for the real music nerds😝🤠
Yip Harburg once said...
"Words make you think thoughts, music makes you feel a feeling, but a song makes you feel a thought"
Commas are usually written with a variation of...
+
Hemiola
2 against 3 rhythm
Humans range of hearing is
20-20,000 hertz
the human ear can hear differences of
20-50 cents, but context matters
Middle C
261.6 Hz
Slowest bpm for humans?
33 bpm, we are able to make subdivisions of the strong beat but actually internalizing that slow of a rhythm is too unpredictable for our brains (credit to Adam Neely lol)
We all know A equals
440 hertz, and not 432 :) was first declared the norm by the American Standards Association in 1936
Just Intonation
A system of tuning notes in the scale based on whole note ratios
Omnitonality/omnimeter
A theory developed by Francois-Joseph Fétis, a Belgian musicologist, when anything can enharmonically reinterpreted to be a function in 'all' keys/rhythms at one time. So like singing "happy birthday" over zoom with (likely) non-musicians. fun times.
triple meter/Hypermeter
A time signature indicating certain measures, example: 5/4/4, five measures of 4/4, emphasis on phrasing the measures in a group of five
Mersenne's Laws
Pitch is determined by the thickness, tension, and length of a string
Altered Scale
Take the major scale and lower every note by a half step except for the tonic, so kinda like Locrian b4 (just technically a M3 just spelled differently) if you want to think about it like that
Mechanical resonance
The tendency of a mechanical system to respond at greater amplitude when the frequency of its frequencies/vibrations matches the system's natural frequency of vibration than it does at other frequencies. Classic example is the wine glass trick! When the voice matches the natural resonant frequencies of the glass, the glass with break.
well temperament
Under the umbrella of meantone, based 7 acoustically pure 5ths, and the other 5 are slightly compromised. No wolf fifths. Popularized in Bach's Well Tempered Clavier.
Benedetti's Impossible Puzzle
Using Italian mathematician Benedetti's tuning by multiplying previously played note's ratios, the end result will end in a series of comma pumps if repeated! This proves that you cannot have mathematically pure music without the pitch drifting.
What is the "Wolf fifth"?
Using Pythagorean tuning, if one goes around the circle of fifths (C-G-etc), when coming back around to the C-G interval, it will be approximately 23.46 cents flat and the ratio of 40:27. Has been described by historians as having a howling quality.
What is the Hendrix chord?
a dominant (originally E but any type of)7#9 shell voicing chord, first found in jazz but popularized in rock music/Jimi Hendrix playing on a distorted guitar
harmonic/overtone series
a series of frequencies that includes the fundamental frequency and integral multiples of the fundamental frequency. Based upon arithmetic multiplication of frequencies.
undertone/subharmonic series
a series of notes that results from inverting the intervals of the overtone series. undertones must be produced in unusual ways. Based on arithmetic division.
whole tone scale
a six-note scale each pitch of which is a whole tone away from the next
metric/tempo modulation
a term associated with the composer Elliott Carter designating a proportional change of tempo by which a small division of a beat is regrouped into a new beat so that a new tempo results. example: quarter note=dotted quarter note OR 60bmp= quarter note -> 60bmp= dotted quarter note
Shell voicing
chord which contains only the root, third, and seventh. Because the fifth of a chord is not significant in differentiating minor or major chord, it is omitted.
split chords
chords containing both major and minor thirds
Macrotonal
containing no steps the size of a semitone or smaller
Shepard Tone
mixture of pure tone loops staggered so that it appears to be infinitely rising or falling. Sine waves are traveling as octaves, and once the the high sine wave go above human hearing, they become replaced with the sine waves from the bottom
12-tone equal temperament
Common in western music, it is the musical system that divides the octave into 12 parts, all of which are equally-tempered (equally-spaced) on a logarithmic scale, with a ratio of 12√2 (≈ 1.05946).
Our eyes have the natural resonant frequency of 18 hertz, about a D. Why is that important?
First, everything has its on natural resonant frequency. Literally everything. Even though our human hearing can only hear above 20 hertz, that pitch can still have a physical feeling of anxiety on the body. This is the idea of mechanical resonance.
which key is the saddest/happiest? why do keys have characteristics?
