Composition

The internal charge of a work and its unfolding in time. The development of the compositional structure embedded by the author.

Composition ​

The internal charge of a work and its unfolding in time. The development of the compositional structure embedded by the author.

11.1 Composition. Dynamics. Dramaturgy ​

Dynamics in the narrow sense ​

Strike force – sound volume – accents – one of the expressive facets of music.

Dynamics as the movement of energy in music ​

The internal charge of a work and its unfolding in time. The development of the compositional structure embedded by the author.

Philosophy and Sociology of Music ​

Expressing the deep essence of music with the very concise phrase “the life of Number in Time,” A. F. Losev, throughout his scientific career, firmly defended the principle of the autonomy of the phenomenon of music from any physical and psychophysiological phenomena, as well as from any vulgar-materialistic naturalism in general. The circulation of social codes in music has attracted the interest of sociologists. In his book Musical Form as a Process, Asafiev points out that musical form is a socially determined phenomenon. According to him, music is understood as a form of the social manifestation of the musical in the process of intonation. In his book Musical Form as a Process, Asafiev metaphorically described intonation in many ways, including as a “state of tonal tension,” as a “quality of meaningful pronunciation,” etc. Although Asafiev did not provide a scientific definition of intonation, he nevertheless defined all the most important categories of music and music itself through intonation. Thus, mode according to Asafiev is an “intonational aggregate of melodic-harmonic connections rooted in public consciousness,” a musical work is a “form of the social manifestation of music in the process of intonation,” and finally, music is “the art of intoned meaning.” A programmatic statement by one of the most prominent representatives of the school of M. Babbitt mentioned above: “Sounds <...> are not part of music <...> just as paints, pigments, canvas are not parts of a painting, the substance of bronze is not part of a sculpture, and pages and letters are not parts of a poem”: Sociology of music (English: Sociomusicology) is a scientific discipline studying various aspects of the social existence of music, as well as engaged in the communicative systematization and sociocultural structuring of the entire diversity of its artistic forms and public manifestations; it is one of the branches of the sociology of art.

Musical Aesthetics ​

Musical aesthetics (English: Aesthetics of music, German: Musikästhetik) is an art studies concept introduced into scientific circulation by the German publicist, poet, and musician Christian Friedrich Schubart, who first used this term in his work Ideas on the Aesthetics of the Musical Art (1784). Musical aesthetics is an interdisciplinary scientific discipline dealing with the study of various aesthetic aspects of music precisely as a very specific type of art, which implies a highly specialized analysis of the dialectical relationship between the general laws of sensory-imagery perception of reality and certain specific features and patterns of musical language as an operator of “sound-meanings.”

Musical Dramaturgy ​

Musical dramaturgy is a system of expressive means and techniques for embodying dramatic action in works of the musical-theatrical genre. However, the term MUSICAL DRAMATURGY is also used to characterize instrumental-symphonic music. The patterns of musical dramaturgy manifest themselves in the construction of the whole work and its parts, the logic of their development, and the peculiarities of the embodiment of musical images and their juxtaposition. The term musical dramaturgy, which includes patterns in the construction of the whole work and its parts, the logic of their development, and the peculiarities of the embodiment of musical images, is also used to characterize vocal and instrumental-symphonic music. The main thing in music, as in life, is development. Just as a person’s inner world changes from year to year, musical intonations, themes, and melodies change within a single work, undergoing development. These changes are reflected in the form of the musical work and the methods of developing the musical material. Musical images in musical dramaturgy are embodied according to the principle of similarity and the principle of difference. The basis of musical dramaturgy lies in the general laws of drama as one of the types of art:

• presence of a clearly expressed central conflict,
• revealed in the struggle of forces of action and counteraction,
• a certain sequence of stages in revealing the dramatic concept:
  • exposition,
  • complication (rising action),
  • development,
  • climax,
  • resolution (denouement) G. A. Larosh: “An opera libretto occupies a middle ground between verbal drama and a ballet scenario.”

