Basic Symbols

Common signs and symbols used in music with explanations and illustrations.

Clefs, Notes and the Staff

Dotted Notes, Rests, Time Signatures and More

Beats and Meter

Dynamic Signs and Articulation Marks

Ties and Triplets

Repeat Signs

Rests

Double Accidentals

Natural Notes and the Natural Sign

Circle of Fifths

Key Signatures Ads

Treble Clef

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It is the commonly used clef in music. It is the sign placed on the staff in a musical

score to indicate placement of the G above middle C. On the piano treble clef is

played by the right hand.

Bass Clef

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The sign placed on the music staff to indicate placement of the F below middle C.

On the piano bass clef is played by the left hand.

Grand Staff

Grand staff

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The staff is a series of five horizontal lines and four spaces. The clef is placed at

the beginning of the staff to indicate placement of the notes on the lines and

spaces. The treble and bass clefs are the two most common clefs. The combination

of a staff line with a treble and bass clef forms a grand staff. The grand staff is used

primarily in piano scoring and other keyboard instruments.

Whole Note

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A note that lasts for 4 beat

Half Note

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It is a note that has 2 beats. 2 half notes is equal to one whole note.

Quarter Note

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It is a note that has 1 beat. 4 quarter notes is equal to one whole note.

Eighth Note

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It is a note that has 1/8 the beat of a whole note. More simply put, it gets 1/2 beat. 2

eighth notes is equal to a quarter note.

Sixteenth Note

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A note equivalent to 1/16 of the time duration of a whole note. More simply put, it is

a note that gets 1/4 beat. 2 sixteenth notes is equal to one eighth note.

Thirty-second Note

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It is a note that lasts 1/32 the duration of a whole note. Two 32nd notes is equal to

one 16th note.

Sixty-fourth Note

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A note that is 1/64 the time duration of a whole note. Two 64th notes is equal to one

32nd note.

Music Theory 101 - Dotted Notes, Rests, Time Signatures and More

notes

notation

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performance tips

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Dotted Notes

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Dotted Half Note

Rests

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Types of Rests

A sign which signifies a measured silence. A whole rest is silence equivalent to the

value of a whole note (4), a half rest is silence equivalent to the value of a half note

(2). To illustrate more clearly:

whole rest = 4

half rest = 2

quarter rest = 1

eighth rest = 1/2

sixteenth rest = 1/4

Notes on the Treble Clef (Spaces)

Notes on the treble clef

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Notes that are on the spaces of a treble clef. We will go from the lowest space to

the highest; the notes are F - A - C - E. These notes are actually easy to remember,

just think of your FACE! Remember, on the piano when we say treble clef, it's

played by the right hand. Memorize these notes and their positions on the spaces.

Take note of the notes on the spaces from the illustration above.

Notes on the Treble Clef (Lines)

Notes on the treble clef

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The five horizontal lines that make up a music staff are called leger lines. The notes

on the leger lines are as follows from lowest to highest: E - G - B - D - F. You can

make it easier to remember by creating mnemonics like; Every Good Boy Does

Fine or Every Good Boy Deseves Football. Memorize these notes and their

positions on the lines. Take note of the notes on the lines from the illustration

above.

Notes on the Bass Clef (Spaces)

These are the notes on the spaces of a bass clef, they are as follows from the

lowest space to the highest: A - C - E - G. You can make it easier to remember by

creating mnemonics like; All Cows Eat Grass. Remember, on the piano the bass

clef is played by the left hand. Here's anillustration.

Notes on the Bass Clef (Lines)

These are the notes on the leger lines of the bass clef. They are as follows from

lowest line to the highest: G - B - D - F - A. You can make it easier to remember by

creating mnemonics like; Great Big Dogs Frighten Amy. Here's an illustration

Middle C

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Middle C

It is usually the first thing piano instructors teach students. The C sits on the leger

line between the treble and bass clef staffs.

Bar Lines and Measures

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Bar Line

Bar lines are the vertical lines you see on a music staff which divides the staff into

measures. Inside a measure there are notes and rests corresponding to the

number of beats determined by a time signature.

Time Signature

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3/4 Time Signature

It indicates how many notes and what kind of notes in a measure. The time

signatures commonly used are 4/4 (common time) and 3/4. There is also 5/2, 6/8

etc. The number on top is the number of notes per measure while the number on

the bottom indicates what kind of note. Here's a guide:

bottom # is 1 = whole note

bottom # is 2 = half note

bottom # is 4 = quarter note

bottom # is 6 = 8th note

bottom # is 16 = 16th note

Sharps and Flats

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F Sharp

Sharp - To make a note higher in pitch, the symbol placed before a note to raise it

one half step.

Flat - A symbol placed in front of a note in a piece of music to lower it by one half

step

Beats and Meter

Music Theory

4/4 Time Signature

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Beats are used as a way of counting time when playing a piece of music. Beats

gives music its regular rhythmic pattern. Beats are grouped together in a measure,

the notes and rests corresponds to a certain number of beats. The grouping of

strong and weak beats is called meter. You can find the meter signature, also

calledtime signature, at the beginning of every music piece, it is the 2 numbers

written after the clef. The number on top tells you the number of beats in a

measure; the number at the bottom tells you what note gets the beat.

There are different kinds of meter signatures, the most commonly used are:

4/4 Meter - Also known as common time, this means there are 4 beats in a

measure. For example 4 quarter notes (= 4 beats) in a measure will have the count

- 1 2 3 4. Another example is when there is a half note (= 2 beats), 2 eighth notes

(= 1 beat) and 1 quarter note (=1 beat) in a measure. When you add the beats of all

the notes you come up with 4, you thus count it as 1 2 3 4. In 4/4 meter the accent

is on the first beat. Listen to a music samplewith a 4/4 meter.

3/4 Meter - Used mostly in classical and waltz music, this means there are three

beats in a measure. For example 3 quarter notes (= 3 beats) will have the count -

1 2 3. Another example is a dotted half note which is also equivalent to three

beats. In 3/4 meter the accent is on the first beat. Listen to a music sample with a

3/4 meter.

6/8 Meter - Mostly used in classical music, this means there are 6 beats in a

measure. In this type of meter the eighth notes are commonly used. For example 6

eighth notes in a measure will have the count - 1 2 3 4 5 6. Here the accent is on

the first and fourth beats. Listen to amusic sample with a 6/8 meter.

Expression Marks - Dynamic Signs and Articulation Marks

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pianissimo

Pianissimo

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"very soft"

piano

Piano

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"soft"

mezzo piano

Mezzo piano

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"moderately soft"

mezzo forte

Mezzo forte

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"moderately loud"

forte

Forte

Image Courtesy of Denelson83 from Wikimedia Commons"loud" fortissimo

Fortissimo

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"very loud"

crescendo

Crescendo

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To play a piece with increasing volume.

decrescendo

Decrescendo

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Also called diminuendo, to play a piece in decreasing intensity.

glissando

Glissando

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A rapid succession of notes by sliding the fingers quickly over the keys or strings. It

is often played on the piano or harp.

slur

Slur

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To play a piece of music legato or smoothly. More info on slurs.

What are Ties and Triplets?

Ties

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Question: What are Ties and Triplets?

Answer: Tie - A tie is a curved line that connects one note to the next note that has

the same pitch. The second note is not played but its value is added to the first

note. For example two quarter notes that are tied together will be held for 2 beats.

Ties are also used when a note is too long that it travels to the next measure. Also,

ties are used when the value of a note cannot be represented by only one note.

This technique of using ties is calledligatura.

Triplets - Triplets is a way of grouping notes together wherein the value of the

original note is divided by three. For example when you divide a quarter note by

three you get three eighth notes that are connected together. This is called eighth

triplets. Triplets are indicated by a line above the notes with the number three. This

means that the notes need to be equally spread across the beat so that they have

the same duration. There are also quarter triplets, sixteenth triplets, etc.

Repeat Signs

Music Notation

da capo

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A repeat sign is used to indicate a measure that is to be played again. The repeat

sign is represented by two dots before a double bar. Repeat signs may be placed

at the end of a music piece indicating that it should be played again from the

beginning. It can also be placed in the middle of a music piece indicating that the

measure/s before the repeat sign should be played again. There is also

an inverted repeat sign that is used when only a few measures need to be

repeated. Two dots after a double barsymbolizes an inverted repeat sign.

Common repeat signs used in classical music are:

da capo - Symbolized by the letters D.C. and placed under the final measure. This

means to repeat from the top or the beginning of the music piece.

dal segno - Also written as D.S., this means to repeat the measures starting from

the segno sign.

da capo al fine - Sometimes a music sheet will bear the word fine under a

measure. Da capo al fine means to repeat everything from the beginning ending

with the measure with the word fine underneath.

Other repeat signs are used to signify that a measure or a number of measures

needs to be repeated several times. These are called simile marks

Special Symbols in Music - Rests

Fermata

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Rests are used to indicate a pause in a piece of music. The most common used

rests are whole rest, half rest, quarter rest and eighth rest. For more information

about rests go here.

There are also special rest symbols that are used to indicate pause or silence:

General Pause - Uses the sign G.P. to indicate pause or silence for all

instruments or voices.

Fermata - Indicates that a note should be sustained longer than its value. Often

it is the performer who determines how long he/she should hold the note. The

fermata is often placed at the end of a music piece.

What are Double Accidentals?

Double flat

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Question: What are Double Accidentals?

Before we go to double accidentals, let's review what are sharps, flats and half

steps. A half step is to move from one note to the next note either upwards or

downwards. To move a half step upwards or one note upwards is to sharp a key.

To move a half step downwards or one note downwards is to flat a key. Flats and

sharps are also called accidentals.

Answer:

A double accidental means to raise or lower a note two half steps which is

equivalent to a whole step. A double sharp raises the note 2 half steps. A double

flat lowers a note 2 half steps.

What Are Natural Notes, Natural Signs and Accidentals?

Natural Sign

Question: What Are Natural Notes, Natural Signs and Accidentals?

Answer: In music there is such a thing called "musical alphabet," this means each

note has a name based on the alphabet. There are seven letters used in a musical

alphabet namely: C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C. These seven letters are called

the natural tones, on apiano/keyboard these are the names of the white keys. The

white key to the left of two black keys is always a C, the next key to the right is

always a D, next to that is E and so on.

Sharps and flats are also called accidentals. The symbol for a flat is like a lower

case b, while the symbol for a sharp is like a pound sign (#). To flat a note means to

lower it by one half step; to sharp a note means to raise it one half step. Accidentals

are placed in front of the note they alter. The effect of accidentals last for the entire

measure if it is used at the beginning of a measure. Its effect is cancelled by a bar

line.

A natural sign is used to cancel out any key that is sharped or flatted. As an

example, if a note is in C sharp a natural sign will bring the note back to its natural

tone which is C. In the same way, if a note is in F flat, a natural sign will bring back

that note to its natural tone which is F.

What Is the Circle of Fifths?

Circle of Fifths

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Question: What Is the Circle of Fifths?

The Circle of Fifths is a diagram which is an essential tool for musicians. It is

named such because it uses a circle to illustrate the relationship of different keys

that are a fifth apart.

Answer: It is labeled with the letter names of the notes with C at the top center

then going clockwise are the notes G - D - A - E - B/Cb - F#/Gb - Db/C# - Ab -

Eb - Bb - F then back to C again. The notes on the circle are all a fifth apart, C to

G are a fifth apart, G to D is also a fifth apart and so forth. The basic illustration for

the Circle of Fifths.

Other Uses of the Circle of Fifths

Key Signatures - You can also tell how many sharps and flats are there in a given

key by looking at the Circle of Fifths.

Transposition - The Circle of Fifths can also be used when transposing from a

major key to a minor key or vice versa. To do this a smaller image of the Circle of

Fifth is placed inside a larger image of the circle. Then the C of the smaller circle is

aligned to the Eb of the larger circle. So now if a piece of music is in Ab you can

see that when you transpose that it will be on the key of F. The upper case letters

represent major keys, the lower case letters represent minor keys.

Chords - Another use for the Circle of Fifths is to determine chord patterns. The

symbol used for this are I (major), ii (minor), iii (minor), IV (major), V (major), vi

(minor) and viio (diminished). On the Circle of Fifths, the numerals are arranged as

follows starting from F then moving clockwise: IV, I, V, ii, vi, iii and viio. So for

example a piece asks that you play a I-IV-V chord pattern, looking at the circle you

can see that it corresponds to C - F - G. Now if you want to play it in another key,

say for example on G, you then align the numeral I to G and you'll see that the I-IV-

V chord pattern now corresponds to G - C - D.

Key Signatures

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Key signatures are the flats or sharps you see after the clef and before the time

signature. The purpose of the key signature, aside from telling you what key to play

in, is to avoid writing too many accidentals. For example, instead of writing Bb over

and over again, the flat sign (b) is placed on the third line of the Treble Clef

indicating that B's need to be flatted.

The sharps or flats placed on the line or space in the key signature indicates that

notes on that line or space needs to be sharped or flatted. It also indicates that all

the other notes of the same letter, even if they are in other octaves, needs to be

sharped or flatted. Sometimes composers change the key signature throughout a

piece of music.

Tip

Major Key - If the key signature has sharps, look at the position of the last

sharp and raise it by a half-step to get the key. For example, if the last sharp

is E, raise it a half step which is F, the key is F sharp major. When the key

signature has flats, simply look at the second to the last flat and you get the

key. So for example A flat is the second to the last flat sign in the key signature,

this means the music is in A flat major. The exception to this rule is F

major because it only has one flat and C major because it has no flats or

sharps.

Minor Key - Simply find the name of the key in major and lower it three half

steps to get the minor key. For example E flat major lowered three half steps

will be C minor. A minor key that has the same key signature as a major key is

called a relative minor. For example E flat major and C minor both have 3 flats

but C minor is three half steps lower than E flat major.

