Organisation of Pitch
Organising Pitch
- Pitch defines the frequency of a sound and determines its "highness" or "lowness".
- It is a fundamental attribute of musical tones, differentiated by the vibrations per second created by the sound source.
- Organisation of pitch deals with concepts including melody, harmony, tonality and modality.
Melody
- A melody is a succession of pitches perceived as a single entity, often described as a "tune" or "song".
- Melodies are typically characterised by a specific rhythm and contour.
- Contour involves the upward and downward movement of the melody, defining whether the melody rises, falls, leaps or stays the same.
Harmony
- Harmony refers to the vertical aspect of music, considering how multiple pitches may be sounded together.
- It often refers to the chords and chord progression that underpin a melody.
- Harmonic structure can be used to heighten the emotional quality of a piece of music.
Tonality
- Tonality is the principle of organisation around a central pitched 'home' referred to as the tonic.
- Tonality can be major, minor, modal or atonal.
- The key signature of a song or piece of music reflects its tonality.
Modality
- Modality is similar to tonality, but is based on modes rather than major and minor scales.
- In modal music, the tonic remains the same but the scale or mode changes.
- Modes create different moods and were widely used in medieval and renaissance music. They have also been used in jazz and popular music.
Interdependence of Pitch Organisation
- The organisation of pitch is interdependent with other musical elements.
- Changes in pitch organisation, like shifting from a major to minor key, or introducing a new melody, often correspond with changes in other elements like rhythm, timbre or texture.
- Understanding how changes in pitch organisation interact with other musical elements provides insight into a piece's structure and expressive qualities.