BAND NOTES2013-14

Musical Eras Ancient – BC-500AD Medieval – 500-1400 Renaissance – 1400-1600 Baroque – 1600-1750 Classical – 1750-1820 Romantic – 1820-1900 Modern – 1900-present

Musical Eras Ancient BC – 500AD

Highly developed Greeks, Romans Far East, Africa, Americas, Native Australia Modes came from ancient music No official written record so little is proven

about characteristics but we know it existed Composers unknown

Musical Eras Medieval 500-1400

Most music occurred in churches, monasteries – Sacred music

First written records of music and notation Gregorian chant Almost all vocal, few instruments Single lines, monophony Gneumes Texts were mostly Latin Composers – Hildegard von Bingen, Leonin,

Perotin

Musical Eras Renaissance 1400-1600

Repetition Court music Sacred and Secular music Instruments in small groups Polyphony Melody and accompaniment Composers – Palestrina, Josquin, William Byrd,

Thomas Tallis

Musical Eras Baroque 1600-1750

Highly ornamented Repetition Larger groups of instruments (still small) Oratorios Cantatas Fugues Figured Bass and improvisation Concertos for solo instruments with

accompaniment Composers – J.S. Bach, Antonio Vivaldi

Musical Eras Classical 1750-1820

More complicated harmonies More complicated forms First symphony – Haydn The beginning of orchestras as we know them

today Opera Composers – Mozart, Haydn

Musical Eras Romantic 1820-1900

Large ensembles and orchestras Symphony form perfected and elongated Dramatic music in terms of volume and style Music that tells a story Complicated harmonies, forms, use of

chromaticism and dissonance Beethoven – 9 symphonies Tchaikovsky Wagner Brahms

Musical Eras Modern 1900- present

Complicated rhythms Atonal harmonies Mixed meters Folk music Nationalism Composers – Bernstein, Copland, Stravinsky,

Holst, Gershwin, Debussy

Enharmonics Notes that sound the same but are

spelled differently Example – C# = Db Write down all the other enharmonics Half steps between white keys on the

keyboard Between E and F Between B and C

Instrument Keys Concert Pitch or C – flute, oboe, bassoon,

trombone, euphonium, tuba, percussion, piano

Bb – Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Tenor Sax, Trumpet

Eb – Alto Sax, Bari Sax F – English Horn, French Horn

Order of sharps F, C, G, D, A, E B

Order of flats Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb

Key Signatures Sharps – look at the last sharp (the one

furthest to the right) and go up one Example - 2 sharps F and C = key of D

Flats – look at the flat before the last flat Example – 3 flats Bb, Eb, and Ab = key of Eb

Triads CEG GBD DFA ACE EGB BDF FAC

Triads/Chords Major Triad – 1, 3, 5 Augmented – 1, 3, raised 5 Minor Triad - 1, lowered 3, 5 Diminished Triad – 1 , lowered 3, lowered

5

Melodies Conjunct – smooth, movement by step Disjunct – skips and leaps, not smooth Major Minor

Minor Scales Two types

Relative – share key signature Parallel – share starting and ending notes

Three forms Natural – same as key signature Harmonic – raise the 7th note Melodic – raise the 6th and 7th ascending and

lower the 6th and 7th descending (natural form descending)

Musical Expression Ascending notes crescendo Descending notes decrescendo Short to long Weak to strong Long notes must have shape Melody must always be heard Background parts must have shape

Syncopation Rhythmic emphasis on the upbeat as

opposed to the downbeat

Recapitulation Re-statement of the main theme usually

following a development section

Form How music is organized

Overture ABA – ternary AB – binary Sonata AABA