Pitch 4
From the syllabus:Pitch refers to the relative highness and lowness of sounds. Important aspects include high, low, higher and lower pitches, direction of pitch movement, melody, harmony, indefinite and definite pitch.
Students should be able to discuss the following aspects of pitch as relevant to the music studied:
• high/low: pitches can be comparatively high or low
• direction of pitch movement: up, down, same level
• melody: a horizontal succession of pitches
• harmony: two or more pitches sounding together
• indefinite pitch: untuned sounds, for example, the speaking voice
• definite pitch: tuned sounds, for example, the singing voice.
Students should understand and apply the following (where appropriate to the musical context):
• definite and indefinite pitch
• pitch direction and contour
• pitch patterns
• pitch range and register
• harmony
• methods of notating pitch, both traditional and graphic
•various scales, modes and other ways of organising pitch.
Students should be able to discuss the following aspects of pitch as relevant to the music studied:
• high/low: pitches can be comparatively high or low
• direction of pitch movement: up, down, same level
• melody: a horizontal succession of pitches
• harmony: two or more pitches sounding together
• indefinite pitch: untuned sounds, for example, the speaking voice
• definite pitch: tuned sounds, for example, the singing voice.
Students should understand and apply the following (where appropriate to the musical context):
• definite and indefinite pitch
• pitch direction and contour
• pitch patterns
• pitch range and register
• harmony
• methods of notating pitch, both traditional and graphic
•various scales, modes and other ways of organising pitch.
Tonality
Major Minor Modulation Atonality (Atonal) Definite Pitch Indefinite pitch Scales Semitone Tone Blues Scale/Blue Notes Chromatic scale Modal (Modes) Pentatonic Whole tone Harmony & Chords Harmony Chords - Major - Major 7th - Minor - Minor 7th - Dominant 7th - Diminished |
Arpeggio/Broken Chord
Chromatic Harmony Cluster chord Consonance Diatonic Dissonance Primary Triads Rate of chord change Repeating chord progressions Cadence - Perfect - Plagal - Interrupted - Imperfect Melody and Direction Ascending Descending Intervals Leaps Melody Octave Phrase Range Register |
Pitch Devices
Alberti Bass Cadenza Call and Response Canon Counter Melody Drone Imitation Inversion Melisma Melodic Contour Motif/Fragment Ornamentation - Appoggiatura - Grace Note - Mordent - Trill - Turn Ostinato Pedal Point Question and Answer Retrograde Repetition Riff Sequence Walking Bass Line |
Arpeggio/Broken Chord
Sounding the notes of chords one after the other.
Sounding the notes of chords one after the other.
A Bach Prelude that utilises broken chords/arpeggios
Here are some excerpts from various pieces that use arpeggio pitch movement
An arpeggiated chord on the piano/guitar sounds like this
Chromatic Harmony
The harmony that most popular music follows is DIATONIC (based on the major and minor scale). When you start using chords and notes that are not part of the major or minor scale you are working with this is known as chromatic harmony.
Here is a simple example…
This piece is in C major, you will hear a chord that clearly does not belong to the key. This is an example of chromatic harmony.
The harmony that most popular music follows is DIATONIC (based on the major and minor scale). When you start using chords and notes that are not part of the major or minor scale you are working with this is known as chromatic harmony.
Here is a simple example…
This piece is in C major, you will hear a chord that clearly does not belong to the key. This is an example of chromatic harmony.
Chromatic harmony can also be described as a use of chords that do not seem to be related tonally i.e. ‘random chords’/chords form all different keys and scales. When you hear a tonal piece you expect chords from the key/scale to be used, when these expectations are not met it sounds ‘strange’ because the chords do not have the relationship that you are used to. This is chromatic harmony. Chromatic harmony also gives no sense of rest. It is hard to have a strong cadence when there is no strong sense of key. Here is an example from Wagner’s ‘Prelude’ to the Opera - Tristan and Isolde.
Note: One chord does not = chromatic harmony. Continuous use of chromatic chords is chromatic harmony.
Note: One chord does not = chromatic harmony. Continuous use of chromatic chords is chromatic harmony.
Cluster/Cluster Chord
A cluster chord is usually more than the 3 notes of a standard chord. It is does not rely on not a repetition of similar notes within a chord, a chord cluster uses a wide variety of notes. Imagine pushing your forearms down on the piano and pressing as many notes as possible, that is a cluster.
You can also hear cluster chords in orchestral music. If the orchestra plays a ‘massive’ chord full of notes (remember it’s not a standard chord) that is also a cluster chord.
