Jonathan Shaw
  • Music Appreciation Spring 2020 (Blackwood)
    • Homework
    • Syllabus & Defining Music Appreciation >
      • Activity : Judging Music
    • 1/30 Instrumentation Class 1 >
      • Instrumentation Follow-Up
    • 2/11 >
      • Texture
    • 2/13
    • 2/18
    • Melody >
      • Evolution of a Genre : Example Assignment >
        • Week 5 Assignment : Evolution of a Genre Assignment
    • 2/25
    • Quiz
    • Rhythm
    • 3/10
    • Virtual Week 1: Harmony >
      • Extra Harmony Material
    • Film Music
    • Sampling
    • Sampling Follow Up
    • The Blues
  • ONLINE Music Appreciation Fall 2020
    • Week 1
    • Week 2
    • Week 3
    • Week 4
    • Week 5 >
      • Evolution of a Genre : Example Assignment
      • Week 5 Assignment : Evolution of a Genre Assignment
    • Week 6 >
      • Film Music
      • Sampling
    • Week 7 >
      • Sampling Follow Up
      • Survey
  • Brass Methods
    • Fingering/Position Test
  • Fall 2019 Honors Appreciation
    • Day 1 >
      • Syllabus & Defining Music Appreciation >
        • Activity : Judging Music
    • Day 2
    • Characteristics of Music - Part 1
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    • Melody >
      • Isn't She Lovely
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    • Rhythm
    • Song Meaning / Analysis
    • Artistic Intention
    • Evolution of a Genre : Example Assignment >
      • Assignment : Evolution of a Genre Assignment
    • Song Form
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    • Early Blues
    • New Page
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    • Page 2
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  • Aural Theory I
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    • Tuesday 9/4
    • Class 2 : 9/11
    • Class 3 : 9/13
    • 9/18
    • 9/20 >
      • Matching the Pitch Homework
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    • Class 10/2 & 10/4
    • 10/9
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  • Music Fundamentals
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    • Class 2 : 9/11 >
      • Melody
      • Harmony
      • Intro to Rhythm
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      • Instrumentation Chart / Song Map
    • Class 3 : 9/18 >
      • Quiz
      • Matching Pitches
      • Matching the Pitch Homework
    • Class #4 : 9/25 >
      • Rhythm
      • More Rhythm....
      • Song Form
    • Class #5 : 10/2
    • Class #6 : 10/9
    • Class #7 : 10/17
    • Class #8 : 10/23 >
      • ID'ing Basslines
    • Class 9 : 10/30
    • Class #10 11/6
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    • Class 12 : 11/13
    • Class #13 : 11/20
    • Class 14 - 11/26
    • Class 15 : 12/4
    • Class 16 : FINAL
  • Music Fundamentals for Sound Engineers
    • Week 1
    • Week 2
    • Week 3
    • Week 4
    • Week 5
    • Week 6
    • Week 7
    • Week 8 >
      • Notation Practice - Test
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Week 3: Tuesday 7/12

Objectives:
Familiar VS. Contrast
Intro to Harmony
History of Harmony
Consonance VS. Dissonance
The Chord Progression

Assignments: 


Familiar VS. Contrast

As Humans, we have a constant need for the familiar,
while also having a constant desire for contrast.

Example:

Think of where you live:   For most people, HOME is where we feel most comfortable. It is the easiest place for us to relax, and where we feel safest. 

This is because it is the most Familiar place. 

But does this mean we want to spend every waking minute at home? NO!! We have this constant desire to leave, to GO OUT, to GO TO WORK, to GO ON VACATION.

This is to add Contrast to our life! To Spice things up a bit!

But after all these activities, where is that we long to go? Back home! Back to Familiarity!
Uncomfortable           VS             Comfortable
Unpredictable          VS             Predictable
Tension               VS             Release
Familiar                    VS             Unfamiliar


We see this carry over to many forms of art. 

Whether or not we LIKE the art can depend heavily on this balance:


Too Unfamiliar, we think it is weird

Too Familiar, it is boring
Example
​
Example:
Film/Literature:  Familiar plots with Unfamiliar
 twists/variations.

Familiarity in Music

Familiar in Music =  Lots of Repeated Material

Think again about Whip Nae Nae
According to VH1


Pros / Advantages of Repetition and Familiarity:  
-  We (the listeners) are comfortable
-We know/can predict what's coming next
-We are never too surprised
-Good for 'sing along' purposes


Contrast
in Music = Lack of Repeated Material 

​These are much harder to find examples of in Popular Music! 
Virtually everything we hear on the radio today will have many repetitive 
components

He are some Examples of song that are not at all repetitive
​

This is a little bit like "musical Gibberish. "  The words are there, but they don't make sense with eachother

Introduction to Harmony

In everyday language, Harmony means Closeness, Friendliness, or Agreement


Webster: "A consonant, orderly or pleasing agreement of parts."


Musical Definition: "The combination of simultaneous pitches" 

Harmony = The sum of all individual/different parts, coming together in agreement to a make a whole

Question:  How do we know which notes sound **GOOD** together? 
Question: How do we define "GOOD" in this context? 

Over the course of history through a process of some methodical thought, but mostly trial and error, we have some to accept a general STANDARD of what sounds 'good' and what sounds 'bad' to the human ear. 

***As with everything, there are exceptions (some people reject conventional harmony), but for the most part, we will all agree***
*** Another exception is people from other parts of the world  -  what we are talking about and hear everyday is called "Western Harmony" - There is a totally different set of runes in Asian and another set of rules in India (and probably many I don't know of)****

Expedited History of Harmony


Consonant And Dissonant

Consonant
 A simultaneous combination of tones conventionally accepted as being in  a state of repose (at rest/at peace).

Dissonant
 A simultaneous combination of tones conventionally accepted as  being in a state of unrest and needing completion.

******What is Conventionally Accepted? How do we Know*******

Consonance --------------------------------- Dissonance

Uncomfortable -----------------------------  Comfortable
Familiar  --------------------------------------- Contrast
Predictable ----------------------------------- Unpredictable
Release ---------------------------------------- Tension
  

?????HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH??????
     Too much?                                Not Enough?

What about in Popular Music? 
   Beatles                               Black Sabbath

If Dissonance is meant to be uncomfortable, why would artist CHOOSE TO USE IT? 

The Chord Progression: A Device of Familiarity

  • ​How can Composers/Artists create feeling of familiarity?  How do they create that "home" that we want to deviate from? 
One Device is lyrics - for example the chorus of a song.  The Chorus is the same no matter where it is in the song. 

The Chorus = reoccurring familiar material


One Device is a Chord Progression. 

Chord:  Three notes played Simultaneously

Chord Progression:  A specific, repetitive arrangement of chords intended to provide familiarity to the listener.  

Examples:  

I     V      vi      IV

vi    VI     V     I

​Check out this interesting Website where we can find trends in Pop Music


There are DOZENS of chord progressions engrained into your ear that you are already familiar with, without even knowing it! This is something composers depend on so they can create a musical HOME

Common Chord Progression:

I   V    vi     IV ​
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