The Components of Music: Part One

Good morning, musicians!

I'm back to giving piano lessons to children and adults this year. I have some amazing students who really enjoy playing songs from Disney movies. Then there are music games to be enjoyed within the half an hour lesson. Lots of theory is covered in a 45-minute lesson as well.

I thought I would cover a great subject today, like music components in three parts. Here we go!

The Components Of Music

Rhythm

What is it that causes you to tap your feet or sway as you listen to some kinds of music? All music has rhythm. The rhythms of music consist of sounds and silences of various lengths. One component of rhythm is a strong pulse or regular accent.

The strong pulse of music helps people move together. For example, the LEFT-right, LEFT-right feeling of a march is created by a regular accent.

Sight Reading & Rhythm Every day

• Meter in Music

Meter is the pattern of beats by which a piece of music is measured. The meter signature is merely a way of showing this pattern. 2/4 meter signature is an example of a duple meter (2 beats to a measure with the quarter note receiving 1 beat).

Strong pulse in music divides beats into groups of 2's and 3's, and combinations of such groups. This grouping of beats is called meter. In written music, a bar line is placed before normally strong beats. Bar lines group beats into measures. A meter signature shows what the grouping in each measure will be.

2/4 = 2 beats per measure. A quarter note gets 1 count.
3/4 = 3 beats per measure. A quarter note gets 1 count.
4/4 = 4 beats per measure. A quarter note gets 1 count.

2/4 is an example of duple meter. If the meter signature were 3/8 it would be a triple meter (3 beats per measure with the eighth note receiving 1 count). In the case of 5/4, it would be an irregular meter (5 beats to a measure). In order to mark off these metric groupings, bar lines are used.

• Changing Meter

A changing meter can make a melody seem to have more freedom. 

• Irregular Meter

Most of the music you hear has a regular meter throughout the whole piece.

4/4     2/2    3/4

But sometimes music has an irregular meter. Irregular meter adds interest to music.

One of the most familiar meters in music is 3/4, or triple meter. This means that there are three metric beats in each measure. This meter is often referred to as "waltz time," because the waltz step is danced in triple meter.

• Syncopated Rhythm

Some music has a syncopated rhythm. This means that accents in the music fall on notes that are not normally accented. Syncopation helps to make music more exciting. Syncopation is usually not identified by accent marks. The music is arranged so that the accents will fall in unusual places.

When the normal pulse of meter and rhythm is deliberately changed, syncopation occurs. Syncopation can be created in a number of ways: by shifting the accent to what are normally weak beats of a measure; by holding on over strong beats; by using rests on strong beats. In normal usage, syncopation occurs in one part only while the other parts stress the normal pulse of the meter. So, ties, short-long note patterns, and rests are ways of creating syncopation.

• Triplets

The small 3 above a group of notes tells that the three notes are played in the same amount of time that two of the same notes normally receive. These groups of three notes are called triplets.

• Music without Meter

"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" is an example of early church music. This was the most important type of music during the early Middle Ages (600 - 1000 A.D.). At that time, the written music contained a little indication of rhythm. It is a thought that the melodies took their rhythm from the rhythm of the words. In this kind of music, there is no metric beat.

Piano teachers and homeschool moms may want to purchase Music for Little Mozarts--Rhythm Speller. It's a fun book for beginners at the piano. For more intermediate to advanced players, you may want to look at Easy Latin Standards.

It feels so good to be back writing and sharing with you. May you be encouraged to share your musical, creative gifts right where you are.

Blessings,

-- LadyD

 "The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

Ten Tips For Piano Players

Tips for Piano Players

1.    Piano Practice

Practice Tips

2.    Ear Training

Ear-Training Article

3.    Sight Reading

Sight-Reading-Practice-Tips

4.    Chord Construction

Constructing-Simple-Chords

5. Chord Recognition

How-to-Form-Chords

5.    Pedal Practice

Damper-Pedal-Practice

6.    Suspended Chords

How-to-Play-Suspended-Chords

7.    Rhythm Workshop

Workshop-of-Rhythm

8.    Diatonic Harmony

Diatonic-Harmony-To-The-Musician

9.    Chord Voicings

The-Art-of-Piano-Chord-Voicings

10. Harmonize The Melody

How-Do-I-Harmonize-These-Melodies

Let's talk a little about some of these points...

#7 Rhythm:

You can hear and play rhythm patterns into different groups, like rhythm & blues, jazz, rock, dance patterns, marches, waltzes, swing, discos, ballads, gospel, bossa-novas and more. Practicing complex rhythms is indeed challenging. Learning how eight notes and dotted quarter notes relate and sound in one measure. Duane Shinn discovered how to establish a baseline in his left hand.