Keep in mind that there are only seven flats: B-E-A-D-G-C-F, and it is always in

the same order in a key signature. On the other hand, the order of sharps (F-C-

G-D-A-E-B) is the order of flats (B-E-A-D-G-C-F) backwards

For quick reference, look at this table of key signatures for both major and minor

keys.

Key Signatures

Key Signatures

Major Minor

C – none A minor - none

Db - 5 flats Bb - 5 flats

D - 2 sharps B - 2 sharps

Eb - 3 flats C - 3 flats

E - 4 sharps C# - 4 sharps

F - 1 flat D - 1 flat

F# - 6 sharps D# - 6 sharps

Gb - 6 flats Eb - 6 flats

G - 1 sharp E - 1 sharp

Ab - 4 flats F - 4 flats

A - 3 sharps F# - 3 sharps

Bb - 2 flats G - 2 flats

B - 5 sharps G# - 5 sharps

Scales & Intervals

Major Scales

Scales refer to a series of notes that go in an ascending and descending manner.

The major scale is the foundation from which all other scales are formed. A C

major scale begins with a C and ends with a C. The same rule applies with the rest

of the keys where a D Major Scale begins and ends with a D and so on. The notes

on a major scale is numbered from 1 to 8, this signifies the intervals.

Major Scale in Every Key

C = C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C

D = D - E - F# - G - A - B - C# - D

E = E - F# - G# - A - B - C# - D# - E

F = F - G - A - Bb - C - D - E - F

G = G - A - B - C - D - E - F# - G

A = A - B - C# - D - E - F# - G# - A

B = B - C# - D# - E - F# - G# - A# - B

C# = C# - D# - E# (=F) - F# - G# - A# - B# (=C) - C#

Db = Db - Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb - C - Db

Eb = Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C - D -Eb

F# = F# - G# - A# - B - C# - D# - E# (=F) - F#

Gb = Gb - Ab - Bb - Cb (=B) - Db - Eb - F - Gb

Ab = Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - F - G - Ab

Bb = Bb - C - D - Eb - F - G - A - Bb

To simplify, you can memorize this formula to form a major scale = whole step -

whole step - half step - whole step - whole step - whole step - half step or w - w - h

- w - w - w - h.

Minor Scales

If there are major scales there are also minor scales. The notes on a major scale

sound bright and cheerful while notes on the minor scale sound solemn and sad.

There are three types of minor scales:

Natural Minor Scale - When you play all the notes in a minor key signature, you

are playing the minor scale. To guide you, here are the minor scales in every key:

C = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C

D = D - E - F - G - A - Bb - C - D

E = E - F# - G - A - B - C - D - E

F = F - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - F

G = G - A - Bb - C - D - Eb - F - G

A = A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A

B = B - C# - D - E - F# - G - A - B

C# = C# - D# - E - F# - G# - A - B - C#

Eb = Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb - Cb - Db - Eb

F# = F# - G# - A - B - C# - D - E - F#

G# = G# - A# - B - C# - D# - E - F# - G#

Bb = Bb - C - Db - Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb

To simplify, you can memorize this formula to form a minor scale = whole step - half

step - whole step - whole step - half step - whole step - whole step orw - h - w - w -

h - w - w.

Harmonic Minor Scale - To play a harmonic minor scale, you simply raise the

seventh note of the scale by a half-step as you go up and down the scale. For

example:

Natural C Minor Scale = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C

Harmonic C Minor Scale = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - B - C

Melodic Minor Scale - When you raise the sixth and seventh notes of a scale by a

half step as you go up the scale and then return to the natural minor as you go

down the scale. For example:

Melodic C Minor Scale = C - D - Eb - F - G - A - B - C (as you go up the scale)

Natural C Minor Scale = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C (as you go down the scale)

Chromatic Scale

The word "chromatic" comes from the Greek word chroma meaning "color." The

chromatic scale consists of 12 notes each a half step apart. It is from the chromatic

scale that every other scale or chord in most Western music is derived. On the

piano/keyboard when you play all the black and white keys of an octave in an

ascending or descending order you are playing a chromatic scale. We will take the

C chromatic scale as an example:

C Chromatic Scale as you go up: C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C

C Chromatic Scale as you go down: C B Bb A Ab G Gb F E Eb D Db C

In this example we start at C and end at C, that is an octave. As you go up the

scale some of the notes are sharped. As you go down, some of the notes are

flatted. Notice that the sharped and flatted keys are the same keys but given

different names; these are called enharmonic notes. Enharmonics sound the same

but have different names. For example C# and Db is the same key. In grammar and

writing, enharmonics are like homonyms; words that sound alike but have different

meanings (i.e. meet, meat)

Pentatonic Scales

The word "pentatonic" comes from the Greek word pente meaning five

and tonic meaning tone. Simply put, the pentatonic scale consists of five notes

within one octave, that's why it is also sometimes referred to as a five-tone scale or

five-note scale. It is believed that the pentatonic scale was used way back in

ancient times. Composers like Claude Debussy have used pentatonic scales for

added effect in his music.

The anhemitonic form of pentatonic scale has no semitones (ex. c–d–f–g–a–c} this

is the most commonly used form.

The two basic forms of pentatonic scales are:

Major Pentatonic - Consists of the 1st - 2nd - 3rd - 5th - 6th notes of a major scale.

Minor Pentatonic - Consists of the same 5 notes of a major pentatonic scale but

its tonic (first note of the scale} is 3 semitones below the tonic of the major

pentatonic scale. For example, the C major pentatonic (C - D - E - G - A} has the

same notes as the A minor pentatonic (A - C - D - E - G} but arranged differently.

The first note or tonic of the A minor pentatonic scale (=A) is 3 semitones (half

steps) lower than the first note of the C major pentatonic scale (=C). It uses the 1st

- minor 3rd - 4th - 5th - minor 7th notes of a scale.

What is the Whole Tone Scale?

Question: What is the Whole Tone Scale?

Answer: Major and minor scales consists of 7 notes, while pentatonic scales are

made of 5 notes. However, the whole tone scale has 6 notes that are all a whole

step apart making its intervallic formula easy to remember - W-W-W-W-W-W.

This type of scale is used in Romantic music as well as jazz music; for example, the

music of Thelonius Monk. It is important to remember that there are only two whole

tone scales; C (C- D - E - F# - G# - A#) and D flat (Db - Eb - F - G - A - B). If you

start a scale on a different note, you are still playing the same notes as the C and

Db whole tone scales but in different order. The sound of a whole tone scale is

often decribed as "dreamlike."

What are modes?

Question: What are modes?

Answer: Modes are used in many types of music; from sacred music to jazz to

rock. Composers use it to add "flavor" to their compositions in order to avoid

predictability. It is formed by naming a different note as the root (1st) instead of the

original root of the scale. Thus, in a way, modes can be defined as displaced major

scales.

Types of Modal Scales

Ionian - Also known as the major scale; follows the pattern W-W-H-W-W-W-H.

Dorian - Constructed from the second note of a major scale; follows the pattern

W-H-W-W-W-H-W.

Phrygian - Constructed from the third note of a major scale; follows the pattern

H-W-W-W-H-W-W.

Lydian - Constructed from the fourth note of a major scale; follows the pattern W-

W-W-H-W-W-H.

Mixolydian - Also known as "mixo," is constructed from the fifth note of a major

scale and follows the pattern W-W-H-W-W-H-W.

Aeolian - Also known as the natural minor scale, is constructed from the sixth

note of a major scale and follows the pattern W-H-W-W-H-W-W.

Locrian - Constructed from the seventh note of a major scale; follows the pattern

H-W-W-H-W-W-W.

Each mode has a very distinct sound; for example, the Phrygian mode sounds

melancholy and reflects the music of Spain. The Lydian mode sounds happy and is

often used in jazz and rock music. The Mixolydian mode evokes a bluesy sound

and can often be heard in jazz, blues and rock music. The Locrian mode, on the

other hand, has a very strange sound but is rarely used.

What are Intervals?

Intervals

Question: What are Intervals?

Answer: An interval is the difference between two pitches measured by half steps.

It is also defined as the distance of one note to another note. In Western music, the

smallest interval used is the half step. Learning about intervals makes it easier to

playscales and chords.

Intervals have two characteristics: the type or quality of an interval (ex. major,

perfect, etc.) and the size or distance of an interval (ex. second, third, etc.). To

determine an interval, you first look at the type of interval followed by the size (ex.

Maj7, Perfect 4th, Maj6, etc.). Intervals can be major, minor, harmonic, melodic,

perfect, augmented and diminished.

Sizes or Distance of Intervals (Using the C Major Scale as example)

When determining the interval between two notes, you need to count every line and

space starting from the bottom note going to the top note. Remember to count the

bottom note as #1.

Prime/First - c to c

Second - c to d

Third - c to e

Fourth - c to f

Fifth - c to g

Sixth - c to a

Seventh - c to b

Octave - c to c

Types or Qualities of Intervals

Perfect Intervals have only one basic form. The first (or prime), fourth, fifth and

eighth (or octave) are all perfect intervals. When you lower a perfect interval by

a half step it becomes diminished. When you raise it a half step it

becomes augmented.

Non-perfect Intervals have two basic forms. The second, third, sixth and

seventh are non-perfect intervals; it can either be a major or minor interval (ex.

Maj7, minor6, etc.). When you lower a major interval by a half step, it becomes

a minor. When you raise it a half step it becomes augmented. On the other

hand when you lower a minor interval by a half step it becomes diminished.

When you raise it a half step it becomes a major.

What Are Harmonic Intervals?

Question: What Are Harmonic Intervals?

Answer: Notes that are played together or simultaneously create harmony. The

interval between these notes are called harmonic intervals. Just like melodic

intervals, there are harmonic 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths, etc. The difference is that

in melodic intervals the notes are played one after another, while in harmonic

intervals you play the notes at the same time.

Notes on a chord that are played together have harmonic intervals. The most

common type of chords are major and minor chords. The triad is a type of major or

minor chord that has 3 notes played either at the same time or one after another.

A major triad is played using the 1st (root) + 3rd + 5th notes of a major scale.

A minor triad is played using the 1st (root) + 3rd + 5th notes of aminor scale.

What are Melodic Intervals?

Question: What are Melodic Intervals?

Answer: The distance between notes is called an interval. When you play notes

separately, one after another, you are playing a melody. The distance between

these notes is called amelodic interval. Let's use the piano keys to illustrate the

different types of melodic intervals:

Melodic 2nds - Distance from a white key to the next white key, either up and

down the keyboard. On the staff melodic 2nds go from line to space and vice versa.

Melodic 3rds - When you skip a white key, that's a melodic 3rd. On the staff it goes

from space to space or from line to line.

Melodic 4ths - Skipping 2 white keys; on the staff melodic 4ths go from line to

space or space to line.

Melodic 5ths - Skipping 3 white keys; on the staff melodic 5ths go from space to

space or from line to line.

Melodic 6ths - Skipping 4 white keys; on the staff it goes from line to space or

space to line.

Melodic 7ths - Skipping 5 white keys; on the staff it goes from space to space or

line to line.

An octave is when you skip 6 white keys. For example from C to C, E to E or G to

G. On the staff an octave goes from line to space or space to line.

What are Melodic Intervals?

Question: What are Melodic Intervals?

Answer: The distance between notes is called an interval. When you play notes

separately, one after another, you are playing a melody. The distance between

these notes is called amelodic interval. Let's use the piano keys to illustrate the

different types of melodic intervals:

Melodic 2nds - Distance from a white key to the next white key, either up and

down the keyboard. On the staff melodic 2nds go from line to space and vice versa.

Melodic 3rds - When you skip a white key, that's a melodic 3rd. On the staff it goes

from space to space or from line to line.

Melodic 4ths - Skipping 2 white keys; on the staff melodic 4ths go from line to

space or space to line.

Melodic 5ths - Skipping 3 white keys; on the staff melodic 5ths go from space to

space or from line to line.

Melodic 6ths - Skipping 4 white keys; on the staff it goes from line to space or

space to line.

Melodic 7ths - Skipping 5 white keys; on the staff it goes from space to space or

line to line.

An octave is when you skip 6 white keys. For example from C to C, E to E or G to

G. On the staff an octave goes from line to space or space to line.

Table of Intervals

Perfect, Major and Minor Intervals

Remember, perfect intervals have only one basic form. The first (also called prime

or unison), fourth, fifth and eighth (or octave) are all perfect intervals. On the other

hand, non-perfect intervals have two basic forms. The second, third, sixth and

seventh are non-perfect intervals; it can either be a major or minor interval. Major

intervals comes from the major scale. Minor intervals are exactly a half-step lower

than major intervals.

Here's a handy table that will make it easier for you to determine intervals by

counting the distance of one note to another note in half steps.

Table of Intervals

Perfect Intervals

Type of Interval Number of Half-steps

Unison not applicable

Perfect 4th 5

Perfect 5th 7

Perfect Octave 12

Major Intervals

Type of Interval Number of Half-steps

Major 2nd 2

Major 3rd 4

Major 6th 9

Major 7th 11

Minor Intervals

Type of Interval Number of Half-steps

Minor 2nd 1

Minor 3rd 3

Minor 6th 8

Minor 7th 10

Triads & Chords

How To Form Major Triads On A Keyboard

Note names of the piano

Espie Estrella

There are many different types of chords, the most common are major and minor

chords. For this lesson we will learn about how to form "major triads." First, let's

define what a major triad is; a triad are 3 notes either played together or

simultaneously. A major triad is played using the 1st (root) + 3rd + 5th notes of a

major scale. A major triad chord has a symbol of M or Maj. Here's how to form

major triads:

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: Depends on your playing level

Here's How:

1. Learn all the note names on a keyboard. The white key to the left of two

black keys is always a C; now moving to the next white keys on the right we

have D - E - F - G - A - B then back to C again. These note names just keep

repeating. The names of the black keys (and some white keys as well) varies

depending on whether it's a sharp or a flat. For example, the black key next to

C may either be a C# or a Db.

