Pitch Class Set Theory Flashcards

Study Notes

Fundamental Concepts of Pitch Class Set Theory

Octave Equivalence: Relates to how notes with the same letter names across different octaves are perceived as similar.
Enharmonic Equivalence: Refers to chords maintaining their identity regardless of note spelling; they sound identical but may have different notations.
Pitch Class: A category of pitches that includes notes which are octave and enharmonically equivalent, defining a set of related sounds.

Pitch Class Details

Total Pitch Classes: Western music encompasses 12 distinct pitch classes, corresponding to the keys on a keyboard that separate octave-equivalent notes.
Transpositional Equivalence: Identifies the same sequence of intervals applied to different note sets, demonstrating the flexibility in representation while keeping the interval structure intact.

Prime Form and Labeling

Prime Form Labels: A systematic way to label pitch sets that are transpositionally equivalent, providing a unique identifier for each set.
Determining Prime Form Set Label:
- Identify the set's normal order.
- Assess the set alongside its inversion.
- Assign the appropriate numbers corresponding to the prime form label.

Additional Concepts

Inversional Equivalence: Indicates the idea that an interval sequence remains unchanged when read in reverse order, maintaining the same relationships between the notes.
Label Convention: When selecting the best label for a pitch-class set, if two labels have the same outer interval, preference is given to the one with a larger gap between the highest two notes, thus highlighting distinct tonal qualities.

Description

Explore essential concepts in pitch class set theory with these flashcards. Each card provides a term along with its definition, focusing on key ideas such as octave equivalence and enharmonic equivalence. Perfect for music theory students looking to deepen their understanding.