This document provides an overview of basic musical elements including melody, harmony, and scales. It defines melody as a sequence of pitches that form a single musical idea. Harmony is described as two or more notes played simultaneously, whether as intervals between two notes or chords with three or more notes. Scales are introduced as the basis for melody and harmony, with examples given of major, minor, pentatonic, chromatic, and other scale types. The document includes listening examples and activities to illustrate different melodic concepts like contour, motion, and range as well as consonant and dissonant harmonies.

1. Basic Elements of
Muisic
Melody, Harmony, Scales

2. Melody
A timely arranged linear sequence of pitched
sounds that listeners perceive as a single entity.

3. Listening Activity
Define melody and harmony of the following
composition in your own words.
A. Vivaldi, Concerto “Spring” from the “Four
Seasons”, 1st movement, Allegro
http://magnatune.com/artists/albums/lara-fourseasons/

4. Range
The distance between the lowest and the
highest notes in the melody.

5. Wide Range
Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, in D Major, 1st Movement
http://content.thespco.org/music/compositions/brandenburg-
concerto-no-5-in-d-johann-sebastian-bach/

6. Narrow Range
Brahms, Violin Concerto in D, 3rd movement
http://content.thespco.org/music/compositions/violin-
concerto-in-d-johannes-brahms/

7. Melodic Motion
Disjunct – melody moves by large leaps.
Conjunct – melody rises and falls slowly, with only small changes between one
note and the next.

8. Conjunct Motion
Beethoven, “Ode to Joy” from Symphony No. 9
Start listening at 2:30 mark.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljGMhDSSGFU

9. Disjunct Motion
Piazzolla, “Spring”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJzogioRx6A

10. Listening Activity
Define the melodic motion of the following composition. Is it
conjunct, disjunct, or a combination of both?
F. Chopin, “Nocturne in E-Flat Major”, op. 9 no. 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--ykTqoQnqI

11. Melodic Contour or Shape
• Ascending
• Descending
• Arch

12. Ascending Melody
R. Strauss, “Don Juan”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66zOdfCWEqA

13. Descending Melody
Handel, “Joy to the World” – the opening of the melody.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKW_az2HVfk

14. Arch
D. Shostakovich, “Romance from The Gadfly”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDW4VJGKLAQ

15. Listening Activity
Define the melody of this composition in terms of range,
motion, and contour.
J. S. Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, 1st Movement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj1VvTTTO7Q

16. Harmony
Two or more notes played together at the same time.
Two notes played at the same time – an interval.
More than two notes played at the same time – a chord.

17. Intervals
Please read and study page 1, Intervals:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/elements_of
_music/melody1.shtml

18. Consonant Intervals
Consonance in music – a combination of notes that
sounds pleasant.
Please replay the following intervals:
• Unison
• Major and Minor Thirds
• Perfect Fourth
• Perfect Fifth
• Major and Minor Sixths
• Octave
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/elements_of_music
/harmony_and_tonality1.shtml

19. Dissonant Intervals
Dissonance – a combination of notes that
sounds unpleasant or harsh.
Please replay the following intervals:
• Major and Minor Seconds
• Tritone
• Major and Minor Sevenths
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/elements_of
_music/harmony_and_tonality1.shtml

20. Chords
Please read all four pages on the Harmony and Tonality section
of this website:
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/elements_
of_music/harmony_and_tonality1.shtml

21. Scales
Scales are various combinations of musical intervals.
Please study the following:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/elements_of
_music/melody2.shtml

22. Diatonic Scales
• Major – happy.
Chopin, Etude in G Flat Major
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pyqLbi2wLU
• Minor – sad.
Rachmaninov, Prelude in C Sharp Minor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXQCPAR0EHo

23. Pentatonic Scale
Is widely used in music around the world, especially in folk
music.
Watch from 3:00 to 6:30:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnbOWi6f_IM
Gang and Zhanhao, “Butterfly Lovers” Violin Concerto, start
listening at 1:50
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_qd-9wD6qA
Traditional music from Uganda
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=363Nv-5oYBA

24. Chromatic Scale
Is not happy or sad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr2rXc9Qu4A
Schoenberg, Piano Concerto – is based on series of chromatic
tones.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_dnflTagHM
Rimsky-Korsakoff, Flight of the Bumblebee – the melody is based
on a chromatic scale.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yZPrrboTkY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK0z3LS45xU

25. Other Scale Types
Whole Tone Scale – based on whole steps
• Debussy, “Volies”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVV0jkZC4jI
Microtone Scale – a scale based on the intervals that are less
that ½ step.
• Composer Harry Partch created a 43-note scale and new
instruments. Please watch various selections from this
documentary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfCjWIQtm-
M&list=PL325E98023B8838E2

26. Listening Activity
Define the melody and harmony in the following example using
terms discussed in this part.
J. S. Bach’s “Air on the G String”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2j-frfK-yg

27. Required Readings
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melody
• http://openhighschoolcourses.org/mod/page/view.php?id=11
834
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/elements_
of_music/melody1.shtml
• http://www.musictheory.net/lessons/30
• http://www.musictheory.net/lessons/31
• http://cnx.org/content/m10851/latest/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmony
• http://www.musictheory.net/lessons/40
• http://www.musictheory.net/lessons - read (1)The Staff, Clefs,
and Ledger Lines and (2)Steps and Accidentals in the Basics
area