IGCSE Music Notes

8/18/2019 IGCSE Music Notes

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Dynamics

Rhythm

Context

Structure

Melody

Instrumentation

Texture

Harmony

Area of Study 1: Western classical music

Set work 1: G.F. Handel: Chorus: ‘And the Glory of the

Lord’ from the oratorio Messiah

Context

⁃ Composed by GF Handel in 1742

⁃ It is the chorus in the oratorio “Messiah”

⁃ Structure of an oratorio: recitative, aria, chorus

⁃ Part of the Baroque era (1600-1750)

⁃ Performed in a charity concert in Dublin to help the poor prisoners of the city

⁃

Promises that Christ will come to save the world⁃ Has a hopeful and joyful mood

⁃ Features of Baroque music seen in ‘And the Glory of the Lord’

⁃ Ornamented melodic parts

⁃ Establishments of major/minor keys as opposed to modes

⁃ The use of diatonic chords

⁃ Basso continuo accompaniment


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⁃ Different musical textures: monophonic, homophonic, polyphonic

⁃ There is a prevalence of one mood throughout the piece

⁃ Contrasting of loud and soft dynamics

Melody⁃ Made up of 4 contrasting ideas

⁃ “And the glory of the Lord”

⁃ Altos come in first

⁃ The first 3 notes outlining an A major triad are followed by a stepwise scale

ending.

⁃ Words are mainly syllabic (one note per syllable)

⁃ “Shall be revealed”

⁃ Two one bar descending sequences.

⁃ “revealed” is melismatic (several notes to a syllable)

⁃ “And all flesh shall see it together”

⁃ A repetitive motif with 3 statements of a descending 4th idea (a rising leap of a

4th followed by a scalic descent of a 4th)

⁃ “For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it”

⁃ Long dotted minim repeated notes.

⁃ The parts imitate each other

⁃ Voice parts are doubled

⁃ Uses ornamentation

Texture

⁃ Monophonic with a single line of vocals from bars 11-13

⁃ Imitation in the contrapuntal sections from bars 17 and onwards

⁃ Homophonic with a four part choir from bars 33-38

⁃ Doubling of parts on bar 51 during “for the mouth”

⁃ Contrapuntal (polyphonic) with two ideas together from bars 110-113

⁃ Instruments often double the voices

Rhythm

⁃ It is played in allegro

⁃ In 3/4 time throughout the piece

⁃ Uses hemiolas (using tied notes to give a feeling of 3 bars of duple meter)

Harmony


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⁃ Tonality: A major

⁃ Modulations: A major, E major, B major, A major

⁃ Major throughout to portray a joyful mood

⁃ Uses diatonic chords (only notes belonging to the key)

⁃

Dissonances are created by suspension (a chord containing a dissonant note whichthen resolves into a harmony note) and ornamentation

⁃ Most of the cadences are perfect, but there is a plagal cadence at the end

Dynamics

⁃ There is a contrasting of loud and soft dynamics throughout the piece

Instrumentation

⁃ Violin 1, violin 2, viola, cello, double bass, harpsichord, oboes, bassoons, SATB

vocals

⁃ The strings double the voice parts

⁃ Continuo accompaniment by cello, bass and harpsichord

Set work 2: W.A. Mozart: 1st movement from

Symphony No. 40 in G minor

Context

⁃ Composed by Mozart in 1788

⁃ Part of the Classical era (1750-1830)

⁃ Movements of a symphony: fast and in sonata form, slow, minuet and trio, fast and in

rondo/sonata/theme and variation form

⁃ Mood is exciting, serious and dramatic

⁃ Features of Classical music seen in ’Symphony No. 40’

⁃

Well balanced question and answer phrases of equal length⁃ Mostly melody dominated homophony

⁃ Symmetrical structure

⁃ Strong sense of tonality

Structure

⁃ Written in sonata form


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⁃ (no introduction)