First, lets mention that baroque musicians would tune their A4 to about 420 hertz, sounding more like our modern day Ab. Also, they used different tuning systems too, so a key like F# major in meantone temperament is drastically different than a 12-tet F# major. Timbre, phrasing, instrumentation has quite a big role in this too. It is entirely subjective. (credit to Adam Neely)
Harry Partch
He literally has this 43 tone piano like instrument based off of G (392 Hz) and 11-limit tuning. How cool! He also has a lot of other instruments.
turnaround
passage at end of a section which leads to the next section, mainly using four chords that really pull to the tonal center.
What is the most cliche and overused melodic phrase used in jazz improve?
the lick :)
Timbre
the quality of a sound that distinguishes one voice or instrument from another through harmonic series
polytonality
the simultaneous use of two or more keys in a musical composition
syntonic/didymean comma
the smallest comma type interval between two musical notes, equal to the frequency ratio 81:80, equal to 21.5 cents
irrational/non-dyadic time signature
time signatures that is not a power of 2
Microtonal
tones that use the frequency space existing between the smallest western music interval of a semitone/half step
When using just intonation or other alterations to pitch, use...
up/down half arrows and half /#/b
Temporary tonicization
when a chord or short succession of chords are borrowed from another key in order to emphasize/ tonicize a chord in the home key.
irrational time signatures
when the denominator number is not a power of 2, examples: 8/12, 15/17, 12/15. Using metric modulation would make a lot more sense, but the feeling is different.
Examples of cool music:
"Meet the Fokker Organ" by Ere Lievonen, "Non-octave" by Wendy Carlos, "Aphoristic Madrigal" by Fabio Costa, and anything Jacob Collier :)
There are ... in a half step
100 cents
Other ways to say equal temperament:
12 tet, 12 tone composition, dodecaphonic composition
Double Chromatic Mediant
A chromatic mediant relationship is when two chords with contrasting triad qualities (always one is major and the other is minor or vice-versa) are a third apart with no common tones.
Chromatic mediant
A chromatic mediant relationship is when two chords with matching triad qualities (either both major or minor) third apart but are not from the same diatonic scale.
intermodulation distortion
A form of distortion that introduces frequencies not present in the original signal; These are invariably based on the sum and difference products of the original frequencies.
Pitch class
A group of pitches that are equivalent by octave equivalency - so the pitch class of middle C contains every possible frequency that is called a C in 12tet
Enigmatic Scale
A scale created by Adolfo Crescentini in late 1800's to "those musicians who enjoy the study of harmony". 1 b2 3 4# 5# 6# 7. There is really no harmonic grounding lol but basically was a baseline for whatever notes you wanted to put on top
common tone modulation
A type of modulation in which only a single pitch of a chord or melodic line in the initial key functions as a "pivot" between the two keys. Other pitches of this modulating chord may shift up or down a half step, making a chromatic connection.
Free time
A type of musical anti-meter free from musical time and time signature. It is used when a piece of music has no discernible beat. Instead, the rhythm is intuitive and free-flowing. Popular in the Bach era.
Andalusian cadence
Adopted from flamenco music, a chord progression comprising four chords descending stepwise i-bVII-bVI-V, or you can think of it as diatonic phrygian tetrachords.term-2
subjective rhythmization
As humans, we are naturally inclined to organize strong accent beats and weak non-accented beats
modal mixture
Borrowing notes/chords from parallel minor or major
To see someone sing overtones...
Check out Anna-Marie Hefele!!! So amazing!
Split/slash chord
Chords that specify a bass note other than the root with a slash
What happens if you take away the fundamental pitch?
Depends on how drastic the EQ is and context matters, but for the most part, you will still hear the same, fundamental pitch. Our brains have associated specific harmonics with specific pitches, so our brains will make us think we are hearing that fundamental, even though we are not hearing that fundamental. Called the Missing Fundamental
Up for debate, but Ben Johnston's music is the most difficult to play. Why?
Due to the tuning that is required, it's nearly impossible to play at the right BPM with the correct tunings notated.
