The Complete Musician Chapter 4 Notes

The Complete Musician Chapter 4 Notes

Controlling Consonance and Dissonance: Introduction to Two-Voice Counterpoint

Harmonies are made of chords.
Chords are made of voices/parts

Voices can be Soprano/Alto/Tenor/Bass
Each one has it's own melody.
They form (mostly) consonances with other notes (dissonances too?)
outer voices = highest and lowest voices. most prominent. music is these two melodies with the bits in the middle filled in. they love to go in opposite directions. When they go the same way, imperfect consonances happen usually. 

Counterpoint = melody against melody
polyphony = multiple sounds
"Contrapuntal relationships depend
on two elements: (1) the behavior of consonant and dissonant intervals, and
(2) the harmonies implied by their interaction"
Man, Fux is great. Western Music is just a long line of people sucking on his dick.
cantus firmi (singular: firmus) = fixed songs
species = steps to move against CF???
note-against-note counterpoint = exactly what it sounds like = first-species counterpoint = 1:1 counterpoint
contrapuntal voice = the voice laid on top of the CF
second-species counterpoint = 2:1 counterpoint = 2 contrapuntal voices with 1 CF
... all the way up to fifth-species counterpoint

"Such harnessing of the horizontal plane in music (i.e.,
the linear, temporal domain) and the vertical plane in music (i.e., the spatial,
harmonic domain) is actually the goal of your entire theory studies."

First-Species Counterpoint

in this chapter there is not only the melodic intervals of the previous chapter, but now there is also harmonic intervals to worry about!! yay
apparently in 1st species you can only use consonant harmonic intervals (sounds a bit fishy)
"The source of successful counterpoint is the contrapuntal
motion that results from the combined play of voices"

Contrapuntal Motions

contrapuntal motion = the contours produced between two more more voices.
contrary motion = the movement of two voices in opposite direction. most independent
similar motion = the movement of two voices in the same direction
parallel motion = the movement of two voices in the same direction while staying at the same distance. very beautiful. not independent at all and takes away a lot of momentum. To reduce losses use inperfect intervals (3+6). Maximum of 3 consecutive uses.
Use all of these and Fux will be very pleased
parallel perfect interval = perfect->perfect of the same size. forbidden (Why?)
similar motion makes the music more dramatic. Best with imperfect consonances.
direct intervals (???)
do not approach perfect consonances with similar motion. use contrary motion EXCEPT if you step the high note to a perfect interval (5ths using this technique are called horn fifths)
smooth lines, leaps in one voice or the other, not both, avoid that shit. But if you do leap, change direction, just like with melody writing
the contrapuntal voice must begin on scale degree one, unless it's above the cf, in which case it can begin on scale degree 5
to end = cadence
counterpoint must end on an octave or unison. the second last interval must be between scale degrees two and seven, moving in contrary motion to the octave. in minor raise scale degree 7 (and 6 if it is before that (and so on?)

Rules and Guidelines for First-Species (1:1) Counterpoint

"What follows is a summary of the rules and guidelines for first-species counterpoint.
Rules are absolute and guidelines are suggestions. Rules create a
structural foundation for your piece; guidelines, when followed, create a more
aesthetically pleasing music surface.
Rule I Harmonic (vertical) intervals must be consonant (the perfect fourth
is a dissonance in two-voice counterpoint).
Rule 2 Parallel perfect intervals (unisons, fifths, and octaves) are forbidden.
Rule 3 Approach perfect consonances using contrary motion; the single
context in which similar motion is permitted occurs when the upper voice
moves by step to the octave or fifth.
Rule 4 Begin and end your counterpoint on i (unless the counterpoint appears
above the CF, when it may begin on S).
Rule 5 In minor, use the lowered form of 6 and 7; raise 7 to create a leading
tone only in the penultimate measure, and raise 6 when it precedes the
leading tone.
Guideline I Use step motion as much as possible in the contrapuntal voice,
with occasional skips (jumps of a third) or leaps (jumps of a fourth or
more) to add interest. Change direction and move by step after a leap.
Guideline 2 Since the goal of counterpoint is voice independence, use contrary
motion as much as possible. Parallel motion is restricted to imperfect
consonances; limit to three consecutive uses.
Guideline 3 Use imperfect consonances as verticalities when possible. Restrict
the use of octaves and fifths to only one or two within the exercise.
Guideline 4 Avoid two perfect consonances in a row since they create a
hollow sound (e.g., a fifth to an octave, or vice versa)."

