Unit 3: Melody and harmony

Unit 3

If you want to download it click here.

LISTENING

      UNIT 3: MELODY AND HARMONY

3.1. Melody
 
      3.1.1. Musical phrases
      3.1.2. Intervals
      3.1.3. Scales
      3.1.4. Accidentals

__________________________________________________________________________________

3.1. Melody

In music, a melody is a succession of sounds, normally with different pitches and durations, that express a musical idea.

3.1.1. Musical phrases

Melodies are structured in sections called phrases. Phrases are separated by cadencescadencias as linguistic phrases are separated by punctuation markssignos de puntuación. A phrase will end with a weaker or stronger"suave" o "fuerte": suspensiva o conclusiva cadence depending on if it is an antecedent (when the musical idea is not finished) or consequent phrase (when the musical idea is finished).

3.1.2. Intervals

An interval measuresmide the distance between two notes. We obtain its name by counting the number of notes. The first and last note must be counted and you must know the order of the musical notes to be able to count the notespara ser capaz de contar las notas.

However, not all intervals of the same numerical classification are of the same size. That is why we need to specify the quality by finding the exact number of whole and half stepstonos y semitonos in the interval.

3.1.3. Scales

A scale is a series of notes arrangedordenadas from low to high or vice versa. Most of the music written since the XVII century uses two types of scales: the major scale and the minor scale. What really defines the type of scale is not its first note but the intervals used to create it.

3.1.4. Accidentals

Accidentals are symbols that modify the pitch. The Sharpsostenido (#) symbol raisessube, eleva a note by a half-step, while the flatbemol (b) symbol lowersbaja the note, also by a half-step. The becuadro cancels the effect of the sharp or the flat.


3.2. Harmony

In Western music, harmony is the use of different pitches simultaneouslysimultáneamente and often refers to the "vertical" aspects of music, distinguished from ideas of melodic line, or the "horizontal" aspect.

Three or more notes simultaneously sounded form a chord. We can feel different sorts of feelings when we hear a chord. Normally, we differentiate between consonant (relaxation) and dissonance (tension). Typically, a dissonant chord (chord with a tension) will will become a consonant chordresolverá en un acorde consonante. (become: hacerse, volverse; en música lo traduciremos como resolver). A good harmonization usually sounds pleasant to the ear when there is a balancehay un equilibrio between the consonant and dissonant sounds. To simplify, that occurs when there is a balance between "tension" and "relax" moments. Debido a éstohay un equilibrio, tensions are usually 'prepared' and then 'resolved'.

2.     PRACTICE

Hip Night Hop