melody, harmony, and scales
TRANSCRIPT
Basic Elements of Music
Melody, Harmony, Scales
Melody
A timely arranged linear sequence of pitched sounds that listeners perceive as a single entity.
Listening Activity
Define melody and harmony of the following composition in your own words.
A. Vivaldi, Concerto “Spring” from the “Four Seasons,” 1st movement, Allegrohttp://magnatune.com/artists/albums/lara-fourseasons/
Range
The distance between the lowest and the highest notes in the melody.
Wide RangeBach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, in D Major, 1st Movementhttp://content.thespco.org/music/compositions/brandenburg-concerto-no-5-in-d-johann-sebastian-bach/
Narrow Range
Brahms, Violin Concerto in D, 3rd movementhttp://content.thespco.org/music/compositions/violin-concerto-in-d-johannes-brahms/
Melodic Motion
Disjunct—melody moves by large leaps.
Conjunct—melody rises and falls slowly, with only small changes between one note and the next.
Conjunct Motion
Beethoven, “Ode to Joy” from Symphony No. 9Start listening at 2:30 mark.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljGMhDSSGFU
Disjunct Motion
Piazzolla, “Spring”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJzogioRx6A
Listening Activity
Define the melodic motion of the following composition. Is it conjunct, disjunct, or a combination of both?
F. Chopin, “Nocturne in E-Flat Major,” op. 9 no. 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--ykTqoQnqI
Melodic Contour or Shape
• Ascending• Descending• Arch
Ascending Melody
R. Strauss, “Don Juan”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66zOdfCWEqA
Descending Melody
Handel, “Joy to the World”—the opening of the melody.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKW_az2HVfk
Arch
D. Shostakovich, “Romance from The Gadfly”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDW4VJGKLAQ
Listening Activity
Define the melody of this composition in terms of range, motion, and contour.
J. S. Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, 1st Movementhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj1VvTTTO7Q
Harmony
Two or more notes played together at the same time.
• Two notes played at the same time—an interval.
• More than two notes played at the same time—a chord.
Intervals
Please read and study page 1, Intervals:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/elements_of_music/melody1.shtml
Consonant Intervals
Consonance in music—a combination of notes that sounds pleasant.Please replay the following intervals:• Unison• Major and Minor Thirds• Perfect Fourth• Perfect Fifth• Major and Minor Sixths• Octave
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/elements_of_music/harmony_and_tonality1.shtml
Dissonant Intervals
Dissonance—a combination of notes that sounds unpleasant or harsh.Please replay the following intervals:• Major and Minor Seconds• Tritone• Major and Minor Sevenths
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/elements_of_music/harmony_and_tonality1.shtml
Chords
Please read all four pages on the Harmony and Tonality section of this website:
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/elements_of_music/harmony_and_tonality1.shtml
Scales
Scales are various combinations of musical intervals.
Please study the following:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/elements_of_music/melody2.shtml
Diatonic Scales• Major—happy.• Chopin, Etude in G Flat Majorhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
4pyqLbi2wLU
• Minor—sad.• Rachmaninov, Prelude in C Sharp Minorhttp
://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXQCPAR0EHo
Pentatonic Scale
Is widely used in music around the world, especially in folk music. Watch from 3:00 to 6:30:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnbOWi6f_IM
Gang and Zhanhao, “Butterfly Lovers” Violin Concerto, start listening at 1:50http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_qd-9wD6qA
Traditional music from Ugandahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=363Nv-5oYBA
Chromatic ScaleIs not happy or sad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr2rXc9Qu4ASchoenberg, Piano Concerto—is based on series of chromatic tones.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_dnflTagHMRimsky-Korsakoff, Flight of the Bumblebee—the melody is based on a chromatic scale.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yZPrrboTkYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK0z3LS45xU
Other Scale Types
Whole Tone Scale—based on whole steps• Debussy, “Volies”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVV0jkZC4jI
Microtone Scale—a scale based on the intervals that are less that ½ step.• Composer Harry Partch created a 43-note scale and new
instruments. Please watch various selections from this documentary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfCjWIQtm-M&list=PL325E98023B8838E2
Listening Activity
Define the melody and harmony in the following example using terms discussed in this part.
J. S. Bach’s “Air on the G String” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2j-frfK-yg
Required Readings• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melody• http://
openhighschoolcourses.org/mod/page/view.php?id=11834• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/elements_
of_music/melody1.shtml
• http://www.musictheory.net/lessons/30• http://www.musictheory.net/lessons/31• http://cnx.org/content/m10851/latest/• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmony• http://www.musictheory.net/lessons/40• http://www.musictheory.net/lessons—read (1)The Staff, Clefs,
and Ledger Lines and (2)Steps and Accidentals in the Basics area