MUSICOL 139 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Pentatonic Scale, Just Intonation, Equal Temperament
MELODY
Melody
●A connected series of notes of various pitch, duration, and rhythm
●Differs from a scale
●Series of notes differing in pitch according to a specific scheme
Types of Scales
●Defined by number of tones
○Diatonic, tritonic, tetratonic, pentatonic
○The diatonic scale is hepatonic
●Defined by intervals
○Diatonic, chromatic, major scale, minor scale
●Defined by number of tones and intervals
○Anhemitonic pentatonic
Tuning Impacts Scale Notes
●Western tuning examples
○Just intonation (whole number ratios) vs. equal tempered
●Scales are not universal nor even consistent within one area
○Gamelan sets are unique (maker/tuner and owner: court tunings not allowed)
●Pentatonic scales in Javanese gamelan
○Sléndro - pentatonic scale with close ot equidistant tones
■Intervals are not just a matter of how much space is between notes
○Pélog - 7 note scale from which pentatonic modes are derived
Constructing Melody
●Melody may be understood in terms of scalar structure
○Scalar vs. non scalar
■Scalar melodies better remembered
■Untrained can construct scale notes from short music sequences
Note distribution
●Scales (pitch sets) relate to keys which relate to: probability distribution of notes
○Chromatic notes out of diatonic scale used least frequently
○Notes of triad used most frequently
Note Stability
●Most stable is perceptual tonic
●Other music systems also have tonal centers
●Stable notes perceived to have a kind of gravity
●Active notes are instable
Tonal Hierarchy
●Similar to note distribution, except people rate or judge tones in hierarchy as more or less
“right”
Document Summary
A connected series of notes of various pitch, duration, and rhythm. Series of notes differing in pitch according to a specific scheme. Defined by number of tones and intervals. Just intonation (whole number ratios) vs. equal tempered. Scales are not universal nor even consistent within one area. Gamelan sets are unique (maker/tuner and owner: court tunings not allowed) Sl ndro - pentatonic scale with close ot equidistant tones. Intervals are not just a matter of how much space is between notes. P log - 7 note scale from which pentatonic modes are derived. Melody may be understood in terms of scalar structure. Untrained can construct scale notes from short music sequences. Scales (pitch sets) relate to keys which relate to: probability distribution of notes. Chromatic notes out of diatonic scale used least frequently. Other music systems also have tonal centers. Stable notes perceived to have a kind of gravity.