Exploring The World Of Music
View PDF | Print View
by: Guest
Total views: 282
Word Count: 2271
Exploring The World Of Music
Music is a separate language comprised of different components that people must understand in order to appreciate the unique stories it can tell. Rhythm and melody are two very important components of music. Rhythm is the “motivating force that moves and structures music through time” (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 98). Melody tells the story in a piece of music through changes in pitch and tempo.
Music of the middle east is “influenced by Arabic Culture” (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 124). The rhythms of Arab music can be very “complex, with patterns consisting of as many as 48 beats” (Whitaker). The melodies of middle eastern music are based on a maqam, or a series of seven pitches.
In the Dikrayati, performed by the Simon Shaheen Ensemble, we can hear several different rhythms. The components of a rhythm in maqam “are two kinds of beat and silences (rests). The downbeat (dumm) is a deep sound and the upbeat (takk) is a crisper, high-pitched sound” (Whitaker). We can hear the pattern of two beats and rests for the first 50 seconds of the piece, with a slight change over the next 10 seconds as the rhythm becomes slightly faster. The pitch is low during this time and I can hear a “trilling” effect. The rhythm changes again for the next 18 seconds as it slows down a little bit, but the pitch becomes higher. For 15 seconds the rhythm slows down, softens, then crescendos, while the tempo picks up again, and becomes faster. The pitch becomes higher, also. I hear the “trilling” again. The tempo remains fast until the last 40 seconds of the piece. The tempo slows again, the rhythm, and the pitch change, reminiscent to the first 50 seconds. Throughout the piece I could detect the syncopation, and ostinatos, especially throughout the tempo changes.
The melody of the Dikrayati is considered to be a maqam, or a maqamat. In Arabic music, “a maqam (plural maqamat) is a set of notes with traditions that define relationships between them, habitual patterns, and their melodic development. Maqamat are best defined and understood in the context of the rich Arabic music repertoire. The nearest equivalent in Western classical music would be a mode (e.g. Major, Minor, etc.)” (Farraj and Shumays). The Dikrayati “begins in Nahawand maqam“ (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott. A Nahawand maqam “consists of notes: C, D, Eflat, F, G, Aflat, B, and C ascending, and notes: C, bflat, Aflat, G, F, Eflat, D, and C descending” (Zedan). The melody changes several times throughout this piece. The first melody heard is about 40 seconds long. “The Dikrayati “modulates to Bayyati maqam 37 seconds” (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott) into the piece and that lasts 83 seconds. A “Bayyati maqam consists of notes: D, Eflat, F, G, A, Bflat, C, and D” (Farraj and Shumays). The melody changes about a minute into the piece and this melody lasts about 23 seconds. A different melody is heard about 1 minute and forty-five seconds into the piece and then it changes to a fourth melody. The last 33 seconds of the piece contain the same melody heard at the beginning.
Western classical music introduced variations to rhythm and melody. The rhythms consisted of “duple, triple, and compound meter” (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 100). The smallest unit of a melody, called a motif, gave us repetitious small groups of pitches” (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 121). The Piano Sonata in A major , No.11 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: First Movement “gave us a chance to look at another kind of melodic relationship” (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 122). Duple meter rhythm and varying motifs created “consistency, tension, and excitement in music” (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 101).
The Piano Sonata in A major, No.11: First Movement “starts out in 6/8 meter” (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 122), or compound duple meter, which means there are two beats per measure and the beats are divided into two groups of three. “The most common meters in Western music are duple, triple and quadruple meters” (Mitchell, and Logan). The rhythms change several times throughout the theme and first variation of the piece. The rhythm is softer and slower during the first forty-four seconds than the rest of the piece. The next ten seconds are faster and louder, with the next twenty slowing down and softening similar to the beginning of the piece. About one minute and six seconds into the piece, the tempo picks up. The phrases start soft and then they crescendo. Throughout you can hear the polyrhythm. “Polyrhythm is rare in Western music, yet it has been around for a long time. You'll find instances in the experimental music of the early Baroque, in Mozart and Beethoven, and especially in the music of Romantic composers like Schumann and Brahms. In classical music, polyrhythm often is employed ornamentally as a sort of rhythmic bump in the road. But long polyrhythmic passages also appear” (Jourdain). Two minutes into the piece, the polyrhythmic baseline is faster than the top. Thirty seconds later the baseline slows and the top becomes faster, and louder. Three minutes into the piece there is a decrescendo and it becomes adagio.
