Friendly Warning

Quiz/Test # 1 - 3 more meetings, then22 September (TUESDAY)

covers Chapter 1 & Terminology(Review Sheets will be on Course

Website soon)

What can you organize?The 4 Parameters of Sound

• Pitch = the frequency of vibration (heard as “high” vs. “low”)

• Duration = the length of time a sound lasts (heard as aspects of rhythm)

• Timbre = tone color (the source of the sound, i.e., instrument, voice, other)

• Dynamics = Loudness/Softness

PITCH

• Function of “frequency” (how many vibrations per second)

• Usually described as “high” or “low”

• Individual sound sometimes called a “note” (from the written symbol for a single sound)

• Range of human hearing 20 – 20,000 Hz

Some Useful Terms related to Pitch

• Interval – “distance” between 2 pitches• Octave – 2:1 ratio of frequency• Tonality – organization around home

pitch • Tonic – the home pitch• Key – collection of pitches around a tonal

center• Scale – set of pitches in ascending and

descending order (scala [Ital.] = “ladder”)

Scale types• Use only some of all the available pitches

• Series of whole and half steps (7 notes)

• Major – sounds “bright,” “cheery”

• Minor – sounds “dark,” “somber”

• Pentatonic – uses only 5 notes- Major or Minor

Harmony (Some Useful terms)• Chord – 2 or more simultaneous pitches• Triad – 3-note chord• Tonic (I) – chord on home note (name of scale or

“key”)• Dominant (V) – chord on 5th note of scale• Subdominant (IV) – chord on 4th note of scale• Consonant / Consonance – “pleasant” combinations of

sounds (subjective)• Dissonant / Dissonance – “unpleasant” combinations of

sounds (subjective)

Listening Critically(Theme 1)

(Last batch of) Useful Terms for Describing Music

(my terms – most not in the textbook)

Musical Form

• The basic organizing principal in music

“What comes next?”

• Three basic elements:

Repetition – the same thing

Contrast – something new

Variation – a mix of old and new

Melodic Structure• Similar to Speech (words, phrases,

sentences, paragraphs, etc.)

• Musical PHRASE – coherent subdivision of a larger unit (similar to sentences or clauses in speech)

• CADENCE – resting point at the end of a phrase (full or partial, cf. punctuation marks, periods, commas, etc.)

Some Formal Patterns• Organization by phrases and larger blocks

- relates to both music and text (words/lyrics)

• Strophic- Stanza (same block of music, repeated)- new words with each Verse- Ex. “Barbary Allen” and most hymns

• Alternating sections- Verse (same music, but changing words)- Chorus (same music & words; “refrain”)- Ex. “Gospel Ship,” “Jingle Bells,” “Yankee Doodle,” etc.

More Patterns & Terms• “Song Form” – usually 4 equal phrases/sections

- A A B A or A A’ B A” or AABC, ABCD, etc.- Bridge or Release (3rd phrase) contrasts harmonically & melodically- Exs. “Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair,” “Taking A Chance on Love,”

“New San Antonio Rose,” “Sh-Boom,” etc.

• 12-Bar Blues – 3 phrases repeated over and overA - statementA’ - restatement (intensification)B – conclusionEx. “Black Snake Moan,” “Hound Dog,” etc.

A Few Last Terms

• Call-Response- leader first, answered by group (or single)- Ex. “Long John,” and most Blues-based music

• Introduction- a brief section to start a piece of music(exactly what it says)

• Coda- a short ending added to a piece (literally: “tail”)

Five “Themes”

1. Listening Critically (terminology)

2. Music and Identity

3. Music and Technology

4. Music is a Business

5. Music has “Centers” and “Peripheries” (places)

Music Centers & Peripheries

• “Centers” – money, power and control- NYC, LA, Nashville (?!)- aims at the mass (= urban, white) market

• “Peripheries” – the edges- physically remote- lacking in power or influence- stylistically unique or “different” (often)

• Peripheries influence and change Centers

Streams of Traditions• Three main sources of American Pop Music• European

- chiefly white (Anglo) Northern Europe- British Isles (Scotch, Welsh, Irish, etc.)

• African- chiefly from West Central Africa- imported slaves (mostly) to Southern regions

• Latin America- Caribbean, Mexican, Brazil, etc.- often mixes African w/ indigenous elements

“Barbary Allen”• Folk Music• Appalachian region

(from Anglo-Irish) • “Ballad” tradition

(tells a story)• Child Ballad # 84• Strophic form• “a cappella”

performance• Jean Ritchie--Barbry All

en – YouTube

[Textbook, p. 21-3]

Jean Ritchie (b. 1922; d. 2015);

Kentucky native

“Soldier’s Joy”• “Old Time Music”• String-band tradition• Used for dancing• 1st “Hillbilly” recordings• Ex.

Gid Tanner And His Skillet Lickers-Soldier's Joy

[Textbook, p. 23-5]• Revived as “folk music”• Tommy Jarrell - Soldiers Joy

– YouTube [Textbook, p. 25]

“Gid” Tanner and Skillet Lickers

Tommy Jarrell (1901-1985)

Friendly Warning

Quiz/Test # 1 - 3 more meetings22 September (TUESDAY)

covers Chapter 1 & Terminology(Review Sheets on Course Website)