Melody:
-A single line of notes heard in succession as a coherent unit.
-Has shape, moving up or down in ways that capture and hold our attention over a span of time.
-Like a story: has a beginning, middle, and end.
-Note: smallest unit of music, the building block out of which larger structures are created
Rhythm:
-Rhythm is the ordering of music through time.
-Not all music has a melody, but all music has rhythm.
-Can be steady, or unpredictable.
-Meter: an underlying pattern of beats that maintains itself consistently throughout a work.
-Waltz = triple meter
-March = duple meter
-Measure: a grouping of beats, determined by the meter
-Waltz = 3 beats per measure I 1 2 3 I 1 2 3 I 1 2 3 I
-March = 2 beats per measure I 1 2 I 1 2 I 1 2 I
Harmony:
-Sound created by multiple notes played or sung simultaneously.
-Enriches the melody by creating a fuller sound than can be produced by a single voice.
-Helps determines the character/mood of a piece
-Melody = horizontal music
-Harmony = vertical music (i.e. chords)
-Chord = three or more notes played at the same time
Texture: based on the number and general relationship of musical lines or voices.
-Monophonic: a single melody with no accompaniment
-Homophonic: a melody played with accompaniment
-Polyphonic: many independent lines of equal importance
Timbre: the character of a sound (color).
-Can have many different instruments play the same note, but each has their own timbre.
These are the videos that I mentioned in the lecture. The first 3 demonstrate the power of melody, and 4 and 5 demonstrate the power of harmony.
1. Nestles Chocolate
2. Rice Krispies Cereal
3. Slinky Toy
4. "Sad" Happy Birthday
5. "Happy" Happy Birthday
