Understanding Melody, Harmony, Form, and Texture in Music

Melody Structure

• Motif: A small group of notes with musical meaning.
• Phrase: A melody with musical meaning, ending in a cadence.
• Cadence: The equivalent of pauses in language, used to separate different musical phrases.
• Theme: The core melody of a musical piece; the main idea around which the whole composition is built.

Harmony Fundamentals

• Interval: The distance between two notes of different pitch and intonation.

Melodies are represented horizontally on the staff, placing sounds sequentially from left to right.

Harmonies are represented vertically, placing sounds above others to indicate simultaneous production.

• Chords: The basic element of harmony. Chords are formed by stacking three or more simultaneous sounds, typically by overlapping third intervals above a root note (fundamental).

Musical Texture

Texture is the musical weave or fabric of a piece, resulting from the arrangement of its different parts or voices.

Types of Texture (Horizontal Writing)

• Monodic Texture: Consists of a single melodic line.
• Counterpoint (Polyphonic): Several independent melodic lines sounding simultaneously.
• Accompanied Texture: A main melody accompanied by chords or a subordinate part.
• Homophonic Texture: Voices move together rhythmically, creating blocks of chords.

Musical Form Explained

Musical form is the structure or time scheme upon which music is developed.

Principles of Form

• Repetition: Exact restatement of a musical phrase or section.
• Sequence: Repetition at a different pitch level (tessitura) or key.
• Variation: Repetition with altered elements.
• Development: Transformation or elaboration of musical material.
• Contrast: Introduction of a new, different musical phrase or section.

Simple Musical Forms

• Primary (AAA...): Consists of a single musical phrase or section repeated.
• Binary (AABB, ABAB): Two different musical phrases or sections, often repeated.
• Ternary (ABA, ABC): Three phrases or sections; the third often relates to the first (e.g., a variation or return).
• Rondo (ABACA...): A main theme (A) alternates with contrasting sections (B, C, etc.) and is repeated between them.
• Theme and Variations: A theme is presented and then repeated with various modifications.

The Staff

The staff is a structure of 5 lines and 4 spaces where musical notes are placed.