#6 Suspended

Suspensions (sus) are chords in which the 4th degree of the scale takes the place of the 3rd degree.

Example:

Csus = CFG and C7sus = CFGBb

Gsus = GCD and G7sus = GCDF

You’ll find suspended chords to Jesus Mighty God and a Tom Petty song at an earlier post of mine, how-to-play-suspended-chords

Duane illustrates these examples very well, suspensions

Example of suspended Chords:

Amazing Love by Hillsong

Intro: (D/F# G2 Asus A)

D/F#   G2           Asus        A     
I’m forgiven, because you were forsaken
D/F#   G2          Asus         A
I’m accepted, you were condemned
D/F#   G2          Asus         A
I’m alive and well, your spirit is within me
G2          A             D
Because you died and rose again
[ Tab from: http://www.guitaretab.com/h/hillsong/255499.html ]
Chorus:
D2		      G2
Amazing love, how can it be
D2                    Asus     A
That you my king would die for me
D2               G2
Amazing love, I know its true
D2 	      Asus    A
Its my joy to honour you

G                 A    D2
In all I do I honour you

Bridge:
D    D2    D  D2
You are my king, you are my king
D    D2    D  D2         D       D2    D
Jesus, you are my king, Jesus, you are my king

#5 Chords... So many to know.

major chords

  

  minor chords

  

  diminished chords

  

  augmented chords

6th chords

minor 6th chords

7th chords

minor 7th chords

7th with aug 5th chords

7th with flat 5th chords

minor 7th with flat fifth chords

diminished 7th chords

major 7th chords

major 7th chords with aug 5th

major 7th chords with flat 5th

major 7th chords with flat 3rd and flat 5th

major 7th chords with flat 3rd and sharp 5th

9th chords with all their variations (flat 5th, maj 7, etc.)

11th chords

13th chords

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"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

Related articles

• Play Diminished 7th, Half Diminished 7th Chords
• Let Everything: Kim Gentes
• How To Play Auld Lang Syne
• The 9th Chord

How To Play Triplets Against Eighth Notes

India Eighth notes and rest (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Beginner's Corner

Each quarter note can be divided into two equal eighth notes or four equal sixteenth notes.

Sometimes composers want to put three equal notes into a quarter note. This is called a triplet. Triplets are three equal notes that fit into the amount of time usually takne up by one quarter note or two eighth notes.

Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata has many triplets in one measure of music.

Try this clapping exercise:
1. Turn on the metronome to a slow beat, quarter note = 60.
2. Clap just the beat.
3. Listen and feel the beat in your head.
4. Then clap 3 times for each tick of the metronome.
5. Triplets all need to be the same length. Say a 3-syllable word like straw-ber-ry or can-ta-loupe as you clap. Each part of the word is part of the triplet.

 Intermediate Corner

How To Play Triplets Against Eighth Notes

Have you seen music where one hand has triplets while the other plays eighth notes? This can be a bit tricky at first. It is a bit like patting your head and rubbing your tummy. You are doing two different things at once.

The trick to playing two notes in one hand against three notes in the other is that none of the notes within the beat will line up together; except for the first note.

In one hand you'll have to fit two equal notes into each beat, while the other will have to fit three equal notes in the same amount of time. It may sound like the two hands are not exactly in-synch or together.

Follow These Steps

1. First clap triplets and eighths. Work until you can change easily from one to the other. Use a metronome to check that you have a steady beat. Feel how the groups of two and three fit into the beat.

2. Play a scale with a metronome. Play eighth notes going up (1 eighth to a note of the scale) and triplets coming down. Then switch and play triplets going up and eighths coming down.

3. Play each hand's part separately. Switch back and forth between the two like you did with the clapping.

4. Divide the beat into six equal parts. The eighth notes will fall on the first and third beats of the six. The triplets will be played on the first, third, and fifth note in the group of six. As a result the second eighth note comes right after the second triplet. At first, you might have to count to six each time you play both hands, placing each eighth note and each triplet in the correct spot. This will get easier with time and practice, and soon you will start hearing where each note falls within the beat, without having to work so hard.

Advanced Corner

I'll be posting part two real soon on more rhythm stuff. I hope you'll check out part one, Where's The Beat?

So, for sure you'll want to keep up with your Hanon Exercises

Here's more valuable resources to research:

Hanon - Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises - Complete: Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics

 Blues Hanon

 Jazz Hanon

 Junior Hanon

Breakdancers Buy From Art.com

All the best,

 



"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

Related articles

• Where's the Beat? (Part One)
• Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay
• What Makes Hand Coordination Better?

