chapter six: vocal melody. basic elements of music rhythm melody (pitch) harmony sound (timbre)...
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter Six:
Vocal Melody
Basic Elements of Music
RhythmMelody (pitch)HarmonySound (timbre)Shape (form)
Staff--5 line, 4 spaces
Lines and spaces named
Symbols of written music
When a composer wants to put a piece of music down so others can “read” it, she needs a system or code which indicates which pitches to play. This code starts with the Staff--
Each line and space of the staff corresponds with a pitch. The pitches are named by the letters A-G (notice we start over at G) so each line and space has a letter name.
This is the treble clef (another word for staff) and is used to indicate higher pitched notes. There is also a bass clef for pitches in the lower range.
Grand Staff
Symbols of written music
When both clefs are used together, such as in piano music, the two are called the Grand Staff
The notes on the staff correspond with the notes played on instruments.
ScalesScales are the way we organize music. Scales give the composer the choice of notes from which to write a song. The scale below is what we think of as “Do-Re-Mi” etc.
Major
Minor
Western European Scales
“Do-Re-Mi” is also known as the major scale in Western music.
Diatonic Major ScaleThe Western major scale (Do-Re-Mi) is also referred to as the diatonic major scale. Here’s another example--
Melody
An organized succession of pitches that forms a coherent whole--usually (but not always) based upon a scale.
Vocal Melody
Conjunct MotionMoving from note to note without
leaps.
Disjunct MotionMoving by leaps from note to note.
Minuet in G
Allegro (120mm)
Original tempo
Moderato (100mm)
Slower, for analysis
Parts of a Melody
PhraseRegularIrregularOrnamented
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain, (IC)
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain. (IC)
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee, (IC)
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea. (CC)
(Cadences in Red)
Phrase One
Phrase Two
Phrase Three
Phrase Four
America, the Beautifulwords by Katharine Lee Bates melody by Samuel Ward
Melody
Motive--Smallest Unit of MelodySequenceRepetitionRhythmic Motives
Minuet in G
Allegro (120mm) Moderato (100mm)
Melody
Cadence--Musical punctuation dividing music into two kinds of phrase endings>
• Incomplete cadence (IC)—makes us feel the need to go on
• Complete cadence (CC)—makes us feel as if we could or should stop
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain, (IC)
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain. (IC)
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee, (IC)
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea. (CC)
(Cadences in Red)
Phrase One
Phrase Two
Phrase Three
Phrase Four
America, the Beautifulwords by Katharine Lee Bates melody by Samuel Ward
My Country Tis of Thee
Gregorian Chant
Monophonic Texture-- One melody sung either by solo voice or a group (all singing the same melody)
Haec Dies
Dominum
http://www.healingchants.com/index.html
Hildegard von Bingen
Daughter of a noble familyWent to live in a monasticcommunity at 8 years of ageTook vows to become a Benedictine Nun at age 18Became Abbess of Disibode Abbey in 1136 (age 38)
Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179)
When she was 42, she began
dictating her "visions" of:
-Music
-Art Works (Illuminations)
-Scriptural Commentaries
In her life she composed:
-77 musical settings
-Ordo Vertutum (morality play)
-De Sancta Maria
Hildegard von Bingen
•Monophonic Texture•Regular/Irregular Phrases•Syllabic•Melismatic•Neumatic
De sancta Maria