⁃ Exposition

⁃ First subject in the tonic key

⁃ Transition where the music modulates

⁃

Second subject usually in the relative/dominant key⁃ Repeat

⁃ Development

⁃ Develops ideas from the first and subjects subjects

⁃ Constantly modulates

⁃ Recapitulation

⁃ Recaps the first subject in the tonic key

⁃ Transition

⁃ Second subject in the tonic key

⁃ Coda in the tonic key, developing the first subject

Harmony

⁃ Exposition

⁃ First subject: tonic Gm

⁃ Transition: modulating from Gm to Bb

⁃ Second subject: Bb (relative major)

⁃ Codetta: Bb

⁃ Development

⁃ Modulations: Gm - G#dim7 - F#m - Em - Am - Dm - Gm - C - F - Bb

⁃ Recapitulation

⁃ First subject: Gm

⁃ Transition: Gm - Eb - Fm - Eb - Gm

⁃ Second subject: Gm

⁃ Coda in Gm

⁃ Longer than the codetta in the exposition to reinforces the G minor key

⁃ Uses frequent perfect or imperfect cadences to emphasize the key

Instrumentation

⁃ Violin 1, violin 2, cello, double bass, 1 flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 1 horn

in Bb, 1 horn in G

⁃ No trumpets or timpani were used (which was unusual in classical era orchestras)

Dynamics


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⁃ Exposition

⁃ First subject is quite with a few loud cadences in the middle

⁃ Transition is loud

⁃ Second subject starts quietly but increases in volume towards the end

⁃

Codetta contains contrasts of loud and soft dynamics⁃ Development begins and ends quietly but has a long loud section in the middle

⁃ Recapitulation is similar to the dynamics of the exposition

⁃ There are clear contrasts between forte and piano throughout the piece, without many

crescendos or diminuendos

Rhythm

⁃ The piece is played as molto allegro (very fast)

⁃ It is in 4/4 time

Melody

⁃ First subject: 3 note motif

⁃ Transition: loud and confident rising leaps between notes of chords to prepare for the

entry of the second subject

⁃ Second subject 1

⁃ Second subject 2: violins play chromatic ascending quavers and then a scalic descent

Texture

⁃ Mostly homophonic

⁃ There is a section of polyphonic counterpoint in the development

⁃ Melodies are often doubled in octaves

⁃

Set work 3: F. Chopin: Piano Prelude No. 15 in D flat

major, Op. 28

Context⁃ Chopin composed the Raindrop Prelude while he was at a monastery in Valldemossa

in 1838

⁃ It was nicknamed "Raindrop" because it was written during a storm. The repeated A

flat and G sharp quavers throughout the piece represent the rain

⁃ Part of the Romantic era (1830-1900)

⁃ Features of Romantic music seen in ‘Raindrop Prelude’


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⁃ Expresses feelings and emotions using tempo rubato

⁃ Melody lines are longer and more developed

⁃ Strong dynamic contrasts

⁃ Virtuoso passages with high technical demand

Structure

⁃ Ternary form: ABA

⁃ Final section is shortened and ends with a codetta

⁃ Section B in this piece is longer than usual and it contrasts with section A by

modulating key to C# minor

⁃ The coda introduces a new melody

⁃ All the sections are unified by the repeated dominant quaver pedal notes

Melody⁃ Section A

⁃ Melody in the right hand

⁃ Cantabile (in a singing style)

⁃ Contains ornaments, acciaccaturas, appoggiaturas, turns, and chromatic

scales

⁃ Four bar phrases that are repeated with variations

⁃ Section B

⁃ Melody in the left hand

⁃ Has a narrower range

⁃ It is based on four and eight bar phrases that are sometimes repeated

⁃ Codetta: a new melody line is introduced in the codetta

Rhythm

⁃ Section A

⁃ Left hand quaver pedal

⁃ Right hand melody consists of dotted rhythms and some syncopation

⁃

Section B⁃ Right hand quaver pedal

⁃ Left hand melody consists of crotchets and longer notes

Harmony

⁃ Section A

⁃ Db major tonality


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⁃ Moves to the dominant and relative minor key before modulating back to the

tonic

⁃ Ends with an imperfect cadence

⁃ Section B

⁃

Begins with C# minor (the enharmonic change of Db major)⁃ Ends with an imperfect cadence

