Basics of Music

What is sound?
Sound

is a vibration. Vibrations travel through air and are picked up by the sensitive membrane of the ear drum, which also vibrates. The vibrations are then transformed into nervous impulses and transmitted to the brain, which identifies them as various types of sound.

Music and Noise

If all sounds are vibrations, then how do we discern music from noise? Notes with a definite pitch have a wave form (a visual vibration?) that has a regular pattern. Noise tends to have irregular wave forms and indefinite pitch. What we class as noise (and music) has a lot to do with the culture that we live in. What we class as noise others may class as music and vice- versa.

Music and Noise

If all sounds are vibrations, then how do we discern music from noise? Notes with a definite pitch have a wave form (a visual vibration?) that has a regular pattern. Noise tends to have irregular wave forms and indefinite pitch. What we class as noise (and music) has a lot to do with the culture that we live in. What we class as noise others may class as music and vice- versa.

Musical Elements
PITCH- is how HIGH or LOW a note is DYNAMICS- are how loud or soft a sound is
(VOLUME)

TIMBRE- is how to describe each individual sound

in words (TONE COLOUR)

TEMPO-

is how fast or slow the music goes (SPEED)

Musical Elements 2
DURATION- is how long a sound is played for
(TIME)

TEXTURE-

how different parts of music (or instruments) are layered together how sounds and music are ordered to make them memorable (FORM)

STRUCTURE-

SILENCE- if there is such a thing! (Vibrations etc.)

TEXTURE
Terms used to describe texture include: MONOPHONIC HOMOPHONIC POLYPHONIC HETEROPHONIC Phonic = sound, so think of these words as the prefix and sound(s) ie. Mono= one phonic= sound = ONE SOUND

MONOPHONIC (MONOPHONY)
Means

one sound A single musical line, but can be sung or played by many people. Musical texture of a single melodic line with no accompaniment. Examples: Cantus firmus (plainchant) Folk airs and ballads

HOMOPHONIC (HOMOPHONY)
Means

same sounds Melody with accompaniment- parts move basically together rhythmically (although homorhythmic is a better word to describe this) Examples: Hymn tunes

POLYPHONIC (POLYPHONY)
Means

many sounds Two or more parts playing melodies simultaneously and entering the texture individually to create a CONTRAPUNTAL (multilayered) texture. (Counterpoint) Examples: Fugues; Two part inventions; Renaissance vocal music; Motets, Madrigals

HETEROPHONIC (HETEROPHONY)

Means difference of sounds Two or more parts play a melody together but with some slight differences in pitch or rhythm. You do not hear this too much in Western music (sometimes in traditional Irish music) Examples: Turkish music Gamelan Japanese music

Listening
Listen

to these extracts and decide as a group which texture best suits the music. Polyphonic 1 Heterophonic 2 Homophonic 3 Monophonic 4

Individual listening
Decide

which texture best suits the extract.

Heterophonic Polyphonic

5 6 7 8

Monophonic Homophonic

Extension- listening
1
Monophonic

2
3 4

Heterophonic

Homophonic

Polyphonic

STRUCTURES
Ground

bass and variations Rondo / Ritornello Ternary form / Da Capo aria Minuet and trio Song verse/chorus structure Indian raga- alap/ jhor/ jhalla/ gat Call and response Aleatoric / chance

Musical devices
These

musical devices occur within the musical structures listed: Repetition / sequence Ostinato / riffs Imitation / canon Motific development Introduction / coda Link

Italian terms- TEMPO

ADAGIO LARGO ANDANTE MODERATO ALLEGRO PRESTO VIVACE ACCELERANDO/ RALLENTANDO/ RITARDANDO

TEMPO

VIVACE ACCELERANDO ALLEGRO RALLENTANDO/ RITARDANDO ADAGIO ANDANTE PRESTO MODERATO LARGO

Quick Fast Moderate pace

Lively Walking pace Getting slower Broad and slow Getting faster Slow

Italian terms- Dynamics

Pianissimo Piano

(pp)

(p) Mezzo piano (mp) Mezzo forte (mf) Forte (f) Fortissimo (ff) Crescendo Diminuendo

Dynamics
Crescendo Fortissimo
Loud
Quiet Very quiet Very loud Getting quieter Getting louder Fairly quiet Fairly loud

(ff) Mezzo forte (mf) Diminuendo Piano (p) Forte (f) Pianissimo (pp) Mezzo piano (mp)

Time signatures
Time

signatures tell you how many beats are in each bar. The top number tells you how many beats The bottom number tells you what type of note. 4/4 is 4 crotchets in a bar 6/8 is 6 quavers in a bar (two groups of three quavers, as in folk music)

Simple and Compound time

SIMPLE

time signatures have 2, 3 or 4 beats as their top number. COMPOUND time signatures have 6, 9 or 12 as their top number. With SIMPLE time signatures you would count every beat. With COMPOUND the notes are grouped into threes per beat.

