Music%20Fundamentals

1
Music Fundamentals
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Pitch

• Frequency number of times a vibrational pattern
  repeats itself per unit of time
• Measured in cycles per second or Hertz
  (abbreviated Hz) c. 20 c. 20,000 Hz
• The faster the repetition of the pattern, the
  higher the frequency/pitch
• Western standard of A-440
• Overtones/partials 21, 32, 34, 54, 65 etc.

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Volume

• Amplitude amount of displacement of air
  molecules produced by vibrating string, air
  column or percussive surface
• Measured in decibels (dB ratio)
• The greater the displacement, the higher/louder
  the amplitude/displacment

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Duration

• Conceptualized by patterns of meter and rhythm
• Meter recurring patterns of strong and weak
  beats/pulses
• symmetrical duple / triple / compound
• non-symmetrical
• Rhythm arrangements of durations within a meter

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Timbre

• Sounds of the same pitch, amplitude, and duration
  but produced by different media can be
  distinguished on the basis of timbre or tone
  color
• Different sounding media cause different pitches
  in the harmonic series (overtones) to be
  suppressed or amplified.

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Scale

• Organization of pitches within an octave (12
  ratio of pitches)
• Pentatonic
• Diatonic
• Chromatic
• Microtonal
• Scales generate both melodies (pitches considered
  diachronically) and harmonies (pitches considered
  synchronically)

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Texture

• Monophonic all sounding media produce the same
  sequence of pitches with the same durations
• Heterophonic different sounding media produce
  simultaneous variations of the sequence of
  pitches and durations
• Polyphonic different sounding media produce
  different sequences of pitches and durations
  exhibiting common interest
• Homophonic/harmonic different sounding media
  produce different sequences of pitches and
  durations exhibiting unequal interest
  (melody/accompaniment)

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Form

• Structural intelligibility of a particular
  musical event unfolding over time
• Exact repetition (same pitch/volume/duration/timbr
  e)
• Variation (vary one or more of pitch/volume/durati
  on/timbre)
• Development (elaborate one or more of
  pitch/volume/duration/timbre)
• Contrast (introduce new material)

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• Free forms no regular patterns of repetition
  and contrast (e.g., fantasia, rhapsody)
• Fixed forms regular patterns of repetition and
  contrast
• Binary (AB AAB/AABB/AABB, etc.)
• Ternary (ABA ABA/ABACA/ABACABA, etc.)
• Mixed, e.g., sonata-allegro Exposition /
  Development / Recapitulation / Coda