Making Musical DecisionsChapter 7

What You Will Learn

Identify the musical elements composers use to create

Describe the distinction between composers and arrangers

Explain the musical form of theme and variations

List the responsibilities of the conductor

Terms Minor scale Symphony “felt” time Arranger Transcriptions Theme and variations Harmony Primary chords Conductor Rubato

Musician Profiles

Bright Sheng

Marin Alsop

Music Compositions: Integrating Musical

Elements Composing music involves making decisions Decisions involve the base building blocks of

music› Form

Structure and design of a composition› Melody

Intentionally organized succession of musical tones› Timbre

Distinct tonal quality› Rhythm

Combinations of long and short sounds

Musical decisions about form

Form:› The structure and design of a composition,

incorporating repetition, contrast, unity, and variety

› It gives shape and direction› 12 bar blues – three lines of lyrics in AAB

form Activity 1, p. 147 CD 4:35

› “Rock Around the Clock” Bill Haley and His Comets

Musicals decisions about melody

Melodies may be flowing or angular, narrow or wide, short or long

Melodies are almost always built on a musical scale

Minor scale:› A sequence of eight pitches built on the

pattern of one whole step, one half step, two whole steps, one half step, and two whole steps

› Singing a major scale from LA to LA instead of DO to DO gives the relative minor scale

Activity 2, p. 148 CD 5:1

Symphony No. 1 in D Minor by Gustav Mahler› Used the tune Frere Jacques in the third

movement Symphony:

› An extended work for orchestra with several contrasting movements

Activity 3 p. 149 CD 5:2 TRB 7-3

“I Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good” by Duke Ellington sung by Sarah Vaughan

Octave displacement: › Melodic intervals that jump up or

down from the original octave How would you describe the

emotional affect of accentuating the words “treats me” in this way?

What does this do to accentuate the words “treats me”?

Musical decisions about timbre

Composers choose from a palette of colors(tone color) or timbre

Some composers use conventional instruments in unconventional ways› Tuned differently› Played differently› Manipulated sound› Using timbres from non-Western cultures

Some composers use unconventional instruments – found instruments

Bright Sheng (b. 1955) Born in Shanghai, China Sutdied piano

› Was discovered by Chairman Mao’s wife and allowed to continue studying

Moved to New York and studied with Leonard Bernstein

In 2001 he won the MacArthur foundation Fellowship(genius grant)

Under the grant he composed his opera Madame Mao – the story of Chairman Mao’s wife, who was one of the leaders of China’s cultural revolution

Activity 4, p. 150 CD 5:3

Tibetan Dance by Bright Sheng› You’ll hear the pipa (Chinese lute) and

the cello

› How does the pipa give the piece a dance like feeling?

› Beyond the timbre itself, can you identify any musical elements that sound unusual to your ears?

Activity 5 p. 151 Compose a rhythm score Select 4 different timbres from rhythm

instruments Compose a short 8 bar piece that you

can play with several classmates As you create, answer these questions

› How will you provide musical unity and variety?

› Make a list of all the musical decisions you must make.

Musical decisions about rhythm

Felt time:› An aspect of music that controls the listener’s

sense of how much time has passed Activity 6, p. 152 CD 5:4-5

› Adagio for Strings› “Badinerie” from Orchestral Suite No. 2

Which words characterize both selections? Which piece of music feels longer? Why?

Assignment

Choose one of the musical elements: form, melody, timbre, or rhythm

Create a list of decisions that composers have to make about the assigned musical element.

