The Comprehensive Concept Study Guide

The more you practice, the more you will know, and be able to recognise when listening to
music.
PITCH
Definition: The pitch of a note means how high or low the note is. The concept of ‘pitch’ has
an included subgroup Harmony.
Melody
A melody, also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener
perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, it is a combination of pitch and rhythm,
while more figuratively, the term can include successions of their musical elements such as
tone colour.
• Is there a melody or a main theme?
• Is there one main melody, of many different ones in succession?
• Is there a countermelody? A countermelody is a sequence of notes, perceived as a
melody, written to be played simultaneously with a more prominent lead melody. In
other words, it is a secondary melody played in counterpoint with Eder primary
melody. E.g. Descant
• Are there multiple melodies playing at the same time? If so, where does this happen?
• Is there Canonic Treatment or Contrapuntal Treatment of the melody? Anything
contrapuntal has to do with counterpoint, which is a type of music that has two
melodic lines played at the same time.
• What is the shape of the melody? (Contour)
• Movement by steps (Scale like) = Conjunct
• Movement by leaps (intervals) = Disjunct
• Ascending/Descending
• Linear movement (staying in a line)
• Similar Motion
• Contrary Motion
• Oblique Motion.
• Are there any regular or recurring intervals? In musical theory, an interval is the
difference in pitch between two sounds. An interval may be described as horizontal,
linear, or melodic if it refers to successively sounding tones, such as two adjacent
pitches in a melody, and vertical or harmonic if it pertains to simultaneously sounding
tones, such as in a chord.
• What is the range of the melody?
• Wide/Large
• Small/Limited
• Or name the intervals of the range?
• Describe the Melodic interpretation.
• Lyrical, Cantabile, Staccato, Legato. Lyrical is (of literature, art, or music) expressing
the writer's emotions in an imaginative and beautiful way.Cantabile is an Italian word,
means literally "singable" or "songlike". Is it performed with a smooth singing style.
Staccato is performed with each note sharply detached or separated from the others.
Legato is music played in a smooth and flowing in manner, without breaks between
notes.
• Tormented
 • Angular or Distinct. Angular music is intensely melodic, jaunty guitar picking or
strumming. Often with lots of delay or chorus. As used by the smiths, the cure, the
byrds, early. R.E.M.
• Awkward
• Are there any patterns of melody which recur?
• Riffs
• Ostinatos
• Motifs
• Describe the phrasing
• Balanced/Symmetrical
• Number of different phrases
• Repetitive
• Sequential
• Contrasting
• Where does the climax occur?
• Is there melodic ornamentation? Trills, Glissandos, Mordents, Turns?
• Is there melody played throughout?
• Is the melody developed? Any themes present?
• Describe the Tonality
• Diatonic (Major or Minor)
• Chromatic (When the music has many accidentals outside of a key or plays
• chromatic passages)
• Modal (An old system of scales that are neither major nor minor)
• Atonal (No definite tonal centre, or home ‘key’)
• Centred on a particular note
• Pentatonic ( a 5 note scale. E.g.: c,d,e,g,a)
• Polytonal – more than one tonal centre
• Indefinite pitch (sounds produced by non-pitched sound sources like spoken voice,
• the telephone, non-pitched drums)
• Clefs
• Soprano
• Alto
• Tenor
• Bass
• General Comment: Is it associated with a particular..
• Nationality
• Time Period
• Dance Form
• Popular Style
• What is the relation of melody to other elements?
• How does it relate to formal Structure?
• What is the Rhythm of the melody?
• How does it relate to the Harmony?
• What is the Tone Colour of the melody?
• How does it relate to the Texture?
• What Performing Media (Instruments) are used?
• How does the Tempo affect the melody?
• What is the use of Dynamics in the melody?
Harmony
Definition: A combination of notes sounded simultaneously, whether instruments, or voices.
Tonality
• Diatonic = belongs to Major & Minor chords and tonalities
• Major = happy, bright, using tones and semitones
• Minor = sad, dull, using a different arrangement of tones and semitones
• Polytonal = having chords belonging to more than one key
• Atonal = having no real key centre
• Modal Harmonies = from Medieval times, used in plainsong/folk tunes/Gregorian Chant
• Pentatonic = having only 5 notes which may be repeated in different octaves
• Jazz Harmonies (7th, b7th, 9th, 11th, etc) = ‘Added On’ chords typical of Jazz and 20th
Century Music
• Chromatic Harmonies = c c# d d# e f f# etc.
• Whole Tone = Debussy used this scale which consists of a whole tone between each
note, e.g. C D E F# G# A# C
• Chord Progressions
• Consonance vs Dissonance (this gives a sense of harmonic direction) •
• Cadences: resolutions generally at end of excerpt. E.g. chord v to chord I is a perfect
cadence