Second-Species Counterpoint

in second-species counterpoint, there are two voices instead of one. these two voices are each twice as fast as the CF.
oblique motion = one voice moves, the other one doesn't
the downbeat must be a consonant, successive downbeats must not contain parallel fifths or octaves [it appears that the rules of 1:1 counterpoint apply to both the interplay of both voices and each voice individually]. The weak voice can now be consonant or dissonant (I need to revisit this, it appears to be referencing something I have no idea about)

Weak-Beat Consonance

move to it by step or skip
there is only one way of creating consonant step motion: 5-6 technique (moving from scale degree 6 to 5 or vice-versa) (but what about the perfect fourth?). If it keeps on going the second note is a consonant passing tone, or return, then it's a consonant neighbour tone
consonant skips and leaps must be consonant both with the cf and the previous melody note
apparently they occur within notes because when they occur on the accented beat it detracts from the flow of the line

Weak-Beat Dissonance

"the most important new feature" expressive, however it must be controlled
they're all unaccented passing tones
wait a second, can a note be consonant with one tone and dissonant with another?
the goal in second-species counterpoint is to include as many passing notes as possible

Beginning and Ending Second-Species Counterpoint

Second-species counterpoint must begin on 1 or, above the CF, 1, 3, or 5
it can be a half note or a half rest
the penultimate measure may be two half notes or a whole note

Rules and Guidelines for Second-Species Counterpoint

Rule 1 Strong beats must be consonant.
Rule 2 Avoid parallel perfect intervals between:
a. successive strong beats (downbeats).
b. weak beat and strong beat (upbeat and downbeat).
Rule 3 Avoid direct motion to perfect intervals from weak to strong beats.
Rule 4 The only permitted dissonance is the weak-beat passing tone (i.e.,
the dissonance must fill the space of a melodic third by step between two
downbeats).
Rule 5 The added voice must begin on i when it appears below the CF,
but it may begin on i, 3, or 5 when it appears above the CF. You may begin
with a half rest, and the penultimate measure may contain either one or
two pitches. The final measure must contain a whole note.
Rule 6 In minor, use the lowered form of 6 and 7; raise 7 to create a leading
tone only in the penultimate measure, and raise 6 if it precedes the
leading tone.
Guideline 1 Incorporate as many dissonant passing tones as possible.
Guideline 2 Use chordal skips to balance dissonant passing tones.
Guideline 3 Place leaps within, rather than between, measures.
Guideline 4 Label every interval, and mark each dissonant passing tone
with an asterisk.

Hearing Two-Voice Counterpoint

You are now ready to listen to and notate two-voice counterpoint examples. As
you learned when taking single-line dictation, it is important to postpone writing
any pitches until you understand the musical context in which they occur.
For example, if you listen to an eight-measure melody that you feel divides into
two units, and you have memorized the first unit (by being able to sing it), then
you are ready to write it down. Thus, always begin your listening with more general
and global considerations, leaving the details until later hearings.
As always, begin by quietly singing i, followed by the remaining scale
members to situate yourself in the key; then listen to the first playing of the example.
When listening to examples with multiple voices, focus on the following
elements:
1. The opening and closing scale degrees in each of the two lines.
2. The motion of the individual lines and whether they are predominately
by step or by leap.
3. The harmonic intervals formed by the two parts. Listen for consonance
and dissonance and how dissonance is approached and left.
Another strategy you might wish to use (at least in the initial stages of notating
two-voice counterpoint) is to concentrate on individual lines. Of course,
this method somewhat defeats the goal of hearing multiple voices simultaneously.
However, if you can sing an entire line and notate it and then tum to
hearing how lines combine (begin with short units of one or two measures),
you will soon be able to hear these two voices simultaneously.
Before you listen to two-voice lines, keep in mind the following tips and remember
that notation is the last step, not the first.
1. Be prepared. Make sure you understand and anticipate clues, such as
the key, the mode, and the number of measures in the example.
2. Trust yourself It is a common mistake to write down an answer and
then to assume it is wrong. More often than not, your initial impressions
are correct.
3. Play the odds. A great deal of successful hearing is accomplished by
means of informed guessing. For example, if you are trying to determine
the final pitch of a melody but you know only that "it sounded
convincing," you can rely on the odds that it is probably i, since passages
close there more often than on any other scale degree.
4. Listen actively and with a goal. Many times you might want music's dramatic
power and beauty simply to wash over you. But taking dictation
requires thoughtful, concentrated listening and parsing of the music into intelligible units. Tonal music is built on a specific grammar and
syntax that create powerful aural expectations. Thus, it moves forward
in goal-oriented, predictable units. Always listen for the general,
larger musical context, and then listen for the details.

