Music 101

1
Music Fundamentals

• Music 101
• Lecture 1

2
Introduction

• Music Physics
• Music Notation
• Structures of Music
• Musical Form
• Musical Style

3
Sound Vibrations

• Pitch (frequency)
• measured in cycles per second (A 440)
• the faster the frequency, the higher the sound
  (pitch).

4
Dynamics (Amplitude)

• Dynamics (Amplitude)
• The strength of the sound vibrations (the amount
  of energy they contain)
• amplitude is measured in decibels
• Musical term for amplitude is dynamics
• Simplified, music can be categorized under either
  soft or loud dynamics.

5

• Italian is the language that musicians use to
  classify differences in dynamics
• pianissimo piano mezzo piano mezzo forte
  forte fortissimo
• pp p mp mf f ff
• very soft soft medium soft medium
  loud loud very loud
• Other terms
• Più more Meno - less (i.e. più forte,
  or meno forte)
• Terms for changing dynamics
• crescendo (cresc.)
• decrescendo (decresc.) or diminuendo (dim.)

6
Tone Colour Overtones

• All instruments are unique in sound or timbre
• Each instruments sound is dependent on the shape
  and construction of the instrument, and by the
  overtones (partials) they produce.

7
Duration Time Rhythm

• The basic unit for measuring time in music is the
  beat
• beats are grouped into measures or bars.
• the grouping of beats is called the metre
• The basic kinds of meters are known as simple
  metre (duple and triple metre) and compound metre
  (triple subdivisions of one of the simple
  metres).
• Syncopation is when the natural accentuation of a
  particular metre is displaced

8
Tempo (speed)

• The rate of speed at which a given piece is
  performed.
• Music is often not given a precise tempo, however
  we would measure it in beats per minute.
• Metronome Johannes Maelzel (Friend of
  Beethoven) Measures tempi in beats per minute
  (i.e. mm60 equals one beat per second, mm120
  equals two beats per minute)

9

• Italian terms used to indicate tempo
• Adagio Slow
• Andante walking pace
• Moderato moderately
• Allegretto on the fast side, slower than allegro
• Allegro fast
• Presto very fast
• Terms used to indicate tempo changes
• Accelerando Gradually faster
• Ritardando Gradually slower
• più lento, più allegro slower, faster
• Fermata To hold a note longer than the value
  indicated
• A tempo return to the original tempo.
• From Beethoven Mass in C
• Andante con moto assai vivace quasi allegretto ma
  non troppo.

10
Pitch

• In western music, we only use a maximum of twelve
  pitches at any given time.
• Pitches are assembled in a collection called a
  scale.
• The distance between any two pitches is called an
  interval.
• An octave is an interval of 8 notes. (example,
  eight piano white notes).

11
Scales

• The Diatonic scale is a collection of 8 notes
  (do re mi fa sol la ti do) created by a specific
  formula of SEMI TONES and WHOLE TONES (half steps
  and whole steps).
• the chromatic scale includes all 12 pitches,
  created by using only SEMI TONES.
• Most western music from the time of 1600 until
  the 1900s, used these scales exclusively to
  create music.

12
Melody

• Tune a simple, easily singable melody that is
  coherent and complete
• Phrase a section of a melody or a tune, often
  two four or eight measures long
• Cadence a stopping or pausing place at the end
  of a phrase, section, or complete work, usually
  signifying a point of rest.
• Motive a short fragment of melody or rhythm
  used to construct a long section or work
• Theme the basic subject matter of a piece of
  music can be a phrase, motive or tune

13
Harmony

• Vertical, or simultaneous relationship between
  pitches in a musical work.

14
Consonance and Dissonance

• Chords that sound at rest (consonant) and chords
  that sound tense (dissonant)
• Dissonant sounds create tension, a need for
  resolve consonant sounds are at rest, resolving
  previous tensions.

15
Textures

• Four Types of Musical Textures
• Monophonic
• Homophonic
• Polyphonic
• (Hetrophonic we will not study this type in
  Western Art Music)

16
Textures

• Monophonic Texture
• Simplest Texture one single line, unaccompanied
  (Gregorian chant).

17
Textures

• Homophonic Texture
• Only one melody of real interest, the rest of the
  texture fills in the harmony, without holding a
  melody of its own.
• two types Homorhythmic (Chordal) and Melody
  and Accompaniment
• Homophony creates a VERTICAL feeling of harmony

18
Textures

• Polyphonic Texture
• Most complex texture two or more MELODIES are
  played or sung simultaneously.
• Melodies are independent, but hold approximately
  equal interest.
• Counterpoint (contrapuntal writing) Polyphonic
  texture
• Two types Imitative polyphony, and non-imitative
  polyphony.
• Imitative polyphony the various melodic lines
  are the same (like a round) or fairly similar,
  one melody being stated shortly after the other.
• Non-imitative polyphony the various melodies
  are essentially different from one another
• Polyphony creates a HORIZONTAL feeling of harmony.

19
Tonality

• Tonal music that is centered around a specific
  home pitch (tonic).
• Atonal music that is not centered around any
  specific pitch, or music which has no tonic
  associated with it.

20
Modality

• Pre-1600 All music was composed using church
  modes
• After 1600 - Major and Minor modes were developed
  specifically a western music concept.
• Major happy, Minor sad?!

21
Keys

• Keys
• The home pitch or tonic of a specific piece.
• Any pitch can be made into the key of a piece

22
Modulation

• a practice of western music where a composer will
  move through other keys (or tonics) within a
  piece to create variety.

23
Musical Form

• Three aspects of form
• Repetition
• Contrast
• Variation

24
Musical Form

• Letters are used to classify the inner form of a
  work
• Ex. A - B - A

25
Musical Form

• Some of the Musical forms we will discuss in this
  course
• Strophic form
• Through-composed form
• Ground Bass
• Fugue
• Ritornello form
• Sonata form
• Minuet form
• Rondo form
• Theme and variations

26
Genre

• A specific category of musical composition.

27
Genre

• Some Genres we will study in this course
• Symphony Cantata
• Symphonic poem Opera
• Lied Program symphony
• Concerto String Quartet
• Overture Oratorio
• Song Cycle Mass

28
Music Style

• The combination of distinctive, characteristic
  uses of musical elements
• Geographic (French, German)
• Schools of music (Viennese school)
• entire cultures (Renaissance, or Romantic)
• entire continents (African)
• Composers (Beethoven, Bach)

29
Musical Instruments

• Bolero Ravel
• A1 Flute
• A2 Clarinet
• B1 Bassoon
• B2 Eb Clarinet
• A3 Oboe damore
• A4 Flute and muted trumpet
• B3 Tenor Saxophone
• B4 Soprano saxophone
• A5 Piccolos, French horn and Celesta
• A6 Oboe, Oboe damore, English horn, and
  Clarinets
• B5 Trombone
• B6 Piccolo, flutes, oboes, English horn,
  Clarinets, Tenor Sax
• A7 Piccolo, flutes, oboes, violin 1
• A8 Like B6 Violin 1 and 2
• B7 Piccolo, flutes, oboes, English horn, trumpet,
  violin 1 2
• B8 like A8 viola and cello
• A9 piccolo, flutes, 4 trumpets, two saxophones,
  violin 1
• B9 like A9 trombone