A cluster chord is usually more than the 3 notes of a standard chord. It is does not rely on not a repetition of similar notes within a chord, a chord cluster uses a wide variety of notes. Imagine pushing your forearms down on the piano and pressing as many notes as possible, that is a cluster.
You can also hear cluster chords in orchestral music. If the orchestra plays a ‘massive’ chord full of notes (remember it’s not a standard chord) that is also a cluster chord.
Consonance
Here is a dictionaryesque definition ‘A simultaneous combination of sounds not requiring resolution as they are stable. The notes are regarded as harmonious or pleasing’ Put simply, notes that sound stable together or a chord that sounds stable and not ‘clashing’. Note: Minor chords are consonant as the notes ‘agree’ and the chords are stable.
Various consonant chords
Here is a dictionaryesque definition ‘A simultaneous combination of sounds not requiring resolution as they are stable. The notes are regarded as harmonious or pleasing’ Put simply, notes that sound stable together or a chord that sounds stable and not ‘clashing’. Note: Minor chords are consonant as the notes ‘agree’ and the chords are stable.
Various consonant chords
Diatonic Chords/Harmony
Diatonic chords/harmony/melodies are those that stick to the key signature without using any chromatic notes/chords or notes/chords from the other key.
Diatonic chords/harmony/melodies are those that stick to the key signature without using any chromatic notes/chords or notes/chords from the other key.
Dissonance
A harsh, disagreeable (unstable) combination of sounds also called a discord. A combination of pitches that in context suggest tension and require resolution. Do not confuse a minor chord with a dissonant chord. Dissonant chords are unstable (see ‘Diminished Chord’).
Listen to the following dissonant chord. Following the unstable dissonant chord it will resolve to a consonant chord.
A harsh, disagreeable (unstable) combination of sounds also called a discord. A combination of pitches that in context suggest tension and require resolution. Do not confuse a minor chord with a dissonant chord. Dissonant chords are unstable (see ‘Diminished Chord’).
Listen to the following dissonant chord. Following the unstable dissonant chord it will resolve to a consonant chord.
Here are various dissonant chords
Here is an example from Mikrokosmos by Bartok. The piece is called ‘Minor 2nds and Minor 7ths’. It uses a lot of dissonance. Many notes clash.
Rate of Chord Change
How often does the harmony/chords change. Depending on the style of music, the chords might change once every bar or two bars. Others may change every beat. Rates of chord change can be regular, fast, slow, static (chords don’t change), rapid, prolonged.
Here is a piece that has a slow rate of chord change as the chords are used over several bars. The chord changes once every 3 bars.
How often does the harmony/chords change. Depending on the style of music, the chords might change once every bar or two bars. Others may change every beat. Rates of chord change can be regular, fast, slow, static (chords don’t change), rapid, prolonged.
Here is a piece that has a slow rate of chord change as the chords are used over several bars. The chord changes once every 3 bars.
Here is a ‘Chorale’ by Bach. It is a hymn style piece where the chords change almost every beat. This is a rapid rate of chord change.
Repeating chord progressions/patterns
Even if you don’t know what the chords are but you hear a repeating pattern, mention it! I will give some simple standard chord patterns that can be used. It’s always good to listen to the bass line or a chordal instrument to help with this listening.
Even if you don’t know what the chords are but you hear a repeating pattern, mention it! I will give some simple standard chord patterns that can be used. It’s always good to listen to the bass line or a chordal instrument to help with this listening.
12 Bar Blues – Used in 50-60s Rock and Blues
I I I I IV IV I I V IV I I
I I I I IV IV I I V IV I I
Icecream Chords\‘Heart and Soul’ - Examples
I vi IV V
I vi IV V
I iii VI V
'4 Chord Song'
I V vi IV
I V vi IV
Cadence
The final two chords at the end of a phrase or piece. There are 4 basic types of cadence.
The final two chords at the end of a phrase or piece. There are 4 basic types of cadence.
PERFECT – Chord V to Chord I. The piece has a strong finish.
PLAGAL – Chord IV to Chord I. The piece has a strongish finish (Perfect is stronger) (The ‘Amen’ cadence)
INTERRUPTED – Finishes on a minor chord in a major key or a major chord in a minor key. The cadence does not sound final/finished. First will be the major example followed by the minor example.
IMPERFECT – A cadence that finishes on chord V. It will therefore not sound finished and want to have a Chord I following it. Here is a major and minor example. You will hear that each cadence needs to have a chord I at the end. This is the give away of an imperfect cadence.
Cadence Examples:
PERFECT
Major Key Minor Key
PLAGAL
INTERRUPTED
IMPERFECT
PERFECT
Major Key Minor Key
PLAGAL
INTERRUPTED
IMPERFECT
Proudly powered by Weebly