The melody of a piece is often viewed as the story told by the music.
“Another term that usually refers to a piece of melody
is "motif". A motif is a short musical idea - shorter than
a phrase - that occurs often in a piece of music. These
small pieces of melody will appear again and again in
a piece of music, sometimes exactly the same and
sometimes changed. When a motif returns, it can be
slower or faster, or in a different key. It may return
"upside down" (with the notes going up instead of down,
for example), or with the pitches or rhythms altered.”
(Schmidt-Jones)
The Piano Sonata in A major, No.11: First Movement by Mozart contains examples of motifs. The piece starts with a “brief melodic idea-a step up, a step back down, and an upward leap of a third-which can be called a motif” (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 122). The first forty-four seconds of the piece is the first melody or motif heard in the piece. The “original motif and its variation are repeated, and the following phrase member provides another contrast, echoing the stepwise rise and fall of its counterpart in the first phrase” (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 122). It varies slightly over the next twenty seconds. A different melody, or motif can be heard one minute and sixteen seconds into the piece and it lasts for about forty-three seconds. The last melody or motif heard in the piece starts two minutes into the piece and it lasts until the end of the first variation, which is about one minute and twenty-seven seconds. Variation can be heard in the melodic storytelling of this piece.
Western music contains “two or three beat measures as the basic underlying unit of measure” (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 99). Music with a meter of 4/4 means there are 4 beats in a measure and the quarter note gets the beat. Since there are 4 beats in a measure and 4 is divisible by 2, it can be said 4/4 is duple meter. A traditional Scottish reel (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 99) “John Howatt” is an example of duple meter.
“The best known fiddle tunes are reels. They are
usually played fast, and may be ornamented by
little triplets known as "shivers". Traditional reels
are often in simple repeated 4-bar sections, suitable
or accompanying the dancing of the 16-bar Shetland
Reel. The backing, often on piano or guitar, uses a
rich vocabulary of passing chords and running bass
lines more often seen in jazz” (Haigh).
Since “John Howatt” has a time signature of 4/4 (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 99), and 4/4 is considered duple meter, “the rhythmic feel of the music is closely related to walking, and therefore, the music is often used to facilitate and inspire dances with walking steps” (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 99). The first twenty-one seconds of the piece have a distinct dance feel. The meter of four beats or pulses can be heard throughout the selection. The last sixteen seconds of the piece have a different melody, but the four beats or pulses can be heard. You can hear the polyrhythm between the fiddle and the piano working together in the piece.
The melody of “John Howatt” is that of traditional Scottish dance music. You can “hear how the first section of the piece has been played twice before the melody is repeated again“ (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 128). Traditional Scottish dance music has been played on fiddles because they
“are small and therefore readily portable. They
became the instrument of choice for many ethnic
communities throughout the world. Fiddles travel
easily, and therefore were a popular instrument
for immigrants for centuries. The fiddle is also a
quite loud instrument, considering its size, and
therefore worked well as a dance music instrument” (Romer).
The variation of the fiddle and piano compliments the piece. The repetition of the beginning phrases in the piece, after the melody changes, is important because is signifies there was a change in the story of the piece, but that the conflict was resolved.
“In most Western music, duple, triple, or compound meter serves as the regular backdrop against which one perceives the actual rhythms” (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 100). Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony in C minor is another example of duple meter. The piece is “dominated by a single rhythmic and melodic motif that appears as the famous opening theme” (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 100).
The first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony in C minor is
“grim and resolute yet charged with constant conflict
and energy as glimmers of hope swirl through a
relentless storm. It's a miracle of construction, with all
the ideas firmly grounded in that first four-note phrase –
even a lyrical theme rides atop and ultimately devolves
into it. The focused intensity is relieved by a flowing
set of variations, leisurely but with controlled surges
of power. Next comes a resolute march built largely
upon the insistent rhythm of the opening motif
which descends into a hushed section of coiled tension
and then explodes into the finale, an exhilarating shout of C-
major triumph”(Gutmann).
