Music History & Literature

1. Music History & Literature Musical Systems November 18, 2008 Presented by Ms. Anderson

2. Chapter 17-key points 1-2 • An octave is the interval between two tones with the same name that are seven diatonic pitches apart (C to C). • In Western music, the octave is divided into twelve half steps.

3. Key point 3 • The chromatic scale is made up of these twelve half steps in descending or ascending order, while a diatonic scale is built on patterns of seven whole and half steps that make up major and minor scales.

4. Key points 4-5 • A sharp is a symbol that raises a pitch by a half step; a flat lowers a tone by a half step. • Other scale types used around the world include tritonic (three-note patterns), pentatonic (five-note patterns), and heptatonic (seven-note patterns other than major or minor).

5. Key point 6 • Some world cultures use intervals smaller than half steps, known as microtones; some scales from other cultures—for example, Indian ragas—have extramusical associations.

6. Chapter 18 – Major/Minor • Composers can shift the pitch level of an entire work (transposition), or change the center, or key, during a work (modulation). • The tonic chord, built on the first scale tone, is the home base to which active chords (dominant, on V; subdominant, on IV) need to resolve. • Composers change the key, or modulate, during a piece to create tension and drama.

7. Resources • www.wwnorton.com/college/music/enj9/shorter/index.htm