NGfL CYMRU GCaD www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk 12-TONE TECHNIQUE SERIALISM
Jan 18, 2016
NGfL CYMRU GCaD
www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk
12-TONE TECHNIQUESERIALISM
NGfL CYMRU GCaD
www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk
• Every piece of 12-tone music is based on a scale (called a ‘note row’ or ‘basic series’) that is devised especially for that piece of music.
• The scale must contain 12 different notes (notes of the chromatic scale), each note to be used once only.
NGfL CYMRU GCaD
www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk
• The notes are arranged in a chosen order – ‘P’ (for ‘prime order’)
NGfL CYMRU GCaD
www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk
• The note row is then written backwards – ‘R’ (for ‘retrograde’)
P
R
NGfL CYMRU GCaD
www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk
• ‘P’ is then turned upside down - ‘I’ (for ‘inversion’).
P
I
NGfL CYMRU GCaD
www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk
• The notes of ‘I’ are written backwards – ‘RI’ (for ‘retrograde inversion’)
I
RI
NGfL CYMRU GCaD
www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk
• Each note of the row may be transposed at the octave.
• Any of these four forms of the series may be transposed (raised or lowered in pitch) to begin on any of the 12 notes of the chromatic scale – P1 to P11 (for ‘prime’).
• The row and its variants may be treated melodically and harmonically (chords built from the row).
NGfL CYMRU GCaD
www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk
• Select notes of the chromatic scale in turn and write them down to form your note row (P), thinking carefully about the intervals between each note.
COMPOSITION – INDIVIDUAL TASK
See worksheet for other instructions