Generative Theory of Tonal Music ​

Generative Theory of Tonal Music (GTTM) is a theory of music[1], developed by American composer and music theorist Fred Lerdahl and American linguist Ray Jackendoff and presented in the eponymous book in 1983. It represents a “formal description of the musical intuition of a listener who is familiar with the musical idiom”[1] with the aim of shedding light on the unique human capacity for musical understanding. Unlike the main methodologies of music analysis that preceded it, GTTM interprets the mental procedures by which a listener creates an unconscious understanding of music, and uses these tools to illuminate the structure of individual compositions. The theory has been influential, stimulating further work by its authors and other researchers in the fields of music theory, music cognition, and cognitive musicology.

Four Layers - 4 Hierarchical Systems ​

1. Grouping analysis - hierarchical segmentation
2. Metrical structure - alternation of strong and weak beats at a series of levels
3. Time-span reduction - from the smallest to the largest grouping levels
4. Prolongational reduction - analysis of tension and relaxation, continuity and progression of movement
   1. strong prolongation - repetition
   2. weak prolongation – one harmonic function, but secondary differences introduce slight tension
   3. progression – different harmonic functions – strong tension/relaxation
   4. The basis of prolongational reduction lies in dividing the text into special kinds of “regions” – sections where either progressive tension or progressive relaxation takes place. This distinguishes prolongational reduction from time-span reduction, which depends on dividing the text into rhythmic groupings. In contrast to time-span reduction, prolongational reduction is carried out in descending order (deductively): first, large-scale regions are identified, then, based on the results of the initial reduction, smaller-scale regions are isolated, and so on.

Grammar Rules ​

2 types of rules:

1. grammatical correctness - know no exceptions, filter out impossible structures
2. preference rules (preferential) - the taste of an idealized listener who has an idea of the norm for a given style of tonal music Basic elements of music: (Leonard Meyer)
3. syntactic
   1. harmony, melody, and rhythm
4. non-syntactic:
   1. dynamics (volume), note density, tessitura, duration, timbre, silence.
5. tension and relaxation, variety and unity, motion and stability 1. 2. meter 3. phrasing 4. rhythm 5. rhyme 6. common motifs 7. limits/boundaries 8. cadences 9. chord composition

Philosophical Definitions of Music ​

Philosophy of Music — Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy_of_music Music inspires the whole world, supplies the soul with wings, facilitates the flight of imagination… It can be called the embodiment of everything beautiful and everything sublime.

— Plato Whoever wishes to observe the requirement of beauty and refined taste in musical creation must… supplement their musical studies with other scientific subjects, making philosophy their guide, for it alone is capable of determining the proper measure and degree of utility for music. — Plutarch One of the most beautiful and best gifts of God is music, serving to drive away temptation and bad thoughts. — Martin Luther Music constitutes the true spiritual form of art, just as sound reveals the internal qualities of matter… Music is a second cosmos, and only the philosopher, possessing a lofty spiritual ear, is given to hear and comprehend the Divine Music of the World. — V. F. Odoevsky Music is an absolute transcendent means of penetrating into realms of higher order and beauty… The greatness of art manifests itself most clearly precisely in music. — J. W. von Goethe Music is a revelation higher than wisdom and philosophy… Music is always substantive. Every genuine musical work has an idea. — L. van Beethoven The mystery of music is that it finds an inexhaustible source where speech falls silent. — E. T. A. Hoffmann Music shows man those possibilities of greatness that exist in his soul. — R. W. Emerson In the artist—unconditional truth, not in the banal, protocol sense, but in the highest, opening up to us some unknown horizons, some unreachable spheres where only music can penetrate. — P. I. Tchaikovsky Music is a secret exercise in the metaphysics of the soul, unaware that it is philosophizing… When I listen to music, it often seems to me that the lives of all people and my own are the dream of some eternal spirit and that death is awakening. — A. Schopenhauer O music! Echo of a distant harmonious world! Sigh of an angel in our soul! — Jean Paul Music is reason, embodied in beautiful sounds. — I. S. Turgenev God gave us music so that we would primarily be drawn upward by it. — F. Nietzsche Music, without mentioning anything, can say everything. — I. G. Ehrenburg (Note: Likely referring to a quote often attributed to various sources, translated literally from the Russian text provided) Music brings us to the very edge of eternity and gives us the opportunity to grasp its greatness for a few minutes. — T. Carlyle