2. Learn how to play the major scales. A scale is a series of notes that go in

an ascending and descending manner. To guide you, here are the major

scales in every key:

C = C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C

D = D - E - F# - G - A - B - C# - D

E = E - F# - G# - A - B - C# - D# - E

F = F - G - A - Bb - C - D - E - F

G = G - A - B - C - D - E - F# - G

A = A - B - C# - D - E - F# - G# - A

B = B - C# - D# - E - F# - G# - A# - B

3. Here are the other major scales for flats and sharps:

C# = C# - D# - E# (=F) - F# - G# - A# - B# (=C) - C#

Db = Db - Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb - C - Db

Eb = Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C - D -Eb

F# = F#= F# - G# - A# - B - C# - D# - E# (=F) - F#

Gb = Gb - Ab - Bb - Cb (=B) - Db - Eb - F - Gb

Ab = Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - F - G - Ab

Bb = Bb - C - D - Eb - F - G - A - Bb

4. To simplify, you can memorize this formula to form a major scale = whole step

- whole step - half step - whole step - whole step - whole step - half step or w -

w - h - w - w - w - h

5. Now, assign numbers to each note of a major scale, always assign

number one to the root note. For example, in the C major scale the numbers

will be assigned as follows:

C = 1

D = 2

E = 3

F = 4

G = 5

A = 6

B = 7

C = 8

6. Now, in order to form a major triad play the notes numbered 1 + 3 + 5. In our

example above, that is C + E + G, that's the C Major Triad. Do this pattern to

form all the other major triad chords.

7. Added Tip: To play the chords with your right hand, use your thumb to play

the root, your middle finger for the third note and your pinky to play the 5th

note. For the left hand it's the other way around, with your pinky playing the

root, your middle finger still playing the third note and your thumb playing the

5th note.

8. Try this: Try playing the following major triads in this pattern: C major triad - A

major triad - F major triad - G major triad. You can play the notes on a chord

one after the other or all at the same time. Just listen to how it sounds.

How To Form Minor Triads On A Keyboard

If you know how to form major chords, you'll find it easy to learn how to form minor

chords. In this lesson, we will learn how to form "minor triads." First let's define what

a minor triad is; a triad are 3 notes either played together or pressed one after

another. A minor chord is played using the 1st (root) + 3rd + 5th notes of a minor

scale. A minor chord has a symbol of m or min. Here's how to form minor triads:

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: Depends on your playing level

Here's How:

1. Learn all the note names on a keyboard. The white key to the left of two

black keys is always a C; now moving to the next white keys on the right we

have D - E - F - G - A - B then back to C again. These note names just keep

repeating. The names of the black keys (and some white keys as well) varies

depending on whether it's a sharp or a flat. For example, the black key next to

C may either be a C# or a Db.

2. Learn how to play the minor scales, also known as natural minor. A scale

is a series of notes that go in an ascending and descending manner. To guide

you, here are the minor scales in every key:

C = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C

D = D - E - F - G - A - Bb - C - D

E = E - F# - G - A - B - C - D - E

F = F - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - F

G = G - A - Bb - C - D - Eb - F - G

A = A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A

B = B - C# - D - E - F# - G - A - B

3. Here are the other minor scales for flats and sharps:

C# = C# - D# - E - F# - G# - A - B - C#

Eb = Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb - Cb - Db - Eb

F# = F# - G# - A - B - C# - D - E - F#

G# - G# - A# - B - C# - D# - E - F# - G#

Bb = Bb - C - Db - Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb

4. To simplify, you can memorize this formula to form a minor scale = whole step

- half step - whole step - whole step - half step - whole step - whole step or w -

h - w - w - h - w - w. To make it easier, if you already know how to play a

major triad chord, just lower the third note (or the note being pressed by

your middle finger) a half-step to make it a minor triad. For example, a C

major triad is C - E - G, lower the E a half step (=Eb), thus, a C minor triad is

C - Eb - G.

5. Now, assign numbers to each note of a minor scale, always assign number

one to the root note. For example, in the C minor scale the numbers will be

assigned as follows:

C = 1

D = 2

Eb = 3

F = 4

G = 5

Ab = 6

Bb = 7

C = 8

6. Now, in order to form a minor triad play the notes numbered 1 + 3 + 5. In our

example above for the key of C that is, C + Eb + G, that's the C Minor Triad.

Do this pattern to form all the other minor triad chords.

7. Added Tip: To play the chords with your right hand, use your thumb to play

the root, your middle finger for the third note and your pinky to play the 5th

note. For the left hand it's the other way around, with your pinky playing the

root, your middle finger still playing the third note and your thumb playing the

5th note.

8. Try this: Try playing the following minor triads in this pattern: C minor triad - A

minor triad - F minor triad - G minor triad. You can play the notes on a chord

one after the other or all at the same time. Just listen to how it sounds.

What are major and minor 7ths and how are they formed?

Question: What are major and minor 7ths and how are they formed?

You usually see these symbols on music sheets but may not know what it means.

The symbol used to signify a major 7th is maj7 while min7 stands for minor 7th.

Here is an explanation of what is the difference between these two types of chords

and how they are formed.

Answer: The major 7th chord is formed by playing the root (1st) + 3rd + 5th +

7th notes of a major scale. It is important to learn how to form the major scales

and assign the numbers 1 to 7 (with 1 assigned to the root note) in order to learn

how to play a major 7th chord easily. Here are the major 7th chords in every key:

Cmaj7 = C - E - G - B

Dmaj7 = D - F# - A - C#

Emaj7 = E - G# - B - D#

Fmaj7 = F - A - C - E

Gmaj7 = G - B - D - F#

Amaj7 = A - C# - E - G#

Bmaj7 = B - D# - F# - A#

C#maj7 = C# - E# (F) - G# - B# (C)

Dbmaj7 = Db - F - Ab - C

Ebmaj7 = Eb - G - Bb - D

F#maj7 = F# - A# - C# - E# (F)

Gbmaj7 = Gb - Bb - Db - F

Abmaj7 = Ab - C - Eb - G

Bbmaj7 = Bb - D - F - A

A minor 7th chord is formed based on the major 7th chord, by lowering the 3rd

and 7th note a half step (also means to flatten the 3rd and 7th). Here are the

minor 7th chords in every key:

Cm7 = C - Eb - G - Bb

Dm7 = D - F - A - C

Em7 = E - G - B - D

Fm7 = F - Ab - C - Eb

Gm7 = G - Bb - D - F

Am7 = A - C - E - G

Bm7 = B - D - F# - A

C#m7 = C# - E - G# - B

Dbm7 = Db - E - Ab - B

Ebm7 = Eb - Gb - Bb - Db

F#m7 = F# - A - C# - E

Gbm7 = Gb - A - Db - E

Abm7 = Ab - B - Eb - Gb

Bbm7 = Bb - Db - F - Ab

What are dominant 7th's and is it the same as a major 7th chord?

Question: What are dominant 7th's and is it the same as a major 7th chord?

Learning chords may seem tricky and confusing, especially for beginners. Don't

despair, once you understand how these chords are related and their respective

patterns, you'll see that chords aren't so hard to learn after all.

Answer: A dominant 7th uses the symbol of a note name + 7. For example: C7,

D7, E7, etc. It is different from the symbol used for a major 7th which is maj7. A

dominant 7th is not the same as a major 7th chord. But, to form a dominant 7th

you must know how to form a major 7th chord first because these two types of

chords are related.

A major 7th chord is formed by playing the root (1st) + 3rd + 5th + 7th notes of

a major scale. Adominant 7th is formed by simply lowering the 7th note a half

step.

As an example, Cmaj7 = C - E - G - B (7th note). Lower the 7th note a half step,

from B to Bb, thus Dominant 7th = C - E - G - Bb.

Here are the dominant 7th chords in every key:

C7 = C - E - G - Bb

D7 = D - F# - A - C

E7 = E - G# - B - D

F7 = F - A - C - Eb

G7 = G - B - D - F

A7 = A - C# - E - G

B7 = B - D# - F# - A

C#7 = C# - E# (F) - G# - B

Db7 = Db - F - Ab - B

Eb7 = Eb - G - Bb - Db

F#7 = F# - A# - C# - E

Gb7 = Gb - Bb - Db - E

Ab7 = Ab - C - Eb - Gb

Bb7 = Bb - D - F - Ab

How To Invert Triads

Chord inversions are used by composers and musicians for modulation, to create a

melodic bass line and generally to make music more interesting. A chord inversion

simply means rearranging the notes in a given chord. Inversions can also be

applied to intervals and melodies, for this lesson however, we will focus on inverting

triads.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: Varies, depending on playing level

Here's How:

1. Learn the root position of triads in both major andminor keys. When we say

root position it refers to the normal position of chords in which the root note is

at the bottom; root + third + fifth (1+3+5). For example a C major triad is

C+E+G, with C as the root note.

2. For the first inversion of a triad simply move the root note at the top an octave

higher. So if the root position of a C major chord is C+E+G, moving the root

note (C) at the top makes the first inversion as E+G+C (3+5+1).

3. For the second inversion of a triad move the lowest note and place it on top of

the root note. Let's take the C major chord as an example again, the first

inversion of this chord is E+G+C with E being the lowest note. Move E above

the root note which is C to make the second inversion of G+C+E (5+1+3).

4. Usually, triads are referred to as having only two inversions. This is because

when you invert a triad a third time you return to the root position an octave

higher.

What Are Diminished and Augmented Triads?

Question: What Are Diminished and Augmented Triads?

Answer: There are two more types of triads called diminished and augmented

chords.

Diminished Chord - Uses the symbol "o" or "dim" and is formed by playing

the first note (root) + flatted third (b3) + flatted fifth (b5) of a major scale. When

you add another minor third (b3) to a diminished chord it becomes a tetrad or a

four-note chord. The symbol used for this is "o7." Two commonly used types of

tetrad are the dominant 7th (7) and the major 7th (maj7) chords.

Here are the diminished chords in different keys:

C dim = C - Eb - Gb

G dim = G - Bb - Db

D dim = D - F - Ab

A dim = A - C - Eb

E dim = E - G - Bb

B dim = B - D - F

F# dim = F# - A - C

Gb dim = Gb - A - C

Db dim = Db - E - G

C# dim = C# - E - G

Ab dim = Ab - B - D

Eb dim = Eb - Gb - A

Bb dim = Bb - Db - E

F dim = F - Ab - B

Augmented Chord - Uses the symbol "+" or "aug." and is formed by playing

the first note (root) + third note + sharped fifth (#5th) of a major scale.

Here are the augmented chords in different keys:

C aug = C - E - G#

G aug = G - B - D#

D aug = D - F# - A#

A aug = A - C# - F

E aug = E - G# - C

B aug = B - D# - G

F# aug = F# - A# - D

Gb aug = Gb - Bb - D

Db aug = Db - F - A

C# aug = C# - E# (or F) - A

Ab aug = Ab - C - E

Eb aug = Eb - G - B

Bb aug = Bb - D - F#

F aug = F - A - C#

Sixth and Ninth Chords

How to Form Other Chords

There are other chords you can use to make your music more interesting:

Sixth Chords - Is formed by adding a sixth to either a major or minor triad. For

example to form a C6 chord you will start on a C major triad which is C-E-G, then

you add the major sixth which is A. So C6 = C-E-G-A. For a minor sixth chord the

principle is the same but you will construct if from a minor triad. For example to

form a Cm6 chord you will start on a C minor triad which is C-Eb-G, then you add

the major sixth which is A. So Cm6 = C-Eb-G-A. To simplify, the formula for a sixth

chord is the 1st (root) + 3rd + 5th + 6th notes of a major or minor scale.

Ninth Chords - Is formed from either a dominant 7th, major 7th or minor 7th chord

by adding the ninth. There are three commonly used types of ninth chord:

1. Dominant 9th Chord (ex. C9) - Formed by playing the1st + maj 3rd + 5th +

flat 7th + 9th. Simply put, you start with a dominant 7th chord then add the

9th.

2. Major 9th (Ex. Cmaj9)- Formed by playing the 1st + maj 3rd + 5th + maj 7th

+ 9th of a major chord. In other words you start from a major 7th chord and

then add the 9th.

3. Minor 9th (Ex. Cm9) - Formed by playing the 1st + min 3rd + 5th + flat 7th +

9th of a minor chord. Simply put, you start with a minor 7th chord then add the

9th.

Understanding Dissonant and Consonant Chords

Consonant chords sound harmonious and pleasing, while dissonant chords elicit a

feeling of tension and sounds like the notes are clashing.

In Western music the following intervals are considered consonant:

minor third - For example from C to Eb

major third - For example from C to E

perfect fourth - For example from C to F

perfect fifth - For example from C to G

minor sixth - For example from C to Ab

major sixth - For example from C to A

octave - For example from C to C

On the other hand these intervals are considered dissonant:

minor second - For example from C - Db

major second - For example from C to D

minor seventh - For example from C to Bb

major seventh - For example from C to B

tritone - For example from C to F#, tritone is also known as an augmented 4th or

diminished fifth and it has an interval of 3 whole steps.

Most often dissonance is resolved by moving to a consonant chord. This makes the

initial feeling of tension created by dissonant chords to reach a resolution. The

common term for this is tension and release. However, dissonance doesn't always

need to be resolved, also perceiving chords as dissonant tends to be subjective.

Forming Different Chords

Quick Reference Guide

Using different types of chords will make your music sound fuller and less

predictable. Here's a quick reference table on how to form various triads and

tetrads.