 

 

The Complete Musician: Chapter 3 Notes

The Complete Musician: Chapter 3 Notes

Intervals and Melody

dyad = two notes articulated at the same time
interval = the distance between the two pitches in a dyad

Naming Generic Intervals

generic interval = 1st, 2nd, etc.
1st = unison = prime
melodic interval = A then B
harmonic interval = A and B (at the same time)
simple interval > octave > compound interval
any interval larger than a twelfth is changed to it's simple form (compound 2nd/octave plus a 2nd)

Tips for Identifying Generic Intervals

same line = odd
different line = even

Naming Specific Intervals

Intervals must be identified by their quality and their generic name, producing their "specific size".
P stands for Perfect. Perfect intervals include the unison (P1), the fourth (P4), the fifth (P5), and the octave (P8). Perfect intervals ARE ALWAYS PERFECT, NO EXCEPTIONS.
M stands for Major
m stands for minor
every other interval (2, 3,6, 7) can be either major or minor.
Major intervals are found in the major scale, minor intervals in the minor scale, (except for M2, which is in the minor scale (But who knows why???)

Transforming Intervals: Augmented and Diminished Intervals

(A/+) Augmented is one semitone above
(M) Major which is one semitone above
(m) minor which in one semitone above
(d/°) diminished

(A/+) Augmented is one semitone above
(P) Perfect which is one semitone above
(d/°) diminished

Interval Inversion

inversion = moving the lower pitch up one octave
the inversion of generic intervals always sums to 9
the interval's quality is reversed
the number of half-steps in the inverted and uninverted interval always sums to 12
tritone = 3 whole step intervals

Generating All Intervals

There are two methods for generating inverted intervals:
1. is to invert it (again) and transpose it down an octave.
2. is count by generic intervals, then match a quality to it.

Enharmonic Intervals

Same sound, different name

Consonant and Dissonant Intervals

consonant intervals = the unison, the third, the fifth (perfect only), the sixth and the octave (the stable ones)
dissonant intervals = the second, the seventh, all diminished and all augmented intervals. (unstable) perfect fourth is usually seen as dissonant
perfect consonances = P1, P5, P8
imperfect consonances = M/m 3/6
perfect dissonances = all frms of 2nds, 4ths and 7ths
imperfect dissonances = all augmented and diminished interals

Melody: Characteristics, Writing and Listening 

counterpoint = combined melodies
harmonies = the "vertical pillars" that result from counterpoint
So when does a melodic interval need to be labeled and given a contour? And if it is not always necessary, when? And how many notes rising or falling in succession do I  need to find before it qualifies? What do specific intervals mean? How do I know this for sure?
motives = short rhythmic and melodic patterns
melodic cadence = the "approach to the final pitch by step
conjunct motion = moving by steps
disjunct motion = moving by skips or leaps
tendency tones = tones that tend to resolve to a more stable note one half step away.
law of recovery = "change of direction by step before and after a leap"
skip = jump by a third
leap = fourth or higher (larger?)

Melody Writing 101

Begin with a tonic, subdominant or dominant
End with leading tone->tonic or supertonic->tonic
Keep the highest and lowest notes within a tenth of each other
Keep most of the notes within a sixth of each other (tessitura)
Move mostly by steps. Use skips/leaps under the following conditions:
Keep them smallish (like a third).  1/2 big leaps are okay ONLY  if no larger than minor 6th.
No dissonant leaps. They should lead to a change of direction in order to fill in at least some of the musical space they created
2 skips in a row ONLY if they are thirds and you change direction after that.
Avoid repeated notes and repetitive patterns (Philip Glass says hi) or sequences because such patterns result in a highly predictable melody. It is best to restrict the use of patterns to one repetition.
Aim for a logical shape. Only one (1) melodic climax  per melody. Usually they occur around half way through the piece. Aesthetic bonus points for reaching the climax in steps, not leaps.
melodic climax = "a single melodic high point"

Melodic Dictation

dictation = memorising and notating melodies ,counterpoint and harmony without a score
Dictation tips:
DO NOT WRITE DOWN EVERY NOTE AS YOU HEAR IT!!! You will lose focus of the musical context when you focus on one note (This sounds suspiciously like he's advocating for movable-do solfege). Also note by note approach is bad. Trying to notate while listening to the music is a bit stupid- it will be too fast for you and you will have to listen to it again!
 What is needed is LONG-TERM MEMORY.

