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Music Question Thread
angewina_naguen:
--- Quote from: svnflower on June 26, 2020, 05:52:09 pm --- :) Hello,
How do I distinguish between a theme and a motif?
Also, what do I look out for when the question asks for "treatment of thematic material"?
Thanks in advance!
--- End quote ---
Hey, svnflower!
Good question :D A motif is a musical phrase that recurs throughout a piece of music. A theme is also a type of motif but it is usually longer in length (not a hard rule but it's usually a clear phrase) and serves a key role in the music (usually developed, repeated, transformed etc.). If you have a listen to the second movement of Haydn's Symphony No.94, it has a themes and variations form. You have the theme first played through and then different versions of it (off the top of my head, there's a minor version, one with a counter melody in the violins and a semiquaver variation in no particular order).
Whenever you have a question on the "treatment of thematic material", you should firstly identify what the theme or themes of the work are. Your next aim is to trace it in the structure of the music and how it appears each time. Ask yourself whether it is a direct repetition or if it has been transformed or developed in some way. Some examples include having it played on a different instrument, having a slower tempo, being varied with staccato and so forth. Your final point in the response should be on how the treatment of the thematic material creates unity, contrast, variety and/or interest in the work (depending on the question you get) for the listener. Hope that helps! :)
Angelina ;D
svnflower:
Hi!!
I often look out for accidentals but still have trouble identifying the tonality and modulations that occur in a piece. Are there any tips and tricks to identifying the key?
angewina_naguen:
--- Quote from: svnflower on August 01, 2020, 01:05:38 pm ---Hi!!
I often look out for accidentals but still have trouble identifying the tonality and modulations that occur in a piece. Are there any tips and tricks to identifying the key?
--- End quote ---
Hey, svnflower!
Knowing your key signatures (and whether it changes at any point in the music) is really crucial in figuring out what the key is. If you can identify what the two possible keys are, you can narrow it down and figure out which one it is based on the aural excerpt you have been provided (does it sound "happy or sad"?) OR to look at the starting or ending note (musical works typically start or end with the tonic so if you see a key signature with 4 sharps and C# minor is the beginning, ending or feels like the "home" note, it's more than likely in C# minor). This diagram that I found in Britannica can help you memorise the different key signatures! You can practise this by sight-reading scores and trying to identify what key it is in. You can also tell when there's been a modulation if the score itself has marked that there is a new key signature or if there have been consistent accidentals that suggest a different key. For example, you might be in F major but you start to see E flats being used and more leading note-tonic action so perhaps your new key area might be B flat major instead :)
There are also always exceptions. The composer might try to destabilise any sense of tonality and go from atonality instead. In this situation, you would need to mention in your response that although there is a certain key signature provided, the use of other accidentals that are used in the music might be there to play around with the perception of a clear tonality. If none of this makes sense, feel free to ask follow up questions because it's all super complex but hopefully that helps in some way!
Angelina ;D
svnflower:
110% makes sense, I'll examine more scores using your advicee. Thankyou so much!!
I've got a few more questions--
With a question like "How have the concepts of music been manipulated", is this simply asking for a discussion and analysis of the music concepts in our chosen piece?
Also, what do the plus signs, circles above the notes and the i's and j's below the notes indicate? (in the attachment)
angewina_naguen:
--- Quote from: svnflower on August 01, 2020, 04:51:58 pm ---110% makes sense, I'll examine more scores using your advicee. Thankyou so much!!
I've got a few more questions--
With a question like "How have the concepts of music been manipulated", is this simply asking for a discussion and analysis of the music concepts in our chosen piece?
Also, what do the plus signs, circles above the notes and the i's and j's below the notes indicate? (in the attachment)
--- End quote ---
Hey again!
That's exactly what you need to do for a question asking more generally about the concepts of music. To structure your response, you might want to look at two concepts per body paragraph and how they work together in the piece. For example, you might pair up texture with pitch since you can talk about the layers of music and how range/register shapes the motion of parts involved in it. As another example, you could combine dynamic and expressive techniques with tone colour in a discussion since they usually affect one another. This can help you have some more structure and integrate the concepts, rather than just listing how each concept operates in the piece in a long list of a response.
As for those symbols, I believe the plus signs and circles are marked for when horned instruments use the plunger. The plus signs are for when the player presses the plunger and circles indicate for the player to lift it. Any symbols like these mean different things depending on the instrument and when the composition was made. For example, the circle sign usually means in contemporary music for strings to play natural harmonics and in Baroque music, the plus sign often suggests a trill. If you are ever unsure, you can refer to them in your responses as "extended techniques" and/or describe the sound quality to the best of your ability :) Hope that helps!
Angelina ;D
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