Compound time
A

6/8 rhythm is counted in two groups of three- so you will FEEL 2 beats to the bar but there are 6 quavers in total;

Metre
Depending

on the time signature, the beats make different patterns. This is known as the metre: REGULAR METRE Two beats per bar= DUPLE metre Three beats per bar= TRIPLE metre Four beats per bar= QUADRUPLE metre

What metre?

2/4

5. 12/8

4/4
3/8 9/8

6. 6/8
7. 3/4

Metre- answers

Simple duple

Simple quadruple Simple triple

Compound triple

5. Compound quadruple 6. Compound duple 7. Simple triple

DURATION
NOTE

symbols tell youHow many beats to hold a sound for REST symbols tell youHow many beats to hold a silence for Notes and rests have names and values depending on how long they are.

Note names, symbols and values

Name semibreve minim Number of beats 4 2 Note symbol Rest symbol

crotchet
quaver

1
1/2

semiquaver

1/4

Notes of the keyboard

In

music we only use the letters A, B, C, D, E, F and G. The note C is to the left of the two black notes.

E F

G A

B C

D E

F G

B C

The rest of the letters follow alphabetically and repeat.

Tones and Semitones

The

smallest interval on the piano keyboard is called a SEMITONE.

C to C sharp

E to F

Tones
Two

semitones make a TONE

C to D

B to C sharp

Ab to Bb

Sharps and Flats

Sharp

(#) = raise note by a semitone Flat (b) = lower note by a semitone

D E

G A

B C

D E F
Fb E#

G A

B C
Cb

C# D# Db Eb

F# G# A# Gb Ab Bb B#

Staff Notation- Clefs

Treble clef (G clef)

Bass clef (F clef)

Notes on staff

Major scale
All major scales are made up of the same pattern of tones and semitones. Once you have learned the pattern you can work out any major scale.

C K T

D T

E S

F T

G T

A T

B S

K=KEYNOTE

T=TONE

S=SEMITONE

Major scale- letters

Each

scale must contain one of each letter: C D E F G A B C OR D E F# G A B C# D NOT D E Gb G A B Db D TIP! Write out letters first then add sharps and flats as you go.

Major chords

KEYNOTE

NOTE 3

NOTE 5

Minor chords

KEYNOTE

FLATTENED 3rd

NOTE 5

Flattened note is lowered by a semitone

Minor scales- Harmonic

The

same as major but with the 3rd and 6th flattened: C minor=

C D Eb F G Ab B C

C B

Ab G F Eb D C

Minor scales- Melodic

Ascending:

same as major but with flattened 3rd. Descending: same as relative major (count up 3 semitones, eg. A minor=C major)

C D

Eb F

G A

B C

C Bb Ab G F

Eb D C

Chords I IV V
With

the chords of the 1st, 4th and 5th notes of the scale you can play thousands of tunes. C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G CHORD 1 CEG CHORD 4 FAC CHORD 5 GBD Every other letter finds chords 1,3 and 5

Chords of the major scale

Diatonic=
I II

of the scale
III IV V VI VII VIII

MAJOR

Work

out whether these chords are major or minor.

MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR MINOR MINOR MINOR DIMINISHED

Arpeggios
Arpeggios

are chords, but with each note played seperately.

Intervals
The relationship between two notes can be measured by their distance apart in the major scale. This distance is called the interval.

Major 2nd

Perfect 4th

Major 6th

Octave

Major 3rd

Perfect 5th

Major 7th

Remember, if the notes are within the scale, the intervals are called

MAJOR or PERFECT

Other intervals

Minor 2nd

Minor 3rd Augmented 4th

Minor 6th Minor 7th

Diminished 5th

Diminished chords
Diminished

chords are built up of minor thirds. (Scooby Doo chords!)

MINOR 3RD

MINOR 3RD

MINOR 3RD

DIMINISHED CHORD

Diminished chords

Because minor thirds repeat the same notes after the first four, there are a limited number of diminished chords. How many?

Chords- 6ths and 7ths

These

are major or minor chords with the 6th note of the scale added: C6= C E G A Cminor6 (Cm6)= C Eb G A
C6=

CEGA

Major 7ths and 7ths

There

are two types: Seventh and Major seventh. Seventh chords are ordinary triads with the seventh added, but Major seventh uses the seventh note of the major scale, so Cmaj7=C E G B Seventh chords use the flattened 7th of a major scale, so C7= C E G Bb

Chords- suspended
Suspended

chords replace the third of the scale with either the second or fourth of the scale: sus2= C D G sus4= C F G

C C

Modes
Modes

are the system used before scales as we know them were invented. They can be worked out easily by using a major scale but starting on different notes For example.

Dorian mode
Take

a C major scale-

Play

this scale starting and ending on D

You

now have the Dorian mode

Aeolian and Mixolydian modes

A

to A on the C major scale is the Aeolian mode

to G on the C major scale is the Mixolydian mode

Other modes
Play

white notes starting/ ending C to C = Ionian (major scale) D to D = Dorian E to E = Phrygian F to F = Lydian G to G = Mixolydian A to A = Aeolian B to B = Locrian