Forming Chords

Guide to Forming Chords

Type of Chord Chord Structure

Major Triad 1st (root) + 3rd + 5th notes of a major scale

Minor Triad 1st (root) + 3rd + 5th notes of a minor scale

Diminished Triads 1st (root) + flatted 3rd (b3) + flatted 5th (b5) notes of a major scale

Augmented Triads 1st (root) + 3rd + sharped 5th (#5th) notes of a major scale.

Major 7th Chord 1st (root) + 3rd + 5th + 7th notes of a major scale

Minor 7th Chord 1st (root) + flatted 3rd (b3) + 5th + flatted 7th (b7) notes (derived from a major scale)

Dominant 7th Chord 1st (root) + 3rd + 5th + flatted 7th (b7) notes of a major scale

Sixth Chord 1st (root) + 3rd + 5th + 6th notes of a major or minor scale.

Dominant 9th Chord add a ninth to a dominant 7th chord (1st + 3rd + 5th + flatted 7th + 9th)

Major 9th Chord add a ninth to a major 7th chord (1st + 3rd + 5th + 7th + 9th)

Minor 9th Chord add a ninth to a minor 7th chord (1st + 3rd + 5th + flatted 7th + 9th)

sus2 Chord 1st (root) + 2nd + 5th notes of either a major or minor scale

sus4 Chord 1st (root) + 4th + 5th notes of either a major or minor scale

The I - IV - V Chord Pattern

Songwriting 101

By Espie Estrella, About.com Guide

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Let's refresh what we've learned so far about scales and chords. Before you learn

how to form certain chords you must first learn about scales. A scale is a series of

notes that go in an ascending and descending manner. For every scale

(major or minor) there are 7 notes, for example in the key of C the notes are C - D -

E - F - G - A - B. The 8th note (in this example will be C) goes back to the root note

but an octave higher.

Each note of a scale has a corresponding number from 1 to 7. So for the key of C it

will be as follows:

C = 1

D = 2

E = 3

F = 4

G = 5

A = 6

B = 7

In order to make a major triad you will play the 1st + 3rd + 5th notes of a major

scale. In our example it is C - E - G, that's the C major chord.

Let's have another example this time using the C minor scale:

C = 1

D = 2

Eb = 3

F = 4

G = 5

Ab = 6

Bb = 7

In order to make a minor triad you will play the 1st + 3rd + 5th notes of a minor

scale. In our example it is C - Eb - G, that's the C minor chord.

Guide Notes: For the next entry we will omit the 7th and 8th notes to make it less

confusing.

Roman Numerals

Sometimes instead of numbers Roman Numerals are used. We go back to our

example and use a Roman Numeral for each note in the key of C:

C = I

D = ii

E = iii

F = IV

G = V

A = vi

Roman numeral I refers to the chord built on the first note of the C major scale.

Roman numeral II refers to the chord built on the second note of the C major scale,

and so on. If you notice, some of the Roman numerals are capitalized while others

are not. Uppercase Roman numerals pertain to a major chord, while lowercase

Roman numerals pertain to a minor chord. Uppercase Roman numerals with a (+)

symbol refer to an augmented chord. Lowercase Roman numerals with a (o)

symbol refer to a diminished chord.

The I, IV and V Chord Pattern

For each key there are 3 chords that are played more than others known as

"primary chords." The I - IV - V chords are built from the 1st, 4th and 5th note of a

scale.

Let's take the key of C again as an example, looking at the illustration above, you

will notice that note I on the key of C is C, note IV is F and note V is G.

Therefor the I - IV - V chord pattern for the key of C is:

C (note I) = C - E- G (1st + 3rd + 5th note of the C scale)

F (note IV) = F - A - C (1st + 3rd + 5th note of the F scale)

G (note V) = G - B - D (1st + 3rd + 5th note of the G scale)

There are many songs that have been written using the I - IV - V chord pattern,

"Home on the Range" is one example. Practice playing the I - IV - V chord pattern

for every major key and listen to how it sounds as this might inspire you to come up

with a great melody for your song.

Here's a handy table to guide you.

I - IV - V Chord Pattern

Major Key - Chord Pattern

Key of C C - F - G

Key of D D - G - A

Key of E E - A - B

Key of F F - Bb - C

Key of G G - C - D

Key of A A - D - E

Key of B B - E - F#

Key of Db Db - Gb - Ab

Key of Eb Eb - Ab - Bb

Key of Gb Gb - Cb - Db

Key of Ab Ab - Db - Eb

Key of Bb Bb - Eb - F

The ii, iii, and vi Chords

We've learned how to form and play the I, IV and V chords. Now let's learn about

the ii, iii, and vi chords.

Constructing ii, iii, and vi chords

These chords are built from the 2nd, 3rd and 6th notes of a scale and are all minor

chords. Note that these chords come from the same key as the I, IV and V chords.

Let's take the key of D for example:

D = I

Em = ii

F#m = iii

G = IV

A = V

Bm = vi

Note that the chords built on the 2nd, 3rd and 6th notes of the key of D are Em -

F#m and Bm.

Therefor the ii - iii - vi chord pattern for the key of D is:

Em (note ii) = E - G - B (1st + 3rd + 5th notes of the Em scale)

F#m (note iii) = F# - A - C# (1st + 3rd + 5th notes of the F#m scale)

Bm (note vi) = B - D - F# (1st + 3rd + 5th notes of the Bm scale)

Memorize all the minor chords for every key. If you combine these chords with the

major chords that form the I - IV - V pattern your melodies will become fuller and

less predictable.

As always I made a table so you can easily see the ii, iii and vi chords in every key.

Clicking on the chord name will bring you to an illustration which will show you how

to play each chord on a keyboard.

The ii, iii and vi Chords

Major Key - Chord Pattern

Key of C Dm - Em - Am

Key of D Em - F#m - Bm

Key of E F#m - G#m - C#m

Key of F Gm - Am - Dm

Key of G Am - Bm - Em

Key of A Bm - C#m - F#m

Key of B C#m - D#m - G#m

Key of Db Ebm - Fm - Bbm

Key of Eb Fm - Gm - Cm

Key of Gb Abm - Bbm - Ebm

Key of Ab Bbm - Cm - Fm

Key of Bb Cm - Dm - Gm

Music History

What is Music?

Dictionaries and encyclopedias define music as "an artistic form of auditory

communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and

continuous manner." It is also defined as "any pleasing and harmonious sound" and

"the sounds produced by singers or musical instruments." (Source:

wordnet.princeton.edu)

There are a lot of definitions for music and it will take a whole book to explore the

subject of music. If there is one true definition of music it is this; music is universal

and yet it is also relative and subjective. What may be music to one may not be so

to another.

For me music is the singing of the birds, the whistling of my husband as he takes a

shower, the soft humming of my little girl as she quietly plays, the beautiful sounds

a pianist produces as he touches the keys of a piano...

Take a moment to ponder what the meaning of music is for you.

Origin and History of Music

There are many theories regarding when and where music originated. Many agree

that music began even before man existed. Historiographers point out that there

are six periods of music and each period has a particular style of music that greatly

contributed to what music is today. Here are some resources for you to better

understand the history of music. Links are arranged chronologically and is a great

primer to learn more about every stage of music development.

Medieval/Middle Ages

Music during the Middle Ages is characterized by the beginning of musical notation

as well as polyphony. During this time, there were two general types of music

styles; the monophonic and the polyphonic.

Medieval Music Timeline

During the Middle Ages or Medieval period, musical notation began as well as the

birth ofpolyphony. There was a remarkable continuity in musical styles categorized

into monophonic and polyphonic styles. Here is a brief timeline of music events

during this period.

590 - 604 - Development of the Gregorian Chant. It is also known as plain chant or

plainsong and named after Pope St. Gregory the Great. The said Pope was

believed to have brought it to the West.

695 - The development of organum, an early form of counterpoint.

1030 - It was around this time when a new method to teach singing was invented

by a monk and choirmaster named Guido de Arezzo.

1098 - 1179 - Hildegard von Bingen

1150 - 1250 - The Notre Dame school of polyphonywas the center of activity.

Rhythmic notation first appeared in this period. Also known as the ars antiqua; it is

during this time when the motet initially developed.

11th - 12th century - Time of liturgical drama, musical tradition of Europe. Also, the

music of the troubadour and trouvère, a vernacular tradition of monophonic secular

song possibly accompanied by instruments and singers. Guillaume d'Aquitaine was

one of the well known troubadours. Themes were mostly of chivalry and courtly

love.

12th - 14th century

(12th - 13th) - The age of the Goliards, a group of clergy who wrote satirical Latin

poetry to mock the church. Some known goliards were Peter of Blois and Walter of

Châtillon.

{13th) - The spread of Geisslerlieder, these are songs of flagellants. Flagellants

practiced self-mortification by whipping themselves with various instruments.

Geisslerlieder music was simple and closely related to folk songs.

(12th - 14th) - Birth of Minnesang, lyric and song writing in Germany much like

the troubadour tradition of France. Minnesingers mainly sang of courtly love and

some known minnesingers were Henric van Veldeke, Wolfram von Eschenbach

and Hartmann von Aue.

(14th) -The period of ars nova, coined by Philippe de Vitry. During this period,

secular music acquired polyphonic sophistication. Most notable practitioner of this

style was Guillaume de Machaut.

(1375 - 1475) - Known composers were Leonel Power, John Dunstable, Gilles

Binchois andGuillaume Dufay.

Composers/Musicians of the Middle Ages

1. Gilles Binchois

Composer who was also a soldier; believed to have been employed by the Earl of

Suffolk during the English occupation of France.

2. Guido de Arezzo

During the Medieval period, two inventions were made that would greatly help

choirs to sing in harmony and to sight-sing. These inventions were created by a

monk and choirmaster named Guido de Arezzo.

3. Moniot d'Arras

Composer who also served in the Abbey of Northern France as a monk.

4. Guillaume de Machaut

Composer who was also the secretary of John of Luxemburg, King of Bohemia.

5. John Dunstable

One of the leading English composers of his time. His works influenced other

composers including Guillaume Dufay and Gilles Binchois. Aside from being a

composer, he was also an astronomer and mathematician.

6. Perotinus Magister

It is quite difficult to find information about composers who lived during the Medieval

Period, but one name stands out when we think of composers of this time. Learn a

little bit more about Perotin, believed to be the one who introduced four-part

polyphony.

7. Leonel Power

Composer who was one of the major figures in English music.

8. Hildegard von Bingen

Her name remains prominent on the list of Medieval composers. Hildegard von

Bingen wrote what is considered the earliest known musical drama in history

entitled "The Ritual of the Virtues."

The Beginning of Polyphony

Polyphony is a characteristic of Western music. In its early form, polyphony was

based on plainchant. It began when singers started improvising with parallel

melodies, with emphasis on fourth (ex. C to F) and fifth (ex. C to G) intervals. This

marked the start of polyphony wherein several musical lines were combined. As

singers continued experimenting with melodies, polyphony became more elaborate

and complex.

Cantus Firmus

One type of melody is called the cantus firmus from which other melodies or voices

were derived. A composer often based the melody he wrote for other parts on the

cantus firmus. Cantus firmus was commonly used in the Middle Ages and was

strongly based on the Gregorian Chant.

Motet

Motet emerged in Paris around the year 1200. It is a type of polyphonic vocal music

which uses rhythm patterns. Early motets were both sacred and secular; touching

on subjects like love, politics and religion. It flourished until the 1700s and today is

still being used by the Catholic Church.

Round

A round is a vocal piece wherein different voices sing the same melody, at the

same pitch, but the lines are successively sung. An early example of a round

is Sumer is icumen in, a piece that is also an example of a six-voice polyphony. The

children's song "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" is an example of a round.

The Role of Ministrels, Troubadours and Minnesingers

Ministrels, also called jongleurs, were traveling musicians and jugglers who

performed in streets and courts during the 11th and 12th centuries. Their works

represent the early forms of secular music. Troubadours on the other hand were

French musicians and poets who wrote courtly love poems and set it to music.

They performed their songs in European courts and throughout the country.

Eventually their popularity reached and flourished in Germany during the 12th and

13th centuries where they became known as minnesingers. These performers

helped spread vocal music which later evolved into other forms.

Renaissance

Renaissance means "rebirth" and in music this period brought about many changes

in the way music was created and perceived.

Renaissance Music Timeline

Renaissance or "rebirth," a period of significant changes in history, including music.

1400 - 1474 - Guillaume Dufay, known as the transitional figure to the

Renaissance.

1450 - 1550 - During this period composers experimented with cantus firmus.

Cantus firmus was commonly used in the Middle Ages which was strongly based

on the Gregorian Chant. Known composers during this period were Johannes

Ockeghem, Jacob Obrecht and Josquin Desprez.

1517 - Protestant Reformation sparked by Martin Luther. Significant changes

occurred to church musicsuch as the chorale, hymns that were meant to be sung

by a congregation. Its earliest form was monophonic and then evolved to four part

harmony. It was also the period when psalms of the Bible were translated into

French and then set to music.

1550 - Catholic Counter-Reformation. The Council of Trent met from 1545 to 1563

to discuss complaints against the church including its music.

1500 - 1550 - The French Chanson, a polyphonic French song that was originally

for 2 to 4 voices. During the Renaissance, composers were less restricted to

the formes fixes (fixed form) of chansons and experimented on new styles that

were similar to contemporary motets and liturgical music. Known composers during

this period wereClément Janequin and Claudin de Sermisy.

1500 - 1620 - Italian Madrigal, polyphonic secular music that were performed in

groups of 4 to 6 singers who sang mostly love songs. There were three periods of

the Italian Madrigal

1500 - 1540 - Known composers were Adrian Willaert and Jacob Arcadelt.

1540 - 1570 - Known composers were again Adrian Willaert and Orlando

Lassus.

