
- How do the layers interact with each other
(similar motion, contrary motion, canon)
Draw Diagram of the texture in the piece

Six Concepts of Music

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Pitch

(Melody) Think Vocals

Melody question template

Harmony question template

Counter melody; motifs or fragments

Tone colour question template

Structure question template

discuss every concept in each section

Sections ABC etc

Duration question template

Dynamics and expressive question

Tone Colour (performing media)

dark, sombre, mysterious

Warm, bright, clear

Liquid, nasal, harsh

tempo remains constant

Time signatures and metre

Dynamics and expressive techniques

Lines and layers

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