Friday Freebie: Rhythm Printables

English: Created by Hyacinth (talk) using Sibelius 5. See: :File:Additive_rhythm.mid Category:Music images Category:Monochrome images (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You will find many wonderful online music teachers with fabulous teaching blogs. They offer many free printables for teachers and home use.  In this post, I plan to feature a few because there's just way to many to choose from. I hope you enjoy and can use these music resources.

Rhythm Worksheets

 Worksheets available for all level. Visit Susan's blog at:
 Susan Paradis



 Rhythm Flash Cards

I use all types of flash cards to reinforce learning of music symbols, notes, rests, etc. I'm a huge fan!
Layton Music
 

Rhythm Assessments 

Beth's Music Notes 

Frog and Tadpole Rhythm Cards for Youngsters. I've used these with my Kindergarten Music Class.

Beat Boppers

Rhythm Games

Sheryl Welles Blog

Free Clip Art: Notes and Rests

abc teach.com

Beth's Music Notes

Rhythm Blocks
http://abbottmusic.blogspot.com

Rhythm Concepts
http://alishagabriel.com/

How would you like to improve your improvising, sight reading, piano accompaniment, and other piano playing skills?
Sign up for our free piano tutorials now!
http://www.learnpianotechnique.com

 







"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

Related articles

• Friday Freebie: Piano Scales
• Friday Freebie: Sheet Music For Piano
• Friday Freebie: Music and Apps
• Friday Freebie: Memorizing Music
• Friday Freebie: Take Five

How To Play The Piano Without Sheet Music

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cornelluniversitylibrary

I wrote an article and you can read it in its entirety below. I just finished looking through a music book I found at our local library and wanted to share this short blurb with you.

"If you memorize, go ahead and test out the strength of your memory. Most performers will tell you that a memory slip is at the top on their lists of things they want to avoid. Play your memorized pieces for anyone who will listen, and play in different places and on different pianos. Play the music a bit slower and a bit faster than you plan to play in the performance. If you find some weak spots, give them a little extra attention before the big gig."-- From Piano for Dummies

 What I've learned about memorizing music.

Looking for tips on how to memorize music? Playing without sheet music is possible. Here are my own challenges and triumphs.

A group of us musicians were asked to play for an outdoor event at an amphitheater right by the ocean. The morning began with a huge downpour and we were frantically drying wet music scores with a hair dryer. Needless to say, it was quite challenging. What did I personally learn from the experience? Memorize your music! Yes, you can insert sheet music in plastic sleeves and that would be one way to succeed. However, it's fun just to go to Guitar Center and play a few memorized tunes in front of anyone who will listen.

1. So, why memorize music?

Playing without sheet music is very liberating.
Of course there's no need to memorize music if you don't want to. As a musician, I choose to memorize to avoid uncomfortable situations like music blowing off my stand when playing outdoors. Especially performing a night gig and the light bulb goes out on your music stand, surrounded by total darkness in the orchestra pit.

If you have been doing your homework during your practice sessions and you are familiar with the set of music, then you're not locked in to reading just the music notes with having to turn pages as well.
You will soon discover new ways of music flowing since you're eager to play without music.

2. Steps to help you memorize music.

If you're playing boogie blues or rock and roll, learn the various left hand patterns in the 12 bar blues form. Notice a couple of phrases and see if the second phrase answers the first.
When I'm reviewing a song, let's say it's a ballad, I first determine the keynote and play around and find the melody in that particular key.

If you're given a lead sheet, remembering chord progressions is the key to memorizing the song that is built on recalling the theory that you understand. Analyze the structure of the piece.

Now memorizing note for note is another ball game. Honestly, it can be more difficult for others than a youngster playing a memorized piece at a recital. In my opinion, the key to memorizing sheet music is through repetition. Also, try to remember if your hands are going in opposite directions or playing separately. Note tricky fingering as well.

I suggest taking small sections of music and repeatedly going over a few lines. We call this chunking and chaining. Please be patient. You may find recording or using flash cards to quiz yourself helps boost confidence in playing licks to a certain measure. I wrote an article on Practice Tips mentioning chunking and chaining. You can view it at: http://zone.hearandplay.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=162&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

Laying down a rhythm pattern, programming drums, jamming in garage band or just using a metronome for a classical piece can keep you on track with skills to remember a song. Listening to a phrase of music indeed works the brain for short-term memory. Keep at it daily. In the beginning, I would open my music, then close it and try to play what I pictured.

3. Why these steps will help.

Practice, repetition and patience, a win-win formula, but truly there is no magic pill to take in memorizing music. Playing with other musicians for years and having that experience helps in knowing how to play certain songs well without sheet music. I'm thinking the biggest factor of all is choosing to memorize a song that you know and love will make it much easier for you to learn. You're on your way!