The first eighteen seconds of the piece have a steady 2/4 rhythm (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 100). Breaks between the phrases can be heard in the beginning of the piece. Twenty-four seconds into the piece, it becomes softer, the tempo slightly slows, and then it gradually builds to a crescendo as the tempo begins to change. The tempo becomes faster. Ten seconds later the piece becomes softer, slowing slightly. It remains at this tempo for about twenty seconds. One minute into the piece, it gradually becomes faster and louder until the section ends. The contrast between the changing tempo and volume creates excitement.
The passion created by the changing rhythm, along with the repetitious, demanding motif gives life to the story in this piece. “The restatement of this motif, (or famous four measure phrase) set against the background of duple meter creates consistency, tension, and excitement in the music” (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 101). The four measure theme can be heard throughout the first selection of this piece. It can be heard with different pitches and sound qualities.
“After the most familiar of openings (Allegro con
brio), the piece modulates to the relative major key and
the horns announce the theme with a fanfare using the
"fate rhythm." The soft, lyrical theme, first presented by
the violins, is inconspicuously accompanied in the
lower strings by the rhythm. The movement features
Beethoven's characteristic building of intensity, suspense,
a thrilling coda, and also mysteries”(Gibbs).
The intense feeling is created by the repeating motif and the combination of changing rhythms. The changing rhythm set against a varied theme and motif progression creates the backdrop for a musical thriller.
Four different types of musical selections show how music is a separate language comprised of different components, that people must understand in order to appreciate the unique stories it can tell. We can see how different rhythm structures and melodies are two very important components of musical storytelling. The rhythm of the story is the “motivating force that moves and structures music through time” (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 98), while the melody tells the story through changes in pitch and tempo.
Definitions
Meter: the organization in music of even groupings of strong and weak beats
Ex. 4/4 means there are 4 beats in a measure of music and the quarter note receives the beat
Polyrhythm: 2 or more different rhythmic patterns in a piece, playing at the same time.
Motif: Repetitive small group of notes within a piece.
Tempo: how fast/slow the beat/pulse is in a piece of music throughout it’s duration.
Pulse: reoccurring beats within a piece divided evenly into groups
About the Author
Frederick Gimino is a student of music and has practiced and performed music for over 15 years. He currently aspires to teach others about her vast experiences with musical instruments especially the clarinet which is the love of her life. Resources Farraj, Johnny, and Shumays, Sami Abu. (2001-2003). The Arabic Maqam. Retrieved November 3, 2007, from http://www.maqamworld.com/maqamat.html Gibbs, Christopher. (June 9, 2006). Notes on Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony: Beethoven’s Symphony No.5 in C minor. Performance Today. Retrieved November 7, 2007, from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5473894 Gutmann, Peter. (2001). Ludwig Van Beethoven. Classical Notes. Retrieved November 7, 2007, from http://www.classicalnotes.net/classics/fifth.html Haigh, Chris. (n.d.). Scottish Fiddle. Shetland Fiddling. Retrieved November 5, 2007, from http://www.fiddlingaround.co.uk/scotland/frame%20scotland.html Hast, Dorothea, Cowdery, James R., Scott, Stan. Exploring the World of Music. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co. 1999. Jourdain. (n.d.). Musical Purists and Impurities. Retrieved November 6, 2007, From http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sciabarra/notablog/archives/000432.html Mitchell, Danlee, and Logan Phd., Jack. (n.d.). Themes: Arts: Music: Elements of Music: Meter. Basic Elements of Music. Retrieved November 6, 2007, From http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Arts/music/elements/elemofmusic/meter/meter.htm Romer, Megan. (n.d.). Fiddle: World Music. Retrieved November 5, 2007, From http://worldmusic.about.com/od/instruments/p/fiddle.htm Schmidt-Jones, Catherine. (May, 2007). Melody. Connexions. Retrieved November 7, 2007, from http://cnx.org/content/m11647/latest/ Zedan, Fawzi. (2003). Arabian Music: Maqam. Maqamat. Retrieved November 4, 2007, from http://www.classicalarabicmusic.com/index.htm
Rating: Not yet rated