Lecture 4. Rhythm: Jazz, Pop and Classical
TLDRThe professor analyzes musical techniques including sound waves, rhythm, tempo, syncopation, and texture while engaging the students to sing, tap beats, and take rhythmic dictation. He discusses Mozart's incredible musical memory, Louis Armstrong's free jazz counterpoint, and the story behind Mozart's powerful last musical work - the Requiem Mass. Throughout the lecture, musical examples illustrate concepts about melody, harmony, dissonance, and text painting. The professor aims to impart analytical listening skills to recognize important musical elements.
Takeaways
- 😀 Explains the concept of musical sound containing a fundamental pitch plus additional small amounts of other pitches called overtones
- 😯 Gives examples of Mozart's incredible musical memory and how he could remember and reproduce complex musical pieces after hearing them just once
- 😀 Defines musical texture as the arrangement of different musical lines, categorizing textures as monophonic, homophonic or polyphonic
- 👂🏻 Demonstrates syncopation and triplets as important rhythmic devices in music
- 😃 Shows how to count musical measures to understand musical phrases and syntax
- 😮 Highlights vivid imagery of heaven and hell depicted through musical techniques like register, rhythm, consonance/dissonance in Mozart's Requiem
- 🎶 Analyzes rhythmic and melodic aspects of excerpts from various classical and jazz compositions
- 👍 Emphasizes the importance of dictation and writing down musical motifs to improve musical memory
- 🎵 Traces the musical lineage from Mozart to his student Süssmayr who completed Mozart's unfinished Requiem after his death
- 🕺 Closes by contrasting the somber Requiem with the joyful jazz of Louis Armstrong as dancing to heaven
Q & A
What is syncopation in music?
-Syncopation is the insertion of a musical 'hit' or impulse at an unexpected metrical place, usually off the beat. This gives music a snappy or jazzy quality.
What instrument did Louis Armstrong play?
-Louis Armstrong was famous for his trumpet playing. He had a big, rich trumpet sound that was very recognizable.
What is a musical triplet?
-A triplet is when three notes are played in the space of two beats. It subdivides the beat into three instead of the usual two.
What are the three fundamental musical textures?
-The three main musical textures are: 1) monophonic - single melodic line, 2) homophonic - melody over chordal accompaniment, and 3) polyphonic - multiple independent melodic lines.
What is musical counterpoint?
-Counterpoint refers to polyphonic texture where multiple melodic lines sound together. The lines can be independent (free counterpoint) or imitative of each other.
What is the meter of the piece 'Willie the Weeper'?
-The piece is in duple meter, meaning each measure divides into two main beats.
What is depicted in the 'Confutatis Maledictis' from Mozart's Requiem?
-This movement musically depicts 'the damned' with fast rising lines in the bass, dissonant harmonies, and minor mode.
What happens at the words 'Pie Jesu' in the Lacrimosa?
-On these words the music modulates from minor to major harmony, reflecting the textual meaning.
Who finished writing Mozart's Requiem after he died?
-Mozart's student Franz Xaver Suessmayr completed the Requiem based on the composer's sketches and instructions.
What is the premise for trying to write down music from dictation?
-Being able to accurately notate rhythms and melodies from dictation indicates clear musical hearing and supports better memory of the music.
Outlines
🎵 Introducing rhythm exercises and warm-ups
The professor introduces some rhythm exercises and warm-ups to explore duple and triple meters. Lynda Paul leads the class in marching to the beat in duple meter and stepping in triple meter. This serves as a transition into discussing concepts like sound, beat, rhythm, tempo, and syncopation.
📝 Reviewing musical concepts and terms
The professor reviews key concepts covered previously, including beat, meter, rhythm, tempo, ritardando, and syncopation. There is discussion around a syncopated clothing jingle, Scott Joplin's syncopated ragtime music, and examples of accelerando and ritardando.
👐 Practicing syncopation
The class practices tapping out syncopated rhythms, with the left hand tapping regular duple meter and the right hand tapping syncopated triple meter. This demonstrates the musical technique of polyrhythm.
🎶 Distinguishing musical textures
The professor distinguishes between monophonic, homophonic, and polyphonic musical textures. The class sings "Amazing Grace" to exemplify each - single melody line, block harmonies, and independent melodies.
❓ Recognizing imitative polyphony
Continuing the polyphonic texture discussion, imitative polyphony is explained as one melody being sequenced between parts. Bach's inversion techniques are noted. Free counterpoint in jazz is also explored.
📝 Practicing rhythmic dictation
To work on musical memory, the importance of being able to notate rhythms is emphasized. As an exercise, the class writes down the rhythm of the opening of Mussorgsky's "Great Gate of Kiev" after hearing it performed.
🎻 Identifying musical techniques
More sections of Mussorgsky are played, and students are asked to identify the note values, tempi, string techniques, and rhythmic devices used. This develops familiarity with aspects like sixteenth notes, triplet figures, tremolo, and tempo changes.
🎵 Introducing Mozart's Requiem
As a transition to Mozart's Requiem, the form of the mass and specifically the Dies Irae sequence are explained. The separation of the damned and the blessed in medieval art is connected to Mozart's musical separation of these groups.
🤝 Analyzing text painting
In the Confutatis and Lacrimosa movements of Mozart's Requiem, his text painting techniques to musically distinguish the damned and the blessed are analyzed, including register, rhythm, consonance/dissonance, and mode.
😢 Discussing Mozart's death
The Lacrimosa is noted as the last music Mozart wrote before his unexpected death. His student Süssmayr's role in completing the Requiem is discussed. Musical features symbolizing death like the funeral cortege motive are explored as the Lacrimosa is listened to in full.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡pitch
💡meter
💡syncopation
💡texture
💡phrase
💡counterpoint
💡dictation
💡Requiem
💡aural
💡syntax
Highlights
Musical texture is the dispositions of the musical lines, like threads woven in a tapestry.
Syncopation is the insertion of a musical impulse at an unexpected metrical place, usually off the beat, giving the music a jazzy, snappy quality.
A triplet rhythm divides the beat into three notes instead of the usual two, creating complex rhythmic interplay between parts.
Counting measures trains musicians to recognize musical phrases and syntax by tracking beat groupings over time.
Writing down simple rhythms helps memorize salient musical events like instruments and rhythmic motifs.
The timbre or tone color of instruments comes from the mix and strength of overtones overlaying the fundamental pitch.
The Requiem Mass sets vivid Apocalypse imagery to depict divine judgment, with Mozart contrasting the rhythm and register of the damned and the blessed.
Mozart uses rising soprano lines to dramatically depict the resurrection text “Qua resurget ex favilla.”
Mozart shifts briefly from minor to major on the word “Jesu” to create a sweet, prayerful effect amidst the broader funeral cortege.
Jazz pioneer Louis Armstrong played bold, in-your-face trumpet solos with a signature huge, rich sound.
Early New Orleans jazz was transmitted and taught aurally without written music, capturing infectious, happy energy.
Mozart had an astounding capacity to perfectly memorize and reproduce complex music after hearing it just once.
The last music Mozart wrote before his early death was the final Lacrimosa movement of his own unfinished Requiem Mass.
Mozart's student Franz Xaver Süssmayr finished the Requiem after getting instructions and sketches from Mozart.
The Requiem begins with a solemn funeral cortege rhythm in the basses, symbolizing the casket and procession.
Transcripts
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