Chapter Six:

Vocal Melody

Basic Elements of Music

RhythmMelody (pitch)HarmonySound (timbre)Shape (form)

Staff--5 line, 4 spaces

Lines and spaces named

Symbols of written music

When a composer wants to put a piece of music down so others can “read” it, she needs a system or code which indicates which pitches to play. This code starts with the Staff--

Each line and space of the staff corresponds with a pitch. The pitches are named by the letters A-G (notice we start over at G) so each line and space has a letter name.

This is the treble clef (another word for staff) and is used to indicate higher pitched notes. There is also a bass clef for pitches in the lower range.

Grand Staff

Symbols of written music

When both clefs are used together, such as in piano music, the two are called the Grand Staff

The notes on the staff correspond with the notes played on instruments.

ScalesScales are the way we organize music. Scales give the composer the choice of notes from which to write a song. The scale below is what we think of as “Do-Re-Mi” etc.

Major

Minor

Western European Scales

“Do-Re-Mi” is also known as the major scale in Western music.

Diatonic Major ScaleThe Western major scale (Do-Re-Mi) is also referred to as the diatonic major scale. Here’s another example--

Melody

An organized succession of pitches that forms a coherent whole--usually (but not always) based upon a scale.

Vocal Melody

Conjunct MotionMoving from note to note without

leaps.

Disjunct MotionMoving by leaps from note to note.

Minuet in G

Allegro (120mm)

Original tempo

Moderato (100mm)

Slower, for analysis

Parts of a Melody

PhraseRegularIrregularOrnamented

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain, (IC)

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain. (IC)

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee, (IC)

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea. (CC)

(Cadences in Red)

Phrase One

Phrase Two

Phrase Three

Phrase Four

America, the Beautifulwords by Katharine Lee Bates melody by Samuel Ward

Melody

Motive--Smallest Unit of MelodySequenceRepetitionRhythmic Motives

Minuet in G

Allegro (120mm) Moderato (100mm)

Melody

Cadence--Musical punctuation dividing music into two kinds of phrase endings>

• Incomplete cadence (IC)—makes us feel the need to go on

• Complete cadence (CC)—makes us feel as if we could or should stop

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain, (IC)

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain. (IC)

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee, (IC)

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea. (CC)

(Cadences in Red)

Phrase One

Phrase Two

Phrase Three

Phrase Four

America, the Beautifulwords by Katharine Lee Bates melody by Samuel Ward

My Country Tis of Thee

Gregorian Chant

Monophonic Texture-- One melody sung either by solo voice or a group (all singing the same melody)

Haec Dies

Dominum

http://www.healingchants.com/index.html

Hildegard von Bingen

Daughter of a noble familyWent to live in a monasticcommunity at 8 years of ageTook vows to become a Benedictine Nun at age 18Became Abbess of Disibode Abbey in 1136 (age 38)

Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179)

When she was 42, she began

dictating her "visions" of:

-Music

-Art Works (Illuminations)

-Scriptural Commentaries

In her life she composed:

-77 musical settings

-Ordo Vertutum (morality play)

-De Sancta Maria

Hildegard von Bingen

•Monophonic Texture•Regular/Irregular Phrases•Syllabic•Melismatic•Neumatic

De sancta Maria