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- A note that is not diatonic to the key. That is, it does not fit in the key signature. Example: F# is a chromatic note in a C major piece.
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Oct 11, 2019 · If you've ever been confused by music theory terms, you're not alone! Check out this post to see common theory terms and definitions.
The mission of the project to provide resources to teaching faculty and other curious people to produce a more inclusive curriculum by including works of composers who have worked within the common practice who are not normally encountered in music theory courses. These composers include: women composers, LGBTQ composers, composers of color ...
Jan 4, 2021 · Learning music theory but finding yourself befuddled by all the technical terms involved? Our glossary has you covered, busting every bit of chord- and scale-related jargon from 'ascending' to 'unison'.
- The Basics of Music Theory. Let's start with the bare fundamentals before delving into the complexity. The study of music theory examines how music functions.
- The Musical Alphabet. Music has its own set of letters, just like the English language. Seven notes make up the musical alphabet: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The foundational notes of all music are those that repeat in a cycle.
- Understanding Scales. Scales are the foundational building blocks of music. They provide the raw materials from which melodies and harmonies are created, and they play a fundamental role in shaping the mood and character of a piece of music.
- Notes, Octaves, and Pitch. In the world of music theory, understanding notes, octaves, and pitch is fundamental. These concepts are the very building blocks of melodies and harmonies, and they play a crucial role in how we perceive and create music.
- The Phrase
- Two Categories: Archetypes vs. Unique Forms
- Archetype 1: The Sentence
- Archetype 2: The Period
- The Repeated Phrase
- Compound Phrase-Level Forms
- Unique Phrase-Level Forms
A phrase is a relatively complete thought that exhibits trajectory toward a goal, arriving at a sense of closure. In tonal classical music, the goal of a phrase is almost always one of the kinds of cadences described in the Introduction to Harmony, Cadences, and Phrase Endings chapter: perfect authentic cadences (PACs), imperfect authentic cadences...
Below, we’ll explore two main ways that phrase-level forms might be organized: 1. They might play with what we’ll call an archetype. These are special ways of organizing phrases, and you’ll read about two kinds: sentences and periods. 2. They might not relate to an archetype at all, in which case we’ll say they’re unique forms, meaning they are not...
The Basics
Example 6 shows one common way to construct a phrase, called a sentence. A sentence consists of two subphrases: the presentation and the continuation. The presentation is often four measures long, and it consists of a basic idea (b.i.)and its repetition. The continuation is often the same length as the presentation, creating a sense of proportional balance. It’s characterized by four traits that are discussed below. Although it’s common for the presentation and continuation to be the same len...
More Detail: The Presentation
The presentation is a subphrase comprised of a basic idea (b.i.) and its repetition (as in the first half of Example 6). Basic ideas are often two measures long, but one-measure or four-measure basic ideas also occur with some frequency. The repetition of the basic idea is often varied, which can sometimes make it challenging to determine whether one is dealing with repetition or with a completely different idea. One of the characteristics that usually helps to clarify is contour: if the two...
More Detail: The Continuation
The continuationis a subphrase that typically feels less stable than the presentation. It’s characterized by four traits: 1. Fragmentation (f.): making unit sizes shorter than the previously established unit sizes (e.g., if the basic ideas are each two measures, fragments may be one measure long). 1.1. Note that fragmentation refers only to the length of the units. It does not refer to their melodic content, which may or may not be related to the basic ideas. 2. Increased rhythmic activity: t...
The Basics
In addition to the sentence, another common phrase-level form is the period (Example 11). Unlike the sentence, which is a single phrase, the period comprises two phrases, each consisting of a basic idea (b.i.) followed by a contrasting idea (c.i.) (see below on how the treatment of these ideas differs in each phrase). The first phrase, called the antecedent, is often four measures long, and it ends with a weaker cadence, most often a half cadence (HC). The second phrase is called the conseque...
More Detail: The Antecedent
Antecedents are sometimes characterized as “asking a question” to which the consequent “provides the answer.” Another way to think of it is that the antecedent makes an incomplete statement and the consequent completes it. Both of these descriptions stem from the fact that the antecedent always ends with a weaker cadence than the consequent. Antecedents typically start on tonic harmony, and they most often end on a half cadence. While it’s certainly possible for the antecedent to modulate, it...
More Detail: The Consequent
Like the antecedent, the consequent also comprises a basic idea and a contrasting idea. Most consequents begin with a basic idea that is similar or identical to that of the antecedent, but it may also be different. If the two basic ideas are different, it might be useful to label the antecedent’s basic idea as “b.i.1” and the consequent’s as “b.i.2.” The consequent’s contrasting idea is almost always different from the antecedent’s due to the fact that it must end with a stronger cadence than...
Another relatively common phrase-level form—one that sometimes gets confused with the period—is the repeated phrase, which consists of a phrase followed by a written-out repeat (Example 12). A phrase between two repeat signs would typically not be considered a repeated phrase—this term refers to a phrase with a written-out repeat that adds addition...
Since the sentence is a single phrase, and since the period is composed of two phrases, it’s possible for a period to be made of two sentences, as in Example 13. When one form contains another kind of form in this way, we call the result a compound form. How is Example 13like a period? The first phrase (the antecedent) ends with a half cadence, and...
The phrase-level forms we’ve looked at in this chapter are all quite common, but just as common are phrases that are unique—that aren’t in dialogue with these archetypes in any obvious way. When we analyze such passages, we can still perform a segmentation analysis. We can choose to apply labels flexibly, but we can also feel free to abandon labels...
Music is its own language, and it can be confusing. That’s why we’re creating this glossary of music terms. From basic terms like ‘melody’ and ‘rhythm’ to more complex ones like ‘negative harmony,’ we break things down in a way that’s easy to understand.
Here are definitions for some key music notation terms: Notation – The written system used to visually represent music through symbols including notes, rests, dynamics, articulation, and other markings. Staff – The five line grid upon which notes are positioned to indicate their pitch.
