Making Musical Decisions Chapter 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 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 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: Activity 16, p. 164 CD 5:17 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 Conductor “felt”time Harmony Minor scale 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 Rubato Symphony Theme and variations 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 Incorporate all seven tones of the scale

More terms Transcriptions Pipa Root Octave displacements 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? The key Tempo Rhythm Meter Texture Timbre Melody Harmony Style

Explain the difference among composing, arranging, and transcribing 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