Texture

⁃ Section A

⁃ Homophonic texture

⁃ Right hand melody accompanied by the left hand dominant quaver pedal

⁃ Section B

⁃ Homophonic texture

⁃ More chordal and thick

⁃ Quaver accompaniment is changed to the right hand, with the melody in the left

hand

⁃ Texture is thickened by octave doubling

⁃ Codetta: there are two monophonic bars at the start of the coda

Instrumentation

⁃ Piano

⁃ The middle range of the piano is used in section A

⁃ The bass register of the piano is used in section B

⁃ Not as demanding as some of the other Romantic era piano pieces

⁃ Uses rubato (bending the rhythm in order to play emotionally)

Area of Study 2: Music in the 20th

century

Set work 4: A. Shoenberg: ‘Peripetie’ from Five

Orchestral Pieces


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Context

⁃ Composed by Shoenberg in 1909

⁃ Shoenberg also invented serialism, based on 12 tones. Peripetie is atonal not serial

⁃ Peripetie is an expressionist piece (early 20th century)⁃ Features of expressionist music seen in ‘Peripetie’

⁃ Atonal

⁃ Each piece expresses one intense emotion

⁃ High level of dissonance

⁃ Instruments play at the extremes of their ranges

⁃ Extreme contrasts of dynamics

⁃ Uses timbre of instruments to contribute to melody (e.g. pizzicato)

⁃ Pieces are short

⁃ Large orchestra

Melody

⁃ Primary voice (hauptstimme) and secondary voice (nebenstimme)

⁃ Melody is passed from one instrument to another, adding timbre and texture to the

melodic line (klangfarbenmelodie)

Harmony

⁃ Tonality is atonal

⁃ Uses a hexachord (set of 6 pitches) for harmonic and melodic material

⁃ Hexachords create dissonance

⁃ Lots of chromatic harmonies (using notes not belonging to the key)

Rhythm

⁃ Tempo is sehr rasch (very quick)

⁃ Uses triplets, sextuplets, demisemiquaver bursts to make the tempo seem faster

⁃ The tempo changes frequently and is rhythmically complex

Texture

⁃ Texture is sparse

⁃ Texture is polyphonic contrapuntal, several musical ideas are overlapped

Dynamics


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⁃ The dynamics change dramatically and frequently

⁃ There is an extreme range of dynamics

Structure

⁃ Free rondo form: ABACA⁃ Different sections are based on treatment of ideas instead of keys

Instrumentation

⁃ Uses a large orchestra

⁃ Uses extra instruments including: cor anglaise, piccolo, bass clarinet, 6 horns, 4

trombones, cymbals, gong, bass drum, xylophone

⁃ Instruments play in a very wide pitch ranges

⁃ Uses devices that alter the timbre of the instruments (e.g. mute, tremolo, pizzicato)

Set work 5: L. Bernstein: ‘Something’s Coming’ from

West Side Story

Context

⁃ Composed in 1958

⁃ ‘Something’s Coming’ is the third musical in West Side Story

⁃ Features of West Side Story

⁃ A tragic and violent theme

⁃ Fusion of classical and jazz music

⁃ Focus on contemporary social problems

Rhythm

⁃ Some sections in fast triple meter (3/4) and others in fast duple meter (2/4)

⁃ Crotchet = 176

⁃

Pushed notes, notes that are brought in early than the main beat, creates anticipation(e.g. “could be”, “who knows”)

⁃ Short notes in the vocals which are often syncopated

⁃ Cross rhythms (e.g. “or whistling down the river”)

Harmony


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⁃ Tonality is in D major with 2 sections in C major

⁃ Harmony is tonal but the chords contain added 6th, 7th, 9th, 11th

⁃ Contains blue notes which are flat 3rd, 5th, 7th (e.g. C natural)

⁃ Uses a augmented 4th interval throughout the musical

Melody

⁃ Uses short rhythmic riffs to set a breathy and excited mood (e.g. “something due any

day”)

⁃ Vocal part is a tenor voice

⁃ Some sections have a quiet whispered tone

⁃ Combination of snappy short phrases and long sustained notes (e.g. “coming to me”)

⁃ Word paintings (e.g. “cannon balling down through the sky”, “the air is humming”)

