When you're reading through the information below keep asking yourself the same questions:
Form/StructureWhat is the form of the piece?
What changes in each section? What are the key signatures in each section? Which instrument plays the melody in each section? |
MelodyWhich instrument plays the melody?
How would you describe the melody? -does it move in step? Is the melody high or low pitch? Is it copied (imitated) by other instruments? |
TextureMonophony -one sound; a solo instrument or everyone doing the same thing
Polyphony -many sounds; different layers happening at the same time Homophony -same sound; chordal sounds, different notes moving in the same rhythm Heterophony; the simultaneous performance of different versions of the same melody by different voices or instruments |
History/GeographyWhich period is the composition from?
What are the key features of the period? Which area is the composition from? What are the key features of the area? |
InstrumentationWhich instruments are used?
What role do they take in the performance? How are the instruments used? |
Specific features for each songEach piece has some very important key features, especially area of study 3. Think about things which you haven't heard said about any other piece, for example 'something's coming' is from a musical, how is the music designed for a musical?
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Area of Study 1; Western Classical Music 1600-1899 Revision Notes
Handel 'And the Glory of the Lord' from MessiahBaroque Period Simple diatonic (in a key) harmonies Movements stick to the same mood throughout Terraced dynamics -lots of instruments means lots of noise Ornamentation -decorated melodies Orchestras with lots of stringed instruments Continuo -harpsichord and bass instruments provide an accompaniment which keeps everyone in time Baroque composers: Handel, Bach, Vivaldi, Purcell. The set work is 'And the Glory of the Lord' this is a movement from the oratorio Messiah, written by Handel in 1741. The movement is written for choir; Sopranos Altos Tenors and Basses and Baroque Orchestra (strings and continuo -cello and harpsichord or organ). The orchestra often doubles the vocal line The structure of the piece is ritornello form. The piece opens with an orchestra introduction, this short bit of music is called a ritornello. This first ritornello is shortened versions throughout the piece. There are 4 main motifs which make up the rest of the work: Motif A: 'And the Glory of the Lord' is first sung my the Altos, it starts with the 3 notes which make up the A major chord -C# A E. This is important as the key of the movement is A major. This motif is syllabic (there is one note per chord) Motif B: 'Shall be revealed' is introduced by the tenors in bar 17. The motif contains a descending sequence (a shape of noted which is repeated at a lower pitch). The word 'revealed' also contains a melisma (the are more notes than syllables) Motif C: 'And all flesh shall see it together' is also introduced by the altos. This motif contains repetition as the notes for 'and all flesh' are identical to 'shall see it' and 'together' Motif D: 'for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it' is introduced by the tenors and basses together -most of this is on the same pitch (and A -the tonic note) as the text is so important. The movement is in 3/4 which means there are 3 crotchet beats in a bar. The tempo of the piece is 'Allegro' (fast) which, along with the 3/4 gives the movement a joyful dance feel. The tempo changes at the end where there is a bar of silence and a new tempo marking: 'Adagio' (slow) to signal the ending of the movement. Handel uses hemiola to make 2 bars of 3/4 sound like 3 bars of 2/4 The piece, as I said is in A major but there are times when it modulates (changes key) to the dominant (Emajor) and supertonic (Bmajor) The work also ends with plagal cadences (chords IV to chord I). As this is the baroque period the work is completely diatonic (it all stays firmly in a key). The texture of the work changes between homophonic (same-sound) where parts have different harmonies but move together, and contrapuntal/polyphonic (many sounds) where parts move independently. There is some use of imitation between parts -where the parts copy each other. |
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Mozart Symphony 40 in G minorClassical Period:
Balanced and clear cut phrases which form 'questions and answers' (periodic phrasing) More contrast than the baroque period when it comes to texture, instrumentation There are changes in dynamics but these are less sudden than they were in the Baroque period as we have crescendos and diminuendos Textures are simpler than the baroque period, much more use of homophony (same sound) The piano is invented in the classical period -so we don't use the harpsichord anymore Orchestras also have more woodwind instruments (2 of each -flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet) Composers include: Mozart, Haydn and early Beethoven Symphony number 40 was the second last symphony he wrote (3 years before he died). The set work is movement 1 (of 4 which make up the symphony) The movement is in sonata form: Exposition: First Subject in G minor this melody is characterised by a falling motif to the rhythm (quaver-quaver-crotchet) introduced by the strings Second subject in Bb major (relative major) is a melody with descending chromatic patterns (using semitones) shared between the strings and the woodwind. Development: This section moves rapidly through keys (starting with F# minor) and uses the first subject -developing it by cutting it up