Weber's Law
Ernest Heinrich Weber, a German physician, says that the size of the just noticeable difference (delta I) is a constant proportion of the original stimulus value. Though he conducted many anatomical investigations, he is known chiefly for his work on sensory response to weight, temperature, and pressure; he described a number of his experiments in this area in De Tactu (1834; "Concerning Touch"). Can be applied to variety of sensory modalities (brightness, loudness, mass, line length, etc.). Relating to music, this theory explains why we can hear microtones/whole note ratio music and be able to groove, and perceive it as "different". In Shawn Crowder's Microrhythm video, on his small test, he sees that 100 milliseconds is the threshold for identify the change in rhythm. Also called inter-onset interval. Hot take: it is satisfying to have near perfect or quantified rhythm, but we as listeners, sacrifice the groove and overall, feeling less human.
Negative time signatures
Even though not "real", it can bring up questions on how we count music. Because time moves forward, thus music moves forward. The closest thing we can do reversing the accent pattern/dynamic accents and using a computer, reverse sounds from the original recording, although it can't be performed live, only heard.
Who created the original idea equal temperament?
Even though popularized by Western music and old white guys, Chinese people have had an essential role in the idea of a 12 tone scale. Chinese people use a method called the Sanfen Sunyi Method, which is basically the modern day Pythagorean tuning but approached in a different way, before Zhu Zaiyu (prince, composer, mathematician) created equal temperament in 1584, Point is, they divided the octave into 12 before anyone else did, and this should not go unnoticed!
imaginary time signatures
Example: 3+4i/4, take absolute value of the numerator (5) which is the number of beats that will be played, and in real time, this would be played in span of 3 beats. This leaves space between the measures.
Four chord progression
I-V-vi-IV
Commas
In music theory, a comma is a very small interval, the difference resulting from tuning one note two different ways.
Interpolation
In popular music, interpolation refers to using a melody—or portions of a melody —from a previously recorded song but re-recording the melody instead of sampling it.. "7 Rings" by Ariana Grande is a perfect example: using the melody of "My Favorite Things". It is not a cover but also not a completely original song.
John Cage's 4'33" importance
It is quite literally silence in the performance hall. 4 mins and 33 seconds of silence. I think he did this to prove that music and sounds are influential, but silence is also incredibly powerful, redefining what music is.
Rhythm
Pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, it determines how we organize and notate music
dual tonicity
Professor of Musicology Philip Tagg had this idea where two tonal centers can exist at the same time. This idea repels 18th century conventions, identify chord's function using these labels: tonic, outgoing, medial (secondary tonic), incoming, and the cycle repeats. A popular American example is Sweet Home Alabama, could be identified in D (or D mixolydian) or G major. The key center might not have been a top priority, because most of the choral material was played on guitar chords, and those chords are open/easier chords to play (thank you guitar physics and acoustics). Determined by melodic factors like bass, chords, melody, the ending of the song, and tradition. This idea is also popular in Latin American music.
Pythagoras also discovered...
Pythagoras is attributed with discovering that a string exactly half the length of another will play a pitch that is exactly an octave higher when struck or plucked. Split a string into thirds and you raise the pitch an octave and a fifth. Spilt it into fourths and you go even higher. Started the research of the harmonic series!
Pythagorean tuning
Pythagorean tuning is a system of musical tuning in which the frequency ratios of all intervals are based on the ratio 3:2, so fifth and octave. This ratio, also known as the "pure" perfect fifth, chosen because it is one of the most consonant and easiest to tune by ear and because of importance attributed to the integer 3. The thirds sound really bad though, so win some loose some! Legend has it, he listened to four blacksmith hammers and he started this musical journey.
Tritone substitution
Replacing the V in a ii V I with the chord a tritone above it (G7-Db7), so a♭II7, a signature feature of bebop harmony
Limit systems
Subsets of harmonic series. For example, 3-limit tuning is no odd numbers ratios greater than 3 within the octave, so we can use 1:1, 2:1, 3:2, and 4:3 (inverted interval). For 5-limit, add those ratios and 5:4, 8:5 (inverted interval), 5:3, and 6:5 (inverted interval). to get more notes but still following that rule, use prime limit tuning: no prime numbers greater than 5, so that can add ratios including 9, 15, and 27
meantone temperament
Temperament based off of justly intonated major thirds and the fifths are slightly compromised. Used in Renaissance.