DURATION
Definition
In music, duration is the amount of time or how long or short a note, phrase, section, or
composition lasts.
Metre and phrasing
• Time signatures (singular or compound). E.g. 2/4, 3/ 4, 4/4, 6/8, 9/8
• Absence of time signature
• Multi-metre (multiple accents or Rhythms)
• Regular four bar phrasing or otherwise
• Balanced or imbalanced phrasing (is there differences as the composition progresses
Rhythmic patterns
• Metrical (normal accents)
• Syncopation ( using the off beats)
• Rubato (periodic disregard of tempo)
• Repetitive Patterns
• Rhythmic Ostinatos (repetition in the same rhythm)h
• Cross Rhythms (a rhythm used at the same time as another)
• Polyrhythms (two or more rhythms simultaneously)
• Hemiola (two groups of three groups are replaced by three groups of two beats)
• Motivic Development ( a distinct musical figure that is repeated or altered through the
piece)
Tempo
• All speeds – from very fast to very slow
• Changes in Speed
• What is the speed of the pulse/beat? (Use Italian terms e.g. allegro, andante, presto,
grave, moderato etc)
• Are there changes in the tempo? (Gradual, or Sudden?)
• Are there any main pulses?
• Is there any tempo changes? If so what is the effect?
• How does tempo and rhythmic changes relate to the other concepts?
• Describe the beat? (e.g. steady, indefinite, strong/weak)
• Are there accents? (e.g. regular or un-regular)
 • Describe the Metre (bar lengths e.g. changing, constant)
• Is there syncopation? (e.g. overall, across parts etc.)
• What are the note values? (e.g sustained notes, dotted notes, runs and fast notes)
• Are there rhythmic patterns? (e.g. riffs, ostinatos, polyrhythms, cross rhythms)
• Describe the mood/ tone colour caused by the duration (e.g. lively, animated, dramatic,
constant motion)
Time signatures
• In a Time Signature the top number tells us how many beats are in the bar – while the
bottom number tells us what type of note/beat makes up the bar
• Duple Metre = beats that are divisible by 2.
• Triple Metre = beats that are divisible by 3.
• Simple Time = each beat has 2 equal subdivisions, (e.g. Simple, Duple Metre’s such as
2/4, 3/4, 4/4 etc)
• Compound Time = each beat has 3 equal subdivisions, (Such as 3/4, 6/8. 9/8. 12/8 etc)
Rhythmic devices
• Things that can be used in rhythm (e.g. Syncopation, triplets, duplets, ties, anacrusis)
How the duration relates to other musical concepts
• What is the rhythm of the melody? (write it out)
• Which instruments play each rhythmic pattern?
• How does the tempo affect the rhythm?
• How does the rhythm fit into the texture?
• What are the dynamics of the rhythm?
TEXTURE
Definition
Texture describes the complexity in a composition. Including layers of sound, monophonic,
counterpoint, etc.
Layers of sound
• Monophonic- has one line of melody .
• Parallel- means that each note within the melody/ layers rises or falls in the same interval.
• Homophonic- where one or many instruments play the melody, with supporting performing
media which may play chords or harmonies.
• Polyphonic - has one or more melodies playing together that can be independent of each other
• Counterpoint - Each individual melody called a "part” is independent.
• Heterophonic- is the simultaneous variation of a single melody line

Other textures in music

• Fugue- Relating to texture there is two different layers,
• Canon- two parts taking turns in playing a melody.

Densities of sound (layers)

• Rich, thick, full, dense, etc. why is it that?
• Light, airy, sparse
• Is the changes in densities in the layers/sections
• How many layers of sound is there?
• What are changes in density
Is there any significant changes?

What are the layers of sound

• Instrumentation-the arrangement or composition of music for instruments especially for a band
or orchestra
• Orchestra layers
 • SATB
Definition of SATB
• is a mix of types of voices in any gender. Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass. The different
ranges/levels. Soprano being high to being low at Bass.

TONE COLOUR
Definition
Tone colour refers to the quality & ‘colour’ of sound created by various combinations of
instruments/vocals etc.
Performing media
• Solos – voices or instruments, accompanied or unaccompanied
• Small ensembles – duets, trios, quartets etc
• Large Ensembles – choirs, opera houses, various orchestras (chamber, string,
symphony, studio), & various bands (brass, stage, military)
• Electronic Music – synthesisers, electric guitar pedal effects etc
• Cultural groups – can include Gamelan orchestras, various indigenous instruments.
• Directions of playing – double or triple stopping, arco, pizz, harmonics, flutter-tonguing,
mutes
Objective descriptions
Traditional and non-traditional
• String sounds-plucked or bowed in various ways.
• Reed sounds-single or doubled reeds.
• Wind sounds-recorders or flutes.
• Brass sounds-including various mutes.
• Vocal sounds-not just singing e.g. growls, whistles, chanting, melisma, diction, glottal
stops, portamento etc.
• Electronic sounds
• Percussion sounds-anything struck or hit.
• Percussion-or just an instrument with vibrating skin stretched over it e.g. dejembe.
• Instruments made from metal
Subjective descriptions
Always supported by factual reasons
• Dark, sombre, mysterious
• Warm, bright, clear
• Liquid, harsh, nasal
• Describe the sound source:
voice type e.g. male and female or high (solo, duet, choral) and low (accompanied,
unaccompanied)
Instrument-specifically or by group.
Unrecognisable-categorise into a similar group-describe as ‘sounds like…’
Electronic, e.g. synthesiser, type recorder, Mp3 recorder etc-remembering ‘digital vs
analog’
• Consider the combinations e.g.
• Solo vs Small Ensemble vs Large Ensemble
• Rock/Jazz Band
• Orchestra
• Small Chamber Groups
• String Quartet
• Woodwind Ensemble
• Brass Ensemble
 • Folk Group
• Consider the ranges of instruments and the Tessitura of voices.
• Comment on any unorthodox use of instruments.
DYNAMICS AND EXPRESSIVE TECHNIQUES
Definition (Dynamics): The strength or force of sound (=volume).
Definition (Expressive techniques): Refers to how a performer plays an instrument, how
the sound is created by various adaptations to give an effect.
Accent: an accent is an emphasis, stress, or stronger attack placed on a particular note or
set of notes, or chord, either as a result of its context or specifically indicated by an accent
mark.

