IB Music/Introduction

Definition of Music

In order to properly study music, we must have a working definition of what music is. Defining music is more difficult than it sounds. One has to distinguish between the well-known music of Mozart, the random noise of traffic, and the bizarre styles of contemporary music that might combine traffic and Mozart!

A particularly good example of music that pushes the traditionally accepted boundary of music is 4’33" by John Cage. This piece consists of complete silence for four minutes and thirty-three seconds. The music of the piece is created by the audience in their shuffling, coughing, wondering what happened to the music, etc.

A definition of music is an individual definition, but it must discern between random street noise and contemporary music, or between the ordered music of Haydn and the ordered sound of a speech. One good definition that might serve as a starting point for the reader is:

Music is organized sound with musical intention.

First and foremost, music must have some sort of sound. Even in bizarre examples such as 4'33", there still is sound- it’s just not produced by the performer. This sound needs to have some sort of musical intention as well. A street corner produces noise, but there is no musical intention, so it is not music. The sound must also be organized in some manner. Otherwise, a composer could pronounce a street corner to be “music.” The composer must intervene at some point to control the sound. Though 4’33” is comprised of randomly produced sounds by the audience, Cage exerts his control over the sound by limiting it to four minutes and thirty-three seconds. Also, as obvious as it might seem, the intention needs to have a 'musical' intention, not just an intention. Otherwise, a speech, which is organized sound with intention, would be considered music as well. Sound can only be music if someone wants it to be music.

Elements of Sound

The reason we can have music is because sounds can be different. There are three characteristics of sound that differentiate one sound from the next. These are:

Pitch
Timbre
Dynamic

Pitch

Formally defined, pitch is the frequency of a sound wave. More loosely, it is the "highness" or "lowness" of a sound. This is what distinguishes an A from a B.

Timbre

Timbre is also called the “tone quality” or “tone color.” This is the characteristic of a sound that makes a piano sound different from a trumpet or violin, even when they all are playing at the same pitch.

Dynamic

The formal definition of a dynamic is the amplitude of a sound wave. Loosely, this is how loud the sound is.

Elements of Music

IB analyzes a piece of music using seven characteristics. These are:

Melody
Harmony
Rhythm
Form
Texture
Medium
Context

Melody

Melody is the most difficult of the characteristics to define. While there is no good formal definition of "melody," it is loosely, the “song of the song,” or the “hummable” part of a piece. A melody is comprised of multiple musical “sentences,” called phrases. These phrases are then made up of steps and leaps. Steps are short risings or fallings of the melody (e.g. an A to a B or an F to an E). Leaps are longer risings or fallings of the melody (e.g. an A to a C or an F to a D).

Harmony

Harmony is the chord structure of a piece that supports a melody. While a melody can stand on its own, harmonies cannot stand on their own- they are only support. At any given point, a harmony has varying degrees of consonance and dissonance. Dissonance is a stressful sound that feels a need to find resolution. Consonance is the resolution of the dissonance and therefore the release of stress.

Form

The form of a piece is the overall structure it takes. For example, a piece might take the most common, ternary, form (ABA). In this form, a section of music will be played and a different section will follow it. After the second section is played, the piece returns to the original section of music and plays it over again.

Texture

The texture of a piece refers to the layers of sound that are heard. There are three possible textures of a piece of music:

Monophonic
Homophonic
Polyphonic

Monophonic Texture

Monophonic texture is a single, unaccompanied melodic line.

Homophonic Texture

Homophonic texture is a single melodic line that is accompanied by a harmony.

Polyphonic Texture

Polyphonic texture are multiple melodic lines playing at the same time.

Some useful sites with short listening examples of the different types of textures http://gmajormusictheory.org/Listening/textures/textures.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/musicalelements/texturerev1.shtml

Medium

Medium refers to the instruments that play a piece of music. If the piece being analyzed is a symphony, then the medium will be an orchestra. If the piece being analyzed is a violin sonata, then the medium will be a violin and a piano. To analyze the medium of a piece, one needs to have a strong understanding of the various commonly used instruments. Instruments to know are as follows:

Orchestral Instruments

Strings

Violin
Viola
Violoncello (abbr. Cello)
Double Bass

Woodwind

Piccolo
Flute
Oboe
English Horn
Bb(most common)Clarinet
Bass Clarinet
Bassoon

Other, perhaps less used Woodwinds

(Contra) Bass Flute
Oboe d'Amore
Bass Oboe
Contrabassoon
Contrabass Clarinet
Several Different Keys of Clarinet

Brass

Cornet
Bugle
Trumpet
French Horn
Baritone
Euphonium
Trombone
Tuba
Sousaphone

Percussion

Snare Drum
Tympani
Bass Drum
Triangle
Chimes
Xylophone
Marimba
Glockenspiel

Other Commonly Used Instruments

Strings

Harp
Guitar
Lute
Harpsichord (Found in Baroque Music, predecessor to Piano)
Piano (sometimes considered percussion)

Woodwind

Saxophone (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Double Bass, Contra Bass, Sub-Contra Bass)
Recorder

Context

The context of a piece of music refers to the general time period of the work and external influences on the piece of music. E.g. the composer’s life, musical styles of the time, instruments of the period, political happenings, etc. There are six major musical periods we will study. In chronological order, these are:

Medieval
Renaissance
Baroque
Classical
Romantic
20th Century

These elements will be used throughout our study of music to analyze specific pieces. A good understanding of these elements aids one in writing the analysis essay because it provides a starting point for writing your essay.

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