and changing it slightly. Recapitulation: First subject in G minor is similar to before but there is some variation Second subject now in G minor is similar to before but there is some variation Coda: Repeated perfect cadences (chord V to chord I) in G minor -this is a finishing cadence to finish the piece. The melodies are balanced (because the are split into even 'question and answer' parts with an imperfect cadence in the middle (unfinished question) and a perfect cadence at the end (finished answer). The phrases are mainly based on scales. Like the baroque period the music in the classical period (and this piece) is diatonic and sticks to the key signature. There are some examples of chromatic chords. In the second subject there is also a cycle of fifths -where the chords move up a fifth over and over again. The cellos also play a pedal note (a sustained note from the harmony -usually the tonic) just before the second subject. The piece is in 4/4 (four crotchet beats in a bar) and the tempo marking is 'Molto Allegro' -Very Fast! There is also some use of syncopation (off-beat rhythms) these are highlighted in the video! The texture is mainly homophonic (same sound) though there are some examples of polyphony and immitation (copying between parts) in the development section. There is some octave doubling, this is when two instruments play the same part but an octave in pitch apart. Mozart also uses the strings and woodwind to ask and respond to each other (one part would have the question of the question and answer phrase and the other would have the answer In the exposition and recapitulation the dynamics are quite varied: the first subject is quiet, the second between the subjects is loud and the second subject starts quiet and gets loud The development has a loud section in the middle but starts and ends quietly. Most dynamic changes are sudden. |
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Chopin Prelude No. 15 in Db 'Raindrops'The romantic period:
Music is about expression and emotion (not just love) Harmonies and chords became much richer, much more dissonance (clashing) and changing to random, unrelated keys. People in the romantic period didn't need to stick to the rules as much as before! Pieces became much longer with much bigger structure and the music was much more descriptive -rather than just being nice, it meant something. Overall the romantic period was much more indulgent with more of everything -longer pieces, more instruments, more notes in the chords, more extremes with dynamics and tempi etc. Romantic composers include: Chopin, Liszt and Schumann Prelude No.15 Composed in 1839 this is one of a series of 24 preludes designed to be performed in a small space. Although 'prelude' implies the music is written to go before something else, there is nothing which follows this piece. It is just a piano solo. The piece is in ternary form; ABA A; in Db Major, this section has a decorated lyrical melody accompanied by quavers (which sound like raindrops) The section ends in an imperfect cadence. This section is accompanied by broken chords (the chord is played one note at a time) B; in C# minor (the tonic minor -C# and Db are the same note) The new melody in this section is in the bass -and played by the left hand. it is made up of much longer notes -crotchets and minims. Section B is much longer than section A and much more dramatic. The dynamics build to ff (fortisimo) at times. Like section A this section ends with an imperfect cadence. The texture is more chordal than section A. A; back in Db Major, the tonic key, the original melody returns, this time shorter and with a short coda to complete the prelude with a perfect cadence. As I mentioned above, the romantic period is much more indulgent and also more experiemental -pushing things to extremes and using instruments in different ways. For this reason there are many performance markings on the work including: Phrase mark; this show which notes should be played to make a melody. If the performer was a singer or wind player they would indicate where the performer should breath, a pianist show this in the way they perform. Pedal marking; these are shown using the abbreviation 'Ped' this shows the performer to use the sustain pedal (which sustains notes -making them sound for longer) Crescendos and diminuendos are used to show where the music needs to get quieter and louder. Sotto voce; this indicates the music should be like a whisper Smorzando; means dying away (dynamics) Slentando / ritenuto; means slow down (tempo) The piece is in 4/4 (four crotchet beats in a bar). There are some unusual groupings of notes at one point there is a 'sextuplet' which is when you split one crotchet beat into 6 equal beats. Rubato is used, this is when you 'steal time' making some sections slower and other sightly faster -this is another sign of romantic composers being more indulgent and using more time when the music is more interesting. The rhythm of the whole piece is held together by the repeated quavers 'raindrops' which occurs throughout the piece. There is a dominant pedal throughout the whole piece -this is the repeated 'raindrop' sound. It is on the dominant note (the fifth note of the scale) this is Ab (G# in section B) |
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Area of Study 2; Music in the 20th Century, Revision Notes
Schoenberg 'Peripetie' from Five Orchestral PiecesThis piece is an example of expressionism. Expressionism in music is linked closely to the impressionism movement in art. It is about expressing feelings as intensely as possible. This music is atonal, meaning it is not in a key.
