what is music1 - select a topic...
TRANSCRIPT
1/23/12
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What is Music?
A quick survey of musical elements based upon music from around the
world
19th Century Germany considered this music:
Beethoven’s 9th Symphony hGp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-‐eoalPlPdMU
21 Century Teens consider this music:
OverKill “Power Surge” hGp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH_h2xYkjb0
Many Japanese consider this music:
Japanese Gagaku Music (oldest form of Japanese Classical Music) hGp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OA8HFUNfIk
1950’s Avant Garde Americans consider this music
John Cage 4’33’’ (in three movements) hGp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN2zcLBr_VM
Music is HIP (Human inteneon and percepeon)
An expression and performance of sound interpreted by the composer, performer and listener to be an aresec expression.
Sounds that communicate thought, ideas or concepts that the performer and listener understand and appreciate
Most ogen, the sounds are generated by people, not nature (though some may argue that nature provides it own music.)
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What is common to these examples?
Japanese Taiko Ensemble hGp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6w7jA9urX4
What is common to these examples?
Djembe Master Bolokada Conde Djembe Drums hGp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu_-‐htNFTb0
What is common to these examples?
Japanese Taiko Ensemble hGp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6w7jA9urX4
What do these examples have in common?
Sounds and Silence
A pulse that the musicians and audience feel as a speed or tempo
What do these examples have in common?
When combined together,
These three result in the first element of music:
Rhythm
Rhythm controls the start, end and duraeon of sound
When does the music begin?
American Tradional Song “Old 1812” with Drum Cadence hGp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKv-‐V9klz3E
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Another element in music is Pitch Another element in music is Pitch
• Pitches are sounds that can be sung • Pitches usually have note names
• Pitches ogen belong to a ‘scale’ or a group of pitches
• Pitches generally have a frequency • Pitches are used for melodies and chordal accompaniment
• Pitches are usually played in rhythms
What makes this music?
Gregorian Chant (Advocatam) Llibre Vermell de Montserrat hGp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HEKhr002Ts
What makes this music?
Chinese Chant -‐ "The bird seeketh its nest” hGp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuJS-‐8MLO4c
Melody is King! A series of pitches always creates a
melody
• If a vocalist sings or an instrument plays a series of pitches, we always interpret the sound as a melody.
• Melodies are ogen played in ‘Unison’, where many voices or instruments play the same notes
• Melodies are ogen accompanied by others musical sounds. These sounds are the ‘Accompaniment’ and support the melody
• Melodies someemes play with other melodies – this is called ‘Counterpoint.’
Accompaniment
• Accompaniment – sounds that are subordinate to the melody
• Help keep the beat • Help establish pitch center • Add harmony
• Add ‘counter-‐melodies’ or secondary melodic lines
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What is the accompaniment?
Adjoa Skinner African Drum Jam hGp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMWvWpqshOc
Accompaniment
• Here is an example of an orchestra accompanying a choir. The melody is ‘on top’, sung by women; the men sing harmonies
• The Orchestra provide harmonic and rhythmic accompaniment
Beethoven’s 9th Symphony “Ode to Joy” hGp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG16pfDZ3CM
Counterpoint: Melodies that support each other
• Music of the Western world differs from the East by its us of many independent melodies
• The independence of these melodies keeps them from being simple ‘accompaniment’
• Each melody is just as important as the others, so there is no ‘central’ melody.
• Performers may adjust their volume or tone so they keep out of each other’s way
Counterpoint
• Here is an example of vocal counterpoint
Pierre Passereau (c.1509-‐c.1547) Il est bel et bon hGp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOQR7u6mawk
Counterpoint
• Here is an example of instrumental counterpoint
J.S. Bach Fugue #2 in C minor:
hGp://www2.nau.edu/tas3/wtc/i02.html
Accompaniment contributes to musical texture
Texture may be idenefied as Thick or thin; simple or complex monophonic or polyphonic countrapuntal or homophonic imitaeve rhythmic
and other terms that describe the overall sound of the music.
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Let’s idenefy the elements in this example
E. Y. HARBURG & HAROLD ARLEN “Somewhere of the Rainbow”
hGp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWNoiVrJDsE
Let’s idenefy the elements in this example
This example has:
• Rhythm – the melody starts and stops according to a pulse
• Pitches – the opening two notes are an octave apart
• A single melody
• No accompaniment
• Monophonic texture
• Thin texture
Let’s idenefy the elements in this example
Pierre Passereau (c.1509-‐c.1547) Il est bel et bon hGp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOQR7u6mawk
Let’s idenefy the elements in this example
This example has:
• Rhythm – fast tempo
• Pitches (Dorian mode– 7 pitches)
• Four Melodies
• Contrapuntal
• Imitaeve texture
• Thick texture – no instruments
What makes a drum solo music?
Buddy Rich drum solo hGp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgaD54YcXpA
What makes a drum solo music?
Rhythms – alternaeng sounds and silence
HIP – Human inteneon and percepeon
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Elements of music (Which one is really necessary?)
• Rhythms – Gming of sounds and silence • Pitch – sounds that can be sung • Melody – a series of pitches in rhythm; ogen on the top of the music
• Texture • Accompaniment – – Rhythmic paGerns played by percussion – Supporeng notes as chords or other melodies – Imitaeve or contrapuntal