Analysis Flashcards
What are the elements of music?
. Melody . Rhythm . Texture . Role . Harmony . Tonality . Dynamics . Tone colour . Form . Articulation
How can you describe melody?
You can describe its function, shape, register, phrasing, tonality and general character.
What are the different ways you can talk about melody?
Through: . Themes . Statements . Subjects . Counter-melodies . Focus lines . Competition . Riff
How can you describe the shape/contour of melody?
. Ascending . Descending . Angular (sharp) . Undulating (smooth) . Consistent . Inconsistent . Arch like . Sequential (following a logical order or sequence) . Fragmented . Continuously unfolding . Symmetrical . Asymmetrical . Short phrases . Extended phrases . Balanced/even
How can you describe the melodic devices of melody (things composers do to make pieces more interesting)?
. Climax . Question and answer . Internal variation . Repetition . Contrasts . Sequence . Imitation . Conventional/unique . Unresolved
How can you describe register and range of melody?
. Small ranges . Big range . Big leaps (disjunct) . Small intervals (conjunct) . Chromatic . Arpeggiated . Scale
How can you describe the character of melody?
. Simple . Straight . Predictable . Unpredictable . Subtle . Childlike . Gentle . Faint . Ornamented . Embellished . Florid . Complex . Improvisatory . Virtuosic . Runs . Interlacing/interweaving . Angular . Jagged . Rigid . Speech like . Flowing . Lyrical . Undulating . Dawdling . Meandering . Wending . Lilting . Rousing . Triumphal . Animated . Cathy . Bouncy . Dramatic . Brooding . Menacing . Throbbing
Why: melody.
. Heightens excitement
. Causes tension
. Makes audience alert…
How can you describe rhythm?
You can describe its beat, pulse, tempo, rhythmic details, use of silence, articulation, length of phrases and general character.
What are the different ways you can talk about rhythm?
Through: . Beat/pulse/tempo . Rhyming details . Articulation . Length of phrases . General character
How can you describe the beat/pulse/tempo of rhythm?
. Steady . Even . Regular/isometric . Clear underlying beat . Free flowing . Slow . Fast . Speeding up/down/accelerando . Stringendo . Reinforced . Strong . Well marked . Changing . Pulse . Weak . Unmarked . Suppressed . Syncopated . Cross rhythms . Polyrhythmic . Ambiguous metre . Rubato . Triplets . Groupings . Patters: waltz, rap . Allargando
How can you describe the rhythmic detail of rhythm?
. Short . Long . Fast flurries . Swung . Begins with upbeat . March-like . Dance-like . Repetitive patterns . Ostinato . Staccato . Legato . Sequences . Multi metric (changing time signatures) . Rhythmically extended . Rhythmic embellishment . Dramatic pauses
How can you describe the articulation in rhythm?
. Legato . Smooth . Accented . Rough . Staccato . Marked
How can you describe the length of phrases in rhythm?
. Complex
. Simple
. Improvisatory
. Layering of percussive effects
How can you describe the general character of rhythm?
. Driving . Virtuosic . Lilting . Erratic . Fluctuating . Bouncy . Sporadic . Relentless . Throbbing . Pulsating . Thumping . Hammering . Beating . Grinding . Insistent . Accented
Why: rhythm. Or examples
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How can you describe texture?
You can do this by seeing:
. What layers of sound you can hear?
. Background/foreground
. What role does each instrument play in the layers?
What are the different ways you can talk about texture?
Texture, motion between instruments and level of activity.
How can you describe texture for texture?
. Monophonic . Polyphonic (two or more voices) . Homophonic (one melody stands out from accompaniment) . Hetero-phonic (same melody, but different embellishments) . Contra-punctual . Antiphonal (call and response) . Number of lines . Opposing . Complementary . Solo and accompaniment
How can your describe the motion between instruments for texture?
. Contrary . Similar . Oblique (one voice is stationary, the other moves) . Parallel . Imitative . Staggered . Cascade . Discrete (separate and distinct) . Continuous . Canon . Fugue
How can you describe the level of activity for texture?
. Sparse . Dense . Cluttered/busy/crowded . Tangled . Closely woven . Wash of sound/walls of sound . Confused . Well defined . Level of dependence . Clear . Disconnected events
How can your describe role?
You link instruments or phrases to their title or purpose. For examples, we can label something as: . The accompaniment . The melody . The harmony . Descant (higher pitched line)
Role: rhythmic support
. Pulse reinforcing
. Counter melodic
. Doubling
. Backing
Role: harmonic support
. Open harmony - harmony has wide intervals
. Close harmony - harmony has a narrow range
. Voicing
. Drone
How can you describe harmony?
Qualities of individual chords, chord progressions and overall quality.
How can you describe the quality of individual chords for harmony?
. Nnmnm
How can you describe chord progressions for harmony?
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How can you describe overall quality for harmony?
Mmm
How can we describe tonality?
. Diatonic . Major . Minor . Atonal . Bi tonal . Dissonance . Shifting key centre . Jazz scale . Non western/ethnic scale . Modal . Modulations occur . Unity . Frequent changes
How can we describe dynamics?
Through volume changes, overall quality and importance.
. Loud . Thunderous . Abrasive . Blaring . Soft . Distant . Subdued . Restrained . Sudden . Gradual . Interjections . Fading away . Constant . Swells
What is the key to good analysis?
Answering the following:
. What?
. Why?
. And how?