The work was composed in 1909 and was considered very shocking. The work requires a large orchestra of at least 90 players; strings, woodwind, a large brass section and percussion. Schoenberg constantly changes which instruments he uses throughout the piece -this allows him to use different timbres (qualities of sound). The performers are often pushed to play the highest and lowest notes the can (the extremes of their instruments). Schoenberg also asks people to play in strange ways to achieve different effect, for example the cymbals are played with a cello bow at one point (!?) Like the chopin there are specific performance markings given, these are more specific than before: Schoenberg highlights the most important part (the part which needs to be heard the most) this is called the Haupstimme. The second most important part is called the Nebenstimme Schoenberg is also specific about exactly how many people should play each note, the symbol 'a 2' indicates 2 of the instrument should plat the same note pizz is short for pizzicato and means 'plucked' arco is the opposite of pizzicato and means played with the bow Peripetie is made up of many short, fragmented motifs which are combined in many ways to make melodies. These melodies are disjunct (they have large leaps in them) making them angular, Schoenberg uses octave displacement (jumping up octaves). Melodies can be turned upside down (inversion) or rhythmically stretched (augmentation). The metre of the piece changes between 3/4, 2/4 and 4/4 (two, three and four crotchets in a bar). The tempo is marked 'Sehr rasch' which is German for 'very quick'. The rhythms in the piece are complex and varied and change quickly. There are times when the rhythms are layered on top of each other to make complex contrapuntal/polyphonic sections. The piece is without a key (atonal) and uses a lot of dissonant harmony (clashing chords). A lot of the chords and melodies are built on hexachords (groups of 6 notes). The structure of the piece is 'free rondo form' ABACA, it is free as the sections don't contrast as clearly as traditional rondo forms of earlier periods. |
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Bernstein 'Something's coming' from West Side StoryWest Side Story, composed in 1957, is a musical -which is a play but with the words sung, or like an opera but in a popular style. This musical is based on the story of Romeo and Juliet but set in New York (not Verona). Instead of the Montagues and the Capulets we have the Jets and the Sharks. Tony (not Romeo) is a Jet and Maria (instead of Juliet) is from the sharks. Something's coming is performed by Tony, it is his first solo designed to introduce him as an optomistic character Tony is a Tenor, therefore this is a tenor solo with orchestra accompaniment (woodwind, brass and strings). The voice isn't very strong and so Bernstein has written dynamics to ensure that the voice isn't drowned out, he uses quiet dynamics and soft timbres (quality of sounds) the trumpets are muted (this softens the sound) and the strings are pizzicato (plucked). The piece has a homophonic texture -the instruments move with the voice. During the words 'the air is humming' there are harmonics (very high notes) performed and there are tremolo on the strings (very quick repeated notes) The structure of the piece is split in 3 1 the quiet, syncopated (off beat rhythms) opening theme 2 The loud, strident theme in 2/4 (from bar 21) 3 A lyrical slow moving theme (from bar 73) These three ideas are used over and over, modified slightly. The word change, all the words are syllabic (one note per syllable) Bernstein plays with the metre changing it between 3/4 and 2/4. Along with the fast tempo and frequent use of syncopation this helps keep the piece exciting and gives the feeling that something is coming. The accompaniment is made up of on-beat bass parts with off-beat chords, these parts create cross rhythms. Bernstein adds to the sense of anticipation by finishing the piece with an unresolved chord, Tony's last note is a flattened 7th, this doesn't sound finished and so the piece is left to fade out. The piece is in D major but modulates (changes key) to C major for 2 contrasting sections. Bernstein also uses sharpened fourths and flatterned sevenths in both keys. The sharpened fourth creates a tritone with the tonic note (3 whole tones built on top of each other, this is called the devil in music) this is a key feature used throughout the musical. The Texture of the song is homophonic. The accompaniment is built using 3 main ideas: 1 A repeated riff that opens the song 2 Short, syncopated chords 3 Fast Um-cha accompaniment (on the beat bass with off-beat chords). |
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Reich Electric Counterpoint (third movement)Electric counterpoint was written for Pat Metheny, a famous guitarist who performed all the recorded parts and the final part live with the tape in 1987. There are seven guitar parts and two bass guitars on the tape, an additional guitar then plays over this, the live guitar is designed to sound like part of the performance and so is amplified to blend in.