11.2 Musical Form ​

Development – development of material, involving the isolation of individual elements subjected to transformations. Arrangement - in the narrow sense – orchestration/transcription for orchestra - in the broad sense – harmonization and instrumentation of a melody/development - creating a song map - connects the composer's ideas into a single fabric - typical routes - requires understanding of music styles -

Musical Form ​

Musical form is also considered in connection with the concept of musical style, ranging from scientific research, as in L. Stein’s book Structure and Style: Research and Analysis of Musical Forms, to statements in popular books about music “for dummies”: “Hip-hop, gospel, heavy metal, country, and reggae are just as much ‘forms’ as minuets, fugues, sonatas, and rondos.” Fragments (phrases, periods, parts) of a musical work are denoted by Latin letters: A, B, C, etc. Various combinations of fragments form various musical forms. Main types of forms:

1. one-part form - A - the same thing is repeated - may change slightly (folk ditties/chastushki)
2. simple binary form
   1. AB - two contrasting fragments - argument and counter-argument
   2. complex binary form - AB-CD - each part may consist of sub-parts
3. simple ternary form
   1. ABC
   2. ABA - song form, ternary
   3. ABB
   4. AAB
   5. complex ternary form – each section is a 2- or 3-part form
4. Concentric
   1. ABCBA
5. Rondo
   1. ABACADAEAF...
6. Verse-Chorus form
   1. AABABABB
7. Most popular types of arrangement structures
   1. ABA - verse-chorus-verse -
   2. AABA - repeat - contrast - repeat
   3. AAA - three variations
8. Sonata:
   1. Exposition - fast tempo - main and subordinate themes are juxtaposed
      1. main theme - connecting theme - subordinate theme - closing theme
   2. Development - development - slow
   3. Recapitulation - fast
      1. Main Theme - Connecting Theme - Subordinate Theme - Closing Theme
   4. Coda
9. Fugue
   1. Exposition - presentation of the subject-leader in all voices, modulation, cadence, episode
   2. Development - dominant tonality, countersubject, thematic transformations - inversion, retrograde, augmentation/diminution
   3. Recapitulation - conclusion in the main tonality
   4. Coda - repetition of the subject in all voices after the cadence
10. Symphony
11. A work combining several different musical forms, usually in orchestral performance. As a rule, it consists of four movements (but not necessarily; the main idea of a symphony is the combination of different musical forms):
    1. Sonata-allegro (fast sonata).
    2. Slow movement. Rondo/Rondo-Sonata
    3. Minuet (a short majestic dance piece in 3/4 time) or Scherzo in complex ternary form
    4. Fast tempo - Combination of sonata and rondo, which is a thematic repetition of the first movement.
12. The “classical” composition of a symphony orchestra finally took shape in the scores of Beethoven and is referred to in musicology as “Beethovenian”; in addition to bowed string instruments, it assumed a paired composition of woodwinds: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, and 2 bassoons, — as well as 2, 3, or 4 horns, 2 trumpets, and timpani.
13. Cyclical forms - several works connected by a common theme or idea - unity of concept
14. Suite
    1. Suite (from French: suite — “series”, “sequence”, “alternation”) — one of the main varieties of cyclical form in instrumental music; consists of several large parts, which in the old suite genre usually contrast with each other.
    2. The tradition continued in the suite genre, known in Eastern countries since ancient times: the juxtaposition of a slow processional dance and a lively, jumping dance. Precursors of the suite include multi-movement forms[1] widely distributed in the Middle Ages in the Middle East and Central Asia. In France in the 16th century, the tradition of combining various types of branles (folk circle dances) arose — measured processional dances and faster ones; the term “suite” also appeared at that time[1]. By the middle of the century, a pair of dances had formed: the majestic and smooth pavane in 2/4 time and the lively, jumping galliard in 3/4.
15. Sonata-symphony cycle
16. Others
17. Concerto — a work for a solo instrument with orchestra.
18. Duet — a musical composition for two instruments or two voices with instrumental accompaniment.
19. Etude — a short piece built on a certain technical aspect, such as, for example, scales, and intended for exercises in performance skills.
20. Fantasy — free form.
21. Song form — designation of two- and three-part forms of small and medium scale. The theory of song forms was created in Germany by A.B. Marx and developed in Russia by Y.N. Kholopov.
22. Text-music form — a type of musical form, the specificity of which is determined by the structure of the verbal (prayer, poetic, prose) text.
23. Strophic form — a variety of text-music song form, based on the poetic stanza (for example, in old French chanson).
24. Open form - aleatorica
25. The term open form is sometimes used for “mobile” or “polyvalent” musical forms, where the order of parts or sections is undefined or left to the discretion of the performer. Roman Haubenstock-Ramati published a series of such “mobile” forms, such as Interpolation (1958).
26. However, the term “open form” in music is also used in the sense given by the art historian Heinrich Wölfflin (Renaissance und Barock, 1888) for a composition that is essentially incomplete, presented as an unfinished work, or extending beyond outlined boundaries. In this sense, a “mobile form” can be both “open” and “closed.” An example of a closed mobile musical composition is the work Zyklus (1959) by Karlheinz Stockhausen. Terry Riley’s work “In C” (1964) consists of 53 short sequences; each ensemble performer can repeat any sequence as many times as they wish before starting the next one, making each performance of “In C” unique, although, since the overall direction is fixed, it is a closed form.

