Listening Gallery: How Music Makes Sense
Summary: This module includes exercises to practice listening for varied repetition.
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The following short works or excerpts are each based on a single
pattern that is repeated throughout the work.
These terms will help you answer the questions about how the
basic patterns are varied.
Definition 1:
Accompainiment
The support underlying a melody. For instance, in a typical
show tune, the singer performs the melody, while the band
provides the accompaniment.
Definition 2:
Contour
Whether the basic pattern is played right side up or upside
down
Definition 3:
Density
How many notes are played at the same time. For instance, if
a pianist plays a chord with all ten fingers, that sound is
of higher density that if she or he were to just play with a
single finger.
Definition 4:
Dynamics
The loudness of the music
Definition 5:
Fragmentation
Smaller segments of the basic pattern are repeated, rather
than the whole
Definition 6:
Orchestration
The instruments that are playing the pattern.
Definition 7:
Register
How "high" or "low" the pattern is played. Men sing in the low
register, women in the upper. The pianist's left hand generally
plays in the low register, the right hand in the upper.
Definition 8:
Speed
How fast the pattern is played
Definition 9: Grouping
The number of notes in a pattern.
For instance, the pattern "da-da-dum, da-da-dum, da-da-dum " consists of a series of three note groupings, whereas "da-da-da-dum, da-da-da-dum, da-da-da-dum" is made up of four note groupings.
"Da-dum, da-da-da-dum, da-da-dum" consists of mixed groupings.
Problem
1:
Listen to Bach's Invention no. 14 in B-flat
Major.
Musical Example:
Johann Sebastian Bach, Invention in B-flat Major
In the following list, mark all of
the ways that Bach uses to vary the repetition of his
basic pattern:
Correct!
Incorrect.
The pattern always occurs at the same speed. Otherwise, Bach
uses all of the other means of varying the repetition: The
melody is played high and low. It is turned right side up
and upside down. It is sometimes in one hand alone,
sometimes in both together. It is fragmented, creating
passages of greater momentum.
Problem
2:
From the following list, what most
contributes to varying the repetition in Chopin's
Prelude No. 23 in F-Major?
Musical Example:
Frédéric Chopin, Prelude No. 23 in F-Major
Correct!
Incorrect.
Register. The pattern constantly shifts register, getting
higher and higher until finally sinking at the ending.
Problem
3:
In the following excerpt from Gustav Holst's The
Planets, the short melody is repeated fifteen
times. How many times is the melody repeated
exactly the same way?
Musical Example:
Gustav Holst, The Planets, 'Mercury'
Correct!
Incorrect.
0. It is never repeated the same way twice.
Problem
4:
From the following list, mark all
of the ways that Holst uses to vary the repetitions of
the melody.
Correct!
Incorrect.
The melody is always played with the same contour and at the
same speed. Holst uses all of the other means to create
variety: The accompaniment to the melody changes from a
gentle pulse to a more passionate underpinning. The dynamics
get gradually louder, then softer. The orchestration changes
with almost every appearance of the melody: It begins in the
violin, then it is played by the oboe, flute and
glockenspiel. Register is also used to vary the melody: The
glockenspiel plays it very high; later in the excerpt, the
lower strings take over the melody.
Problem
5:
In Charles Ives' song The Cage, the piano
accompaniment is extremely unified. Except for the
unexpected chord at the word "Wonder," the accompaniment
consists only of varied repetitions a single, complex
chord-as a way of showing a leopard confined in its
cage.
Musical Example:
Charles Ives, The Cage
In the following list, mark all of
the ways that Ives uses to vary the repetition of the
chord:
Correct!
Incorrect.
All of the above! Ives uses speed, register and dynamics to
vary how the chord is played. In the middle section of the
song, for instance, the chords become quite spaced apart
(speed). At the opening, the chords are low and loud; when
the voice enters, they get higher and softer.
Problem
6:
Ligeti's Musica ricercata No. 1 is based on
just a single note: Only the very last note is
different! In the following list, mark
all of the ways that Ligeti uses to
vary the repetition of the single note.
Musical Example:
Gyorgy Ligeti, Musica ricercata No. 1
Correct!
Incorrect.
All of the above! Thanks to all of these means, Ligeti is
able to create a very vibrant and dramatic piece using only
one note!
FURTHER LISTENING: Bernard Rand's "Le Tambourin" is a suite of orchestral pieces drawn from his opera about Vincent Van Gogh. In the movement "Sorrow," Rands creates repetition without redundancy by modeling his compositional method on a technique used by Van Gogh. In sketching his model, Van Gogh placed three sheets of paper on top of one another. His first, rather spare sketch left imprints on the pages beneath. He then removed the top sheet and repeated the process, adding more detail. He then performed the same operation with the third sheet, making it the most elaborate. Rands treats his music in an analogous manner: He presents an initial passage of music. He then repeats this music identically, but adds new details. A third layer of music is then added to the first two. Thus, the music gradually accumulates in the same way as Van Gogh's imprints.
Glossary
Accompainiment:
The support underlying a melody. For instance, in a typical
show tune, the singer performs the melody, while the band
provides the accompaniment.
Contour:
Whether the basic pattern is played right side up or upside
down
Density:
How many notes are played at the same time. For instance, if
a pianist plays a chord with all ten fingers, that sound is
of higher density that if she or he were to just play with a
single finger.
Dynamics:
The loudness of the music
Fragmentation:
Smaller segments of the basic pattern are repeated, rather
than the whole
Orchestration:
The instruments that are playing the pattern.
Register:
How "high" or "low" the pattern is played. Men sing in the low
register, women in the upper. The pianist's left hand generally
plays in the low register, the right hand in the upper.
Speed:
How fast the pattern is played
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This work is licensed by Anthony Brandt. See the Creative Commons License about permission to reuse this material.
Last edited by Chuck Bearden on Mar 20, 2007 5:51 pm GMT-5.