The decision making skills of the arranger

Composers arrange all the elements of music when creating a work

Arranger:› A musician who reworks existing musical

material› Adapts a composition written for one

performing medium to another› Recomposes a work to suit different

circumstances

Arranging jazz instrumentals

Jazz songs written to be sung with lyrics are commonly arranged as purely instrumental tunes› Sometimes the lyrics are dropped and the

part is assigned to an instrument› Arrangers make artistic choices and can be

just as creative as composers

Activity 8, p. 153 CD 5:6-8 “What’s New” by Johnny Burke and Bob Haggart in 1939

Compare the role of the voice in the Benny Goodman version with that in the arrangement sung by Billie Holiday› Goodman – the voice is secondary to the clarinet and instrumental

improvisations› Holiday – the voice is the primary focal point

Even when there is no singer, as heard in the version performed by J.J. Johnson, can you match the lyrics with the melody?

How did each of the arrangers differ in their approach to the piece› Goodman- it’s for big band with vocalist, featured clarinet slower› Johnson – slower and sadder, arranged for 4-piece combo› Holiday – voice and story are primary with small combo

Were they equally effective in expressing the mood? Which arrangement do you like better? Why?

Activity 9, p. 154 CD 5:9 “Sing, Sing, Sing” by Benny Goodman Arranged by William T. McDaniel Jr.

Have you heard this piece before, played in a different arrangement?

Do you recognize the main melody that begins right after the introduction?

In what order did McDaniel choose to have each group of instruments enter the arrangement?› The instruments enter from low to high, brass and percussion only:

drums, then sousaphones, baritones, and trombones, and last, flugelhorns, and trumpets

The long drum solo was originally played by one person on a trap set. Estimate how many marching band percussionists perform the solo in this arrangement?› 24 total – 12 snare, 4 bass, 4 cymbals, 4 quad toms

What is the overall purpose of this musical arrangement?

Transcribing music

The artistic involvement of the arranger can vary› The exact notes of the composer are

rescored for any combination of instruments or voices

› Transcriptions: Arrangements of music transferred from

medium to another

Activity 10, p. 155 CD 5:10-11

Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C Major by J.S. Bach for organ

Band arrangement by John P. Paynter

How does the arrangement for band differ from the organ original› The band arrangement has more instrumental colors, a

greater variety of timbres Which do you think is musical more effective?

Why? Is it likely that you would typically hear both the

original and the transcription in the same setting? Why or why not?

Theme and Variations

Composers extend a musical idea through subtle and obvious changes

Sometimes it is hard to recognize the theme(melody)

Composers present a theme in many ways

The theme can be original or borrowed

Theme and variations A musical form in which a melodic idea is stated

then varied in a succession of statements The theme can be

› Ornamented › Tempo altered› Harmony changed› Texture transformed› New rhythm› Played backwards or upside down

Activity 11, p. 157 CD 5:12› “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye”

Activity 12, p. 157 CD 5:13 TRB 7-8› American Salute by Morton Gould

Using harmony to create variations

Harmony:› Vertical blocks of different tones that sound

simultaneously Primary chords:

› Harmony built on the first, fourth, and fifth degrees of the scale

› The root is the tone on which the chord is built› All notes in the scale can be harmonized by one

of these chords› Most song begin on the I chord or tonic› The V7 chord likes to move to the I chord

Converting the Classics for Popular Appeal

Using an existing musical idea requires many informed musical decisions

Learning to hear a mix of styles› John Lewis (1920-2001), pianist and

founder of the Modern Jazz Quartet Made an album called “One Diamond”

showing subtle changes in style He transforms J.S. Bach’s Prelude No.

16 in G minor, from the 18th century into a contemporary jazz piece

Activity 13, p. 160 CD 5:14

“One Diamond” by John Lewis

Describe the two styles you heard How did you know that a change in

style had occurred?

Finding Inspiration in the Classics

Many great composers use earlier works when writing later works› J.S. Bach and George Frideric

Handel › Eric Carmen’s song, “All by Myself”

uses the main theme of Sergi Rachmaninoff’s 1901 Second Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (opus 18)

Activity 14, p. 161 CD 5:15-16

Compare Rachmanioff’s Piano Concert No. 2 with Eric Carmen’s “All By Myself,” performed in Spanish by Celine Dion

What orchestral instrument plays the main theme that Carmen borrowed?› Clarinet

Why would the style of “romantic” music be appropriate for both pieces

In reference to these two pieces, how would you describe the way music is able to express and touch our feelings?