The movement is built up on 3 layers: 1 a syncopated (off-beat) quaver motif is introduced by the live guitar and the top four guitar parts, one at a time. 2 a second syncopated quaver motif in introduced by the bass guitars 3 a sustained chordal motif is introduced using 3 chords, this begins in the live guitar part but is transfer to other parts. After all the layers are built, layers 2&3 die away leaving just layer 1 which comes to rest on a final chord completing the piece. The melody is made up of a one-bar motif that is repeated continuously to create an ostinato. This motif is initially introduced by the live guitar and top 4 guitar parts at different times creating a canon. Reich uses note addition to extend the motif and reveal the full melody. The melodies are played against each other resulting in a polyphonic/contrapuntal texture. The main metre is 3/2 (3 minim beats to each bar) the minims are split into quavers meaning there are 12 quavers in each bar. The tempo is crotchet=192 (192 crotchets per minute -v fast). The rhythms are simple and don't vary very much, the are many made up of quaver patterns. Reich uses rhythmic displacement, this when the guitars play the same idea but starting on a different beat of the bar so the emphasis is in a different place -the first beat of the bar is the strongest beat so anything which happens on this beat will have more emphasis. Rhythmic displacement makes the parts sound out of sync with each other. Towards the end some of the parts go into 12/8 (the beats are split into 3 not 2) whilst others continue in 3/2 (the beats are split into 2) combining these time signatures is an example of polymetre (many-metres). The piece is mainly in G major with some shorter sections in Eb major. The piece is diatonic throughout (always in a key). Reich uses hexatonic scales (scales with 6 notes in) the first motif uses 6 notes of the G major scale. There are no massive changes in dynamics, the parts fade ut at the end. |
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Area of Study 3; Popular Music in Context, revision notes.
Miles Davis, 'All Blues' from the Album Kind of BlueJazz originated from the southern states of America during the early 20th Century. One of the key features of Jazz is improvisation (where people make up music on the spot). Miles Davis is one of the best know jazz trumpeters and has created new jazz styles. One of these is modal jazz. All Blues is an example of modal jazz as it is based on the Mixolydian mode. You can work the modes out by playing a scale of white notes on the piano, the mixolydian mode can be heard by playing the scale of G without the F#.