1570 - 1610 - Known composers were Luca Marenzio, Carlo

Gesualdo and Claudio Monteverdi. Monteverdi is also known as the transitional

figure to the Baroque music era.

1570 -1605 - John Farmer, English madrigal composer.

1525 - 1594 - Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, known as the High Renaissance

composer of Counter-Reformation sacred music. During this period

Renaissance polyphony reached its height.

1548 - 1611 - Tomas Luis de Victoria, known Spanish composer during the

Renaissance who composed mainly sacred music.

1554 - 1612 - Giovanni Gabrielli, known composer in Venetian High Renaissance

music who wrote instrumental and church music.

1543 - 1623 - William Byrd, leading English composer of the late Renaissance who

composed church, secular, consort and keyboard music.

1563 - 1626 - John Dowland, known for his lute music in Europe and composed

beautiful melancholic music.

Music Forms/Styles of the Renaissance

In Italy during the Renaissance, a new philosophy called "humanism" developed.

The emphasis of humanism is on the quality of life on earth, much different from

earlier beliefs that life should be viewed as a preparation for death.

By this time the influence of the Church on the arts grew weak, composers and

their patrons were ready for new artistic ideas. Flemish composers and musicians

were summoned to teach and perform in Italian courts and the invention of printing

helped spread these new ideas.

Imitative Counterpoint

Josquin Desprez became one of the most important composers of this period. His

music was widely published and appreciated in Europe. Desprez wrote both sacred

and secular music, focusing more onmotets of which he wrote over a hundred. He

utilized what is known as "imitative counterpoint," wherein each voice part enters

successively using the same note patterns. Imitative counterpoint was used by

French and Burgundian composers in writing chansons, or secular poems set to

music for instruments and solo voices.

Madrigals

By the 1500s, the simplicity of earlier madrigals were replaced by more elaborate

forms, using 4 to 6 voice parts. Claudio Monteverdi was one of the leading Italian

composers of madrigals.

Religion and Music

Religious Reformation occurred in the early half of the 1500s. Martin Luther, a

German priest, wanted to reform the Roman Catholic Church. He spoke to the

Pope and those holding positions in the church about the need to change certain

Catholic practices. Luther also wrote and published 3 books in 1520. Sensing that

his pleas were left unheard, Luther sought the help of princes and feudal lords

which lead to a political uprising. Luther was one of the forerunners of

Protestantism which eventually led to the founding of the Lutheran Church. Luther

kept certain elements of the Latin liturgy in his religious services.

Other Protestant denominations were established as a result of the Reformation. In

France, another Protestant named John Calvin sought to eliminate music from

worship. In Switzerland, Huldreich Zwingli likewise believed that music should be

removed from worship as well as holy images and statues. In Scotland, John Knox

founded the Church of Scotland.

There were changes within the Catholic Church as well. A need for simpler

melodies that did not overpower the text were sought. Giovanni Perlugi de

Palestrina was one of the prominent composers during this time.

Instrumental Music

By the second half of the 1500s instrumental music began to take shape. The

instrumental canzone made use of brass instruments; music for keyboard

instruments such as theclavichord, harpsichord and organ were also written.

The lute was widely used at that time, both to accompany singing and for

instrumental music. At first only instruments of the same family were played

together, but eventually mixed instruments were used.

1. Jacob Arcadelt

One of the composers who helped establish the madrigal musical form.

2. William Byrd

One of the leading English composers of the late Renaissance who helped develop

English madrigals. He wrote church, secular, consort and keyboard music, among

others. He served as organist at Chapel Royal, a post he shared with his mentor

Thomas Tallis.

3. Claudin de Sermisy

One of the composers who greatly influenced Parisian Chansons.

4. Josquin Desprez

One of the most important composers of this period. His music was widely

published and appreciated in Europe. Desprez wrote both sacred and secular

music, focusing more on motets of which he wrote over a hundred.

5. Tomas Luis de Victoria

Spanish composer during the Renaissance who composed mainly sacred music.

6. John Dowland

Known for his lute music in Europe and composed beautiful melancholic music.

7. Guillaume Dufay

Known as the transitional figure to the Renaissance.

8. John Farmer

English madrigal composer whose work titled "Fair Phyllis I Saw Sitting All Alone,"

was one of the most popular pieces of his time.

9. Giovanni Gabrielli

Wrote music for St. Mark's as well as Monteverdi and Stravinsky. Gabrielli

experimented with choral and instrumental groups, positioning them in different

sides of the basilica and making them perform alternately or in unison.

10. Carlo Gesualdo

Photo Courtesy of Cantate Online

Considered to be an innovative composer of Italian madrigals. Gesualdo is quite a

brilliant composer and yet the tragedy that happened in his private life haunted him

until his death.

11. Clement Janequin

Composer who was also an ordained priest. He specialized in chansons and took it

to a new degree by using descriptive elements.

12. Orlando Lassus

Composed church and secular voice music.

13. Luca Marenzio

One of the most renowned madrigal composers.

14. Claudio Monteverdi

Public Domain Image from Wikimedia Commons

Known as the transitional figure to the Baroque music era.

15. Jacob Obrecht

One of the well known Franco-Flemish composers of his time.

16. Johannes Ockeghem

One of the most influential composers of the Early Renaissance and one of the

fathers of Renaissance music.

17. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

Wrote secular, liturgical and religious pieces.

18. Thomas Tallis

from Wikimedia Commons

An English composer known for his mastery of contrapuntal techniques. Although

there is little information about his early years, it is known that composer William

Byrd became one of his pupils.

Baroque

The word "baroque" comes from the Italian word "barocco" which means bizarre. The Baroque period was a time when composers experimented with form, styles and instruments. This period saw the development of opera and instrumental music.

Baroque Music Timeline

The word "baroque" comes from the Italian word "barocco" which means bizarre.

This word was first used to describe the style of architecture mainly in Italy during

the 17th and 18th century. Later on the word baroque was used to describe the

music styles of the 1600s to the 1700s. The Baroque period was a time when

composers experimented with form, styles and instruments. This period saw the

development of opera and instrumental music. The violin was also considered an

important musical instrument during this time.

1573 - The first known meeting of the Florentine Camerata, a group of

musicians who came together to discuss various subjects including the arts. It is

said that the members were interested in reviving the Greek dramatic style. Both

the monodies and the opera are believed to have come out from their

discussions and experimentation. Some of the known members of

the Florentine Camerata are Jacopo Peri andClaudio Monteverdi

1597 - The period of the early opera which will last until 1650. Opera is

generally defined as a stage presentation or work that combines music,

costumes, and scenery to relay a story. Most operas are sung, with no spoken

lines. During the Baroque period, operas were derived from ancient Greek

tragedy and there was often an overture at the beginning, a solo part and both

an orchestra andchorus are present. Some examples of early operas are

"Eurydice" which had two settings; one by Jacopo Peri and the other by Giulio

Caccini. Another example is "Orpheus" and "Coronation of Poppea" by Claudio

Monteverdi.

1600 - Start of monody which will last until the 1700s. Monody refers to an

accompanied solo music. Examples of early monody can be found in the

book Le Nuove Musiche by Giulio Caccini. The said book is a collection of

songs for the figured bass and solo voice, it also included madrigals. Le Nuove

Musiche is considered one of Caccini's most important work.

1650 - During this era, musicians did a lot of improvisation. The basso

continuo or figured bass is music created by combining keyboard music and

one or more bass instruments. The period from 1650 to 1750 is known as

the Age of Instrumental Music where other forms of music developed

including the suite and sonata.

1700 - Until 1750 this is known as the High Baroque period. Italian opera

became more expressive and expansive. The composer/violinist Arcangelo

Corelli became known and music for the harpsichord was also given

importance. Bach and Handel are known as the figures of the late Baroque

music. Other forms of music like the canons and fugues evolved during this

time.

Baroque Music Composers

The word "baroque" comes from the Italian word "barocco" which means bizarre.

The Baroque period was a time when composers experimented with form, styles

and instruments. This period saw the development of opera and instrumental

music. Some notable composers during this period or those whose works represent

Baroque music are:

1. Johann Sebastian Bach

Public Domain Image from Wikimedia Commons

The Bach family is one of the most notable German musicians in history. Out of this

lineage comes the celebrated composer Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach wrote more

than 1,000 compositions in every genre except opera.

2. Dietrich Buxtehude

from Wikimedia Commons

An organist and highly-regarded composer of church music who influenced other

composers such as George Frideric Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach is

said to have walked from Thuringia to Lubeck (more than 200 miles) to hear him

play.

3. Arcangelo Corelli

Public Domain Image from Wikimedia Commons

During the High Baroque period, Italian opera became more expressive and

expansive. During this time, the composer/violinist Arcangelo Corelli became

known and music for the harpsichord was also given importance.

4. Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre

Public Domain Image from Wikimedia Commons

One of the most notable women composers during the Baroque period. She was

known as a gifted harpsichordist, improviser and composer.

5. George Frideric Handel

Public Domain Portrait by Balthasar Denner from Wikimedia

Commons

Composed operas and oratorios; the most famous of which is "Messiah." Handel

also wrote cantatas based on the Italian style.

6. Jean-Baptiste Lully

from Wikimedia Commons

A violinist in Louis XIV’s court band and later became the King's court composer.

Lully helped establish the French opera and overture styles. He is said to be very

ambitious to the point of being ruthless and many intrigues followed him, especially

at the height of his career.

7. Henry Purcell

One of the great composers of the Baroque period and one of the great English

composers. He wrote among others, operas, incidental stage music, chamber

music including suites and sonatas, church music and court music.

8. Jean-Philippe Rameau

Public Domain Image from Wikimedia Commons

A French organist, harpsichord teacher, music theorist and composer. A very

inspiring fact about this composer is that many of his works, especially his operas,

were written when he was already in his 50s. Rameau was embroiled in several

controversies; the first was brought about by those who supported the works of

Lully and the second, by those who favored the style reflected in Pergolesi's works.

9. Domenico Scarlatti

Public Domain Image from Wikimedia Commons

An Italian composer of the Baroque period. He was a harpsichord virtuoso who

wrote over 500 sonatas. His influence reverberates in the works of other composers

such as Carlos de Seixas; a Portuguese composer of keyboard music.

10. Heinrich Schütz

A German composer of the 17th century whose works influenced other composers

after him, including Johann Sebastian Bach. His works include Italian madrigals, an

opera, vocal and instrumental pieces.

11. Antonio Vivaldi

Public Domain Image from Wikimedia Commons

Believed to have invented the ritornello form; he was a virtuoso violinist, composer

and maestro de’ concertin. Vivaldi influenced instrumental music during the latter

part of the Baroque period.

Music Forms/Styles of the Baroque Period

Venice and the Opera

In 1573, a group of musicians and intellectuals came together to discuss various

subjects, especially the desire to revive Greek drama. This group of individuals are

known as the Florentine Camerata, they wanted lines to be sung instead of simply

being spoken. From this came the opera which existed in Italy around 1600. The

composer Claduio Monteverdi was an important contributor, specifically his

opera Orfeo; the first opera to gain public acclaim.

At first the opera was only for the upper class or aristocrats but soon even the

general public patronized it. Venice became the center of musical activity; in 1637,

a public opera house was built there. Different singing styles where developed for

the opera such as

recitative - imitating the pattern and rhythm of speech

aria - when a character expresses feelings through a flowing melody

bel canto - Italian for "beautiful singing"

castrato - During the Baroque period, young boys were castrated before they

reached puberty to avoid the deepening of voice. Main roles of the opera were

written for the castrato.

St. Mark's Basilica

This basilica in Venice became an important venue for musical experiments during

the early Baroque period. The composer Giovanni Gabrielli wrote music for St.

Mark's as well as Monteverdi and Stravinsky. Gabrielli experimented with choral

and instrumental groups, positioning them in different sides of the basilica and

making them perform alternately or in unison. Gabrielli also experimented in the

contrasts of sound - fast or slow, loud or soft.

Musical Contrast

During the Baroque period, composers experimented with musical contrasts that

differed greatly from the music of the Renaissance. They used what is known as a

melodic soprano line supported by a bass line. Music became homophonic,

meaning it was based on one melody with harmonic support coming from a

keyboard player. Tonality was divided into major and minor.

Favorite Themes and Musical Instruments

Ancient myths were a favorite theme of Baroque opera composers. Instruments

used were brass, strings, especially violins (Amati and Stradivari), harpsichord,

organ and cello.

Other Music Forms

Aside from the opera, composers also wrote numerous sonatas, concerto

grosso and choral works. It is important to point out that composers at the time

were employed by the Church or the aristocrats and as such were expected to

produce compositions in large volumes, at times in a moments notice.

In Germany, organ music using the toccata form was popular. Toccata is an

instrumental piece that alternates between improvisation and contrapuntal

passages. From the toccata emerged what is known as prelude and fugue, an

instrumental music beginning with a short "free style" piece (prelude) followed by a

contrapuntal piece using imitative counterpoint (fugue).

Other music forms of the Baroque period are the chorale prelude, Mass

and oratorio,

Notable Composers

Jean Baptiste-Lully - Wrote Italian opera

Domenico Scarlatti - Over 500 sonatas for the harpsichord

Antonio Vivaldi - Wrote operas and over 400 concertos

George Frideric Handel - Composed operas and oratorios, the most famous of

which is "Messiah."

Johann Sebastian Bach - Composed thousands of works in various forms,

excluding the opera.

The Suite

Baroque Dance Suite

The suite is a type of instrumental dance music that emerged during

the Renaissance and was further developed during the Baroque Period. It consists

of several movements or short pieces in the same key and functions as dance

music or dinner music during social gatherings.

Dance music was very popular during the 16th and 17th century and composers

were often asked to play such pieces during social functions. As a result, musicians

began collecting dance pieces in the same key; these pieces became known

collectively as "suites."

