MUSC 2019 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Triple Metre, Major Second, Falsetto
Lecture 1 - Intro
January 8, 2018
8:09 PM
One of the goals in this class is to pick out musical elements, and to figure out what it means.
Certain chords are used to widely represent a group of people, even if it's incorrect. For example, it is
problematic that some chords that are used to represent China in a song, are also used to represent
Japan - it suggests that Japan and China are the same, and that neither is unique compared to the other.
Those chords were used to represent "Asianness".
Definitions
• Pitch: refers to the high and low pitch of a singular sound
• Register: refers to the relative high and low pitch in a group of sounds
• Falsetto: a method to produce a higher pitch, used by male singers
o Gives a different affect than a deep voice
o Often gives a heightened energetic feel
• Melody: the tune of a song
o Sounds are put together in a way in hopes that it would be memorable
o It is the most identifying bit of the song
o Often seen as the horizontal element - only one pitch at a time is produced
• Harmony: multiple pitches played at the same time
o A succession of two or more pitches
o Adds depth to the song
o Can be consonant (sounds positive, happy) or dissonant (sounds negative, sad)
• Diatonic: 2 tones
o Major tone: generally associated with happy sounds
o Minor tone: generally associated with sad sounds
o Depending on the context, some sad songs are in major keys, and some happy songs are in
minor keys
• Tempo: the speed of a song
o A fast tempo often suggests positive, or energetic sounds
o A slow tempo often suggests sad, stasis, or a lack of energy
• Metre: the way the pulse is organized
o Duple metre: beats grouped in twos and fours
o Triple metre: beats grouped into threes
• Timbre: the sound quality of a given voice
o Some singers have a slightly raspy voice, some have a clear, strong voice, etc.
• Harmonic progression: succession of harmonies
o Some have become the "basic pattern"
o Primary harmonies are the most simple and commonly used ones
• I-IV-V
• V-IV-I
• Form/structure: how the song is put together
o Hook = the most distinctive part of the song, the part that everybody remembers
o 3 primary forms
• Verse-chorus: 2 major sections
▪ The hook is the chorus
Document Summary
One of the goals in this class is to pick out musical elements, and to figure out what it means. Certain chords are used to widely represent a group of people, even if it"s incorrect. For example, it is problematic that some chords that are used to represent china in a song, are also used to represent. Japan - it suggests that japan and china are the same, and that neither is unique compared to the other. Definitions: pitch: refers to the high and low pitch of a singular sound, register: refers to the relative high and low pitch in a group of sounds. A song having a wide range of sounds suggests power, of not being constricted. High pitch sounds were often used to represent femininity, and low pitch sounds were often used to represent masculinity. A woman singing on a higher register conforms to the conventional view that women are more innocent than men.
