Pitches, Intervals and Rhythm

Pitches:

There are 21 different possible notes: Ab, A, A#, Bb, B, B#, Cb, C, C#, Db, D, D#, Eb, E, E#, Fb, F, F#, Gb, G, and G#. In western music there are overlaps (e.g. Ab and G# are the same thing) so there are actually only 12 notes:A, A#/Bb, B/Cb, B#/C, C#/Db, D, D#/Eb, E/Fb, F/E#, F#/Gb, G, G#/Ab - but in eastern music (like Gamelan or Indian Classical music) there are many other possibilities.

  

Of course, there are much more than 12 pitches; each note can be played in any octave e.g. a G can be played, as an example, below middle C and above middle C.

Intervals:

Intervals are just the gaps between notes, and how big these gaps are.

2nd - Minor                        - 1 semitone
       - Major                        - 2 semitones
       - Augmented               - 3 semitones
3rd - Minor                        - 3 semitones
      - Major                        - 4 semitones
      - Augmented               - 5 semitones
4th - Diminished               - 4 semitones
      - Perfect                       - 5 semitones
      - Augmented               - 6 semitones
5th - Diminished               - 6 semitones
      - Perfect                       - 7 semitones
      - Augmented               - 8 semitones
6th - Minor                        - 8 semitones
      - Major                        - 9 semitones
      - Augmented               - 10 semitones
7th - Minor                       - 10 semitones
      - Major                        - 11 semitones
      - Augmented               - 12 semitones
Octave - Diminished        - 11 semitones
            - Perfect                - 12 semitones


There are such things as compound intervals as well, but they are just made up of these intervals plus octaves.

The tritone (augmented 4th/diminished 5th) is the furthest interval, and sounds extremely dissonant. It is often used in jazz and heavy metal to create tension.


Rhythms:

There are 8 main note lengths, without getting into complete obscurity.

1. Breve (unusual): length = 8 beats

2. Semibreve: length = 4 beats

 3. Minim: length = 2 beats


4. Crotchet: length = 1

5. Quaver: length = 1/2




6. Semiquaver: length = 1/4




7. Demisemiquaver:



8. Hemidemisemiquaver:



And it goes on.



However, there are also some other rhythmic features.

Triplets: when you play 3 notes in the space of two.



Dotted rhythm: when the note is held for an extra half it's length.

Harmony and Scale Theory

Harmony & Scale Theory

- concepts of minor and major (which most of them will probably know).
- avoid notes in both of these types of keys (e.g. 4th in the tonic major, or 6th in the tonic minor)
- cycle of 5ths
- what kind of 7ths to use and when to use them (3 types: major, minor, dominant)
- passing notes

Avoid Notes:

Degree	Major	Minor
Tonic	4th	6th, b7th
Supertonic	4th
Sub-dominant		6th
Dominant	1st	7th
Relative Minor/Major	4th	1st

This table displays the 'avoid notes' (notes which when improvising it is unconventional to use as accented) for each degree of the scale.

Cycle Of 5ths





7ths

Major
Major 7ths - 11 semitones, used on tonic, subdominant
Minor 7ths - 10 semitones, used on supertonic, submediant, mediant
Dominant 7ths - 10 semitones (with maj 3rd), used on dominant

Minor
Major 7ths - 11 semitones, used on mediant, submediant
Minor 7ths - 10 semitones, used on subdominant
Dominant 7ths - 10 semitones (with maj 3rd), used on dominant

Analysis Of Score - Elgar's First Symphony Movement 3, For 1st Viola

I will focus on the 1st viola part, the top staff.

Pitches and Intervals:

This piece is mostly conjunct (small intervals) e.g. the first 5 intervals are: descending major 3rd, ascending major 2nd, ascending major 2nd, ascending minor 2nd, ascending major 3rd. Elgar uses these small intervals in order for the melody to be smooth and tuneful.
However, there are very occasional huge leaps; from the bar before fig. 93 to fig. 93, the interval is a compound minor 3rd, or a minor 10th. Elgar has put big leaps in to contrast with the rest of the melody, made up of more scalic intervals.

Rhythms:

Elgar wanted this theme to be fluid, so he put in a lot of ties over bar lines (e.g. between bars 1 and 2), and that also has the effect of putting the listener of balance rhythmically... it deviates from normal phrasing. Also there are some 'fast' rhythms (even though the piece is in a very slow tempo so the rhythms look faster than they actually are), like in bar 3 with the triplet semiquavers, and 3 bars after fig. 94 there are some hemidemisemiquavers (the B and the B#).

Tonality & Playing Directions:

The piece is based in a major key, with some chromatic tonality. The key is D major, with 2 #s in the key signature (F# and C#). Also notice the main clef, which is the alto clef (used pretty much only for the viola). It was Elgar's intention for this score to be very detailed; there are 29 dynamic markings for the first viola in this section alone, including crescendoes, diminuendoes, piano, forte, fortissimo, pianissimo, pianississimo, and mezzo forte. There are also some techniques indicated: Elgar wrote this for the viola, a stringed instrument, so there are bowings (e.g. 2 bars before fig. 93 there is an upbow marked on the F#), and also playing styles - arco (played with the bow e.g. 2 bars after fig. 94) and pizzicato (plucked e.g. fig. 94). The composer put all these things in because he wanted to make sure that the players played the piece exactly as he wanted it.

Analysis Of Score - Debussy's Clair De Lune, 2nd page

Pitches and Intervals:

In this page, the left hand switches between bass clef and treble clef. The first chord is an Ebm9, with the F providing the 9th. The highest note in this extract is the top note of the first chord in bar 11, an Ab. The lowest note in this extract is the bottom note of the first chord, an Eb. The intervals of the melody line aren't very big e.g. the first 5 intervals are: a descending major 2nd, descending major 2nd,  descending minor 2nd, ascending minor 2nd, descending minor 3rd. Debussy decided to the melody straightforward and homophonic with it's accompaniment in order to focus on the rich harmonies rather than an attention-grabbing melody.

Rhythms:

This piece is in 9/8, so triplets aren't marked because they naturally fall in line with the beat, but duplets are marked in (2 notes in the space of three) e.g.the 4th and 5th note in bar 4. The rhythms suddenly change at bar 13 from being very rubato to being quite a bit stricter, and involving the use of fast flurrying semiquavers. There is also a grace note - in this case an acciaccatura - in bar 4 at the beginning of the secnd quaver in the duplet, which Debussy put in to accent the next chord.

Tonality and Playing Directions:

The tonality of this piece is loosely major (Db major to be exact), but Debussy uses a lot of chromatic tonality, and french impressionistic features (e.g. whole-tone scale). This extract should be played at a quiet volume, with plenty of pianissimo and piano dynamic markings. The 'tempo rubato' above bar 1 indicates this rubato feel throughout this particular section - loose tempo, open to interpretation. It was obviously important to the composer that he didn't want his work to be rushed.