Four-Voice Fugue ​

1. The 1st part begins with the subject in one of the voices. Upon completion of the subject, another voice enters with the answer, performing the subject in another tonality, most often in the dominant. The answer may enter at the moment the subject ends, immediately after the subject ends, or some time after the subject ends. In the latter case, there is a small melodic link between the end of the subject and the beginning of the countersubject — a codetta. The subject in the main tonality is called the leader (Latin: dux), the subject in the tonality a fifth higher, or the answer, is called the follower (Latin: comes). The voice that began the fugue with the leader continues to move while another voice takes the follower. The counterpoint performed by the first voice during the follower is called the countersubject, which is often written in double counterpoint, implying that in the continuation of the fugue, the countersubject is placed sometimes below, sometimes above the subject. The countersubject must differ rhythmically from the subject to give the latter relief. After the entry of the leader and follower, both voices perform a small two-voice episode in the rhythmic character of the previous bars. After this two-voice episode or intermediate phrase of two or four bars, the third voice enters, performing the leader, and then the fourth voice, performing the follower against the background of three other contrapuntal voices. After this presentation of the subject through all four voices, called a full exposition, follows a four-voice postlude, or concluding phrase, in the tonality a fifth higher than the tonality of the leader. This concludes the first part of the Fugue. Sometimes the appearance of the subject in the first part is as follows: leader, follower, follower, leader. This order of alternation is called inversion. In this case, there is no episode between the followers, or it is very short. In this part, the subject appears only in the main tonality of the fugue and in the tonality a fifth higher from the main one. In other tonalities, the subject appears in the second part. If the subject, having passed through all voices in the first part, appears again in one of the four voices, this technique is called a supernumerary entry.
2. In the second part, the subject is presented in different tonalities, related to the main tonality in the first degree of kinship and very rarely — in the second. Sometimes the quintal relationship between the subject and its imitation is observed. Furthermore, the following techniques are used in this part:
3. augmentation of the subject, when each note of the subject is lengthened twofold;
4. diminution of the subject, when each note of the subject is shortened twofold;
5. inversion of the subject, when each of its intervals is replaced by the reverse direction (for example, if the subject went up a fourth, down a second, up a third, etc., then in the new technique it will go down a fourth, up a second, down a third, etc.).
6. Episodes must be applied between appearances of the subject. Stretto is also used in this part. The second part ends with a pedal point on the dominant of the main tonality. Over this pedal point, a stretto from the fugue subject is sometimes taken.
7. The third part begins with the subject in the main tonality. It is presented through all voices in the main tonality, sometimes appearing in the tonality of the subdominant; more often its presentation is made in compressed stretto. The fugue ends with a pedal point on the tonic. In the second and third parts, some liberties are allowed regarding the intervals of the subject, as well as shortening or lengthening the first note of the subject. Moreover, it can change its entry point; for example, if the subject entered on a strong beat, it may enter on what was previously a strong beat or even on a weak beat. This metric displacement is called in contrario tempore.
8. Exact imitation of the subject is observed especially in the first part of the fugue, but for greater smoothness, changes are sometimes made in the follower. These changes, at the very beginning or end of the follower’s subject, are based on the fact that the notes of the dominant triad of the leader’s tonality are replaced by the notes of the subdominant triad of the follower’s tonality; for example, when the leader begins with the tonic and leading tone (third of the dominant triad), the follower takes the tonic of the new tonality and its sixth degree (third of the subdominant triad). When the leader begins with the tonic and dominant or directly with the dominant, the follower begins with the tonic of the new tonality and subdominant or directly with the subdominant; then one returns in the follower to the same alternation of degrees as in the leader. When the leader modulates at the end of the subject into the dominant tonality, the follower, approximately in the same place, modulates into the subdominant of the follower’s tonality. A fugue in which the follower is a strict imitation of the leader is called a real fugue; if the follower is modified according to the rules outlined above, the fugue is called a tonal fugue.