Instrumentation⁃ Clarinet, saxophone, 2 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, 7 violins, 4 cellos, 2 double

basses, drum kit, percussionists, piano, electric and acoustic guitar

⁃ Some woodwind players double up

⁃ The bass plays a 3 note ostinato

Structure

⁃ Introduction

⁃ In 3/4 time

⁃ Section A

⁃ Section B

⁃ Changes to 2/4 time

⁃ Section B1

⁃ Section A1

⁃ Back to 3/4 time

⁃ Outro (fade out)

Set work 6: S. Reich: 3rd movement (Fast) from

Electric Counterpoint

Context

⁃ Composed in 1987


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⁃ It is a minimalist piece

⁃ Features of minimalism seen in Electric Counterpoint

⁃ Drones: a long continuous note

⁃ Pedals: a single repeated note

⁃

Ostinato/loops: repeated musical ideas⁃ Cells: the shortest musical ideas

⁃ Phasing: two almost identical parts go out of sync with each other and

gradually come back into sync again

⁃ Metamorphosis: gradually changing from one musical idea to another

⁃ Layering: adding new musical parts one at a time

⁃ Rhythmic displacement: varying the notes to be accented in a musical phrase,

or starting the same phrase in a different part of the bar (used in Electric

Counterpoint)

Instrumentation

⁃ 1 live guitar, 7 pre-recorded guitars, 2 pre-recorded bass guitars

Rhythm

⁃ The piece is in triple meter (3/2)

⁃ The piece changes between 3/2 and 12/8 in section B

⁃ Crotchet = 192

⁃ There are cross rhythms and syncopation

Structure

⁃ Section A

⁃ The guitars are layered in, starting with a one bar ostinato

⁃ Note addition and rhythmic displacement build up the ostinato

⁃ Guitars play a 4 part canon and the live guitar plays the resultant melody (a

melody based on the combination of notes played on the other guitars)

⁃ Bass guitars enter, playing a 2 bar ostinato

⁃

Live guitar changes the texture by playing percussive strummed chords⁃ Section B

⁃ Key shifts between C minor and E minor

⁃ Meter of the live guitar changes between 3/2 and 12/8

⁃ Piece ends with a crescendo to a final chord

Texture


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⁃ First section begins with a sparse texture with one guitar

⁃ The instruments are layered in until there are 5 parts

⁃ The parts are imitative

⁃ They play a 4 part canon with the live guitar playing the resultant melody

⁃

The texture is mostly polyphonic contrapuntal⁃ The guitar parts are separated with panning (making instrumental sounds come from

different speakers)

Harmony

⁃ Modal: the piece uses E aeolian mode

⁃ Tonal ambiguity: it is uncertain whether the piece is in E minor or C major until near

the end

Area of Study 3: Popular music in

context

Set work 7: Miles Davis: ‘All Blues’ from the album

Kind of Blue

Context

⁃ The album was recorded in 1959

⁃ It is a type of modal jazz. The solos are based on modes instead of chords, leading to

longer and freer improvisations

Rhythm

⁃

The piece is in compound duple time (6/4)⁃ Uses swung rhythms, syncopation, triplets

⁃ Syncopations are notes accented off the beat

Harmony

⁃ Mode: myxolydian G

⁃ 12 bar blues chord progressionG7 - G7 - G7 - G7 C7 - C7 - G7 - G7 D7#9 -


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Eb7#9 - G7 - G7

⁃ There are altered/extra notes added to the harmonies in bars 9 and 10 G7#9: G, B,

D, F, A# (altered note is A#) D7#9: D, F#, A, C, E# (altered note is E#)

⁃ Contains blue notes which are flat 3rd, 5th, 7th (e.g. F natural)

Structure

⁃ Intro

⁃ Drums play with brushes

⁃ Bass plays riff 1

⁃ Piano plays a trill in thirds

⁃ Head 1: based on a head (main melody) with variations of the head over a 12 bar blue

progression

⁃ The trumpet is muted

⁃ Link: there is a 4 bar riff that introduces each section

⁃ Head 2

⁃ Link

⁃ Trumpet solo (Davis)

⁃ Trumpet mute is removed

⁃ Piano comps chords underneath the solo

⁃ Solos are based on riffs, arpeggio ideas, scales, modes, clever rhythmic

development

⁃ Link

⁃ Alto sax solo (Adderley)

⁃ Link

⁃ Tenor sax solo (Coltrane)

⁃ Link

⁃ Piano solo (Evans)

⁃ Link

⁃ Head 3

⁃ Link

⁃ Head 4

⁃ Link

⁃ Outro

Instrumentation

⁃ Frontline instruments

⁃ Trumpet (Miles Davis)


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⁃ Alto sax (Julian Adderley)

⁃ Tenor sax (John Coltrane)

⁃ Rhythm section

⁃ Piano (Bill Evans): provides chordal accompaniment throughout the piece.

