Melodic Analysis

Overview

• The analysis of melodies is divided into:
  • Motives: Can be further broken down into fragments.
  • Phrases: Can be further broken down into subphrases.

Motives

• Basic unit of melody that can be developed and varied.
• Often repeated throughout a piece.

Melodic Alteration

• Techniques to alter motives and melodies include:
  • Inversion: Flipping the motive upside down.
  • Intervallic Change: Altering the intervals between notes.
  • Augmentation and Diminution: Extending or shortening the duration of notes.
  • Rhythmic Change: Modifying the rhythm of the motive.
  • Ornamentation: Adding decorative notes around the main notes.
  • Extension: Lengthening the motive by adding more notes.
  • Retrograde: Reversing the order of notes in the motive.

Fragments

• Smaller components of a motive.
• Used in development sections to explore variations.

Phrases

• A musical sentence or idea, larger than a motive.
• Can be broken into subphrases for detailed analysis.

Subphrases

• Smaller sections within a phrase.
• Can be thought of as musical clauses.

Practice Exercises

• Exercises available for practice on melodic analysis and its components.

This chapter emphasizes understanding the construction of melodies through the breakdown into motives and phrases, and exploring their alterations for varied musical expression.