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Melody “It is the melody which is the charm of music, and it is that which is most difficult to produce. The invention of a fine melody is a work of genius.” – Joseph Haydn. Defining Melody: Range – the distance between the lowest and highest notes
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Melody “It is the melody which is the charm of music, and it is that which is most difficult to produce. The invention of a fine melody is a work of genius.” – Joseph Haydn
Defining Melody: • Range– the distance between the lowest and highest notes • Narrow (as in a children’s song that is easy to sing) • Medium • Wide (as in some melodies played on an instrument)
Defining Melody: • Contour – the overall shape as the melody turns upward, downward, or remains static. The contour can be visualized as a line graph. • Ascending • Descending • Arch • Wave
Defining Melody: • Interval– the distance between any two pitches. • Melodies that move principally by small intervals in a joined, connected manner are called conjunct. • Melodies that move in larger, disconnected intervals are described as disjunct.
Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 • Range: narrow • 5 notes • Contour: wavelike • Interval: conjunct
Joy to the World • Range: medium • 8 notes • Contour: descending • Interval: conjunct
Star-Spangled Banner • Range: Wide • 10 notes • Contour: wavelike • Interval: disjunct
Structure of Melody: • Phrase – a unit of meaning within a larger structure, like a sentence.
Structure of Melody: • Cadence– the end of a musical phrase, a resting place. • Incomplete • Complete
Structure of Melody: • Rhyme Scheme – describes the similarity in sound of the last syllables in each line of text.
Structure of Melody: • Climax– the high point in a melodic line, which usually represents a peak in intensity as well as in range.
Structure of Melody: • Countermelody – More complex music can feature several simultaneous melodies. Sometimes the relative importance of one melody over the other is clear, and the added tune is called a countermelody (literally “against a melody”) • Example: Trio section of Stars and Stripes
I. Medieval Period (450 - 1450) II. The Renaissance (1450-1600) III. The Baroque Period (1600-1750) IV. The Classical Period (1750-1820) V. The Romantic Period (1820-1900) VI. The Twentieth Century (1900 - )