Can it do so even if you don’t understand the lyrics in Spanish?

Would you say the musical link between these pieces is close or remote? Why?

Musical Decisions in Performing for Others

Conductor:› The director of an orchestra, choir, or other performing group› The roles and skills of a conductor

Must know the music well enough to detect an error by a single musician

Select the music Rehearse the musicians Maintain the beat Facilitate the performers interpretation of the music Make musical decisions regarding expressive matters Give visual cues to the performers Conduction requires technique and an excellent sense of rhythm They indicate the beat and meter with specific conducting

patterns› Activity 15, p. 163 CD 5: 13 & 1

Playing with the tempo

Rubato:› The free treatment of tempo within a

musical phrase Activity 16, p. 164 CD 5:17

› “Blue Danube Waltz” by Johann Strauss II

Marin Alsop (b. 1956)

Female conductor Conducting has been dominated by

men Marin Alsop helped to change that Born and raised in New York City Parents were professional musicians Main instrument in violin Was inspired by Leonard Bernstein Won the Barrier Breaker Award

Activity 17, p. 165 CD 5:18

“On the Waterfront” by Leonard Bernstein

Conducted by Marin Alsop

Will your beat pattern be in three or four?

Why does it seem difficult to find beat 1

Review - terms Arranger

› A musician who reworks existing musical material Conductor

› The director of an orchestra, choir, or other performing group

“felt”time› An aspect of music that controls the listener’s sense of how

much time has passed Harmony

› Vertical blocks of different tones that sound simultaneously Minor scale

› A sequence of 8 pitches built on the pattern of one whole step, one half step, two whole steps, one half step and two whole steps

More terms Primary chords

› Harmonies built on the 1st, 4th, and 5th degrees of the scale

Rubato› The free treatment of tempo within a musical phrase

Symphony› An extended work for orchestra with several

contrasting movements Theme and variations

› A musical form in which a melodic idea is stated then varied in a succession of statements

Primary chords› Incorporate all seven tones of the scale

More terms Transcriptions

› Arrangements of music transferred from one medium to another

Pipa› Chinese lute

Root› The tone on which a chord is built

Octave displacements› Melodic intervals that jump up or down from the

original octave Singing any major scale from LA to LA instead of

DO to DO › Relative minor scale

Who did what? Won the “Barrier Breaker Award”

› Marin Alsop Composed the “Blue Danube Waltz”

› Johann Strauss II Transformed an 18th century work into “One

Diamond”› John Lewis

Used the pipa in classical compositions to bridge the gap between Western and Eastern cultures› Bright Sheng

Wrote “I Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good”› Duke Ellington

Who wrote what? Created an orchestration of the “Frere

Jacques” theme› Gustav Mahler

Composed Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C Major› Johann Sebastian Bach

Pianist and founder of the Modern Jazz Quartet › John Lewis

Recorded “I Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good”› Sarah Vaughn

Composed Piano Concerto No. 2› Sergi Rachmaninoff

Wrote “All By Myself” inspired by Rachmaninoff’s Piano concerto No. 2› Eric Carmen

Wrote Sing, Sing, Sing› Benny Goodman

Wrote “American Salute” for orchestra and transcribed it for band› Morton Gould

Composed Adagio for Strings› Samuel Barber

On what chord do most melodies begin and end?› I chord

What are some ways a composer can change a theme into a variation?› Change:

The key Tempo Rhythm Meter Texture Timbre Melody Harmony Style

Explain the difference among composing, arranging, and transcribing› Composing

A composer creates a totally new piece› Arranging

An arranger manipulates notes, harmonies, rhythms, and other musical elements in a n existing composition

› Transcribing A transcriber assigns the music to a different

set of players or singers, changing the medium of the music, but not the arrangement of the material