Uses trills to add interest⁃ Double bass (Paul Chambers): plays riff 1 as an ostinato pattern throughout the

piece using pizzicato

⁃ Drum kit (Jimmy Cobb): highly syncopated snare drum part and a stead beat

on cymbal. Variation in how the cymbal is hit changes texture and

dynamics

Set work 8: Jeff Buckley: ‘Grace’ from the album

Grace

Context

⁃ Grace was released in 1994 in the album Grace

⁃ The song has a sad and tortured mood

Structure

⁃ Verse chorus form

⁃ Intro: part A + part B

⁃ Verse

⁃ Pre-chorus

⁃ Chorus

⁃ Link: part A + part B

⁃ Verse 2

⁃ Pre-chorus

⁃ Chorus

⁃ Middle 8

⁃ Link: part A + part B

⁃ Verse 3

⁃ Outro

Harmony

⁃ The tonality is ambiguous in the beginning until half way through the first verse


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⁃ The key of E minor is established half way through the first verse

⁃ Harmony is often chromatic and dissonant, caused by open guitar strings clashing

with the chords

⁃ Chords

⁃

Link part A: Fm - Gm - Em⁃ Link part B: D A/D - D A/D - D A/D - D G5/D

⁃ Verse: Em - Em/F5 Em - Em - Em/F5 Em - Em/Eb5 - Em - F5 Em - Em/Eb5 -

Em

⁃ Pre-chorus: Em F#dim G6 A6 - Bm A6-9 - Em - Em F#dim G6 A6 - Bm A6-9 -

Em

⁃ Chorus: Em/F5 Em - Em/Eb5 - Em/F5 Em - Em/Eb5

⁃ There are sometimes more than one key in a chord because the power chord is

played with open drone strings (e.g. Em/F5 is played using a Em power chord,

leaving F5 strings open)

Instrumentation

⁃ 2 guitars (Gary Lucas, Jeff Buckley)

⁃ Power chords

⁃ Drop D tuning

⁃ Electric guitar plays high in its register

⁃ Vocals (Jeff Buckley)

⁃ Falsettos

⁃ High pitch

⁃ Vocal sliding (glissando)

⁃ Vocalization: wordless singing

⁃ Wide range: exceeds 2 octaves

⁃ Bass (Mick Grondahl)

⁃ Drums (Matt Johnson)

⁃ Cymbal splashes

⁃ Kick and snare drums keep the basic beat

Melody

⁃ The vocal solo has the melody line

⁃ Wide range: exceeds 2 octaves

⁃ Vocal sliding (glissando)

⁃ Mostly syllabic

⁃ Long melismas on some words (e.g. love, fire)


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Technology

⁃ Synthesizer: fills the gaps between vocal pharases

⁃ Overdubbed rhythm guitar part: thickens the sound

⁃ Guitar distortion effect⁃ “telephone” EQ on vocals: gives a harsh, distant effect

⁃ Guitar flanger effect: brings out open, droning, discordant notes

Rhythm

⁃ The piece is in compound quadruple time (12/8)

⁃ Drums keep the pulse: the bass drum on beats 1 and 3, the snare drum on beats 2

and 4

⁃ Vocal part uses grace notes, triplets, syncopation

⁃ Bass is often syncopated. The dotted quavers sometimes create cross rhythms

Texture

⁃ The texture changes as instruments are left out or brought back in

⁃ More sound effects on the guitar and strings makes the texture in verse 2 more

complex than verse 1

Set work 9: Moby: ‘Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad’from the album Play