"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

Mathematical Patterns In Music

Mark Van Doren said "The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery".

* Rhythm Patterns

Karen Sawyers and Janet Hutson-Brandhagen observe...

"Music is organized in mathematical ways: its melodies, rhythms, and harmonies are built on recurring mathematical patterns and sequences. To children, music is play in every sense of the word. In addition, early experiences with music that are successful and fun prepare children to be successful in other areas of learning, particularly math in their own way and in their own time."

The impact of music on the development of reasoning skills instrumental in math problem solving is great.


Music Patterns

http://graham.main.nc.us/~bhammel/MUSIC/compose.html

Mathematical patterns In Music

http://www.mathmuseum.org/description2.html

Arpeggio Chord Pattern

http://www.zebrakeys.com/lessons/beginner/improvisation/?id=20

Broken Chord Pattern

http://www.zebrakeys.com/lessons/beginner/improvisation/?id=19

Double Chord Pattern

http://www.zebrakeys.com/lessons/beginner/improvisation/?id=8

Root Chord Pattern

http://www.zebrakeys.com/lessons/intermediate/improvisation/?id=35

Rhythmic Patterns

http://www.playpianotoday.com/introl.html

Breakthrough Study Proves Music Instruction
Vastly Increases A Child's Intelligence...


University of California, Irvine:


Music lessons strengthen the links between brain neurons and actually build new pathways between the neurons improving spatial reasoning according to a study conduced by Psychologist Frances Rauscher at University of California, Irvine.

The study compared pre-schoolers who took as little as 15 minutes per week of music/keyboard instruction with contemporaries who received no extra-curricular musical education. After a short eight-month period Rausher's data concluded. The results are astonishing:

A 46% increase in IQ is prevalent in the study group that received music/keyboard instruction!

Rauscher is so convinced that musical instruction is vital to the cognitive development of children that she shared her findings at a gathering of her American Psychologist Association colleagues, "Music instruction can improve a child's spatial intelligence for long periods of time - perhaps permanently." She added, "If parents can't afford lessons, they should at least buy a musical keyboard, or sing regularly with their kids and involve them in musical activities."

This study and many others like it confirm that musical instruction - in particular Keyboard instruction simply makes our kids smarter.

How To Indentify Music Phrases

• Identify Music Phrases

For a tune to make sense, it needs a structure, just as writing needs sentences and punctuations. Tunes are built from groups of notes that sound as though they belong together as an idea. These groups are known as PHRASES, and are usually separated by a tiny silence when the music is sung or played. (Great place to breathe!)

Musicians often disagree about where phrases start and finish. This is because there is often more than one possible INTERPRETATION. When you play music, try to hear which notes belong together. Phrases may be the same length, or start on the same beat of a measure. Songs may have a phrase for each line of the words.

• IDENTIFYING PHRASES: Musicians often disagree about where phrases start and finish. This is because there is often more than one possible INTERPRETATION. When you play music, try to hear which notes belong together. Phrases may be the same length, or start on the same beat of a measure. Songs may have a phrase for each line of words.
• ANSWERING PHRASES: In some music, pairs of phrases of the same length sometimes seem to match each other. The first phrase seems to ask a question, and the second phrase to answer it. (Does this sound like a pattern for the Blues?) For example, the second phrase may seem to answer the first by ending on the tonic when the first phrase did not.
• RHYTHM PATTERNS: Phrases often have a strong rhythm structure. A pattern may be repeated or varied within a phrase, between phrases, or even throughout a whole piece.
• MELODIC PATTERNS: Phrases often contain patterns of notes that are repeated exactly, or changed by transposing them to a different pitch or varying the intervals.
• SHOWING PHRASES: Composers usually do not show phrases in their music. Instead, they show how to play notes within phrases, using signs such as SLURS and STACCATOS. It is up to each player to decide how to phrase the music. Signs such as BREATH MARKS or BOWING can help do this.
• PHRASES THAT MODULATE: Sometimes a phrase may end in a different key from the one it began in, such as the relative minor or major key. This is called MODULATION. For a tune to modulate clearly, it has to use a note that is in the scale of the new key but not in the scale of the original key. The end result is very professional sounding to the listener’s ear.

Each artist has the unique gift of using dynamics in the song they are performing. What an incredible gift we have to color in the lines, to add our interpretation of musical phrases and give our audience a music idea to listen to. (Phrases that are smooth as glass or as crunchy as peanut brittle!)

For more information on music phrases and music resources that can benefit your playing, please visit my website. Thanks, LadyD

http://www.LadyDpiano.com