All Blues was released in 1959, it is performed by a sextet (group of 6 players) they are: The frontline: (the ones who play the melody) 1. Miles Davis -Trumpet 2. Julian 'cannonball' Adderley -Alto Saxophone 3. John Coltrane -Tenor Saxophone The rhythm section: (providing the harmonic and rhythmic backing) 4. Bill Evans -Piano 5. Paul Chambers -Bass 6. Jimmy Cobb -Drums The album recording was made with no rehearsals, instead the musicians discussed the overall structure, the chord sequence, main melodic ideas and the mode or scale and then improvised the rest. The structure uses a modified 12-bar blues chord sequence: G7 G7 G7 G7 Gm7 Gm7 G7 G7 D7 Eb7/D7 F/G F/G6 The main melody is called the 'head' this is played by a muted trumpet and lasts 12 bars (one full chord sequence). There is a 4-bar riff in parallel 3rds which separates each section. The whole piece is in 5 sections: 1 Introduction -4 bars of the rhythm section followed by the riff 2 Head -the melody followed by the riff, played twice 3 Solos for trumpet, alto sax, tenor sax and piano, each followed by the riff 4 Head 2 the head melody followed by the riff (played twice) 5 Coda -muted trumpet solo This is known as a head arrangement. The melody or 'head' itself is quite simple. It is characterised by rising 6ths (intervals of 6 notes, in this case B to D) this is followed by four improvised solos (section 3): 1 Trumpet solo -lasts 4 choruses, made up of short, syncopated motifs. 2 Alto Sax solo -again lasts 4 choruses, it uses quicker notes and a wider range of notes -it is more virtuosic than the trumpet solo. 3 Tenor sax solo -again lasting 4 choruses, again very virtuosic; it uses quick runs and fast scales 4 PIano solo -for just 2 choruses, this improvisation is calmer with a simple melody and parallel chords. All blues is G major but has a flattered seventh (the seventh note of the G major scale is flat -instead of having an F#, which you would normally find in G major, it is an F natural). This flattened 6th is a blues note and gives the music a bluesy feel. The score is written in 6/4 and tempo is described as 'jazzy waltz'. The piece is performed with swung quavers (the first of each pair of quavers lasts longer than the second). There is also a large amount of syncopation in the piece. The drum kit uses wire brushed to start and then switches to sticks later. The bass plucks (pizzicato) throughout. The trumpet uses a 'Harmon' mute for the head. The piano playes tremolo at the start of the piece (short, quickly repeated notes). |
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Jeff Buckley 'Grace' from the album GraceFolk music refers to music of the area -music that the local folk or 'normal people' would have played and passed on. Grace is described as folk rock as it combines folk music traditions with rock. It is a rock ballad; a rock song about love with a solo tempo.
The song uses guitar, bass guitar, synthesiser, strings and drum kit. The guitar uses 'drop D tuning' which means the bass string is tuned down a tone to D instead of E. The drums and guitars play rhythmic patterns and chord which accompany Buckley singing throughout. The synthesiser and strings are less prominent, they drop in and out of the music just adding effect in some areas and change the texture -where they are used the texture becomes thicker, such as at the end of the song in the coda. Technology is also used in the mix of this song. Devices used include: Modulation (a digital effect which makes the music fluctuate in pitch slightly) on the synthesiser at the start of the song Distortion (a digital effect which makes the sound of the instrument rougher/harsher) and flanging (a digital effect which combines two copies of the same signal, with the second delayed slightly, to produce a swirling. sweeping effect) on the guitar Overdubbing (recording a new part over existing material) on the guitar parts adding to the thinker texture EQ in the final verse which removes the lower frequencies of Buckley's voice The structure of the piece is verse-chorus form: Introduction- instrumental Verse 1 -voice Chorus 1 -Voice 'wait in the fire' Intro -instrumental Verse 2 -Voice Chorus 2 -Voice 'Wait in the fire' Bridge -Voice (vocalisation- wordless singing) Verse 3 -Voice Coda -Voice Improvisation The song is in E minor but the tonality is often ambiguous as it takes a while to clearly establish the key. The harmony is unusual and uses many chromatic chords moving in semitones. Some of the chords are quite dissonant, particularly in the chorus. The vocal line has an improvised quality and covers a wide range of over 2 octaves. Most of the phrases have a falling shape which reflects the melancholy of the song. There is use of ornamentation/decoration in the melody line include glissandos (slides) between notes. Most the words are set syllabically, the occasion melisma is used to highlight important words such as 'love' or 'fire'. There are also examples of word painting (singing in a style that reflects the word) This song is in 12/8 which means there are 4 dotted crotchets in each bar (each of the four beats would be broken into 3 quavers). The bass drum plays on beats 1&3 and the snare drum on 2&4. The vocal line used syncopation and so often moves in between the drum beats. |
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Moby 'Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad' from the album PlayThis piece is from the genre 'club dance', a genre of electronic music usually played in nightclubs. This genre started in the 1970's when technology allowed on DJ to provide entertainment for a whole club -rather than the expense of hiring a whole band!
