Chapter 3

Scales and Melody

Key Terms

• Pitch

• Scale

• Interval

• Octave

• Diatonic scale

• Chromatic scale

• Flat

• Sharp

• Half step

• Whole step

Aspects of Pitch

• Definite or indefinite

• High or low

• Scale: a pool of definite pitches

• Interval: the distance between any two notes

Octave

• “Eight span”

• Higher note seems to duplicate lower note

• Smooth blend of sound comes from overtone series

Step

• Usually the distance between adjacent notes of a scale

• Suggests a ladder of discrete pitches

• Scale steps: specific notes of a scale (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do)

Half Step (Semitone)

• The smallest interval

• The distance between two adjacent notes of the chromatic scale

• The distance between two adjacent notes on the keyboard

Whole Step

• The most common interval in diatonic scales

• Equals two consecutive half steps

Scales

• Fixed collections of pitches used to construct music

• Diatonic scales

• Chromatic scales

• Other scales (modern and world music)

Diatonic Scales

• Contain five whole steps and two half steps

• Contain seven pitches• The eighth note of the scale

(octave) repeats the starting pitch• Examples: major scales, minor

scales, church modes

Diatonic Scale

Chromatic Scale

• Contains 12 pitches

• Consists entirely of half steps

• Requires sharps or flats

Chromatic Scale

Sharps and Flats

• Flat lowers a note by a half step

• Sharp raises a note by a half step

Diatonic vs. Chromatic

Listening

• Chromatic scale

• Diatonic scale

• Non-Western scales

Key Terms

• Melody

• Tune

• Motive

• Theme

• Phrase

• Parallelism

• Contrast

• Sequence

• Climax

• Cadence

Melody

• The primary bearer of musical meaning

• Most likely to move the listener

• An organized series of pitches

• Combines pitch and rhythm

Tune

• A special kind of melody

• Simple, easy to sing

• Often catchy

• Folk songs, dances, pop songs, patriotic songs, Christmas carols

Characteristics of Tunes

• Division into phrases

• Balance between phrases

• Parallelism and contrast

• Climax and cadence

Division into Phrases

• Often correspond to poetic lines

• Often two, four, or eight measures long

• Tend to be natural breathing points

Balance between Phrases

• Creates an overall sense of proportion

• Many phrases of the same length

• Longer and shorter phrases

• Parallel and contrasting phrases

Parallelism

• Exact repetition of a phrase

• Partial repetition of a phrase

• Repetition of rhythm

• Repetition of a pattern at higher or lower pitch (sequence)

Contrast

• Provides variety and interest

• Higher or lower phrases

• Shorter or longer phrases

• Different rhythms or melodic shapes

Form of Tunes

• Clear beginning

• Building up in the middle

• Distinct high point (climax)

• Winding down to the end

Cadence

• Weak cadences– Points of relaxation to breathe or pause– Create need to go on– End phrases

• Strong cadences– Full stops– Create sense of finality– End sections or pieces

Motive

• Distinctive fragment of a melody or distinctive rhythm

• Used to construct tunes, melodies, themes

• Can be repeated, transposed, reversed, inverted, or fragmented

Theme

• The basic subject matter for a piece of music

• Usually a melody

• Can be a phrase, motive, tune, tone color

Listening Exercises

• Phrases and cadences• Repetition and contrast• Motives and sequence• Balance, form, and climax• Tune, motive, and theme • Melodic character and emotional

quality