By the time of JS Bach, suites were composed of four main

movements: allemande, courante,sarabande and gigue. Optional movements

include:air, bourree (lively dance), gavotte (moderately fast dance), minuet,

polonaise, and prelude.

Each of the four main movements is based on a dance form from another country.

Thus, each movement has a characteristic sound and varies in rhythm and meter.

Instruments used to play suites include the cello,harpsichord, lute and violin. Suites

were performed either on a solo instrument or by a group of instruments. Notable

composers of suites include Bach, Handel, Couperin and Froberger. Listen to

Bach's "Cello Suite No. 1 - Prelude" courtesy of YouTube.

The table below gives you further information on the main movements of the dance

suite.

Dance Suite Movements

Dance Suite Movements

Type of Dance Country/Meter/How to Play

Allemande Germany, 4/4, Moderate

Courante France, 3/4, Quick

Sarabande Spain, 3/4, Slow

Gigue England, 6/8, Fast

Classical

The music of the Classical period, which spans from 1750 to 1820, is characterized

by simpler melodies and forms such as the sonatas. The piano was undoubtedly

the primary instrument used by composers during the Classical period.

Music Events During the Classical Period

1750 to 1820

The music of the Classical period, which spans from 1750 to 1820, is characterized

by simpler melodies and forms such as the sonatas. The piano was undoubtedly

the primary instrument used by composers during this period. Here's a timeline of

important events in music history which happened during the 1750s all the way to

1820.

1750 - Johann Sebastian Bach died. Also, in chamber music, the string quartet

(consists of 2 violins, viola and cello) was popular. In New York, John Gay's "The

Beggar's Opera" was performed.

1751 - In Europe, the minuet was a popular dance.

1752 - The composer and piano prodigy, Muzio Clementi was born.

1753 - Italian composer and violinist, Giovanni Viotti, was born.

1756 - The Austrian composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was born.

1757 - The Italian composers Niccolo Pasquali andDomenico Scarlatti passed

away. Johann Stamitz, a German composer also died.

1759 - Baroque composer George Frederic Handelpassed away.

1761 - Franz Joseph Haydn, important figure in Classical music history, worked

as Kapellmeister for Prince Pál Antal Esterházy. Haydn was instrumental in

establishing the symphony and string quartet.

1762 - Benjamin Franklin improved the glass harmonica. In Charleston, South

Carolina, a musical group called St. Cecilia Society was founded. Now aged 6,

music prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart toured Europe. Also, "Orfeo ed Euridice"

by Christoph Willibald Gluck was created.

1764 - Johann Christian Bach performed in London. Also, Mozart wrote his first

symphony.

1767 - German composer Georg Philipp Telemann passed away. CPE

Bach succeeded him as director of church music in Hamburg.

1769 - Junipero Sérra led a group of Franciscan friars on a mission to teach

Native Americans polyphony and plainsong.

1770 - German composer Ludwig van Beethoven was born. Also, the New

England Psalm Singer, the first collection of music composed in America, was

published by William Billings. In New York, Handel's "Messiah," was first performed.

Meanwhile Johann Christian Bach published his "6 Concerti for pianoforte," Op. 7.

1773 - In Vienna, the waltz was popular.

1776 - La Scala, a major opera venue was built in Milan. Also, a book on the

history of music was published by Charles Burney.

1778 - Ludwig van Beethoven was presented by his father as a music prodigy.

Also, La Scala opened.

1780 - Sebastiano Carezo invented the Spanish dance called "bolero."

1781 - The great classical musician, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, moved to

Vienna where he created some of his most popular works.

1782 - Johann Christian Bach passed away. Also, Italian composer and

violinist Niccolo Paganini was born.

1784 - Wilhelm Freidemann Bach passed away.

1786 - In Vienna, Mozart's " The Marriage of Figaro," premiered. Also, German

composerCarl Maria von Weber was born.

1787 - Mozart's father, Leopold, passed away. In Prague, Mozart's "Don

Giovanni," premiered.

1788 - CPE Bach passed away.

1790 - In Vienna, Mozart's "Cosi fan tutte," premiered.

1791 - Austrian composer, Carl Czerny, and German composer, Giacomo

Meyerbeer, were born. In Vienna, Mozart's "Magic Flute," was first performed.

Mozart also passed away on the same year. Also, Haydn's first London

Symphonies was performed.

1792 - Haydn becomes Beethoven's teacher. Also, Italian composer Gioacchino

Rossini was born.

1793 - Niccolo Paganini debuted as a violin virtuoso at age 11.

1795 - The Paris Conservatory of Music was founded.

1797 - Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti and Austrian composer Franz

Schubert were born.

1801 - Beethoven's "Symphony #1 in C Major" was first performed in Vienna.

1803 - The master of orchestration, Louis-Hector Berlioz, was born.

1809 - Felix Mendelssohn, one of the most prolific composers of the Romantic

period, was born.

1810 - On this year, two great Romantic composers were born; Fryderyk

Franciszek Chopinand Robert Schumann

1811 - The figurehead of the New German school and the piano virtuoso Franz

Liszt was born.

1813 - The German Composer Richard Wagner was born. That same

year, Giuseppe Verdi, another composer of opera music, was born. Another major

event happened on this year, E.T.A. Hoffmann proposed his idea of "the artist as

spiritual hero" which became an important theme during the Romantic period.

1818 - The French composer, Charles Gounod, was born.

1819 - Clara Wieck Schumann, the foremost female composer of the 19th

century, was born.

Music of the Classical Period

Style Galant

By the early 1700s, French and Italian composers used the "style gallant" or gallant

style; a simple yet more direct style of music. During this time, the aristocrats

weren't the only ones who appreciated music, but those in the middle class as well.

So composers wanted to create music that was less complicated; easy to

understand. The people grew disinterested with themes of ancient myths and

instead favored themes they could relate to. This trend transcended not only to

music but also to other art forms. Bach's son, Johann Christian, used the gallant

style.

Sentimental Style

In Germany a similar style called "sentimental style" or smfindsamer stil were

adapted by composers. This style of music reflected feelings and situations

experienced in daily life. Largely different fromBaroque music which was mostly

flamboyant, new music styles during the Classical period had simplerharmony and

clearer tonality.

Opera

The type of opera audiences preferred during this period was the comic opera.

Also known as light opera, this type of opera often tackles light, not so delicate

subject matter where the ending often has a happy resolution. Other forms of this

opera are opera buffa and operetta. In this type of opera, the dialogue is often

spoken and not sung. An example of this is La serva padrona ("The Maid as

Mistress") by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi.

Other Music Forms

Overture - Has three sections, a fast intro, a slow middle section and a fast

ending.

Symphony - Has 3, sometimes 4 movements. The beginning is moderately

fast, next section is slow followed by a minuet and then a very fast conclusion.

Sonata allegro - Also called sonata, this is one of the most important music

forms of this period. This type of music is written for a solo instrument, or a solo

instrument with accompaniment; having three or four movements, each

complete in itself. Also used to define the first movement of a symphony like that

of Haydn's symphonies.

Musical Instruments

Musical instruments of the orchestra included a string section and pairs

of bassoons, flutes, horns and oboes. The harpsichord was eliminated and was

replaced by the pianoforte.

Notable Composers

Johann Stamitz - Organized the Mannheim orchestra, made use

of crescendo and diminuendoeffects in his music.

Franz Joseph Haydn - Wrote hundreds of symphonies, also sonatas and string

quartets.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Composed symphonies, sonatas, string quartets,

operas (e.g. "Marriage of Figaro"), Mass settings and concertos.

Ludwig van Beethoven - The first major composer who contributed to the shift

of a composer's social status - from a servant to an artist.

Romantic

Historiographers define the Romantic Music period to be between 1800 to 1900. It

is characterized by using music to tell a story or express an idea, and the use of

various instruments including wind instruments. Melodies are fuller and more

dramatic.

Romantic Music Timeline

And Other Music-Related Events

Historiographers define the Romantic period to be between 1800 to 1900. It is

characterized by using music to tell a story or express an idea, the use of various

instruments including wind instruments and melodies are fuller and more dramatic.

Here is a timeline of music-related events from 1821 to 1900 to give you an idea of

the major music events that occurred during the Romantic Period.

1821 - The harmonica was invented by Friedrich Buschmann.

1825 - Carl Almenräder redesigned the French bassoon.

1826 - Carl Maria von Weber died.

1827 - Ludwig van Beethoven died.

1828 - Franz Schubert died.

1829 - Felix Mendelssohn conducted the first modern performance of J.S.

Bach's "St. Matthew Passion."

1830 - Louis-Hector Berlioz completed his "Symphonie Fantastique."

1831 - Vincenzo Bellini's opera, Norma, was first performed at La Scala in

MIlan.

1832 - Frédéric Chopin performed his "Piano Concerto in F Minor" and the

"Variations, opus 2" in Paris.

1833 - Johannes Brahms was born.

1838 - Georges Bizet was born. Also in the same year in Scotland, music was

published in Braille notation.

1840 - Pyotr Il'Yich Tchaikovsky was born and Niccolò Paganini died. Also,

the clarinet was redesigned giving it its mature form.

1841 - Felix Mendelssohn became the director of the Leipzig Conservatory.

1842 - The New York Philharmonic Orchestra was founded.

1846 - Adolphe Sax patented his first saxophone.

1847 - Felix Mendelssohn died.

1849 - Frederic Chopin died.

1853 - Giuseppe Verdi wrote his "La traviata."

1856 - Henry Engelhard Steinway created his first grand piano.

1858 - The Italian composer Giacomo Puccini was born.

1859 - In New Orleans, Louisiana, the first opera house was opened.

1862 - Claude DeBussy, one of the most influential composers of his time, was

born.

1864 - The German composer, Richard Strauss was born.

1867 - Amy Beach, the first major American female composer, was born.

1868 - Gioacchino Rossini died.

1869 - Louis-Hector Berlioz died. In the same year, the opera "Faust"

by Charles Gounodwas first performed in Paris.

1874 - The Austro-Hungarian composer, Arnold Schönberg and the American

composer,Charles Ives, were born.

1875 - The opera "Carmen" by Georges Bizet was first performed in Paris. He

would also pass away that year.

1876 - Edvard Grieg wrote the incidental music for Ibsen's "Peer Gynt."

1877 - "Requiem" by Gabriel Fauré was first performed in Paris. That same

year, Thomas Edison patented the phonograph which will change the way

people listened to music. Also, "Swan Lake" by Tchaikovsky, was first

performed in Moscow.

1881 - One of the major 20th century composers, Béla Bartók, was born.

1882 - The Russian composer, Igor Stravinsky, was born. That same year,

Hugo Riemann published his Musiklexikon; a study on musical harmony.

1883 - The Metropolitan Opera Association opened in New York and Richard

Wagner died after completing his final work "Parsifal."

1886 - Franz Liszt died and in Vienna, "Te Deum" by Anton Bruckner was first

performed.

1889 - The famous cabaret, "Moulin Rouge," opened in Paris.

1891 - Carnegie Hall opened in New York City.

1897 - Johannes Brahms died and Gustav Mahler became director of the

Vienna Art Opera.

1899 - Scott Joplin published his Maple Leaf Rag.

1900 - Giacomo Puccini's opera, "Tosca," premiered in Rome.

Music of the Romantic Period

Early Romanticism

Beethoven and Romanticism

Ludwig van Beethoven - Contributed to the composer's shift in status from

merely a servant of the wealthy to an artist. Wrote choral, chamber

music and opera. Briefly studied under Haydn, was also influenced by the works

of Mozart. He used dissonance in his music which intrigued his listeners.

Beethoven began to lose his hearing at age 28, losing it completely by age 50.

One of his most popular works is the Ninth Symphony. He influenced a new

crop of young composers guided by the ideals of Romanticism.

What is Romanticism?

Romanticism or the Romantic movement was a concept that encompassed

different art mediums; from music to painting to literature. The Romantics believed

in allowing their imagination and passion to soar spontaneously and interpret it

through their works. This was different from the Classical belief of logical order and

clarity. During the 19th century, Vienna and Paris were the centers of musical

activity.

Music Forms/Styles

Program music - An instrumental music which relays ideas or narrates a story.

Berlioz' Fantastic Symphony is an example of this.

Character pieces - A short piece for the piano that depicts a single emotion,

often in ABA form.

Musical Instrument

The piano was still the main instrument during the Early Romantic period. The

piano underwent many changes and composers brought the piano to new heights

of creative expression.

Notable Composers/Musicians

Franz Schubert - Wrote about 600 lieders (German songs). One of his most

famous pieces is titled Unfinished named so because it only has 2 movements.

Hector Berlioz - His Fantastic Symphony was written for a stage actress he fell

in love with. Included the harp and English horn in his symphonies.

Franz Liszt - His Fantastic Symphony was inspired by one of Berlioz' works.

Developed the symphonic poem; making use of chromatic devices.

Frederic Chopin - Wrote character pieces for solo piano.

Robert Schumann - Also wrote character pieces; some of his works were

performed byClara, his wife.

Giuseppe Verdi - Wrote many operas with patriotic themes. Two of his most

famous works are Otello and Falstaff.

Nationalism in Music

During the 19th century, Germany was also a center of musical activity. By the mid-

19th century however, music themes shifted to folklore and folk music became a

style that influenced composers. This nationalist theme can be felt in the music of

Russia, eastern Europe and Scandinavian countries.

The Mighty Handful

This term, also known as "the mighty five," is used to distinguish the 5 Russian

nationalist composers of the 19th century. They

include Balakirev, Borodin,Cui, Mussogrsky and Rimsky-Korsakov.

Other Music Forms/Styles

Verismo - A style of Italian opera wherein the story reflects daily life but with

emphasis on intense, sometimes violent, actions and emotions. This style is

particularly evident in the works of Giacomo Puccini.

