Characteristics in Music Essay - 1240 Words

Music has distinct elements that audience members should learn to identify and recognize in music. This knowledge will help improve the listeners experience and improve communication between patrons. The basic building blocks of music composition will help the listener develop a greater appreciation for and interest in new music. Music is an abstract art that defies complete explanations, but learning to communicate with the appropriate terminology allows you to more accurately express your opinions on music. Learn to appreciate the richness of music and bring more fulfillment to your life by starting with a basic knowledge of the elements of music. Melody and Countermelody Melodies and countermelodies consist of three basic†¦show more content†¦In Western Art Music, the countermelody is commonly found in the bass. Motives Starting with the smallest element, motives are short fragments of a larger melody. They can consist of as few as two notes. Beethovens 5th Symphony provides an excellent example of a motive that is later pieced together into a larger work. The simple four-note motive in the beginning provides the basis for the first movement of the work. Composers combine motives to build, expand, and develop melodies in a composition. Periods Periods are the largest part of the melody and consist of a combination of antecedent and consequent phrases. The antecedent phrase is the first half of the phrase, and similar to a compound sentence, it addresses a complete thought, but sounds incomplete on its own. The consequent phrase completes the antecedent phrase and provides a sense of conclusion. Some phrases may have more than one antecedent phrase, but there is typically only one consequent phrase as the consequent phrase successfully ends the melody. The ending of an antecedent phrase usually sounds weak and incomplete, in classical music, a specific cadence called a half-cadence is usually used. Half-cadences generally move from the tonic to the dominant of the key.The consequent phrase ending generally has an authentic cadence that ends on the tonic, or first chord of the key. A period that has only one antecedent and one consequent phrase is considered a single period. PeriodsShow MoreRelatedBaroque Music Characteristi cs537 Words   |  3 PagesPeriod (1600-1750) Baroque Music Characteristics 2 Rhythm †¢Most baroque music has an easily recognizable strong, steady pulse, and continuity of rhythm. †¢Patterns of rhythmic sequences permeate much of Baroque music. †¢Rapid changes in harmony often makes the pieces feel more rhythmic. †¢Dance rhythms were frequently used in multi-movement form pieces. †¢Dotted rhythms were widely used. Harmony †¢Figured Bass—a system of numbers placed under the music—was developed to indicate clearlyRead MoreCharacteristics Of Classical Music1277 Words   |  6 PagesA very big misconception with classical music is that it is one big group. There are four main musical periods of classical music. They are the baroque, classical, romantic, and the modern eras. The first major era of classical music is the baroque era. It started around 1600 and ended around 1750. The baroque time period was very important as it was a foundation for classical music to grow and develop. Many musical forms were made and developed as well. Some examples are the sonata, concerto, andRead MoreCharacteristics Of The Classical Era Of Music729 Words   |  3 Pagesrecognized as a great composer in western music. Beethoven was also known for creating the bridge between the classical and romantic era of music. He is known for doing this because he took key aspects of the classical era and merged th em with key aspects of the romantic era. The classical era of music dates from 1775-1825. The classical music era had a lighter and more clear texture (Kamien 161). The music from this era was mainly homophonic meaning that the music had one part or melody that dominatedRead MoreCharacteristics of the Romantic Music Period Essay2477 Words   |  10 PagesIt is arguable that some Romantic music made greater demands upon its listeners than did music of previous historical periods. What were those demands? Why did these changes come about? And what strategies can you formulate for listening to this music today? In consideration of the musical changes present in the Romantic era, this essay will contend that these changes are very much related to the wider social and technological changes in society around that time. Thus, it is importantRead MoreMusic Is The Most Unifying Characteristics Of Humanity1989 Words   |  8 PagesMusic is one of the most unifying characteristics of humanity. Almost every civilization has developed some form of music, be it the drums of Africa, the prim and proper composers of Europe, or the gentle and elegant music of the Far East. Music is certainly an important aspect of everyone’s life, whether they notice it or not; however, some school districts have decided that music is not worth the money needed to keep it a part of their curriculum. Music deserves to stay a part of primary and secondaryRead MoreMusic Is An Identifying Characteristic Of Film And Television1986 Words   |  8 PagesMusic is an identifying characteristic of film and televisi on; everyone who has been exposed to popular culture knows the theme for Star Wars and The Simpsons, even if they have never seen the movie or show. Disney movies are no exception, and this is largely due to the genius creative mind of Alan Menken. Menken is best known for composing the scores for some of the most beloved Disney classics, including Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Hercules, Pocahontas, and Tangled. He alsoRead MoreThe Music Of Music : Music, Bmg, And Cooking Vinyl All Share Unique And Similar Characteristics949 Words   |  4 PagesThe three music labels Kobalt Music, BMG, and Cooking Vinyl all share unique and similar characteristics when pertaining to the interest they have for their artist, publisher, writer and the label as a whole. With Kobalt Music, their main goal is to be able to construct technology solutions in order to provide a more transparent, yet efficient future for their owners. They want to make sure that their artists, writers, publishers etc. all have the right to be paid accurately. This company was ableRead MoreDifferent Periods Of Music Have Different Characteristics1188 Words   |  5 PagesDifferent periods of music have different characteristics. For impressionist era, it was between romantic period and the 20th century. There were some similarities within these two periods, like the contrasts of dynamics and pitch in the former period, while the melody is fragmented in the latter period. One of the famous composers, Claude Debussy, liked to compose music through harmony and exotic scale. An example of his pieces was Danse sacree et profane composed in 1904. It consists of two partsRead MoreCharacteristics Of Culture : The Dance, Religion, Music, Food, Customs, And Culture1048 Words   |  5 Pagesthe individual countries or rather cultures that relate to specific countries. For instance, India has thousands of cultures that are unique and distinct across all of the communities and religions that are present in India. The dance, religion, music, food, customs, architecture and language in India differ from one region to the other this is because as much as culture is close it cannot be the same across communities. There are many things that people in a particular geographic area practiceRead MoreDiscuss With Class The Characteristics Of 19th Century Classical Russian Music1815 Words   |  8 PagesThe Music Of Russia Preparation For Activities xx provide more information Discuss with class the characteristics of 19th century classical Russian Music. Discuss Russian composers, in particular â€Å"The Five† or â€Å"The Mighty Handful† ( Mousorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, Cui and Balakirev). Play selections/excerpts of pieces by Russian composers and have students describe characteristics of the music they hear. Discuss particular instrumentation, tone colors. Discuss how Russian music was often