Volume levels • Some common Italian terms • Changes in volume • Terraced dynamics •
Accents
Articulation patterns : refers to how specific note or passages are played or sung.
Staccato: performed with each note sharply detached or separated from the others.
Legato: in a smooth flowing manner, without breaks between notes.
Tenuto: (especially as a direction) with a note or chord held for its full time value or slightly
more.
Various accents: In music, an accent is an emphasis, stress, or stronger attack placed on a
particular note or set of notes, or chord, either as a result of each context or specifically
indicated by an accent mark. Accents contribute to the articulation and prosody of a
performance of a musical phrase.
Staccatissimo: in musical notation, staccatissimo indicate that the notes are to be played
extremely separated and distinct, a superlative staccato.
Marcato: performed with emphasis.
Horizontal accent: in music notation, an accent mark indicates a louder dynamic to apply to
a single note or an articulation mark.
Instrumental technique: the ability of instrumental and vocal musicians to excerpt optimal
control of their instruments or vocal chords in order to produce the precise musical effects
they desire.
Glissando: a continuous slide upwards or downwards between two notes.
Sul ponticello: with the bow kept near the bridge so as to bring out the higher harmonics
and thereby produce a nasal tone - used as a direction in music for a stringed instrument.
Spiccato: a style of staccato playing on stringed instruments involving bouncing the bow on
the strings.
Con sordino: with the use of mute.
Stylistic indications:
Dolce: performed in a sweet and soft manner.
Cantabile: performed with a smooth singing style.
Conforza: with force.
Tranquillo: a quiet or calm manner.
Rubato: temporary disregard if a strict tempo. (Often used to switch between sections of a
piece).
Various tempo changes
Loudness & softness of the music:
Pianissimo (pp) : very soft.
Piano (p): soft.
Mezzo-piano (mp): moderately soft.
Fortissimo (ff): very loud.
Forte (f): loud.
Mezzo-forte (MF): moderately loud.
Are these dynamic levels achieved by:
All the instruments playing loudly or softly.
 Adding or subtracting instruments?
Terraced dynamics - the way the instruments are played.
Are there terraced dynamics? Abrupt changes from loud to soft in the music caused by
the sudden addition or subtraction of instruments playing. E.g. Concerto Grosso
(Baroque period)
What expressive techniques are used?
e.g. Articulation — are the notes played?
• smoothly (legato)
• Short & detached (staccato)
• Plucked (pizzicato)
• Bowed (Arco)
Stylistic indication — the style in which the music is to be played
• Maestoso (majestically)
• Cantabile (make it ‘sing’)
Ornamentation — Decoration of notes
• Trill (tr)
• Drum Roll (\\\)
Tempo — Changes in the speed of music
• Rallentando (rall) or ritenuto (rit) - gradually getting slower
• Accelerando (accel) - gradually getting faster

STRUCTURE
Definition: how the piece is constructed and how it is divided into sections or parts to create a unified
whole.
Initially: Phrases, motifs, riffs, and ostinatos are useful in discussing construction.
Structural Analysis:
-repetition of themes or motifs
-development of themes or motifs
-old material versus new material
-label the themes
When writing about the structure, remember to start very big and general. As you get more points,
become more detailed on specific parts, or even bars.
Naming the form
• Binary Form (A B)
• Ternary Form (A B A)
• Rondo Form (A B A C A)
• Theme & Variations Form
• Sonata Form (a piece played completely instrumentally).
• Fugal Forms (Fugue, Canon)
• Concerto Grosso (big concert piece)
• Solo Concerto (solo concert piece)
• Symphony (mid to large size orchestra)
• Ask yourself if there is any clear cut divisions in the music that you can recognise. (e.g. ABA,
ABC, etc.)
• Is there any variations of themes? (e.g. a1, a2, etc)
• Is there any changes in the other concepts that are changed as the structure changes? If so list
them.
Discuss the use of:
• Repetition
• Imitation (call+ response included)
• Variation
• Contrast
• Sequences
• Phrases
• Themes (main repeated parts or riffs of the music)
• Improvisation (including solos)