Symbolism - A concept introduced by Sigmund Freud that influenced various

art mediums. This attempt to convey a composer's personal struggles in a

symbolic manner can be felt in the works of Gustav Mahler.

Notable Composers

Richard Wagner - He was influenced by the works of Beethoven and Liszt.

Started composing operas at age 20; he coined the term "music dramas."

Wagner took the opera to a different level by making use of larger orchestras

and applying musical themes to his work. He called these musical

themes leitmotiv or leading motive. One of his famous work isThe Ring of the

Nibelung.

Johannes Brahms - He was also influenced by the works of Beethoven. He

wrote what is called as "abstract music." Brahms wrote character pieces for the

piano, lieders, quartets,sonatas and symphonies. He was a friend

of Robert and Clara Schumann.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - He wrote concertos, symphonic poems and

symphonies. Known for his expressive music.

Antonin Dvorak - His Symphony No. 9, from The New World was influenced by

his stay in America during the 1890s.

Edvard Grieg - Norwegian composer who drew upon the national folklore of his

beloved country as basis for his music.

Richard Strauss - He was influenced by the works of Wagner. Wrote

symphonic poems and operas; known for the lavish, sometimes shocking

scenes in his operas.

20th Century

Music during the 20th century brought about many innovations on how music was

performed and appreciated. Artists were more willing to experiment on new music

forms and used technology to enhance their compositions.

Music of the 20th Century - Part 1

1900 - 1960

1900 - In Helsinki, Jean Sibelius' Finlandia premiered and in Rome, Giacomo

Puccini's operaTosca premiered.

1901 - In Munich, Gustav Mahler's Fourth Symphony debuts.

1902 - In London, Enrico Caruso's debut singing in Rigoletto. That same

year, Claude DeBussy introduced the concept of impressionism through his

work Pelléas and Mélisande at the Opéra Comique in Paris.

1903 - Pope Pius X helped restore the importance ofGregorian Chant in the

Catholic church.

1904 - The London Symphony Orchestra was founded.

1906 - Interest on the music of central Europe was sparked by the publication of

a book calledHungarian Folk Songs by Bela Bartok and Zoltan Kodaly.

1908 - Arnold Schoenberg published Book of Hanging Gardens which

introduced the concept of dissonance.

1909 - Arnold Schoenberg composed his atonal works Opus 11, No. 1, and Five

Orchestral Pieces, Opus 16.

1910 - Igor Stravinsky finished his work The Firebird.

1911 - In Dresden, Richard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier premiered.

1913 - At the Théâtre des Champs Élysées, a riot ensued during the premiere of

Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring.

1914 - The Irish composer Victor Herbert helped to establish the American

Society of Composers, Arrangers, and Producers (ASCAP).

1916 - Charles Ives completed his Fourth Symphony.

1918 - In Riga, the Latvian National Opera was founded.

1919 - Chicago was jazz capital and Arnold Schoenberg introduced the concept

of serialism; a composition where a melodic line is repeated.

1921 - Arnold Schoenberg composed his Piano Suite, Opus 25 which was his

first 12-tone work.

1922 - The British Broadcasting Corporation was established.

1924 - In New York, Julliard School opened andGeorge Gershwin's Rhapsody in

Blue premiered. In Paris, Maurice Ravel's Bolero opened.

1925 - In Berlin, Alban Berg's Wozzeck premiered. In Nashville, Tennessee. the

Grand Ole Opry was founded.

1928 - In Berlin, Die Dreigroschenoper by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt

Weill premiered.

1931 - Billie Holiday's stature as jazz singer was established.

1934 - In Lenox, Massachusetts, the Berkshire Music Festival began.

1935 - Jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald starts her career with the Chick Webb

orchestra.

1936 - The debut of electric guitars.

1937 - In Basel, Bela Bartok's Music for Strings, Percussion and

Celesta premiered and in New York, the Glenn Miller Band debuts.

1938 - Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber premiered.

1939 - The Nat King Cole Trio was formed. Charles Parker moved to New York

and performed with Dizzy Gillespie and other jazz musicians.

1940 - Frank Sinatra established himself as a solo performer.

1942 - The release of Bing Crosby's "White Christmas."

1944 - Premiere of Appalachian Spring, a ballet by Aaron Copland. Also, Dizzy

Gillespie founded the "bop" orchestra. In London, Benjamin Britten's Peter

Grimes premiered.

1946 - Virgil Thomson and Gertrude Stein worked on an opera about women's

suffrage called Louisiana Story.

1947 - Louis Armstrong formed his All Stars jazz ensemble.

Also, Oklahoma by Rodgers and Hammerstein opened in Broadway.

1948 - The 33 1/3 LP, or commonly known as long-playing album, was

introduced by Columbia Records. Also, Charlie Parker experimented with

"bebop" and Bill Monroe invented bluegrass music.

1949 - Mahalia Jackson won in the French Academy's Grand Prix du Disc.

1951 - String Quartet #1 by Elliot Carter was first performed and NBC hires Gian

Carlo Menotti to write Amahl and the Night Visitors, the first opera for television.

1953 - Stockhausen composed Karlheinz Stockhausen's Elektronische Studie I,

the first composition using sine wave sounds.

1954 - Bill Haley and the Comets venture into the rock n' roll music form.

1956 - Elvis Presley establishes himself as the icon of rock n' roll.

1957 - In New York, West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein premiered. Also,

Johnny Cash established his stature as country music artist.

1959 - Grammy Awards was sponsored by The National Academy of Recording

Arts and Sciences with Frank Sinatra winning Best Album for "Come Dance with

Me." In London, the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields was founded by Neville

Marriner. Also, Berry Gordy, Jr. founded the Motown Recording Corporation.

1960 - John Coltrane, with his newly formed quartet, fans the flames of the New

Wave movement.

Music of the 20th Century - Part 2

1961 to 1999

1961 - Milton Babbitt published his Composition for Synthesizer.

1962 - The album Please Please Me by the Beatles was released in the UK.

1963 - The first solo album of Barbra Streisand was released.

1964 - Bob Dylan's popularity increased and John Coltrane released his

album A Love Supreme.

1965 - In Washington, D.C., the National Endowment for the Arts was founded.

1967 - Aretha Franklin was hailed as "Queen of Soul" and the Beatles released

their album Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. That same year, Jimi

Hendrix released his album Are You Experienced?.

1969 - At La Scala in Milan, the tenor great Plácido Domingo made his debut. In

Bethel, N.Y., millions flocked to watch the Woodstock music festival. Also, opera

singer Jessye Norman debuts as Elisabeth inRichard Wagner's Tannhäuser.

1970 - The Beatles disbanded.

1971 -Soprano Kiri Te Kanawa shone on stage as Countess

in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro. In Paris, Jim Morrison died. Also, Duke

Ellington was elected to the Royal Music Academy.

1973 - The album Catch a Fire by Bob Marley introduced reggae to America

and Europe.

1974 - The single Hey Joe by Patti Smith was released, introducing the punk

rock music style.

1975 - The opera Einstein on the Beach by Philip Glass premiered; an example

of minimalist composition.

1977 - Elvis Presley died.

1978 - Sony unveils the Walkman.

1980 - The compact disc first appeared and in New York City, John Lennon was

killed.

1981 - MTV made its TV debut.

1982 - Michael Jackson released "Thriller."

1984 - To raise funds for the children of Africa, Band Aid released their song

"Do They Know It's Christmas."

1985 - Madonna goes on her "Virgin Tour."

1987 - The term "world music" was coined to describe eclectic music.

1990 - The Grammy's revoked Milli Vanilli's award.

1991 - The album Ten by grunge rock band Pearl Jam was released. Also,

Nirvana released their song "Smells Like Teen Spirit." That same year, "I Will

Always Love You" by Whitney Houston topped the charts.

1993 - Symphony No. 3: Symphony of Sorrowful Songs by Henryk Gorecki was

a success.

1995 - In Cleveland, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum opened and Jerry

Garcia of the Grateful Dead passed away.

1997 - The all-girl group Spice Girls were a hit. Also, Sarah McLachlan founded

Lilith Fair.

1998 - Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire premiered at the San

Francisco Opera. Also, Frank Sinatra died of a heart attack.

1999 - Lauryn Hill won five Grammy Awards, Universal and Polygram merged

and Latin music was made popular by artists like Ricky Martin and Jennifer

Lopez. Also, the tenor great Andrea Bocelli topped the charts with his

album Sogno

Music of the 20th Century

Early 20th Century

Music Forms/Styles

Impressionistic - A term derived from one of Monet's works - Impression,

Sunrise. In music it is applied to works of early 20th century composers such

as Debussy. Debussy rejected the rules of tonality and created music that is

pleasing to the ears as impressionist paintings are appealing to the eyes. This

resulted in music that was relaxed, almost dreamlike.

12-tone System - A term mainly attributed to Arnold Schoenberg. Schoenberg

wanted to eliminate the tonal center and developed a technique called 12-tone

system wherein all the 12 notes of the octave are of equal importance. The 12

notes are placed in a specific order called a "tone-row" or "tone-series," and no

note is repeated within a row. This evoked music that felt anxious and

unresolved.

Neoclassical - A term applied to the music of early 20th century composers

like Stravinsky which reflects 18th century music. Stravinsky's works, particularly

after the highly acclaimed The Rite of Spring, did not emphasize tonality but felt

restrained. Stravinsky was discovered by Sergei Diaghilev, the producer of the

Ballet Rouse. His earlier works reflected influences from

Debussy,;/qt/dissonance.htm]dissonance and irregular rhythmic patterns.

Notable Composers/Musicians

Alban Berg - Austrian composer who adapted the atonal style, also referred to

as the classicist of modern music.

Anton von Webern - Austrian composer belonging to the 12-tone Viennese

school.

Jean Sibelius- Finnish composer, conductor and teacher especially known for

his orchestral works and symphonies.

Edward Elgar - English composer, who, according to Richard Strauss, was the

"first English progressive musician".

Ralph Vaughan Williams - English composer of nationalistic music.

Bela Bartok - Hungarian composer and renowned ethnomusicologist.

Ernest Bloch - Swiss composer of spiritual music.

Charles Ives - The first known composer of polytonal pieces.

Music of the 20th Century

Up to the 80's

Prior to and after World War 2, the United States became a center of musical

activity. Many composers from Europe moved to the US, some of them even

became faculty members.

Music Forms/Styles

Jazz - Jazz can be traced back to earlier African-American music styles. Jazz

music is particularly notable for its improvisation, harmonic progressions and

syncopated (modified) rhythms.

Concert Music - Many composers combined jazz music elements with other

music styles such as classical and blues. Music during this time also spoke of

nationalistic fervor. Some of the composers whose works were greatly

appreciated were George Gershwin (Rhapsody in Blue), Aaron Copland(Rodeo)

and Dmitry Shostakovich (The Golden Age).

Serialism - Based on Schoenberg's 12-tone system which was continued by his

student Anton von Webern. Mostly evident in the music of the 1950s and 60s

but appreciation was limited to university professors and their students.

Serialism used a strict musical formula that was difficult to play. Composers who

used this technique were Milton Babbitt and Pierre Boulez, to name a few.

Chance Music - Also called aleatoric or indeterminancy. A technique

popularized by John Cage wherein the composer gives the musician the

freedom to interpret his music.

Electronic Music - Composers experimented with technology and how it affects

certain aspects of music such as melody and rhythm.

New Romanticism - A movement that began in eastern Europe. It is the desire

for music that was expressive, haunting and mysterious, much like the music of

the past. Composers who used this technique were George Crumb (Ancient

Voices of Children) and Gyorgy Ligeti(Lux Aeterna), among others.

Minimalism - Music that was simple, featured patterns that were repeated and

supported by a steady beat. The music of Steve Reich and Philip Glass were

labeled as such.

Notable Composers/Musicians

Edgard Varese - One of the composers who experimented with music and

technology. He wrote a piece for an orchestra composed of solely percussion

instruments. Also experimented in taped music and electronic instruments.

Henry Cowell - American composer, one of the inventors of an electrical

instrument called "rhythmicon." Wrote pieces wherein the musicians played the

keys of a piano by striking it with their forearms or wrists and strumming or

plucking the strings.

John Cage - American composer of the 20th century known for his innovative,

avant-garde ideas of creating and appreciating music. He devised the "prepared

piano."

20th Century Composers

During the 20th century there were many innovations on how music was, created,

performed and appreciated. Composers were more willing to experiment on new

music forms and used technology to enhance their compositions. To learn more

about the music of this period, check out these profiles of 20th century composers.

1. Samuel Barber

An American composer and songwriter of the 20th century whose works reflected

European Romantic tradition. Some of his famous compositions are "Adagio for

Strings" and "Dover Beach."

2. Bela Bartok

Public Domain Image from Wikimedia Commons

A teacher, composer, pianist and ethnomusicologist. His mother was his first piano

teacher; he studied at the Hungarian Academy of Music in Budapest. Among his

famous works are "Kossuth," "Duke Bluebeard's Castle," "The Wooden Prince" and

"Cantata Profana."

3. Alban Berg

An Austrian composer and teacher who adapted the atonal style. He was a student

of Arnold Schoenberg; his early works reflected Schoenberg's influence. However,

Berg's originality and creativity became more evident in his later works, especially

in his two operas: ""Lulu" and "Wozzeck."

4. Luciano Berio

Italian composer, conductor, theorist and educator known for his innovative style.

He is also instrumental in the growth of electronic music. Berio wrote instrumental

and vocal pieces,operas, orchestral works and other compositions using traditional

and modern techniques. His major works include "Epifanie," "Sinfonia" and the

"Sequenza series." "Sequenza III" was written by Berio for his wife, the

actress/singer Cathy Berberian.

