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The
Elements of Music: Melody and Harmony Intervals: An interval measures the distance between two notes. We have to know how to identify intervals in order to be able to identify chords and scales. (Practice on line.) (Nice piano sound here.) Octaves are equally divided into twelve notes. The interval between each note of our octave of equally spaced pitches is called a one-half or "half" step. Two half steps comprise a "whole" step. (Listen to an example each interval prime, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, octave.) A scale is a series of notes selected among these twelve notes. A Chromatic Scale is made up of all the half steps in an octave) (Listen to a chromatic scale.) A Whole Tone Scale is made only of whole steps and sounds very different from a chromatic scale. (Listen to a whole tone scale. ) The Major Scale (major scale is: W - W - H - W - W - W - H) (listen) and Minor Scale (minor scale is: W - H - W - W - H - W - W) (listen) (Play the Major Scale on your computerized piano. Listen to the difference between the C major, D major, and B flat major scales.) (Play the Minor Scale on your computerized piano. Listen to these minor scales.) Practice Recognizing Major and Minor Keys: Do Problem 1 (Connections) Melody: A series of individual pitches one occurring after another in order that the composite order of pitches constitutes a recognizable entity. Melody is the horizontal aspect of music. (An Inca Melody) (A Scott Joplin Melody) (Obi Ben Kenobi theme) (Beethoven's Ode to Joy from the 4th movement of the Symphony No. 9) (2:20) (Listen to Brahms, Piano Trio #1 in B, Op.8 1, 2, 3, 4 (1889)) (Compose your own melody.) Harmony: (1) The procedure by which chords of music are constructed and (2) the system by which one chord follows another chord in time. To make harmony distinct from "interval", harmony is the simultaneous occurrence of THREE or more tones. (Go here: Harmony) (Chords and Triads) Tonal Centers: Can you hear that they do not feel "done" until the final chord is played You now are free to rock out
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