Key feature of club dance are: a 4/4 metre and steady tempo (this is what Moby uses, the piece is 98 bpm) prominent use of electronic sounds a strong beat emphasised by the drum and bass short phrases and repetitive, looped sections. 'Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad' was released in 1999. The song is based on two samples taken from a recording from 1953 of a gospel choir. The first is a male singer and is used for the verses (why does my heart feel so bad, why does my soul feel so bad) the second is a female singer and is used in the chorus. Both have been manipulated to change the meaning of the words. The samples are then looped to create a melody which is simple and repetitive. The of the song is Verse-Chorus structure: Intro -Male singer Verse 1 -Male singer. In this verse the texture builds. It starts with just the piano, then adds the voice, then adds the drums and a string-synth countermelody, then the bass with a held string-synth chord, then syncopated piano chords. The chord progression in the verses is Am Em G D. The verses are in the Dorian Mode, starting on A. Chorus 1 -Female singer. The chorus is accompanied by 2 different chord progressions: C Am C Am and F C F C. The choruses are in C major Verse 2 -Male Singer (use of EQ to make the voice sound like a telephone voice) Breakdown (one bar of silence) After the breakdown the texture becomes thinner Chorus 2 -Female singer. No piano and drums to start or to finish this section (they do appear in the middle) Verse 3 -Male singer -no piano or drums in this section to bring the piece to a gentle end. The contrasts in the texture are provided by varying the instrumentation, the use of silence, having sections with just static chords for accompaniment. The piece also uses a drum sample from a hip hop track, it is a breakbeat (drum solo). The bass drum plays on 1&3 but there are strong accents on the backbeats (2&4) from the snare drum. The use of technology is important in this track. The following are used: Synthesisers -these produce the string, bass and piano sounds Sampler -for the vocal samples as well as the breakbeat rhythm on the drum track Drum machine -for the drum track Sequencer -to trigger the sample and synthesiser (make them work at the right time) The use of technology allows the sounds to be modified/altered: Panning allows sound to be directed to specific speakers giving the impression that the piano, for example is playing on the left or moving from the left to the right (as in the introduction) Electronic ghosting which is used on the male vocals when it first comes in means you can still hear remnants of backing singers from the original recording Reverb (an effect which makes the music sound as if it was recorded in an echoey space) and delay (electronically adding an echo-like sound to music) are used on the music -these are particularly clear in the one-bar breakdown. The piece is diatonic using just 3 simple, repeated chord progressions each lasting 8 bars. |
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Area of Study 4: World Music, revision notes
Capercaillie, 'Skye Waulking Song' from the album NadurraFolk music is music that the ordinary folk played, it is also known as traditional music and was traditionally learnt by ear and passed down without being notated. Capercaillie fused celtic music (music from scotland and ireland) with elements of pop music creating celtic fusion.
Capercaillie is a scottish band, the recorded their album Nadurra in 2000. Waulking is the name of a technique used to pound tweed cloth again a wooden board, this softens it and makes it more airtight, this song was is the kind of song the woman would sing whilst they were doing this work. Singing whilst they worked helped keep the workers working to a rhythm. It was also enjoyable, many of the songs would contain elements of call and response, allowing everyone to join in the response if one person lead the call. The instruments used in this piece are from the two different genres: folk/celtic: Wurlitzer piano -an early piano, this provides countermelodies Accordian -this provides chords Uilleann pipes -the irish version of the bagpipes, they're much softer Bouzouki -a type of lute which comes from greece but features a lot in celtic music, this provides countermelodies Fiddle (same as a violin but called a fiddle in folk music) providing countermelodies Pop instruments: Drum kit -this provies a rhythmic pattern Bass guitar -providing the bassline Voice -singing the main melody in Gaelic Synthesiser -this provides chords and at points in the piece uses modulation (a digital effect which makes the pitch fluctuate slightly) The structure of the piece is in a call and response pattern with the vocal line changing between four different phrases. Overall the structure is: 1 Introduction; an instrumental section before the voice enters with text 2 Verse 1 -Voice and accompaniment 3 Verse 2 -Voice and accompaniment -with the addition of an instrumental break 4 Coda -short vocal phrases echo until they fade out The melody line is based on a pentatonic scale (5 note scale) It is mainly syllabic and it is written in the lower register of the singers voice. Most of the text is in scots Gaelic, some of it is vocables, these are just sounds -they do not have a meaning. The song is in 12/8 (4 dotted crotched beats in each bar) there is use of syncopation (off-beat rhythms). The key is G Major and the song is entirely diatonic. The piece used 3 main chords: G, Em and C. The song avoids the dominant chord (D), this is why the music can sound modal. |
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Rag Desh
Unlike every other set work, Rag Desh has 3 different examples for you to listen to and be able to identify. This first section looks at things they all have in common. Each section below them focuses on each example and their unique qualities.