5. Leonard Bernstein

An American composer of classical and popular music, a music educator,

conductor, songwriter and pianist. He studied at two of the finest educational

institutions in the U.S.; namely Harvard University and Curtis Institute of Music.

Bernstein became the musical director and conductor of the New York

Philharmonic and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972. One of

his most famous work is the musical "West Side Story."

6. Ernest Bloch

Ernest Bloch was an American composer and professor during the early part of the

20th century. He became music director of the Cleveland Institute of Music and the

San Francisco Conservatory; he also taught at the Geneva Conservatory as well as

the University of California at Berkeley.

7. Benjamin Britten

A conductor, pianist and a major English composer of the 20th century who was

instrumental in establishing the Aldeburgh Festival in England. The original venue

of the said festival was at Aldeburgh's Jubilee Hall. Eventually, the venue was

moved to a building that once was a malthouse at Snape, but through the efforts of

Britten, was renovated into a concert hall. Among his major works are "Peter

Grimes," "Death in Venice" and ""A Midsummer Night's Dream."

8. Ferruccio Busoni

Italian/German composer and concert pianist of the 20th century. Aside from his

operas and compositions for the piano, Busoni edited the works of other composers

including Bach,Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt. His last opera, "Doktor Faust," was

left unfinished but was later completed by one of his students.

9. John Cage

American composer of the 20th century known for his innovative, avant-garde ideas

of creating and appreciating music. Many consider him a genius, though there are

those who think otherwise. One of his most famous work is 4'33"; a piece where the

performer is expected to remain silent for 4 minutes and 33 seconds.

10. Teresa Carreño

Teresa Carreño was a celebrated concert pianist who influenced a crop of young

pianists and composers during her time. Aside from being a pianist, she was also a

composer, conductor and a mezzo-soprano. In 1876, Carreño made her debut as

an opera singer in New York City.

11. Elliott Carter

Elliot Cook Carter, Jr. is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer. He became

music director of Lincoln Kirstein's Ballet Caravan in 1935. He also taught at

prestigious educational institutions such as the Peabody Conservatory, Juilliard

School and Yale University. Innovative and prolific, he is known for his use of metric

modulation or tempo modulation. Carter celebrated his 100th birthday in 2008 at

New York's Carnegie Hall and continues to actively compose.

12. Carlos Chavez

Carlos Antonio de Padua Chavez y Ramirez was a teacher, lecturer, author,

composer, conductor and music director of several music organizations in Mexico.

He is known for his use of traditional folk songs, indigenous themes and

instruments combined with modern techniques.

13. Aaron Copland

Public Domain Image from Wikimedia Commons

Influential American composer, conductor, writer and teacher of the 20th century

who helped bring American music to the forefront. Copland wrote the ballet "Billy

the Kid" and "Rodeo" which were both based on American folk stories. He also

wrote film scores based on John Steinbeck's novels, namely "Of Mice and Men"

and "The Red Pony."

14. Manuel de Falla

Manuel María de los Dolores Falla y Matheu was a leading Spanish composer of

the 20th century. During his early years, he went on tour as pianist of a theater

company and later, as a member of a trio. He was a member of the Real Academia

de Bellas Artes de Granada and in 1925, became a member of the Hispanic

Society of America.

15. Frederick Delius

Prolific English composer of choral and orchestral music who helped revive English

music during the late 19th century to the 1930s. Although he was born in Yorkshire,

he spent most of his life in France. Some of his notable works include "Brigg Fair,"

"Sea Drift," "Appalachia" and "A Village Romeo and Juliet." There is a film titled

"Song of Summer" which was based on a memoir ("Delius as I knew him") written

by Eric Fenby; Delius' assistant. The said film was directed by Ken Russell and

aired in 1968.

16. Duke Ellington

One of the leading jazz figures during his time, Duke Ellington was a composer,

bandleader and jazz pianist who was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize

Special Citation in 1999.

17. George Gershwin

One of the prominent composers and songwriters of the 20th century. He

composed scores for Broadway musicals and wrote some of the most memorable

songs of our time, including "I've Got a Crush on You," "I Got Rhythm" and

"Someone to Watch Over Me."

18. Dizzy Gillespie

Don Perdue/Getty Images

Jazz trumpeter known for his trademark puffed cheeks while playing the trumpet.

He earned the nickname "Dizzy" due to his amusing antics onstage but his music is

certainly not a laughing

19. Percy Grainger

Australian composer, conductor, pianist and avid collector of folk music. He moved

to the U.S.A. in 1914 and eventually became a U.S. citizen. Much of his

compositions were influenced by English folk music. His major works include

"Country Gardens," "Molly on the Shore" and "Handel in the Strand."

20. Paul Hindemith

Music theorist, teacher and prolific composer of the 20th century. He was also a

leading advocate of Gebrauchsmusik or "utility music"; music that is meant to be

performed by amateur or non professional musicians.

21. Gustav Holst

British composer and influential music educator of the 20th century. He is

particularly known for his orchestral pieces and stage works. His most famous work

is "The Planets," an orchestral suite consisting of seven movements, each named

after a planet and their respective character in Roman mythology. It starts off with

the spine-tingling "Mars, the Bringer of War" and ends with "Neptune, the Mystic."

22. Charles Ives

Innovative composer of the 20th century and is considered the first major composer

from America. His works, which includes piano music and orchestral pieces, were

often based on American themes. Aside from composing, Ives also ran a

successful insurance agency.

23. Leoš Janácek

Czech composer of the 20th century who supported the nationalist tradition in

music. He is primarily known for his operas, particularly "Jenùfa," a tragic story of a

peasant girl. The said opera was completed in 1903 and performed the following

year in Brno; Moravia's capital.

24. Scott Joplin

Public Domain Image from Wikimedia Commons

Referred to as the "father of ragtime," Joplin is known for his classic rags for the

piano such as "Maple Leaf Rag" and "The Entertainer."

25. Zoltan Kodaly

Zoltan Kodaly was born in Hungary and learned how to play

the violin, piano and cello without formal schooling. He went on to write music and

became close friends with Bartók. He received his PhD and gained critical praise

for his works, especially music that was meant for children. He composed a lot of

music, put on concerts with young musicians, wrote many articles and conducted

lectures.

26. Gyorgy Ligeti

One of the prominent Hungarian composers of the post-war period who developed

a music style called "micropolyphony." One of his major compositions wherein he

used this technique is in "Atmosphères." The said composition was featured in the

1968 movie "2001: A Space Odyssey" directed by Stanley Kubrick.

27. Witold Lutoslawski

Photo by W. Pniewski and L. Kowalski from Wikimedia Commons

Major Polish composer of the 20th century particularly notable for his orchestral

works. He attended the Warsaw Conservatory where he studied composition and

music theory. Among his famous works are "The Symphonic Variations,"

"Variations on a Theme of Paganini" and "Funeral Music" which he dedicated to the

Hungarian composer Béla Bartók.

28. Henry Mancini

American composer, arranger and conductor especially noted for his television and

film scores. In all he won 20 Grammys, 4 Academy Awards and 2 Emmys. He

wrote scores for over 80 films including "Breakfast at Tiffany's." The Henry Mancini

Award , named after him by ASCAP, is given each year for outstanding

achievements in film and television music.

29. Gian Carlo Menotti

Italian composer, librettist and stage director who established the Festival of Two

Worlds in Spoleto, Italy. The said festival honors musical works from Europe and

America. At the young age of 11, Menotti already wrote two operas, namely "The

Death of Pierrot" and "The Little Mermaid,." His "Le dernier sauvage" was the first

opera by a non-Frenchman commissioned by the Paris Opera.

30. Olivier Messiaen

French composer, educator and organist of the 20th century whose works

influenced other notable names in music like Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz

Stockhausen. Among his major compositions are "Quatuor pour la fin du temps,"

"Saint Francois d' Assise" and "Turangalîla-Symphonie."

31. Darius Milhaud

Darius Milhaud was a prolific French composer and violinist who further developed

polytonality. He was part of Les Six; a term coined by the critic Henri Collet

pertaining to a group of young French composers of the 20th century.

32. Carl Nielsen

One of Denmark's pride. He was a 20th century composer, conductor and violinist

primarily known for his symphonies, among them are "Symphony No. 2" (The Four

Temperaments), "Symphony No. 3" (Sinfonia Espansiva) and "Symphony No. 4"

(The Inextinguishable).

33. Carl Orff

Carl Orff was a German composer who developed a method of teaching children

about the elements of music. The Orff Method or Orff Approach is still widely used

in many schools to this day.

34. Francis Poulenc

One of the important French composers after World War 1 and member of "Les

Six;" a title given by the critic Henri Collet to a group of young composers whose

works were influenced by Erik Satie. He wrote concertos, sacred music, piano

music and other stage works. His notabe compositions include "Mass in G Major"

and "Les biches," which was commissioned by Diaghilev.

35. Sergey Prokofiev

Russian composer of the 20th century. One of his well-known works is "Peter and

the Wolf" which he wrote in 1936 and was meant for a children's theater in Moscow.

Both the story and the music was written by Prokofiev; it is a great children's

introduction to music and the instruments of the orchestra. In the story, each

character is represented by a particular musical instrument.

36. Maurice Ravel

French composer known for his craftsmanship in music. He was very reclusive and

never married. His notable works include "Boléro," "Daphnis et Chloé" and "Pavane

pour une infante défunte."

37. Silvestre Revueltas

Silvestre Revueltas was a teacher, violinist, conductor and composer who, along

with Carlos Chavez, helped promote Mexican music. He taught at the National

Conservatory of Music in Mexico City and was the assistant conductor of the

Mexico Symphony Orchestra.

38. Richard Rodgers

His collaborations with brilliant lyricists like Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II

remains a favorite by many. During the 1930s, Richard Rodgers composed several

hit songs such as "Isn't It Romantic," from the 1932 film Love Me Tonight, "My

Funny Valentine," which was written in 1937 and "Where or When," which was

performed by Ray Heatherton in the

39. Erik Satie

French pianist and composer of the 20th century particularly known for his piano

music. His works, such as the soothing "Gymnopedie No. 1," remains very popular

to this day. Satie has been described as eccentric and is said to have become a

recluse later in his life.

40. Arnold Schoenberg

Photo by Florence Homolka from Wikimedia Commons

The "12-tone System" is a term mainly attributed to Schoenberg. He wanted to

eliminate the tonal center and developed a technique wherein all the 12 notes of

the octave are of equal importance.

41. Aleksandr Scriabin

Russian composer and pianist of the 20th century most known for his symphonies

and piano music that were influenced by mysticism and philosophical ideas. His

works include the "Piano Concerto," "Symphony No. 1," "Symphony No. 3," "Poem

of Ecstasy" and "Prometheus."

42. Dmitry Shostakovich

20th century Russian composer especially noted for his symphonies and string

quartets. Sadly, he was one of the great composers from Russia who was

artistically stifled during the reign of Stalin. His "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk

District" initially received acceptance but was later denounced due to Stalin's

disapproval of the said opera.

43. Karlheinz Stockhausen

Karlheinz Stockhausen was an influential and innovative German composer and

educator of the 20th and early 21st century. He was the first to compose music

from sine-wave sounds. Stockhausen experimented with tape recorders and

electronic instruments.

44. Igor Stravinsky

Image from the Library of Congress

Russian composer of the 20th century who introduced the concept of modernism in

music. His father, who was one of the foremost Russian operatic basses, was one

of Stravinsky's main influences. Stravinsky was discovered by Sergei Diaghilev, the

producer of the Ballet Rouse. Some of his famous works are "The Firebird," "The

Rite of Spring" and "Oedipus Rex."

45. Germaine Tailleferre

Germaine Tailleferre was one of the foremost French composers of the 20th

century and the only female member of Les Six; a title given by the critic Henri

Collet to a group of young composers during the 1920s.

46. Michael Tippett

Conductor, music director and one of the leading British composers of the 20th

century. He wrote string quartets, symphonies and operas, including "The

Midsummer Marriage" which was produced in 1952. Tippett was knighted in 1966.

47. Edgard Varese

Edgard Varèse was one of the composers of the 20th century who experimented

with music and technology. Among his compositions is "Ionisation," a piece for

orchestra composed of solely percussion instruments. Varese also experimented in

taped music and electronic instruments.

48. Heitor Villa-Lobos

Prolific Brazilian composer, conductor, music educator and advocate of Brazilian

music. He wrote choral and chamber music, instrumental and orchestral pieces,

vocal works and piano music. Villa-Lobos wrote more than 2,000 compositions,

including "Bachianas Brasilieras" which was inspired by Bach, and "Concerto for

Guitar." His etudes and preludes for the guitar remain popular to this day.

49. William Walton

English composer of the 20th century who wrote orchestral music, film scores,

vocal music,operas and other stage works. His notable works include "Façade,"

"Belshazzar’s Feast" and the impressive coronation march, "Crown Imperial."

Walton was knighted in 1951.

50. Anton Webern

Public Domain Image from Wikimedia Commons

Austrian composer, conductor and arranger belonging to the 12-tone Viennese

school. Some of his notable works are "Passacaglia, op. 1," "Im Sommerwind" and

"Entflieht auf leichten Kähnen, Opus 2."

51. Kurt Weill

German composer of the 20th century known for his collaborations with writer

Bertolt Brecht. He wrote operas, cantata, music for plays, concert music, film and

radio scores. His major works include "Mahagonny," "Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt

Mahagonny" and "Die Dreigroschenoper." The song "The Ballad of Mack the Knife"

from "Die Dreigroschenoper" became a huge hit and remains popular to this day.

52. Ralph Vaughan Williams

British composer of the 20th century who championed nationalism in English music.

He wrote various stage works, symphonies, songs, vocal and chamber music. He

collected English folk songs and these greatly influenced his compositions.