11.3 Basic Compositional Techniques ​

Development Techniques: ​

• structural (fragmentation of the theme into phrases, motifs),
• pitch-related (intervallic expansion, compression of motifs, inversion); harmonic and tonal renewal, including sequences),
• rhythmic (augmentation, diminution),
• textural-timbral (including re-orchestration),
• polyphonic (imitations, canonical sequences, fugato). Matrix - tonality - tempo - meter - rhythm, phrasing

Principles of Development ​

• Repetition - exact
• Variation – with changes
  • VARIATION – is the oldest method of music development, found in folk song-and-dance genres based on improvisation.
• Sequence
• Imitation

Composition Construction Techniques ​

1. Refrain
2. Question-Answer
3. Verse-Chorus
4. Variations
5. Cadence Basic elements of music: (Leonard Meyer)
6. syntactic
   1. harmony, melody, and rhythm
7. non-syntactic:
   1. dynamics (volume), note density, tessitura, duration, timbre, silence.
8. tension and relaxation, variety and unity, motion and stasis A song is the product of the work of three roles:
9. Songwriter - textual elements
10. Performer - texture and interpretation
11. Producer - processing

Structural Elements of Composition and Hook ​

• textual - determined by the songwriter
  • rhythm - repetition of pattern change
    • development of one rhythm
    • repetition of a riff
    • change of rhythm
    • change of time signature
    • lengthening/shortening of the bar
    • main rhythm changes, then returns
  • melody - sequence of intervals
    • repetition of one note
    • rhymes, refrains, riffs
    • large leap in pitch or volume
    • climax on the highest note closer to the end, much more rarely – on the lowest
    • unexpected steps
  • harmony - sequence of chords
    • change of key with the same sequence
    • extremely simple sequence
    • unusual changes, breaking the template
  • lyrics/text
    • rhyme
    • alliteration
    • assonance
    • voice
    • absurdity
    • unusual meaning and unusual way of saying it
    • onomatopoeia
    • semantic
      • comparison
      • metaphor
      • personification
    • Linguistic
      • foreign language
      • nonsense words (tutti-frutti)
      • catchy slang or colloquial expressions
      • profanity or blasphemy
      • references to the music industry and musicians
      • links, quotes, and intertextuality
• non-textual
  • performance
    • instrumentation - number and types of voices and instruments in the arrangement
      • range
      • timbre
      • attack and decay
      • playing speed
      • single voice or polyphony
      • connotations
      • voice
        • special vocal qualities
        • scream
        • glissando
        • speech/talk
        • rapid singing
        • whistle
        • orgasm sounds
        • animal sounds
    • tempo - performer decides based on songwriter's markings
      • unexpected rhythm
      • acceleration or deceleration closer to the end
    • dynamics - volume, force of play
      • mezzo-forte-forte-fortissimo
      • mezzo-piano-piano-pianissimo
      • crescendo - increase
      • decrescendo - decrease
      • sforzando - sudden loudness
      • dynamic contrast – hook is the loudest
    • improvisation and chance
      • solo
      • shouts/exclamations
      • studio noises
      • crowd noise, applause
      • coda
  • production
    • sound effects
      • thunder, siren, car noise, explosions
    • editing
      • cutting
      • rearranging
      • layering
      • fading
      • different versions for different platforms
    • mixing
      • volumes of individual tracks
      • effects
    • channel balance
    • signal distortion
      • echo
      • reverberation
      • phasing
      • speed change
      • equalization
      • ring modulation
      • bitcrush