Terms and Concepts

chromatic and diatonic half steps
climax, Melodic
compound and simple intervals
conjunct and disjunct motion
consonances: perfect vs. imperfect
diatonic intervals
dissonance, dissonant intervals
enharmonic intervals
generic interval vs specific interval; intervallic quality
harmonic interval vs. melodic interval
 interval types: augmented, diminshed, major, minor, and perfect intervals
intervallic consonance vs dissonance
inversion of intervals law of recovery
tendency tones
tritone

The Complete Musician: Chapter 2 Notes

The Complete Musician Chapter 2 Notes:

Pulse, Rhythm, and Meter

undifferentiated clicks= pulses

pulses + differences = beats

tempo = the speed of a beat

meter = FUCK THIS MAKES NO SENSE WHATSOEVER! What exactly is it referring to?
rhythm = ?????

Rhythm and Durational Symbols

“If the notehead appears on or below the third line of any staff the stem points up.”

Rhythmic notation doesn’t indicate duration, rather it indicates the relative duration of each note

ties sustain the first note

phrasing slurs indicate that the notes should be played smoothly, or legato

Meter

A structure that organises beats into patterns of accented and unaccented beats.

These patterns are collected into measures, shown by bar lines.

duple = strong-weak

quadruple = strong-weak-semistrong-weak

Accent in Music

Accents are created by doing something unexpected

upbeat = beat before strongly accented beat = anacrusis

downbeat = strongly accented beat

metrical accent=

temporal accent

rhythmic accent= include durational (agogic) accents

harmonic rhythm = the rate of harmonic change. changing this creates a musical accent.

registral accent =  notes which stand out because of their high or low register, standing in contrast to the rest of the piece. high register registral accents are more accented than their low register brothers.
articulative/phenomenal accents = changes in dynamics (how a part is played, eg. loud, sudden, quiet, gradual, shorter/longer, pizzicato etc.
tessitura = the range of something (eg.vocal part) in which it sounds best. In reality it means the common notes found in a piece. 
musical texture = mood + tessitura + accompanimental figures (???) + number and general character of voices (density) . 
textural change = musical texture change
melodic contour =  is the melody going up, down or not going anywhere?
contour accent = change in melodic contour
pitch accent = aka. everyone hates them unstable leading notes 
dissonant = unstable musically
asymmetrical meter = meters with dotted and undotted notes, simple and complex key signatures  
triplets, quintuplets, septuplets are all really confusing and make no sense right now
two against three = triplets within cut time
man syncopation is fucking confusing hemiola too

accent = something which changes the way a note sounds in practice
durational accent = staccato/legato
metrical accent = within the measure, e.g. downbeats
rhythmic accent = ???
nontemporal accent = not related to tempo, e.g. harmonic accent, articulative accent, etc.
articulative accent = change the way it's played
contour accent = up/down/neither
dynamic accent = LOUD/quiet
harmonic accent = self explanatory
pitch accent = strange pitch properties
registral accent = too high/low
textural accent = 'ooh this sounds different'
accented vs unaccented = one is more prominent, the other is not         
anacrusis = the note before the downbeat
bar line = the end of a measure and the beginning of a new one
beam = a line which connects eighth or smaller notes
beat = the most basic rhythmic unit
borrowed divisions
irregular
common time  = 4 4
cut time (alla breve) = 2 2
downbeat = the one before that
upbeat = 1st beat (strongest metrical accent)
dot = *1.5
durational values:
whole = 1
half = 1/2
quarter = 1/4
eighth = 1/8
sixteenth = 1/16
thirty-second= 1/32
flag = that thing on eighth notes and the others
harmonic rhythm = how fast the harmony is changing
hemiola 
measure = the beats within the bars
meter =
simple vs compound = simple meters have a beat unit that is divisible evenly in to two simple units, compound into three.
simple duple = S w
simple triple = S w w
simple quadruple = S w w w
compound duple = same, but with compound beat units
compound triple = see above
compound quadruple = see above
asymmetrical meter = simple + compound
meter signature = 4 4, 2 3, 7 8 etc.
musical patterning = ????
notehead = the head of a note
phrasing slur = notes are played smoothly in one articulation
pulse = beat without rhythm
rhythm = ???
stem = the tail/neck of a note
syncopation = ???
tempo = time.
tie = a way of connecting two notes with the same pitch across a bar
 

