Music Essentials: Melody, Harmony, and Texture

Music Essentials:

Melody, Harmony, and Texture

Multiple Choice

What is melody?

• The horizontal aspect of music

• Musical pitches played in succession

• Generally speaking, the part of the song you would sing along to

• All of the above

Melody example questions to consider...

1) What instruments or voices are playing the melody?

2) Are there any countermelodies?

3) Do you hear any instruments playing that do NOT play the melody?

Melody example questions to consider...

1) What instruments or voices are playing the melody?

2) Are there any countermelodies?

3) Do you hear any instruments playing that do NOT play the melody?

Multiple Choice

True or false. Western musicians have the choice of using twelve different tones, or notes, to create melodies.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

What is a group of notes that work together called?

• An obbligato

• A key

• A melody

• Texture

Key example questions to consider...

1) Is the song in a major or minor key?

2) Does the song modulate between major and minor keys?

3) What emotions do you associate with the major key, and what emotions do you associate with the minor key?

Key example questions to consider...

1) Is the song in a major or minor key?

2) Does the song modulate between major and minor keys?

3) What emotions do you associate with the major key, and what emotions do you associate with the minor key?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is true about inside and outside playing in jazz?

• Inside playing is typically dissonant

• Inside playing is when jazz musicians play notes outside the key

• Outside playing is typically dissonant

• Outside playing is when jazz musicians play notes inside the key

Inside vs. outside example questions to consider...

1) When does the song change from inside (mostly consonant) to outside (mostly dissonant) playing?

2) How can you tell the difference between inside and outside playing?

3) What emotions did you feel during the inside playing, and what emotions did you feel during the outside playing?

Inside vs. outside example questions to consider...

1) When does the song change from inside (mostly consonant) to outside (mostly dissonant) playing?

2) How can you tell the difference between inside and outside playing?

3) What emotions did you feel during the inside playing, and what emotions did you feel during the outside playing?

Multiple Choice

What are the notes found in between two of the twelve Western notes called?

• Green notes

• Inside notes

• Outside notes

• Blue notes

Multiple Choice

Which of the following instruments is NOT able to play a blue note, or microtone?

• Piano

• Guitar

• Brass instruments

• Vocalists

Multiple Choice

What is harmony?

• Musical pitches played simultaneously

• Vertical aspect of music

• The part of the music that provides supporting pitches for the melody

• All of the above

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is true?

• Chords are only allowed to be major or minor

• Most songs only use one type of chord

• Harmony is built traditionally on chords

Texture example questions to consider...

1) Is there a main melody or multiple melodies? Does this change?

2) Does the texture feel thick or thin? Does that ever change?

3) What is the texture (monophonic, homophonic, or polyphonic)? Does the texture ever change?

Texture example questions to consider...

1) Is there a main melody or multiple melodies? Does this change?

2) Does the texture feel thick or thin? Does that ever change?

3) What is the texture (monophonic, homophonic, or polyphonic)? Does the texture ever change?

Texture example questions to consider...

1) Is there a main melody or multiple melodies? Does this change?

2) Does the texture feel thick or thin? Does that ever change?

3) What is the texture (monophonic, homophonic, or polyphonic)? Does the texture ever change?

Texture example questions to consider...

1) Is there a main melody or multiple melodies? Does this change?

2) Does the texture feel thick or thin? Does that ever change?

3) What is the texture (monophonic, homophonic, or polyphonic)? Does the texture ever change?

Open Ended

What questions do you have about melody, harmony, and texture?