11.4 Bridge. Solo. Drop. Modulations ​

1. Arrangement - creating a song map - connects the composer's ideas into a single fabric - typical routes
   1. intro
   2. verse
   3. pre-chorus / bridge
   4. chorus
   5. post-chorus / tag
   6. instrumental break
   7. break
   8. outro
2. Elements of a modern song
   1. intro - introduction - atmosphere - feeling - sets the tonic
   2. verse - semantic part - stanza or group of stanzas - extends the tonic - tells the details of the song - what the author wants to say - repeats - but the text changes each time
   3. pre-chorus - subdominant - buildup - preparation - transitional harmony (II, IV) - cadence 2-5-1 into a new key - weakens the contrast between verse and chorus
   4. chorus - repeats identically - contains the main idea (hook) - the most energetic element - 2-3 appearances - the fewer, the better )
   5. refrain - a shorter repeating phrase, not creating a whole section, separating or other periods
   6. post-chorus - supports or enhances the energy of the chorus, contains a hook - hard to separate, but sometimes obvious - umbrella
   7. bridge - transition - contrast with the verse - ends on the dominant - breaks the repeating pattern of the song and holds the listener's attention - pattern of words and music changes
      1. middle 8 - an 8-bar section with a significantly different melody and lyrics - instrumental break
         1. Intro-{Verse-Chorus}{Verse-Chorus}-Middle 8-{Chorus}-{Chorus}-(Outro)
   8. solo - instrumental - may repeat the vocal melody - with embellishments and strokes like riffs, scale runs, arpeggios - often improvised
   9. break - breather after the instrumental break - minimalism - 4-16 bars - calm pre-chorus before the final chorus
   10. ad lib - ad libitum - “at one’s pleasure” - main vocal changes the established text/melody - adds interest and intensity to the ending - repetition of the previous line with variations in phrasing, melodic contour, text - rhythm weakens or fades completely -
   11. overlay - two sections overlap - chorus woven into the bridge - dilutes the tonic cadence
   12. outro - ending - prepares and softens the conclusion - important for DJs - dissipation of the song's energy - may contain riffs from the song - volume decreases, tempo slows down
   13. tag - instrumental or instrumental-vocal - short repeating pattern - for example I–vi–ii–V7 or II-V7 - musicians synchronize and play the final tonic on cue
3. Structure of an electronic composition
   1. Introductory beat - 16 or more bars - percussion - minimum instruments - leisurely appearance of melody - needed for DJ mixing
   2. Breakdown - dip - main elements - main melody - gradually acquires additional elements - 16-32 or more bars
   3. Build-up - buildup - analog of pre-chorus - risers and drum acceleration
   4. Drop - analog of chorus - maximum energy - powerful groove - pumping bass - juicy beat - synth hook
   5. Middle break - unique musical elements and finds within the melodics - leads to the second build-up - variation on the theme of the first breakdown or drop
   6. Second drop - modified - introduces variety - hook, bass, or beat changes
   7. Outro beat - for mixing
4. Radio format
   1. dance tracks of 5-10 minutes are shortened to 3-4 minutes for radio, all parts of the composition are cut
5. Modulation — change of key of a part of the composition
   1. In expositions of sonatas and symphonies, the main and subordinate themes, representing, as a rule, opposing images, necessarily pass in different keys. Thus, tonal contrast is added here to the thematic contrast.
6. Combination of all techniques in improvisation Modulation (music) — Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modulation_(music) | Song Part | Possible Length | | -------------- | -------------------- | | Intro | 2-8 bars | | Verse | 8-32 bars | | Pre-chorus/Bridge | 2-16 bars | | Chorus | 8-16 bars | | Post-chorus/Tag | 2-4 bars | | Instrumental Break | 8 bars (sometimes 16) | | Break | 4-16 bars | | Outro | 2-4 bars |