Level 2 - Pitch

Major, Minor Tonality

In the Western tradition most music is written using tonality that is either major or minor. That is that music is based on major or minor scales. In the following video  the structure of major and minor chords are explained.

Major scales tend to have a 'happy' sound, whilst minor scales sound 'sad' and eerie.

Chromatic Scale

Pentatonic scale 

The pentatonic scale is a series of five notes. It is most commonly used in folk music.

There are many types, the most common in C is based on the cycle of fifths: C G D A E but is written as CDEGA....

Listen to this example of the Pentatonic Scale by Bobby McFarrin:

Blues Scale

The Blues scale is used in Blues, Jazz music and Rock Music.

Here BBKing guitar solos are based on the Blues scales.

Harmony - are notes based on a chord structure.

Here are chords for piano:

C Major chord  is structured from the notes 1, 3 & 5 from the C major scale.

C Minor Chord is structured like the C major Chord but the third note is lowered half a step to Eb.

4 Part harmony

These piano chords can then be rearranged into 4 parts that four singers can sing or 4 different instruments can perform.

Here is the chord of C major in 4 part harmony.

Listen to this Barber Shop Quartet singing in 4 part harmony.

Cadences - 

Modulation

Modulation is when a key of a piece changes from one to another. For example a song may start in C major and then change key to A minor resulting in the key sounding lower.

Here is an example of a song that changes key so that it sounds higher. The key change happens at 1:51.

Range & Transposition

Pitch used in other cultures

In non-western cultures there are different scales and modes used giving the music from various countries a distinctive sound.

In India songs are based tin scales called Ragas.

Indonesia - 

Drone - A Drone is a note or chord that is continuously repeated throughout most of a piece of music. Here is a didgeridoo playing a drone.