TUESDAY 1/19
|
Objectives:
1. Collect Syllabus 2. Defining Aural Theory 3. Pentatonic Scale |
Assignments:
Due Today: -Signed Syllabus -ORDER TEXTBOOK DUE Next Class: TERMS QUIZ on todays terms |
Collect Syllabus
| aural theory spring 2017 |
Aural Theory / Ear Training
Ear Training / Aural Theory: is a skill where we identify, solely by hearing: Pitches, Intervals, Melody, Chords, Rhythm
Essentially we are talking about a two part process:
Knowing the Sounds & Knowing what to call them (how to write them)
In an academic setting, these could be things like (but not limited to) :
I Play a note, you name it
I play a Chord, You name it
I play a Rhythm, write down the notation
In a practical setting, these could be things like :
Hearing a melody in your head and knowing the notes
Hearing a part of a song/solo and being able to re create it on your instrument
ALL WITHOUT SEEING ANY NOTATION OR WITHOUT AN INSTRUMENT FOR A REFERENCE
so we have Nothing to help us find it, Just our ears
Example Practical Setting :
-There is a recording session. You show up and there is no written music. You get there and the musical director has an idea of what he wants you to play and demonstrates on piano or with his voice. He sings/plays is for you a couple times then you have to be able to play it on your instrument.
(Time=$ in the studio - so you are expected to do it without rehearsal!)
Essentially we are talking about a two part process:
Knowing the Sounds & Knowing what to call them (how to write them)
In an academic setting, these could be things like (but not limited to) :
I Play a note, you name it
I play a Chord, You name it
I play a Rhythm, write down the notation
In a practical setting, these could be things like :
Hearing a melody in your head and knowing the notes
Hearing a part of a song/solo and being able to re create it on your instrument
ALL WITHOUT SEEING ANY NOTATION OR WITHOUT AN INSTRUMENT FOR A REFERENCE
so we have Nothing to help us find it, Just our ears
Example Practical Setting :
-There is a recording session. You show up and there is no written music. You get there and the musical director has an idea of what he wants you to play and demonstrates on piano or with his voice. He sings/plays is for you a couple times then you have to be able to play it on your instrument.
(Time=$ in the studio - so you are expected to do it without rehearsal!)
VARYING RANGE OF SKILLS
|
TONE DEAF :
unable to perceive differences of musical pitch accurately. |
<----------------------------------> |
PERFECT PITCH:
the ability to recognize the pitch of a note or to produce any given note; a sense of absolute pitch. |
IMPORTANT:
NO MATTER WHERE YOU FALL ON THE SPECTRUM OF
TONE DEAF ------PERFECT PITCH,
AURAL SKILLS CAN BE DEVELOPED THROUGH PRACTICE
NO MATTER WHERE YOU FALL ON THE SPECTRUM OF
TONE DEAF ------PERFECT PITCH,
AURAL SKILLS CAN BE DEVELOPED THROUGH PRACTICE
For Dylan, Hearing sounds is like seeing colors for us -
EX. When we see something blue, we just KNOW that it is blue -
we don't need to think and analyze and look at another color for reference
GOD GIVEN / GENETIC ABILITY? OR LEARNED SKILL?
CAN WE LEARN/DEVELOP PERFECT PITCH AS AN ADULT?
SURELY EXPOSURE / PRACTICE plays a part ...
********if we go back to our color metaphor, we are exposed to many different colors from a young age - that's why infant's toys and shows always have BRIGHT COLORS*********
OF COURSE IT IS A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF MUSICIANS WHO HAVE PERFECT PITCH
ALTHOUGH
MOST MUSICIANS USUALLY HAVE DEVELOPED RELATIVE PITCH TO VARYING DEGREES
Relative pitch is the ability of a person to identify or re-create a given musical note by comparing it to a reference note and identifying the interval between those two notes.
