Every musical expression is the result of numerous decisions made during the creative
process. Composers choose particular melodies, rhythms, harmonies , forms , and
textures. Arrangers and performers add expressive controls such as tempo, dynamics ,
and phrasing to make the music come alive.
Key Terms
 Minor Scale: is the sequence of eight pitches built on the pattern of one whole (w) step ,
two whole steps, one half step, and two whole steps.
 Symphony : an extended work for a orchestra with several contrasting movements.
 “Felt” Time: an aspect of .music that controls the listener’s sense of how mush time has
passed.
 Arranger: a musician who rework existing materials.
 Transcription: transcriptions are arrangements of music transferred from one medium
to another.
 Theme and Variation: a musical form in which a melodic idea is stated the varied I a
succession of statements.
 Harmony: vertical blocks of different tones that sound simultaneously.
 Primary Chords: harmonies built on the first (DO), the fourth (FA), and the fifth (SOL)
degrees of the scale.
 Conductor: the director of an orchestra, choir, or other performing group.
 Rubato: the free treatment of tempo within a music phrase.
Music Composition: integrating
musical elements
Like painting, writing, and other form of artistic expression, composing music involves
making decisions .
Musical Decisions About Form
composers often begin by choosing a work’s form. A form is the structure and design of a
composition, incorporating repetition, contrast, unity, and variety. Form gives shape and
direction, but it does not control the feeling or message the musical work expresses.
Musical Decisions About Melodies
melodies may be flowing or angular, narrow or wide-ranging, short or long. Melodies are
always built on one musical scale or another.
Musical Decision About Timber
Like painters, composers choose a Platte of color- in this case, “tone colors” or timbres-for a
work.
Making Musical Decisions About Rhythm
when composers decide if a piece of music will be fast or slow, they are making
decisions that involve time and the rhythm. As an art form, music cannot exist
independently of time . For evidence, look at any CD, and you will notice a
duration, specific in minutes and seconds, for each track.
The Decision-Making Skills of the
Arranger
Arranging Jazz Instrumentals
In jazz, songs written to be sung with lyrics are commonly arranged as purely
instrumental tunes. Often, arrangers may simply drop the lyrics and assign the vocal line
to a solo instrument.
Arranging for Marching Band
Marching bands relish the opportunity to perform football half-time shows for their
fans. In most cases, the music they play I arranged rather than composed specifically for
a marching ensemble. Suppose, for example the school ‘s marching band decided to play
Queen’s “We Are the Champions.” The rendition would necessarily be an arrangement
because the original was composed for rock band.
 Transcribing Music
The artistic involvement of the arranger can vary greatly. Sometimes, an arranger simply
takes the exact notes of the composer and scores them for any combination of
instruments or voices. This can be a mechanical process, but most often it presents the
arranger with many challenging musical decisions . Usually such arrangements are called
transcriptions because they adhere so closely to the original.
Theme and Variations
Composers, arrangers , and performers have always delighted in extending a musical
idea through subtle or various changes. Sometimes they try to disguise a melody in a way
that challenges listeners to recognize it.
Learning to Hear Variation on a Theme
composers often base a composition on a theme that is systematically presented I many
guises. The theme, or melodic idea, can be borrowed from another composer or be newly
created. Theme and Variation is a musical form in which a melodic idea is stated then
,varied in a succession of statements. The theme can be ornamented, its tempo altered,
its harmony changed , its texture transformed, its rhythm revamped, and so forth. Some
composers will play their themes backwards, and even upside-down. Sometimes
variations are simultaneous.
 Using Harmony to Create Variation
harmony is a musical vertical blocks of different tones that sound simultaneously. These
tonal blocks, or Chords consist of three of four notes that form harmonic unit. The
accompaniments of many songs rely on just a few basic chords. Composers and
arrangers carefully select the combination of melody and harmony to create an
appealing tension.
Converting the Classics for Popular
Appealing
inspired by a melodic or a harmonic sequence, contemporary musicians give historic tunes
new life. They do so by subtly shifting the broad category from classical to popular while
retaining aspects of the original. Figuring out just how to use an existing musical idea requires
all sorts of informed musical decisions .
Learning to Hear a Mix of Styles
some people argue that knowing how to identify musical styles is the mark of an educated
person. All of the styles require careful music musical decisions by their creators if they are to
be distinctive. What happens when one piece of music combines two of more different styles?
Not only it is unusual, but it also raises the question of whether the listener really know what
she or he is hearing.
 Finding Inspiration in the Classics
many of the musical decision made by the great masters of music were influenced by their
own earlier compositions. For example , Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frederic Handel
reused some of their old melodic and harmonic ideas in new compositions. This practiceborrowing from the classics- continues today. An excellent example can be heard in Eric
Carmen’s song “All By Myself.”
Musical Decisions in performing for
Others
 Like composers arrangers and performers make musical decisions.
The Role and Skills of the Conductor
as musical leaders conductors have many possibilities. They select the music and
rehearse the musicians for their performance. In addition to maintaining the beat with a
baton, conductors facilitate the performer’ interpretations of the music as it unfolds.
They make important musical decisions regarding expressive matters such as tempo,
dynamics, spirit, and phasing.
Marin Alsop: Female Conductor
throughout music history, the conducting of musical ensembles has been dominated by
men. Even today, female conductors tend to be exceptions. In spite of such barriers, some
women have been able to achieve recognition and success as conductors. One example is
Marin Alsop, a star on the American orchestra scene.
Review
Like other artists , musicians face numerous decisions that are part of the creative process.
Composers need to select musical elements that will enable them to achieve their goal.
Arrangers make decisions regarding existing works. These decisions include transcribing a
work for another musical media and adding expressive controls such as tempo , dynamics, and
phrasing. Composers and arrangers also sometimes use theme and variations and creative
interplay of melody and harmony . When groups of performers are large, the responsibility for
making decisions falls to a conductor. The conductor is a leader responsible for maintaining
unity among musicians and facilitating the performers’ interpretation of the music.
BOOK: MUSIC: ITS ROLE AND IMPORTANCE IN OUR LIVES
BY: Dr. George DeGraffenreid
Dr. Charles Flowler
Dr. Timothy Gerber
Dr. Vicente Lawrence