The Complete Musician: Chapter 1 Notes

The Pitch Realm: Tonality, Notation, and Scales

Western music in the 17th-19th century is tonal (organised around a central note called the tonic)

Pitch and Pitch Class

8va = all’ottava= one octave above

8vb = all’ottava bassa= one octave below

pitch = to the relative highness or lowness of a sound, determined by frequency.

pitch class = all pitches with the same letter name

Accidentals

natural keys = white keys

chromatic alterations = adding accidentals to notes

accidentals = an accidental acts on the note it is attached to and all notes which follow it, until a note has an accidental attached to it. e.g.  A# C Gb  E would be the same as A# G# Gb Eb

Scales

chromatic scale = the 12 pitch classes in order, A ->G#

chromatic system = the system that uses those 12 pitch classes

chromatic half-step = half step between two notes with the same pitch letter, e.g. A -> A#

diatonic half-step = half step between two notes with different pitch letters, e.g. A# ->B

Enharmonicism

enharmonically equivalent = notes with different names but the same pitch e.g. B# and C

Scale Degree Numbers and Names   

 1/8           2                 3                    4                   5                    6                       7

tonic    supertonic    mediant    subdominant    dominant    submediant    leading-tone

Specific Scale Types: Major and Minor

Major scale-        W W h W W W h

minor scale-         W h W W h W W

harmonic minor scale: “  “   “   “  “ W+h h

melodic minor scale:   “  “   “    “  W W h   

keys of compositions are made clear by which pitches are used.

in major keys, the pitch one half step above the last sharp in a key signature is the tonic and the second last flat in a key signature is the tonic.

relative keys = Major and minor keys with the same key signature

parallel major/minor = keys and scales which share the same tonic but not the same key signature.  

Terms and Concepts

accidentals = a note which raises or lowers the following note according to its corresponding value

sharp = a note which raises all following notes by one semitone

flat = a note which lowers all following notes by one semitone

natural = a note which neutralises all preceding accidentals and returns all following notes to their original value

double sharp = a note which raises all following notes by two semitones

double flat = a note which lowers all following notes by two semitones

agogic = a longer (and therefore accented) note

bar line = a line upon which musical notes are written, usually found in groups of five.

chromatic = involving accidentals

chromatic system = 12 pitch classes

chromatic scale = these 12 pitch classes in order, A ->G#

chromatic half-step = half step between two notes with the same pitch letter, e.g. A -> A#

diatonic half-step = half step between two notes with two pitch letters, e.g. A# ->B

chromatic alteration = adding accidentals to notes

diatonic = involving the white keys, e.g. a diatonic half-step is one which the base letter name is changed

enharmonic equivalence = the concept of two or more notes representing the same sound

frequency = a property of sound waves, describes how steep the wave is. the frequency determines the pitch of a sound

grand staff = bass and treble clef stacked

interval = the distance between two notes

half step = one semitone

whole step = two semitones

key = the tonic of a tonal piece

key signature = the sharps or flats found in the key of the composition, written at the beginning of a piece.

ledger line = lines added above or below the bar lines to show the position of notes which do not fit on to the staff

major scale = W W H W W W H

natural minor scale = W H W W H W W

harmonic minor scale = W H W W H W+H W

melodic minor scale = W H W W W W H

mode = I have no fucking clue what this means. There seems to be very little/no difference between a mode and a scale, but there might be a difference. Modes are associated with those Greek ones? Scales are associated with tonal music? I don't know. We will get back to this when we go through the modal section of the book

octave sign = 8v

parallel major and parallel minor =  keys with the same key signature but different tonics

pitch class = pitches with the same note letter

register = the

relative major and relative minor=  keys with the same tonic but different  key signatures

scale = see above

scale degree names and numbers= names and numbers which designate the position and function of various notes within a scale.

staff = a group of 5 bar lines

step = a whole tone interval

tonic = the root of a scale

transposition  = the act of moving notes lowering or raising the pitch of a piece of music without changing the intervals between the  notes