The 4 Parameters of Sound
• PITCH = the frequency of vibration (heard as
“high” vs. “low”)
• DURATION = the length of time a sound
lasts (heard as aspects of rhythm)
• TIMBRE = tone color (the source of the
sound, i.e., instrument, voice, other)
• DYNAMICS = Loudness/Softness
Some Useful Terms related to Pitch
• Interval – “distance” between 2 pitches
• Octave – 2:1 ratio of frequency
- What is an Octave - YouTube
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Tonality – organization around home pitch
Tonic – the home pitch
Key – collection of pitches around a tonal center
Scale – set of pitches in ascending and descending
order (scala [Ital.] = “ladder”)
- Music Theory 101: Scales and Modes – YouTube
- The Major Scale Formula: Lesson 1 Music Theory – YouTube
- Understanding the Natural Minor Scale... - YouTube
Piano Keyboard & Great Staff
One Chromatic Octave
Scale types
• Use only 7 of 12 available pitches
• Series of whole and half steps
• Major – W-W-1/2-W-W-W-1/2
(sounds “bright,” “cheery,” “optimistic”)
• Minor – W-1/2-W-W-1/2-W-W
(sounds “dark,” “somber,” “sinister”)
• Diatonic (major or minor)
-The difference between Major and Minor Scale Sound Qualities YouTube
• Chromatic (uses all 12 notes)
- Chromatic Scales: Music Theory - YouTube
Harmony (Some Useful terms)
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Chord – 2 or more simultaneous pitches
Triad – 3-note chord
Tonic – the home pitch (name of “key”)
Consonant / Consonance – “pleasant”
combinations of sounds (subjective)
• Dissonant / Dissonance – “unpleasant”
combinations of sounds (subjective)
• Exs. Musical Consonance & Dissonance Explained... YouTube
Pitches in time
• Melody (tune) – coherent / succession of /
single pitches [3 parts to definition] – similar
to speech
• Phrase – subdivisions of melody
• Cadence – resting points
TEXTURE
• Interrelationship of melodic & harmonic
elements (what’s happening at any given
moment in the piece)
Two Basic Kinds of Textures
• Monophonic / Monophony
• Polyphonic /Polyphony
Subdivides into several different types
Monophony / Monophonic
• ONE musical line only
• Multiple performers possible (on that one
line) = “unison” [“one sound”]
• Examples
- What is a Monophonic Texture? – YouTube
- Musical Textures - Monophonic - YouTube
Polyphony
• Counterpoint – general term for the art of
combining melodies
• Homophonic / Homophony – multiple parts
moving together, with top melody most
important (also: Homorhythmic)
• Accompaniment – less important background
• Example
- AP Music Theory: Music Texture
(Polyphony, Biphonic, Heterophonic,
Monophonic, Homophonic) - YouTube