HARMONY, TEXTURE & FORM

HARMONY

Harmony is the study of sounds produced at the same time.

We differentiate between consonance (relaxation) and dissonance (tension). Typically, a dissonant chord or chord with a tension will become a consonant chord. A good harmonization usually sounds pleasant to the ear when there is a balance between the consonant and dissonant sounds, that is, between "tension" and "relaxation" moments.

Mozart - Rondo alla turca

Webern - Variations op. 27

Chord is the combination of three or more simultaneous notes that are built by superposing 3rd intervals over the lowest sounding note called root. When the notes of a chord are performed successively instead of simultaneously, we call it arpeggio.

Common types of chords

Triad: 3-note chord that consists of a root and the third and fifth above it. Most of our music is based on this type of chord.
Seventh: triad with a third superposed. If we keep adding thirds we'll obtain extended chords such as 9ths, 11ths...

Chord inversions

Root position: chord position in which the lowest note is the root of the original triad. E.g. Do-Mi-Sol
1st inversion: chord position in which the lowest note is the 3rd of the original triad. E.g. Mi-Sol-Do'
2nd inversion: chord position in which the lowest note is the 5th of the original triad. E.g. Sol-Do'-Mi'

Degrees: Chords are formed upon the notes or degrees of a scale or key and they keep the same functions and rules as the degrees of the scale as single sounds. The most important chords within a key are the Tonic, Subdominant and Dominant formed upon the degrees I, IV and V of the scale. Almost all Western music is composed upon a harmonic structure of the I-IV-V, because in these chords appear all the notes of the key.

Cadence is a two-chord progression at the end of a musical phrase that marks a point of rest to separate different ideas or to indicate the end. We can think of them like commas (,) and full stops (.) in a sentence.

Some cadences are conclusive, closed and strong because they give us the sense that the music has finished, while other cadences are inconclusive, open and weak because they sound incomplete and invite continuation.

Conclusive cadences

Authentic cadence: conclusive cadence that strongly marks the end with a sequence of dominant and tonic chords (V - I).

Plagal cadence: conclusive cadence that marks the end with a sequence of subdominant and tonic chords (IV - I). It's also known as the Amen cadence due to its extensive use in religious music.

Inconclusive cadences

Semicadence / half cadence: inconclusive cadence that ends in the dominant, regardless of which chord precedes it. A common sequence is subdominant and dominant chords (IV - V).

Deceptive cadence: inconclusive cadence in which the dominant resolves in any chord but the tonic. A common sequence is dominant and submediant chords (V - VI).

TEXTURE

Texture is the study of the number of individual melodic lines and the relationship between them. Be careful not to confuse the number of melodic lines with the number of performers producing them.

Monophony or monody: it consists of one melodic line, that can be performed by one or many musicians. Although several performers take part, everyone does it at once. It is the simplest type of musical texture.

Polyphony or counterpoint: it consists of several melodic lines that are independent from each other and imitation is often used. When two or more voices perform simultaneous variations of the same melody, it's heterophony.

Homophony or homorhythmic texture: it consists of several melodic lines that follow the same rhythm creating blocks of chords.

Accompanied melody: it consists of a main melodic line and other melodic lines which provide chordal support. It is the most used type of musical texture in modern popular music.

MUSICAL FORM

Musical form is the organization of musical elements in time and it is divided into sections, which are usually marked using capital letters (A, B, C...). Rhythm, pitch, melody, dynamics, timbre and texture interact to produce a sense of structure in a composition.

Techniques that create musical form

Repetition (A A): it creates a sense of unity and we feel satisfaction when we recognize musical fragments.
Contrast (A B): it provides variety, conflict, change of mood and opposition.
Variation (A A'): it provides unity and variety at the same time. In the variation of a musical idea some features will be retained while some will be altered.

Types of musical form

Some of the most common musical forms are described below.

Strophic form has one section that repeats over and over again. If the song has words, this part is called the verse. Sometimes the lyrics change in each verse, but the melody is the same each time. E.g.: "Deck the Halls", "Old MacDonald Had a Farm", Das Wandern by Schubert.

Binary form has two parts that contrast with each other. Sometimes both sections are repeated. E.g.: Minuet in G major by Petzold / J.S. Bach.

Ternary form is a three-part form featuring a return of the initial music after a contrasting section. Symmetry and balance are achieved through the repetition of the initial section. E.g.: Minuetto by Boccherini.

Rondo form has one recurring section which alternates with several contrasting sections. The main theme keeps coming back after each new section of music. E.g.: The Typewriter by Leroy Anderson, Te Deum by Charpentier.

Theme and variations has one section that is continuously repeated in an altered form. The theme or main idea is played first and each repetition changes something about it (rhythm, tempo, melody, dynamics or instruments). Each time a variation is played, you should still be able to recognize part of the original theme. E.g.: Ah vous dirai-je, Maman, K 265 by W. A. Mozart.

Through-composed or Durchkomponiert is a structure in which there is no repeat or return of any large-scale musical section. E.g.: Erlkönig by Schubert.

Form in popular music

The structures of songs in popular music are usually repeating forms such as the strophic form, the verse-chorus form or the 12-bar blues.
Typical sections:

Introduction (Intro): opening section.
Verse: section with the same music and different lyrics.
Chorus (Refrain): section with the same music and same words.
Bridge: contrasting material that connects two sections.
Solo (Break): instrumental interlude.
Coda (Outro): closing section.

Pop songs may have an introduction and coda, but they are not essential. Verse and chorus are often connected via a bridge. Verse and chorus are usually repeated throughout the song; while bridge, introduction and coda are usually only used once. Some pop songs may have a solo section, particularly in rock or blues influenced pop. During the solo one or more instruments play a melodic line which may be the melody used by the singer or it may be improvised based on the chord progression.

ACTIVITIES

1. Listen to the musical examples and identify the texture.

a) Tallis - If Ye Love Me
b) John Lennon - Imagine
c) J. S. Bach - Little Fugue BWV 578
d) Debussy - Syrinx
e) Lady Gaga fugue
f) You'll Never Walk Alone
g) Chopin - Waltz in A minor B150
h) Henry Purcell - Thou Knowest Lord
i) Salve Regina

2. Listen to the musical examples and identify the form.

a) Bizet - Carmen overture
b) Tchaikovsky - Old French Song
c) Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
d) Mozart - Minuet K1f
e) Scarborough Fair
f) Schubert - Impromptu D935 n. 3 op. 142

Bizet - Carmen overture

Tchaikovsky - Old French Song

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

Mozart - Minuet K1f

Scarborough Fair

Schubert - Impromptu D935 n. 3 op. 142

REVIEW AND SELF-ASSESSMENT

Quizlet

LEARN MORE...

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Why we love repetition (video)