Context

⁃ Released in 1999

⁃ It is a type of club dance music

Rhythm

⁃ The piece is in quadruple meter (4/4)⁃ The meter is ambiguous in the first few bars

⁃ The drum kit plays an unchanging loop, emphasizing beats 2 and 4

⁃ There is syncopation in the vocals

Harmony


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⁃ The song is mostly in the dorian mode of A

⁃ The harmony is diatonic

⁃ It is based on 2 main 8 bar chord progressions

⁃ Chord sequence 1 (“why does my heart feel so bad”)Am - Am - Em- Em - Gm -

Gm - D - D⁃ Chord sequence 2 (first half of chorus “these open doors”)C - C - Am - Am - C-

C - Am - Am

⁃ Chord sequence 2 (second half of chorus “these open doors”)F - F - C - C - F -

F - C - C

Structure

⁃ Verse-chorus structure

⁃ Intro: piano enters and instruments are layered on

⁃ Verse 1: 8 bar minor chord progression

⁃ Chorus: 8 bar major chord progression

⁃ Verse 2: 8 bar minor chord progression

⁃ Break: all parts drop out for one bar. The delay creates an echo

⁃ Chorus

⁃ Outro

Instrumentation

⁃ The vocals are sampled. They are taken from a recording of a gospel choir in 1953

⁃ The percussion sounds (claves, shaker, snare drum, bass drum) are produced on a

Roland drum machine

⁃ The bass and string parts are produced on synthesizers

⁃ The piano sounds are produced on a digital sound module

Melody

⁃ The melody of Why does my heart feel so bad is based on vocal samples taken from

a recording of a gospel choir in the 1950s

⁃

He leaves ambient background noise in the vocal samples to help retain theiremotional quality

Technology

⁃ Reverb (reflection of sounds off surfaces) gives the impression of space

⁃ EQ removes the bass and higher frequencies giving the singing a “telephone wire”

effect


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⁃ Delay creates an echo sound

Area of Study 4: World music

Set work 10: Capercaillie: ‘Skye Waulking Song’ from

the album Nadurra

Context


⁃ The song is sang in scottish gaelic

⁃ Waulking is the process of making tweed fabric flexible and waterproff. The waulking

song is sang to keep everyone in time and make the work sociable and fun

⁃ The song is a lament sung by Seathan’s wife, telling of his deeds before his death

⁃ Folk songs are passed on by oral tradition

Melody

⁃ Melody is sung by the vocals

⁃ “hi ri…” motif repeated throughout the piece

⁃ The lyrics are improvised

⁃ Nonsense syllables are used for the backing vocals to join and and for the main singer

to think of what to sing next

Instrumentation

⁃ Traditional folk instruments: accordian, uilleann pipes, fiddle, bouzouki, guitar,

shakers, wurlitzer piano

⁃ Modern instruments: synth, acoustic bass, electric bass, drum kit

Rhythm

⁃ Meter is 12/8

⁃ At the beginning, the time signature is ambiguous but is established by verse 2

Harmony


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⁃ Tonality is E aeolian mode

⁃ Key is ambiguous at the beginning and is established to be E aeolian at the end of the

introduction. The chord sequence is Em - G

⁃ Key changes to G ionian in verse 4. The chord sequence changes to C - G - Em - G

⁃

Key changes to E aeolian in verse 7 for one verse. The chord sequence is Am7 - Em -Em - G

⁃ The key returns to G ionian in verse 8. The chord sequence goes back to C - G - Em -

G

⁃ The chord sequence alternates between C - G before fading out

Structure

⁃ Introduction

⁃ Fiddle plays a tremolo, piano plays a counterpoint with bouzouki, bass plays

staccato, drums use shaker and hi hat

⁃ Tonality is E aeolian

⁃ Verse 1: each verse is 3 bars long

⁃ Break

⁃ Fiddle becomes more prominent

⁃ Verse 2

⁃ 12/8 time signature is established by the vocals

⁃ Verse 3

⁃ Verse 4

⁃ Accordion joins in

⁃ Backing vocals do nonsense syllables

⁃ Key changes to G ionian

⁃ Verse 5

⁃ Accordion plays countermelodies

⁃ Verse 6

⁃ Instrumental

⁃ Uilleann pipes solo with the fiddle in a heterophonic texture

⁃ Accordion provides accompaniment and melodic doubling

⁃ Verse 7

⁃ Key changes to E aeolian for one verse

⁃ Verse 8

⁃ Key goes back to G ionian

⁃ Outro

⁃ Chord sequence alternates between C and G


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⁃ Fade out

Texture

⁃ Texture starts out sparse with only the synth and fiddle, layering on instruments