Rag Desh is an example of Indian classical music from north India. The music is improvised but this takes place within a well defined structure. Music is performed by highly skilled musicians who train for years with respected teachers.
The music is built up using 3 layers:
1 A Melodic Line played on a solo instrument
2 A rhythmic pattern played on the drums
3 A drone (long sustained note) played on a stringed instrument
Melodies are based on a rag which is a pattern of notes, like our scale. In Indian music each rag is linked to something -maybe a day/time of year/ celebration etc. Our rag is 'desh' it is associated with late evening and the monsoon season. It looks like this:
C D F G B C Bb A G F E D C where the central C is the highest notes. Note that the scale changes on it's descent.
The rhythmic pattern played on the drum is called a tal. It is a cycle of beats which is repeated and improvised on during a performance. The first beat of the tal is called the sam. It is stressed by the musicians (just as we stress the first beat of the bar).
The structure in Indian classical music is made up of 3 parts:
1 Alap: A slow section where the rag is introduced over the drone. It has no regular pulse and no percussion
2 Gat: A fixed composition that is improvised by the solo instrument. This section has percussion and a clear pulse
3 Jhalla; A fast, final section which allows more decoration and for the soloist to show their virtuosic skills
Rag Desh is an example of Indian classical music from north India. The music is improvised but this takes place within a well defined structure. Music is performed by highly skilled musicians who train for years with respected teachers.
The music is built up using 3 layers:
1 A Melodic Line played on a solo instrument
2 A rhythmic pattern played on the drums
3 A drone (long sustained note) played on a stringed instrument
Melodies are based on a rag which is a pattern of notes, like our scale. In Indian music each rag is linked to something -maybe a day/time of year/ celebration etc. Our rag is 'desh' it is associated with late evening and the monsoon season. It looks like this:
C D F G B C Bb A G F E D C where the central C is the highest notes. Note that the scale changes on it's descent.
The rhythmic pattern played on the drum is called a tal. It is a cycle of beats which is repeated and improvised on during a performance. The first beat of the tal is called the sam. It is stressed by the musicians (just as we stress the first beat of the bar).
The structure in Indian classical music is made up of 3 parts:
1 Alap: A slow section where the rag is introduced over the drone. It has no regular pulse and no percussion
2 Gat: A fixed composition that is improvised by the solo instrument. This section has percussion and a clear pulse
3 Jhalla; A fast, final section which allows more decoration and for the soloist to show their virtuosic skills
Anoushka Shankar Rag DeshAnoushka Shankar plays the sitar, this piece was recorded in 2001.
The sitar is a plucked guitar-like instrument. It has 7 main strings which are used to play the melody and 12 sympathetic strings -these aren't plucked, the resonate 'in sympathy' to the main strings creating a shimmering sound The sitar is accompanied by the Tabla; a pair of drums. The right drum is smaller (and higher in pitch) this is called the dayan. The left is larger and lower in pitch and called the bayan. They are played with the fingers. The Tabla play two tal in this piece: Tal 1 'Jhaptal' a 10 beat cycle: (2+3+2+3) Tal 2 'Tintal' a 16 beat cycle: (4+4+4+4) The whole piece is structured like this: Alap -solo sitar. Slow, no regular pulse, introduces the notes of rag desh. Use of pitch bend called meends Gat -tabla enters accompanying the sitar playing the fixed composition (gat) in a moderate tempo. Both the sitar and the tabla improvise. The sitar improvisation is based on the gat, the tabla improvisation is based on the tal. The improvisations end with a tihai -a short melody which is played 3 times and ends on the sam, at this point the tempo is much faster. Jhalla -this is fast and the sitar strings are strummed to create rhythmic excitement. |
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Chiranji Lal Tanwar Mhara janamThis version of Rag Deaah ia Bhajan - a hindu devotional song. It is performed by the Indian singer Chiranji Lal Tanwar and it was released in 2004.