This means that if you have VERY GOOD relative pitch , you could do what Dylan does IF you had a reference pitch, say a G
Keep in mind that what Dylan is doing in these videos is very Academic -
We would ever have a practical situation where someone lays down their arm on the piano and we have to know the notes,
BUT
Dylan is is skilled that you could play him 30 seconds of a pop song (maybe even the entire song) and Dylan could tell you every chord, note in the melody and rhythm, AND be able to write them down on manuscript
He can literally hear ANY melody in his head (no mater how complex the melody/harmony) and notate it / play it
OUR GOAL IS TO GET A LITTLE CLOSER TO DYLAN'S LEVEL
WE MAY NEVER FULLY GET TO WHERE HE IS
BUT WE WANT TO GET AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY ANY MELODY EITHER IN OUR HEAD OR THAT WE HEAR OUTSIDE
IDENTIFY = TELL ME THE NOTES/PLAY ME THE NOTES
UNIT ONE :
THE PENTATONIC SCALE
AND
QUARTER NOTE SUBDIVISION
Important Terms: Melody , Rhythm, Note/Pitch, Rhythm
For the time being , we will discuss music in terms of 2 of it's qualities:
1. Its Harmonic / Melodic qualities are dealing specifically with notes/pitches (high vs. low) involved in a song
2. It's Rhythmic qualities dealing with specifically the Rhythm (long vs. short) , disregarding the pitch
For the time being , we will discuss music in terms of 2 of it's qualities:
1. Its Harmonic / Melodic qualities are dealing specifically with notes/pitches (high vs. low) involved in a song
2. It's Rhythmic qualities dealing with specifically the Rhythm (long vs. short) , disregarding the pitch
Melodic
We can see/hear that NOTES/PITCHES are usually changing , or going up and down in RANGE
Rhythmic
We can see/hear that some of the notes are SHORTER/LONGER than others
We can see/hear that NOTES/PITCHES are usually changing , or going up and down in RANGE
Rhythmic
We can see/hear that some of the notes are SHORTER/LONGER than others
|
PENTATONIC SCALE
= MELODIC/HARMONIC |
QUARTER NOTE SUBDIVISION
= RHYTHMIC |
The Pentatonic Scale
Important Terms: Musical Scale, Scale Degree, Tonic, Dominant, Mode, Pentatonic Scale
Scale
Musical Scale: In music theory, a scale is any set of musical notes ordered by fundamental frequency or pitch. A scale ordered by increasing pitch is an ascending scale, and a scale ordered by decreasing pitch is a descending scale. Some scales contain different pitches when ascending than when descending
Important Parts of this Definition for Scale: A set of musical notes ordered by frequency / pitch
Important Parts of this Definition for Scale: A set of musical notes ordered by frequency / pitch
|
Characteristics of a scale
- Specific set of pitches (not random notes) -Specific Order (not random order) |
Types of Scales
- Common Scales such as Major / Minor Scales -Chromatic Scale -Major / Minor Pentatonic Scales -Diminished / Half Diminished There are TONS OF SCALES |
Scale Degree
Above is a C Major Scale Ascending and Descending
When dealing with a scale, order is very important and specific
Since a scale is always in the same order, we can refer to each note in regards to where it falls in the specific order of the scale
When dealing with a scale, order is very important and specific
Since a scale is always in the same order, we can refer to each note in regards to where it falls in the specific order of the scale
These will be important when it comes to Identifying a note we hear
i.e. if we can hear a note, and relate it to it's major scale, this will help us figure out what note it is
i.e. if we can hear a note, and relate it to it's major scale, this will help us figure out what note it is
|
Tonic
|
Dominant
|
Mode
|
???
Simple Answer : The Ancient Greeks!! |
Greek Modes
MINOR = SAD |
Pentatonic Scale
With the terms we have already learned we can make some conclusions about the pentatonic Scale just by looking at the Name
We know it will be :
Scale - specific group of pitches
Tonic - Will include the Tonic
Penta - greek word meaning '5'
Specific group of notes containing 5 pitches that will include the tonic
We know it will be :
Scale - specific group of pitches
Tonic - Will include the Tonic
Penta - greek word meaning '5'
Specific group of notes containing 5 pitches that will include the tonic
|
|
If we think in terms of Scale degrees, Which degrees does the Major Pentatonic Scale Contain?
Composing / Sight Singing / Transposing
For the purposes of todays class, let us identify the notes in the scale by their Scale Degree, not the note name
So for this unit, we will be dealing with the:
1 2 3 5 6
So for this unit, we will be dealing with the:
1 2 3 5 6