Melody

Defined as the succession of single tones in musical compositions, as distinguished from harmony and rhythm.

Melodic Line:

• Defined as a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence. 

In this piece: The melodic line is seen in the treble clef in C major, starting on the E. 

• The melodic line is usually the main melody in a piece and typically in the treble clef but not always. 

Motif:

•  a short musical idea, a salient recurring figure, musical fragment or succession of notes that has some special importance in or is characteristic of a composition

In this piece: The very fist measure of the song Minuet by Bach starts with an 8 note motif. This motif is then seen progressing in the following measures shown.

• Very important to the development of the songs
• Can be long or short
• Usually pretty rememberable

Other

Lyrics: 

• Defined as the words of a song.

Karaoke includes lyrics:

Written Out: 

Sound Effects: 

• Defied as a sound other than speech or music made artificially for use in a play, movie, or other broadcast production.

Texture

Defined as referring to the number of layers, as well as the type of layers, used in a composition and how these layers are related. 

Monophonic: 

• Consisting of a single musical line, without accompaniment.

• Musical Example: 

Homophonic: 

• Characterized by the movement of accompanying parts in the same rhythm as the melody.

Musical Example: 

Form

Defined as referring to the overall structure or plan of a piece of music, and it describes the layout of a composition 

• Ternary

• Defined as the form of a movement in which the first subject is repeated after an interposed second subject in a related key.

• ABA

• Musical Example:

0:19- 0:30 is the first A section of the piece. Then the B sections starts at 0:31-0:42. Then the A sections starts again at 0:43-0:52. 

• Rondo

•  a principal theme (sometimes called the "refrain") alternates with one or more contrasting themes, generally called "episodes", but also occasionally referred to as "digressions" or "couplets". 

• ABACA Form 

• Small Structures (length of piece) 

• One instrument 

• Classical Era

Harmony

Defined as the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions having a pleasing effect.

• Chord Progression

• This is the  musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing (or contradicting) a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord and that is based upon a succession of root relationships.
• Below is the common chord progressions along with their keys.
• Usually, there are chords that accompany the melodic line

• Quick video that does a good job of explaining why we use chord progressions: 

•  Consonance and Dissonance 

• Consonance: the combination of notes that are in harmony with each other due to the relationship between their frequencies.
• Dissonance: lack of harmony among musical notes.

Consonance in Music:









Dissonance in Music: 

Meter, Tempo, Rhythm

Can be defined as the speed at which a passage of music is or should be played.

• Simple Meter

• Refers to the meter of the piece, means that each measure can be broken down into two beats. 
• Most common in "Western" music
• European and the music of America

• Musical Example: 

• Irregular Meter


• a regular metric pattern from an asymmetrical sequence of two or more time signatures.
• Often tribal music or music of the native people has a more irregular meter.
• No actual "meter" system often times

Medium

Defined as the instrument grouping that play a piece of music

Pop/Rock Music:

• Auto Tune

• Using a device or facility for tuning something automatically, especially a piece of computer software that enables the correction of an out-of-tune vocal performance.

• Repetition 

• Using the same verse and or tune multiple times in one song

• Song Form

• The type of format most songs use
• Verse
• Chorus
• Bridge 
• Verse to chorus
• “Break down”
• V B C V B C BD C 
• Typical
• AABA
• With lots of repetition 

Jazz Music: 

• 12 Bar Blues

• One of the most prominent chord progressions in popular music. In its basic form, it is predominantly based on the I-IV-V chords of a key. The blues can be played in any key.

• Swinging

• Not playing a notes/rhythms "straight" and adding a "sweep" 

• BeBop

•  Characterized by complex harmony and rhythms, that is meant for active listening.