The singer is accompanied by: Sarod -a plucked string instrument Sarangi - a bowed string instrument Pakhawaj -a long drum with a head at each end Tabla a small pair of cymbals The tal used in this piece is an 8-beat cycle called keherwa tal (2+2+2+2) The structure is: Alap -The sarangi, then the voice introduce the notes of the rag, this section is slow with no clear pulse. Bhajan -The tabla joins in playing the keherwa tal, there is a sung verse followed by short solos for the sarangi and the sarod, this pattern is repeated a number of times. Tanwar decorates important words using melismas and ornaments. |
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Steve Gorn and Benjy Wertheimer 'Rag Desh'These are 2 americans who released their rag desh in 2004
The instruments used are: Bansuri -a wooden flute Esraj -a bowed string instrument Shruti box -an electronic instrument which plays a drone Swaernandel -a plucked string instrument Tabla This rag uses 2 tals: Rupak Tal: a 7 beat cycle: (3+2+2) Ektal: a 12-beat cycle (2+2+2+2+2+2) The Structure is: Alap -starts with drone notes on D&A, the bansuri introduces the mood of the rag, the esraj then takes over before the instrument alternate improvised phrases. The tempo is slow with no regular pulse Gat 1 This is a slow gat using the rupak tal, it begins with a bansuri solo, the table enters after 30 seconds. The bansuri then starts to play the composed gat, following which the bansuri and tabla improvise around the gat and tal. The section ends with a tihai Gat 2 This is a fast gat in ektai. It starts with a tabla solo. Improvisation is more eleborate. The bansuri plays tans (fast scales) the piece ends with 3 tihai. |
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Koko; Yiri.There is much diversity in West Africa, from traditional call and response songs and complex, layered percussion music to a thriving pop scene in the cities. Much traditional west african music is performed by professional musicians known as groits. Musical knowledge is passed down the generations in each groit family by word of mouth; a process known as oral tradition.
Typical features of traditional West African Music are: 1 Repetition; Rhythms, harmonies and melodies are often repeated continually to form ostinatos 2 Improvisation; melodies are frequently made up of improvised phrases 3 Call and response; usually occurs between a soloist (who sings or plays a phrase) and a large group that responds with an answering phrase 4Layered textures; music built up from independent lines that are designed to be heard together. Koko is made up of six professional musicians from the country Burkina Faso. 'Yiri' means wood -which maybe linked to the fact that all the instruments playing are made of wood (apart from the bell) Instruments: Balafon; similar to a xylophone, it is made up of wooden bars which are tuned to different pitches. Gounds hang beneath them acting as resonators. Djembe; a drum shaped like a goblet which is played using hands The talking drum; a drum that is played with hooked sticks and can be used to imitate speech by creating different pitches and slides. Structure: Introduction; a short balafon solo using tremolo (notes hit rapidly repeatedly) Main Section; drums playing ostinato, strong clear pulse. Alternating between balafon solos and choruses. The middle section has a vocal solo using call and response with the choir. Coda; a short phrase for balafon played 5 times (slightly varied). The drum ostinato is interrupted by rests. A bell is sounded to mark the end Melody, Harmony and Tonality; Yiri is in Gb major. Most of the music is hexatonic (based on a six-note scale) The balafons mostly play short patterens which often fall from high to low and tend to emphasise the notes Gb and Db (tonic -note 1, and dominant -note 5, in Gb major) The balafon has more virtuosic sections in the breaks between choruses. In the choruses groups sing in unison. The chorus too has short, falling phrases which emphasis the notes Gb and Db Rhythm, Metre and Tempo The metre is mainly 4/4 with odd bars changing The introduction is in free tempo (no pulse) after this there is a steady pulse Syncopation is frequently used in the vocal and balafon parts. The balafon creates cross-rhythms during the vocal solos. The solo vocalist uses triplets (splitting the beat into 3 instead of 2) The drums play a rhythmic ostinato which continues throughout the piece. The djembe plays occasional fills. Texture and dynamics Yiri mainly has a layered texture. There are also areas which include: A monophonic (one-sound) texture in the introduction; the balafon solo. Occasional heterophonic textures -when 2 balafons different versions of the same tune at the same time.
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