⁃ Bouzouki and piano play an interweaving melody⁃ Texture is polyphonic most of the time

⁃ The texture becomes monophonic when the vocals sing on its own

⁃ The texture is heterophonic during the instrumental break

11: Rag Desh

Context

⁃ Indian ragas are passed down from one generation to the next with oral tradition

(gharana)

⁃ Rag: the set melody on which the music is improvised. It is a cross between a

collection of pitches and a scale. A rag ascends and descends but the pitches

differ in each direction

⁃ Raga: improvised music in several contrasting sections based on a series of notes

from a particular rag

⁃

Rasa: the mood created by the sounds of pitches in a particular rag⁃

Instrumentation

⁃ Tambura: plays drone notes

⁃ Sitar: can slide between notes (meend), play rapid flourishes (tan)

⁃ Sarod: smaller than a sitar and has 2 sets of strings

⁃ Tabla: drums

⁃ Esraj: bowed instrument

⁃ Bansuri: flute

⁃ Sarangi: smaller than a sitar and uses bow rather than plucking

⁃ Shehnai: oboe

Rhythm

⁃ Tala: a repeating rhythmic cycle played by the tabla drums (e.g. teental 16-beat tala).


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Each beat is called a matra

⁃ Bols: independent rhythm parts that go against the main beat in a tala. The bols are

used to create syncopation. The rhythms start and end together on the first beat

of the cycle (sam)

Structure

⁃ Sections of a raga performance

⁃ Alap: slow, unmetered, improvised

⁃ Jhor: steady, medium tempo, improvised

⁃ Jhalla: fast, virtuoso, improvised

⁃ Gat (instrumental) or bandish (vocal): moderate tempo, fixed

⁃ Version 1: Anoushka Shankar (sitar)

⁃ Alap

⁃ Tempo: slow, unmetered

⁃ Instruments: sitar

⁃ Melody: improvised, some decoration

⁃ Gat 1

⁃ Tempo: fixed, medium speed, 10 beat jhaptal tala

⁃ Instruments: sitar, tabla

⁃ Melody: sitar part is fixed and has decoration; the tabla part is

improvised and has ornamentation

⁃ Gat 2

⁃ Tempo: fast, 16 beat teental tala

⁃ Instruments: sitar, tabla

⁃ Version 2: Mhara janam maran (voice)

⁃ Alap

⁃ Tempo: free time, slow

⁃ Instruments: sarod, vocals

⁃ Bhajan

⁃ Tempo: fixed, fast, 8 beat keherwal tala

⁃ Instruments: sarod, vocals, tabla, sarangai

⁃ Version 3: Benjy Wertheimer (esraj and tabla) and Steve Gorn (bansuri)

⁃ Alap

⁃ Tempo: slow, unmetered

⁃ Instruments: tambura, bansuri, esraj

⁃ Melody: tambura plays drone, bansuri and esraj plays melody

⁃ Gat 1


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⁃ Tempo: slow, 7 beat rupak tala

⁃ Instruments: tambura, bansuri, tabla

⁃ Melody: tambura plays drone, bansuri plays unaccompanied melody

until tabla comes in, after tabla comes in composition becomes

fixed and more agitated with improvisation⁃ Gat 2

⁃ Tempo: fast, 12 beat ektal tala

⁃ Instruments: tambura, tabla, bansuri

⁃ Melody: tambura plays drone, tabla sets fast tempo, bansuri plays

elaborate melody

⁃

Set work 12: Koko: ‘Yiri’

Context


⁃ Africans use singing as a part of everyday life, rituals, and celebrations

⁃ African songs can be used to communicate. Tone language means that the pitch

determines the meaning of the words

Instrumentation⁃ Balaphone: a type of xylophone with bottle shaped gourd resonators

