🎹Tonal Composition Unit 1 – Fundamentals of Tonal Music

Key Concepts and Terminology

• Tonality refers to the organization of pitches and chords around a central tonic note or key
• Diatonic scales consist of seven notes arranged in a specific pattern of whole and half steps (C major scale)
• Chromaticism introduces notes outside the diatonic scale, adding color and tension to the music
• Cadences are melodic or harmonic formulas that provide a sense of resolution or closure at the end of a phrase or section (perfect authentic cadence)
• Consonance and dissonance describe the perceived stability or tension of intervals and chords
  • Consonant intervals and chords sound stable and resolved (perfect fifth, major triad)
  • Dissonant intervals and chords create tension and require resolution (minor second, diminished seventh chord)
• Modulation is the process of changing from one key to another within a composition
• Counterpoint involves the simultaneous combination of two or more independent melodic lines (Bach's inventions)

Historical Context and Development

• Tonal music emerged in the 17th century and remained the dominant musical language until the early 20th century
• The Baroque period (1600-1750) saw the development of tonal harmony, with composers such as Bach and Handel establishing key principles
• The Classical period (1750-1820) refined tonal harmony and form, with composers like Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven creating works of balance and clarity
• The Romantic period (1820-1900) expanded the tonal system, incorporating chromaticism, extended harmonies, and expressive techniques (Wagner, Chopin)
• Impressionist composers, such as Debussy and Ravel, began to challenge traditional tonality in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
• Atonal and serial music of the 20th century, pioneered by composers like Schoenberg and Webern, marked a departure from the tonal system

Elements of Tonal Music

• Melody is a succession of pitches that form a recognizable musical line or theme
  • Melodic contour describes the shape of a melody, including its rises, falls, and overall direction
  • Melodic intervals are the distances between consecutive pitches in a melody (major second, perfect fourth)
• Harmony refers to the simultaneous sounding of pitches, often in the form of chords
  • Triads are the basic building blocks of tonal harmony, consisting of three notes stacked in thirds (C major triad: C, E, G)
  • Seventh chords add an additional third above a triad, creating a four-note chord (G dominant seventh: G, B, D, F)
• Texture describes the layering and interaction of musical elements, such as melody, harmony, and rhythm
  • Homophonic texture features a prominent melody supported by chordal accompaniment (Chopin's nocturnes)
  • Polyphonic texture consists of multiple independent melodic lines woven together (Bach's fugues)
• Form refers to the structure and organization of a musical composition
  • Binary form consists of two contrasting sections, often labeled A and B (Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas)
  • Ternary form features three sections, with the first section returning after a contrasting middle section (ABA) (Beethoven's "Für Elise")
• Dynamics and articulation contribute to the expressive qualities of tonal music
  • Dynamics refer to the volume of the music, ranging from soft (piano) to loud (forte)
  • Articulation describes how notes are played or sung, such as legato (smooth and connected) or staccato (short and detached)

Scales and Modes

• The major scale is the foundation of tonal music, consisting of a specific pattern of whole and half steps (W-W-H-W-W-W-H)
• Natural minor scales are formed by starting on the sixth scale degree of a major scale and following the same pattern of whole and half steps
• Harmonic minor scales raise the seventh scale degree of the natural minor scale, creating a leading tone that resolves to the tonic
• Melodic minor scales raise the sixth and seventh scale degrees when ascending and revert to the natural minor when descending
• Modes are scales derived from the major scale, each starting on a different scale degree and featuring a unique pattern of whole and half steps
  • Ionian (major), Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian (natural minor), and Locrian modes
• Pentatonic scales consist of five notes and are commonly used in folk, blues, and rock music (C major pentatonic: C, D, E, G, A)
• Whole-tone scales are constructed entirely of whole steps, creating a distinctive sound often associated with impressionist music (C whole-tone scale: C, D, E, F#, G#, A#)

Harmony and Chord Progressions

• Tonal harmony is based on the relationship between chords and the tonic key
• Diatonic chords are built using only the notes of a given scale (C major: C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim)
• Functional harmony assigns specific roles to chords based on their relationship to the tonic
  • Tonic (I) chords provide a sense of stability and resolution
  • Subdominant (IV) chords create a sense of movement away from the tonic
  • Dominant (V) chords create tension and a strong desire to resolve back to the tonic
• Common chord progressions in tonal music include:
  • I-IV-V-I (C-F-G-C in C major)
  • ii-V-I (Dm-G-C in C major)
  • I-vi-ii-V (C-Am-Dm-G in C major)
• Secondary dominants are dominant chords that resolve to a degree other than the tonic, creating temporary tonicizations (D7 resolving to G in C major)
• Modulation occurs when a piece changes from one key to another, often using pivot chords or common tones to smooth the transition

Melodic Structure and Composition

• Melodic phrases are musical sentences that express a complete idea or thought
• Antecedent and consequent phrases form a call-and-response structure, with the consequent phrase providing a sense of resolution (Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, opening theme)
• Motifs are short melodic or rhythmic ideas that serve as building blocks for a composition (Bach's Fugue in C minor, WTC Book 1)
• Sequences involve the repetition of a melodic or harmonic pattern at different pitch levels (Pachelbel's Canon in D)
• Conjunct motion refers to melodies that move by step, while disjunct motion features larger leaps between notes
• Melodic embellishments, such as trills, turns, and appoggiaturas, add ornamental flourishes to a melody
• Countermelodies are secondary melodies that complement the main melody, often heard in contrapuntal textures (Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3)

Rhythm and Meter in Tonal Music

• Rhythm refers to the duration and pattern of musical sounds and silences
• Beat is the regular pulse that underlies the rhythm of a piece
• Meter organizes beats into recurring patterns of strong and weak pulses
  • Duple meter organizes beats into groups of two (2/4, 4/4)
  • Triple meter organizes beats into groups of three (3/4, 9/8)
  • Compound meter subdivides each beat into three equal parts (6/8, 12/8)
• Syncopation involves placing accents on normally unaccented beats or parts of beats, creating a sense of rhythmic displacement (ragtime, jazz)
• Hemiola is a rhythmic device that superimposes a duple meter over a triple meter or vice versa, creating a temporary sense of metric ambiguity (Brahms's Hungarian Dance No. 5)
• Rhythmic motifs are short, recognizable rhythmic patterns that recur throughout a composition (Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, "fate" motif)

Analyzing Tonal Compositions

• Identify the key and mode of the piece, paying attention to the tonic note and the pattern of whole and half steps
• Analyze the melody, considering its contour, intervals, phrases, and motifs
• Identify the harmony, labeling chords using Roman numerals and analyzing their functions (tonic, subdominant, dominant)
• Determine the form of the composition, such as binary, ternary, sonata, or rondo
• Examine the texture, identifying homophonic, polyphonic, or monophonic passages
• Analyze the rhythm and meter, noting any syncopation, hemiola, or rhythmic motifs
• Consider the use of dynamics, articulation, and other expressive elements and how they contribute to the overall character of the piece
• Identify any modulations or tonicizations, and analyze how they are achieved (pivot chords, secondary dominants)
• Discuss how the various elements of the composition work together to create a cohesive and expressive musical work