II. THE INTERMEDIATE LEVEL OF MUSICAL ORGANIZATION:

TONES ARRANGED IN PATTERNS, LINES, AND GROUPS

 

A. Meter: organization of pulsation (the "beat")

            1. metrical (has a beat or pulse)

                        duple meter: subdivided by groups of 2

                        triple meter: subdivided by groups of 3

                        additive meters: 3+2=5, 2+2+3=7, 2+2+2+3=9, etc.

            2. non-metrical or free meter (no beat or pulse)

 

B. Rhythm: organization of duration in relation to a beat

            1. monorhythm: every tone has equal duration

            2. syncopation: accented tones occur “off” the main beat

            3. polyrhythm: simultaneous combination of duple and triple

 

C. Melody: a sequence of connected pitches (a "tune")

            1. Melodic range: distance between lowest and highest note

                        wide range vs. narrow range

            2. Melodic shape or contour: how the tune moves up and down

                        ascending, descending, arc-shaped, flat, terraced

            3. Melodic movement: the way the tune moves from note to note

                        steps (conjunct motion) vs. leaps (disjunct motion)

            4. Melodic inflection: ornamentation ("grace notes")

                        ornamented vs. unornamented

            5. Melodic scale or mode: the pitches used in the melody

                        Pentatonic scale (five pitches)

                        Diatonic or heptatonic scale (seven pitches)

                        Chromatic scale (12 pitches)

            6. Melodic articulation

                        short, clipped (staccato)

                        smooth, sustained (legato)

                        glissando: sliding up or down between pitches

 

D. Harmony: simultaneously sounding pitches

            1. Intervals: two tones sounding simultaneously

                        2nd; 3rd; 4th; 5th; 6th; 7th; Octave; 9th; etc.

            2. Chords: three or more tones sounding simultaneously

                        triads (3 notes); seventh chords (4 notes); tone clusters

 

E. Texture: how melody and rhythm interweave

            1. Monophony: unison performance (one or more performing on same pitch or octaves)

            2. Heterophony: slight differences between two or more performers of the melody

            3. Polyphony: multiple, interwoven lines of melody

a.  melody with drone

                        b. parallel motion (melodies moving in parallel)

                        c. contrary motion (melodies not in parallel)

                        d. canon: performers enter in succession with same melody

                        e. stratification: performers play different versions of main melody