chapter 3 scales and melody. key terms pitch scale interval octave diatonic scale chromatic scale...
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 3
Scales and Melody
Key Terms
• Pitch
• Scale
• Interval
• Octave
• Diatonic scale
• Chromatic scale
• Flat
• Sharp
• Half step
• Whole step
Aspects of Pitch
• 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
• Melody
• Tune
• Motive
• Theme
• Phrase
• 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
• A special kind of melody
• Simple, easy to sing
• Often catchy
• Folk songs, dances, pop songs, patriotic songs, Christmas carols
Characteristics of Tunes
• 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
• Exact repetition of a phrase
• Partial repetition of a phrase
• Repetition of rhythm
• Repetition of a pattern at higher or lower pitch (sequence)
Contrast
• Provides variety and interest
• Higher or lower phrases
• Shorter or longer phrases
• Different rhythms or melodic shapes
Form of Tunes
• 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
• Phrases and cadences• Repetition and contrast• Motives and sequence• Balance, form, and climax• Tune, motive, and theme • Melodic character and emotional
quality