Music Theory: Rhythm and Melody

Rhythm

• Rhythm is the pattern of sound, silence, and emphasis in music.
• Rhythm is created by the recurrence of notes and rests (silences).
• Time signature indicates the number of beats per measure and how long those beats last.
• Meter divides time signatures into three types: duple, triple, and quadruple.
• Tempo is the speed at which music is played, often indicated by Italian words or beats per minute (BPM).
• Strong beats are typically the first beat of each measure (downbeat) and other accented beats.
• Syncopation occurs when rhythms do not align with the downbeats of measures.
• Accents emphasize certain beats.
• Polyrhythms layer one type of rhythm on top of another.

Melody

• Melody is a succession of musical notes, often organized into phrases.
• Pitch, Note, or Tone refers to the individual sounds that make up a melody.
• Scale is a pattern of notes used to create a melody.
• Melodic contour describes the shape of a melody, whether it moves up, down, or stays flat.
• Stepwise motion involves moving one note up or down a scale, creating a simple and stable sound.
• Leap motion involves moving multiple notes up or down a scale, creating a more unexpected and dramatic sound.

Harmony

• Harmony is the simultaneous relationship of pitches.
• Interval refers to two notes sounded at once and the distance between them.
• Chord is three or more notes sounded at once, creating a musical mood.
• Triad is a three-note chord, commonly used in classical and popular music.
• Harmony can sound consonant (pleasant) or dissonant (unpleasant), contributing to mood and storytelling.

Timbre

• Timbre, or tone color, is the character of a sound distinct from its pitch, length, or intensity.
• Material, attack/articulation, and sustained pitch all contribute to timbre.
• It can be described using adjectives related to color, temperature, consistency, or the human voice.

Dynamics

• Dynamics refer to the degrees of loudness in music.
• Italian words indicate different volume levels: fortissimo (ff), forte (f), mezzo forte (mf), mezzo piano (mp), piano (p), pianissimo (pp).
• Crescendo (cresc.) indicates a gradual increase in volume.
• Diminuendo (dim.) indicates a gradual decrease in volume.

Texture

• Texture describes the pattern of sound created by the interaction of musical voices.
• Monophony features a single line of music, whether performed by a solo performer or in unison.
• Heterophony is similar to unison, but with one voice adding ornamentation or decoration.
• Homophony features two or more voices, with one serving as the melody and the others providing support.
• Chordal texture involves all voices moving with the same rhythm.
• Melody-Accompaniment texture features a melodic line with an accompanying rhythm section.
• Polyphony, or counterpoint, involves two or more voices moving independently from each other simultaneously.

Form

• Form refers to the shape of a musical composition, defined by new and repeated segments.
• Binary form consists of two sections (A B).
• Ternary form consists of three sections (A B A).
• Song form is common in pop music, with sections like verse and chorus (A B A B).
• Strophic form is common in folk music, with a single section repeated (A A A A A A).
• Rondo form features a repeating main section, often with contrasting sections (A B A C A D A).
• Theme & Variation form involves repeating a theme with variations (A A' A'' A''' A'''').