Music Theory help :x

[sroka]

Can someone give me an example of how to do this? 

Like are there any websites that show examples of my homework assignment?  I learn best from comparing examples.

I just got back from break and I don't remember how to do any of it.

[mr_drm]

I would suggest finding a theory major with whom you could be friends. Maybe offer lunch or something. They need friends. Your question is rather more involved than what can be sorted out on a forum like this. Or, does your theory teacher offer a suggested text or book as a reference resource?

[keypeg]

Does this theory homework come with a book that also teaches that theory?   (One would hope so).  If so, when you studied the material, did you understand what each concept meant?  Or did you end up just working through exercises like you're "supposed to" without really understanding them.   This may be the time to catch up to what you didn't get the first time round.  See what it is that you don't know, and then go after those things.  Are you doing this with a private teacher or in a class?  (With a private teacher, one would hope you could ask.)

You have four  five questions which also contain four five concepts.  I'm guessing that they are introducing these concepts, and this exercise is for the purpose of making those concepts gel.  Later on you will be working with them.  So:

I.  First question is about "harmonic interval". There are two concepts - 1. harmonic, 2. interval.  1. An interval is the distance between two notes.  This is actually a tricky one that you should make sure you understand, because we see intervals by how they are named as well as what they are.  For example CEb is a "minor third" but if you saw CD# you would call that same distance between pitches or piano keys "augmented second".  Understand what "interval" means.  

2. If you play a melody, then you play a note, then another note, then another note.  You are going up or down from one note to the next, at a particular distance.  That distance is the "melodic interval".  But usually there are other notes being played at the same time.  For example a melody plus chords.  Or for this music you have two voices singing at the same time.  One voice is higher than the other.  The distance between these two voices is the "harmonic interval".  "Harmonic" means the vertical part, the notes happening at the same time.

II  "dissonant number".  Do you understand what "dissonance" means?  It's not enough to think that it is an ugly sound like CDb which would make you cringe.  In that time period they had a specific idea of notes being "dissonant" that in our time we would find pleasant and acceptable.  You need to find out what their definition of dissonance is.

III "beginning pitches of imitation".  You have to know what "imitation" means.  I haven't taken counterpoint but I can guess.  Find out what imitation means.  Once you know that, then you also know what its beginning pitch is.

IV  "cadence" - What does "cadence" mean in general?  How is a cadence identified in particular for this kind of music and analysis.

V  "mode" - I've read the information on them so I have a general idea.  This is probably the hardest part.  Your book probably has some kind of chart or page that sets them all out for you.  I would play with them and get to know them so that they are not a pile of foreign material that is abstract and you have to keep looking up from scratch.  You need to understand the concept of modes in general, and then know how to recognize the modes in particular.

What resources do you have right now? How is this being taught?  In a classroom or privately?  Is there a textbook with it, and if so, is it understandable?

I'm not studying counterpoint right now.  I went off on harmony theory and music history, after having done my rudiments.  One thing I did which is very effective is that I made each concept as real as possible rather than just reading about it or memorizing definitions.  If the topic was intervals, I explored them in every possible way at the piano.  I looked up "interval" on the Net and listened / watched things having to do with them.  If it was Early Music and instruments, I listened to the instruments, watched period dances, absorbed the sound and rhythms.  The names and concepts stuck with me a lot more than in the old book study I used to do.  Too often we memorize things passively and they don't stay.

[keypeg]

Apparently the prof has given the homework but there is no textbook or material to study yet to go with it.  I seem to remember that there is a theory discussion site out there somewhere.  Does anyone know about it?

Meanwhile - maybe a google search on Counterpoint - analysis, counterpoint - intervals,  Do you know the name of the book that hasn't come in yet?   Can the prof point you to any resources?  Has he given handouts?  Your own student notes?

[sroka]

Apparently the prof has given the homework but there is no textbook or material to study yet to go with it.  I seem to remember that there is a theory discussion site out there somewhere.  Does anyone know about it?

Meanwhile - maybe a google search on Counterpoint - analysis, counterpoint - intervals,  Do you know the name of the book that hasn't come in yet?   Can the prof point you to any resources?  Has he given handouts?  Your own student notes?

Music in theory and practice Volume 2.  The book still has not come in yet but i have a long break to catch up.  My notes don't provide adequate examples at times. I tried google searching but it's mumble jumble to me.

I will attach a pdf file of what a completed example looks like.

[jazztothebone]

This is a bit overwhelming, but once you do the first step the rest will fall in place. You've already drawn some of the dotted lines so that's good.

First thing, go through and write the intervals just like in the example. So for instance, second measure, 3rd beat (word=di) write an 8 because it's one octave apart. The tenor part has a little 8 hanging from the treble clef so that means it sounds an octave lower. So middle C to C third space is an 8th.  Then the D in measure 2 (tenor) it would be 7 because D up to C is a 7th. The D is written 3rd line treble clef but it actually sounds like the d right next to middle C.

3rd measure first note in tenor part would be 5 because the e to the B is a fifth. second note in tenor part would be #4 which is a tritone from F up to B. Third note in tenor part would be a 3 because it's G up to B. then 2nd note in treble part would be a 4 because it's G up to C. Then third note in treble clef would be a 5 because it's G up to D. Then sixth note in treble clef would be 3 because it's G up to B. Then last note would be 8 because it's E4 to E5.

At this point I'm going to check in with you. Does this make sense?

Take care,
Shannon

[keypeg]

Before doing the exercise:

1.  Are there any of the terms / concepts that you don't understand?
- imitation
- interval
- dissonance
- mode

2.  Do you understand their example?  Have you studied it, and if so, how? Studying it and understanding it well, would be the next step.

I know there are two voices singing a melody in a staggered manner one starting after the other.  I took this to the piano and I listened to the first few measures two ways.  a) To hear what was happening in the harmonies - consonance and dissonance for example.  b) To hear the separate melodies and how they relate.  The harmonies is your "intervals".

They've marked "imitations".  "Beatus" goes in the Altus from m. 1 - 2, and it goes in the Cantus m. 2 -3.  I see the words are the same, the rhythms are the same, the melodies are not the same but they go along the same path.  I can see why they call this "imitation".  I could wing it from there, but personally I'd like to see "imitation" explained.

The example tells me what I'd do in that exercise where you're asked to mark the first pitch (note) in the imitation.

The notes in between tell us the interval between the two voices.  In m. 2, the Cantus stays on A but the Altus sings F, and then D.  F to A is a 3rd, and D to A is a 5th.  They have written 3, 5 which reflects this.  So here are our "harmonic intervals".

We see the following numbers circled: 2, 4, 7 and "d5".  2nds and 7ths are considered dissonant even now.  I seem to remember that 4 was considered dissonant.  The "d5" appears to be BF which would be a diminished 5th.   Are you familiar with the term?

I'd like to know what a cadence was in that period before there were chords.  Does anyone know?

What is the 25% that gives you problems?

[j_menz]

I'd like to know what a cadence was in that period before there were chords.  Does anyone know?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadence_(music)#Cadences_in_medieval_and_Renaissance_polyphony

[keypeg]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadence_(music)#Cadences_in_medieval_and_Renaissance_polyphony

Thank you.  Very helpful!

One thing I wondered about in the example was the d5 in measure 10.  I thought that the tritone was strictly forbidden but there it is as BF in the passing tone.

The "Dorian mode with musica ficta tones" bothers me somewhat, as in the sense of some information being left out that would complete the explanation.  Dorian by itself would be D E  F G A B C minus the Bb and C# as I understand it.