Lecture 3--Structures

Today we are going to look at:

Melody

Harmony

Texture

Key Terms

Melody

Tune

Motive

Theme

Phrases

Balance

Parallel phrase

Sequence

Climax

Cadence

Form

Melody

Often the primary bearer of musical meaning and interest; the structure most likely to move the listener

An organized series of pitches

Usually coherent, makes musical sense

In succession, one note at a time (you can sing it!)

A structure that combines pitch and rhythm

Tune

A special kind of melody•Simple•Easy to sing•Often catchy•Familiar•May be a folk song, dance, pop song, patriotic

song, or a Christmas carol

Characteristics of Tunes

Divides into phrases•Phrases often correspond to lines in the text•Phrases are often 2, 4, or 8 measures long,

about as long as you can comfortably sing without breathing

•Breaks between phrases give you a chance to breathe

Characteristics of Tunes

Parallelism•Repetition of phrases; strengthens sense of

balance, unity•Can be exact repetition

Of Phrase 1: “Whose broad stripes and bright stars”

•Or partial repetition Of Phrase 2: “That our flag was still there”

•Or repeat only the rhythm Compare Phrase 2 with Phrase 1

•Or use a sequence, repeating patterns at higher or lower pitch levels

“rockets’ red glare” and “bursting in air”

Characteristics of Tunes

ClimaxGood tunes have form, a strong sense of shape and direction•A clear, purposeful beginning•A feeling of action in the middle•A distinct high point, or climax•A sense of winding down at the end

Tune builds toward climax, then relaxesOften an emotional high point•“O’er the land of the free”

Characteristics of Tunes

Cadence•Stopping, pausing, or breathing places•Used to end phrases, sections, and entire

pieces•Many shades of finality are desirable•Can be strong, with great finality

Useful to end sections and pieces; full stop “And the home of the brave”

•Or weak and less conclusive Useful for internal cadences; needs to go on “That our flag was still there”

Motives and Themes

Motive•Short, distinctive fragment of melody•Can be as short as two notes•Used to construct tunes, melodies, or themes•Can be repeated, transposed, reversed, turned

upside down, or fragmented•Rhythmic motive—when only the rhythm is

repeated

Motives and Themes

Themes•The basic subject matter for a piece of music•Almost anything can be used as a theme, but

it’s usually a melody•Can be a phrase, a motive, a tune, or a long

melody

Melody Listening

Things to listen for:Phrases and cadencesRepetition and contrastMotives and sequenceBalance, shape, and climaxIs it a tune?Melodic character and emotional qualityLet’s Listen to GershwinIntroduction to the Listening Chart