Unity Flashcards
with regard to unity, contrast, variety, balance… how are they achieved?
Through manipulation of the concepts of music
What must you do if you get a question on how unity, contrast, variety, balance… how are achieved?
deal with each concept thoroughly with relation to the question
what is unity?
A sense of sameness or belonging to the one thing, ie: choosing the musical materials which make the individual sections sound as if they belong to the one piece.
What would be achieved through
Repetition
•
What are the different ways that a melody could be repeated?
- Using inversion
- Different instruments
- Changing certain intervals -
- Ornaments -
- Changing btw maj& min
- Augmenting/diminishing note values
- Developing only a part of the motif -
- sequences
- Using imitation
- Using repetition
What would Repeating a rhythmic motif do?
inspire unity
what would Maintaining the same rhythmic ‘feel’ •
unity
What would Repeating a harmonic pattern/ostinato do?
unity
What would Using a drone / pedal point do?
unity
what would Maintaining one performing medium do?
unity
how could the structure of a piece inspire unity?
- repeating same sections of music/return to same sections
- repetition of microstructure
What would Using melodic sequences do?
unity
How could texture inspire unity?
• Maintaining one texture / layer = consistency
• same no. layers
- same density throughout
How could unity be inspired through tonality?
same tonality
How could unity be inspired through harmony?
- same use of patterns eg. walking bass, chord progressions
- rate of chord progression
How could unity be inspired through melody?
- riffs, melodic ostinatos, motifs, rep
- similar shaped contours
- having fragments of melody throughout piece
How could unity be inspired through melody?
- riffs, melodic ostinatos, motifs, rep
- similar shaped contours
- having fragments of melody throughout piece
how could unity be achieved through instrumentation?
same instruments with same roles throughout
how could a mood achieve unity?
Having consistent mood throughout
How could unity be inspired through melody?
- riffs, melodic ostinatos, motifs, rep
- similar shaped contours
- having fragments of melody throughout piece
Although expressive techniques provide contrast, how can they inspire unity?
They can reinforce the melody throughout the piece, whilst providing some variation
How could unity be achieved through pitch?
same phrase lengths
- between melody and words- word matching?
- same register & range
- drone in unison with changing chords
How could unity be achieved through pitch?
same phrase lengths
- between melody and words- word matching?
- same register & range
- drone in unison with changing chords
When looking for repetition, what do you listen for?
- exact rep/slightly altered.
- abab structure
- same change in tone colour
- identify what is repeating
phrases to talk about unity (1)A
Unity is created by…
Further unity is created when…
A unifying element of this piece…
phrases to talk about unity (2)
unifying aspect of this piece is the…
When the brass introduce the main melody this reinforces the unity of the piece
The use of repeating chord progressions creates unity
phrases to talk about unity (2)
A unifying aspect of this piece is the…
When the brass introduce the main melody this reinforces the unity of the piece
The use of repeating chord progressions creates unity
When doing an interest/variety question what must you principally ask?
How has the composer changed the music to make in interesting?
what must you do in an interest question?
describe the musical features that stand out
what would Using changes in time signature achieve?
variety/interest
would using different instruments/tone colours achieve balance or variety?
variety/interest
How could dynamics achieve variety?
Using different dynamics in contrasting sections •
what would Using new material, either motifs or sections do?
create interest
what would Presenting the same material in a different way eg: developing a motif do?
create interest
how could texture create interest>
Changing the texture eg: thick/thin, homophonic/polyphonic •
How could rhythm create interest?
Using different rhythmic patterns •
How could rhythm create interest?
Using different rhythmic patterns/ developing rhythms to make them more complex
what would Using different chord progressions and/or harmonic styles do?
provide interest/variety
how could a melody be developed to provide interest?
adding notes to melody, sequences
what would having contrasting arpeggios with chords do?
provide interest
How could accents provide interest?
by having accented patterns/syncopation
How could tone colour be used to provide variety/interest?
combing contrasting/strange tone colours
how could instrumentation (tone colour) be used to create interest?
having contrasting groups of instruments (therefore contrasting timbres)
What would a theme and variation structure provide?
interest as each section is varied
When talking about interest what would you do as a summary sentence?
Write a final sentence with 1 or 2 of the best key features from your answer. ‘By the use of melodic development and contrasting textural layers the composer creates interest in this piece.’
what are some phrases for interest sentences to link to the question?
Interest is created when
Further interested is developed when…
Interest is maintained by…
What does a tension question ask you to do?
link the use of musical concepts to the style and the composer’s dramatic intention of the piece.
What is tension
mental or emotional strain; intense, suppressed suspense, anxiety, or excitement
what is vital in a tension question?
the features of the musical concepts you mention are linked to the composers intent of creating unease or emotional strain.
what would an ascending pitch, dissonance, or pedal notes with changing harmonies create?
tension
if the pitch was descending and consonant, with bass notes matching the harmony, what is happening
tension could be being released
How could duration create tension?
faster tempo, shorter note values, accents, irregular accents, Multimetre (changing time signatures), irregular time signatures, polyrhythm
How could tension be released through duration?
slower tempo, longer note values
How could texture create and then tension?
increasing layers & thickness, then thinner layer/denisty
What would repetition of shorter phrases and building up of different sections achieve?
tension
What would returning to a main section/familiar part after repetition of shorter phrases and building up of different sections do?
release tension
What would staccato, marcato notes create, as well as increase in dynamics & crescendo?
tension
What would a decrease in dynamics and a diminuendo and legato achieve?
release tension
how could tone colour achieve tension?
non traditional playing techniques
dissonance creates
tension
How could tone colour relieve tension?
by returning to traditional playing techniques
what sort of rhythm achieves tension?
complicated rhythm;
what sort of dynamics builds tension?
extreme dynamics
how else could pitch create tension?
extreme pitch register, leaping pitch, dissonant intervals, atonality,
insistent tonal centres vs absence of tonal centres builds.
tension
what does each instrument, with its assigned pitch, competing with the others for much of an excerpt create?
tension
what does insistent repetition (of pitches and rhythmic patterns) achieve
tension
what feeling could sudden dynamic changes/contrasts create?
tension
stark tone colour contrasts within instrumental combinations achieves
tension
how could instrumentation and structureachieve tension?
sudden changes of tone colour
stark tone colour contrasts within instrumental combinations
unpredictability of musical events creates
tension
what can a sudden change in register do?
create tension
what can the introduction of completely different pitch material do?
create tension
what could contrast against the rubato rhythm of vocals
a strict repetitive accompaniment