⁃ Talking drums: drums that can produce a wide range of tones by using different

playing techniques (e.g. striking the head in different places,)

⁃ Djembe: goblet shaped drum played with the hand

⁃ Donno: small hourglass shaped drum held under the arm and played with the

hand

⁃ Dundun: bass drum played with sticks

Structure⁃ Introduction

⁃ High pitched balaphone improvised solo playing at a soft dynamic level

⁃ Monophonic texture

⁃ Balaphone ostinati

⁃ High pitched balaphone plays an ostinato


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⁃ Low pitched balaphone joins in playing a similar ostinato, but with a few

different notes. This polyrhythm creates a heterophonic texture

⁃ Drum ostinati

⁃ Large talking drum, small talking drum, and djembe come in, playing a simple

ostinato⁃ Djembe fills create syncopated rhythms

⁃ Chorus A1

⁃ Voices enter in unison

⁃ Melody is short, simple and repetitive

⁃ Instrumental break

⁃ Voices drop out

⁃ High pitched balaphone plays solo

⁃ Chorus A2

⁃ Instrumental break⁃ Low pitched balaphone plays solo

⁃ Solo with choral responses

⁃ A solo voice calls out a “Yiri” shout

⁃ Vocal response from the choir in unison


⁃ New melody for the balaphone solo

⁃ Chorus B1

⁃ Full choir in unision singing the “Yiri” shout

⁃ There are some short instrumental interjections⁃ Call and response between voices and instruments


⁃ Balaphone melody playing riffs with variations

⁃ Chorus A3

⁃ Full choir in unision singing the “Yiri” shout

⁃ There are some short instrumental interjections


⁃ Coda

Rhythm:

Yiri, like many other traditional African pieces uses complex rhythms played by the

drummers to create polyrhythms, using stresses that conflict with each other and the

steady constant beat creating cross rhythms. The vocals use a rhythmic pattern of

semiquaver-quaver-semiquaver.


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Context:

African music is founded on oral tradition, and therefore has no musical notation. The

performance consists of a master drummer directing other drummers and percussion

instruments. Singing in Africa is a vital part of everyday life and is seen at religiousceremonies, rituals and celebrations. The songs provide a means of communication.

African languages are tone languages, the pitch level determines the meaning of the

words. Therefore the melodies and rhythms can be made to fit in pitch outlines to match

the meanings and the speech rhythms of the words and the song.

Structure:

Yiri starts with an introduction, which begins with a balaphone improvised solo.

Instruments are gradually layered on until chorus A1 where the vocals join in in unison.

There is a short instrumental break where the balaphone plays a solo. Then the voicescome back in in chorus A2. There is more balaphone melody before there is a vocal

solo with choral responses. After an instrumental solo, chorus B2 consists of the full

choir singing “Yiri” in unison with short instrumental interjections. There is a chorus A3

which has the full choir again in unison before the coda, which concludes with a single

ting on the bell.

Melody:

The main melody in Yiri is sung by the vocals. The melodies are short and simple and

often repeated over and over again. The vocals use the basic structure of call andresponse, where one singer sings a solo line and the rest of the group makes a vocal

reply. Also, the performers often improvise new melodies while the other singers

continue the old melody.

Instrumentation:

Yiri is performed by vocals, a balaphone (xylophone), djembe, and donno and dundun

talking drums. A talking drum is a drum with which a wide range of tones can be

produced by striking the head in different places. The dundun is the bass drum played

with sticks, and the donno is a small hourglass shaped drum held under the arm and

played with the hand. The talking drums play a drum ostinato throughout the piece. The

balaphone is a type of xylophone except it has bottle shaped gourd resonators. It plays

a balaphone ostinato throughout the piece.

Texture:


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Like other African music, Yiri uses polyrhythmic texture, a texture made up of many

different meters. However, some parts of the music like the introduction is monophonic

while other parts is heterophonic, several parts play the same melodic part but with

slight differences in pitch. The texture is layered on gradually.

Harmony:

The first 3 vocal phrases begin on the tonic and end on the dominant. The last 2 vocal

phrases begin on the dominant and end on the tonic.

IGCSE Music Notes

Documents