Entrianment
The ability of an organism to synchronize its movement to an external force or rhythm
What is EQ?
The ability to adjust frequencies to create different timbres/harmonics
The truth about Tritones:
The common myth is that they were the devil in the church during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, but that is FALSE. It was more the fact that it was hard to sing accurately. Credit to Adam Neely for the facts :)
Pitch
The number of vibrations per second, measured in Hertz (Hz/SI)
Pythagorean comma
The ratio of 1.013643265 : 1, equal to about 23.46 cents (where equal-tempered semitones differ by 100 cents.)
Polyrhythm
The simultaneous use of two or more rhythms played within the same period of time. Different number of beats but the length of each phrase is the same. Labeled by main pulse. Example: 3:2, triplets against two eighth notes.
ASLSP by John Cage importance
This is a piece that is supposed to be played "as slow as possible" according to the tempo instruction. This was recreated in Halberstadt, Germany, and a group there had an computer controlled organ to play this piece, lasting 639 years which is the longest piece of music to date, planning to end in 2640. It's something bigger than yourself and many people visit it every time it changes a note.
Wendy Carlos
Twenty-first century American composer, technician, and arranger of music for Moog synthesizer for film soundtracks and the albums The Well-Tempered Synthesizer and Switched-On Bach. She has scales/music that the octave does not equal 2:1. For example, the alpha scale she has is 78 cents per semitone and 15.3 notes per octave, and the beta scale is 18.8 steps per octave. She is the first transgender recipient to recieve a Grammy. She won three: best classical album, best classical performance - instrumental soloist or soloists (with or without orchestra), and best engineered classical recording.
combonation tones/binaural beats
Two slightly different low frequencies played to the two different ears. You are hearing the difference of the two different frequencies, giving it a "beating" sound.
Why do we use equal temperament?
We use this system so you do not have to re-tune the piano overtime you change a key. We have taken out all of the commas and we have to settle for less perfect intervals in the end to make life a little easier for us. We have to settle for 2 cent flat perfect 5ths and 14 cents sharp major thirds..... FLOP :)
parsimonious voice leading
When changing as little as possible to get to the next chord
Huygens-Fokker Organ
a 31-tone instrument that kinda looks like a harpejji but with buttons :) this foundation is also really cool!
Low interval limit
When very low pitches are played with certain intervals, making the sound muddy and indistinct
Dominant Scale
When the 7th is lowered. Example: C Lydian Dominant would be C D E F# G A Bb C
Odd/asymmetric time signatures
When the numerator does not have an even number, example: 5/8, 7/8, 5/4, 7/4
Periodicity
When the wave form repeats at recurring and regular intervals, thus meaning that rhythm IS pitch but at an insanely fast tempo. For example, when you start a fan, it just sounds like noise a a slower speed, but as it gets faster, you can hear a pitch! Remember, pitch is just frequency, and thus, pitch and rhythm are the same thing.
Altered chord
a chord in which one or more notes from the diatonic scale is replaced with a neighboring pitch from the chromatic scale
sequence
a melodic or chordal figure that is repeated and transposed
Back masking
a recording technique in which a sound or message is recorded backwards to create a new sound
phonetic reversal
a recording technique when something that is said and reversed backwards to create a new sound, sub category to back masking
Nested tuplet
a tuplet inside of a tuplet :)
Prometheus scale
lydian dominant scale/lydian b7 but with the fifth removed
Prime/Sharp Dissonances
m2, M7, m9
atonal music
music without tonality; music without a key center; most often associated with the twentieth-century avant-garde style of Arnold Schoenberg
Bohlen-Pierce Scale
nonoctave scale (avoiding the perfect octave) a 13-part division of Tritave (3:1, not 2:1). Usually equal-tempered (13tet), occasionally just intonated. Each step is about 146 ¢, macrotonal scale
Polymeter
presence of two or more time signatures meters at the same time. Different number of beats but the length of each beat is the same. Example: playing measures in 3/4 in the right hand and 4/4 in the left hand on piano.
trans-diegetic
refers to music (or any element, including other types of sound) that either begins as diegetic source music and then becomes part of the music, by becoming a rhythmic or tonal component
Modal Jazz
style of jazz where melody and/or harmony is based on arrangement of modes