Music Composition Theory Collections.docx

Canon Music C ANON A canon is a piece of music where a melody is played and then imitated (one or more times) after a short delay. It is a contrapuntal technique as the melodic lines move independently from each other, but are linked harmonically.

As you can see from the diagram above the first melody is called the leader (otherwise known as dux or proposta), whilst the following melodies are called the follower (or comes or riposta). Let’s have a look at/listen to an example:

Play 3 Blind Mice Canon Example Music Composition © Gabriel Mbugua 2018

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The above example is a simple canon more commonly known as a Round – all of the voices are identical in pitch and rhythm. A lot of other nursery rhymes can be sung in this way. The above example can be described as a Canon in 3 as it has 3 voices. If it had 4 voices it would be called a Canon in 4. Other Types of Canon Music Interval Canons In some canons the leader melody is transposed when it is imitated – these are called interval canons. If the transpositions are carried out exactly then this is called strict canon. If the intervals are changed slightly in order to fit the scale (e.g. a leap of a major sixth may become a leap of a minor sixth) then this is called free canon. Canon by Inversion In a canon by inversion the follower moves in contrary motion to the leader. For example, if the leader goes up a third the follower will go down a third and vice versa:

Retrograde Canon In a retrograde canon the follower plays the leader melody backwards.

Retrograde Inversion In retrograde inversion the follower plays the leader melody in contrary motion and backwards!! Music Composition © Gabriel Mbugua 2018

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More than one Simultaneous Canon Sometimes you will come across a piece of music where there is more than one canon being played simultaneously. E.g. if there were 4 voices playing and 2 simultaneous canons then it would be described as a Canon: Four in Two (4 voices in 2 simultaneous canons). Accompanied Canon Sometimes a piece of music will have a canon accompanied by another separate part which does not play in canon. This is the case with Pachelbel’s canon in D major, arguably the most famous canon having become a regular feature in both concerts and at weddings. Palchelbel’s canon is a simple canon (or round) in 3 voices with an additional Ground Bass accompaniment. Composing Music in Canon Form Canon Form can be a very useful tool for composing. I have used it on various occasions when writing music for choirs. It can be tricky to get the parts to interweave effectively. My advice is to start with a leader melody that is fairly simple and try delaying the entry of the 1st follower line by about 2 bars. This should give you a good start to writing music in Canon Form.

Fugues

A fugue is a contrapuntal composition for a number of separate parts or voices. e.g. “a fugue in 4 parts”, “a fugue in 3 voices”. Each part/voices enters in imitation of each other. In this music theory lesson we are going to look at the basic structure of a fugue in 4 voices/parts. The Basic Structure of a Fugue The 1st voice/part starts by playing a melody/phrase called the Subject. The 2nd voice then enters playing the “answer”. The answer is a transposed version of the Music Composition © Gabriel Mbugua 2018

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subject. The 3rd voice then enters playing the subject again and then the 4th voice enters playing the answer. This whole section of music is called The Exposition. When all the voices have entered this signals the end of the Exposition After the Exposition there comes an Episode. This is a connecting passage of music and is usually made up of a development of the music that has already been heard in the Exposition. After the Episode, there is another entry (or entries) of the Subject, followed by another Episode. This alternating of Subject entries and Episodes continues until the end of the piece.

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Contrasts of Key in a Fugue Contrasting keys play a vital role in the composition of a fugue. Key Contrasts in the Exposition In the Exposition the subject 1st appears in the tonic key. The 2nd voice plays the “answer” in dominant key (a 5th higher or a 4th lower) – this transposed line in the 2nd voice is called the answer. If it is an exact transposition of the subject then it is called a “real answer”. However, if it is altered to fit the new key then it is a ”tonal answer”. The Subject is repeated in the entry of the 3rd voice (usually in the tonic, but at a different octave) and is “answered” by the 4th voice, again in the dominant key.

Key Contrasts in Episodes The Episodes are often used by the composer of a fugue to modulate to different keys. This brings added variety to the entries of the Subject later on in the fugue. Other Features of Fugues Countersubject A Countersubject often appears in the Exposition (and also later in the fugue). A countersubject acts like an accompaniment to the Subject and Answer. So, the voice/part which has just played the Subject will go on to play the Countersubject whilst the next voice is playing the answer. Stretto Stretto literally means “drawn together”. In the context of a fugue it describes a situation where each voice enters before the previous voice has finished its subject. This overlapping technique is used by composers to increase the emotional tension of the piece. Here is a diagram of stretto: Music Composition © Gabriel Mbugua 2018

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Can you see how each voices enters before the previous voice has finished playing its subject? Double Fugues You will sometimes come across Double Fugues. These can be seen in 2 forms: 1. 2 subjects appear together at the start of the piece 2. A subject is introduced at the start of the piece and answered in the usual way. A second subject is then introduced and also answered. The 2 subjects are then combined at a later point in the piece. Example of a double fugue – J.S. Bach – Prelude and double fugue no. 18 in G sharp minor BMV 887 (WTC II) Other Useful fugal forms 

Fughetta – this is a shortened fugue

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Fugato – this is a passage of music in fugal style, but not in itself an actual fugue.

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Accompanied Fugue – these are sometimes found in oratorio movements where there is a free instrumental part accompanying the singing.

Examples of Fugues There are many examples of fugues. Arguably the most famous composer of fugues is J.S. Bach. Have a listen to any of Bach’s fugues from the Well Tempered Clavier to get started. Alternatively, have a listen to this string quartet play The Art of Fugue by Bach. In Depth Analysis of a Fugue

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An in depth analysis of a fugue is beyond the scope of this music theory lesson. However, if you are wanting to extend your knowledge of fugues here is an excellent analysis of a Bach fugue by an American educator.

Rondo Form R ONDO FOR M Rondo Form is a natural extension of the 2 forms we have looked at already – Binary Form and Ternary Form. If Binary Form is A-B and Ternary Form is A-B-A then Rondo Form is A-B-A-C-A-D-A. The main section or theme (known as “A”) alternates with contrasting themes (you will hear these called various names such as “episodes”, “couplets” or “digressions”). These contrasting themes are labelled B, C, D, etc.. So, a typical Rondo Form structure looks like:

Each new section contrasts in some way to what has gone before it. You will find that most composers writing a Rondo Form piece will use changes in melody, key and harmony to contrast the different sections. It is quite similar to Theme and Variations form except for the fact that Section A returns each time in Rondo Form, but does not return in Theme and Variations Form. An Example of Rondo Form

How To Compose Music in Rondo Form Composing in Rondo form is great – it is something I am always encouraging people to do because it provides a solid and interesting structure to any piece of music. The contrasting sections give a sense of variety to the piece, whilst the return A Section helps give the piece a sense of coherence and unity. It is a great way to develop your compositions beyond Binary Form and Ternary Form.

Ternary Form TER NAR Y FOR M Music Composition © Gabriel Mbugua 2018

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A musical structure where the piece is divided into 3 distinct sections. The 1st and last sections are exactly the same as each other and so the form can be written A – B – A as below:

Each of the sections sound like complete pieces of music in themselves – you could play just the A Section of a Ternary Form piece and it would not “feel” like it must continue onto a new section. This is because it ends on a perfect/authentic cadence. The B Section is usually written in a key that is closely related to the key of the A Section as below:

The B section also usually has a different mood to the A Section. If the A Section is upbeat and lively then the B Section will often be more subdued. Have a look/listen to this famous example of Ternary Form – “Alla Hornpipe” by Handel from The Water Music.

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Play Ternary Form Example Example Compound Ternary Form This is when each of the sections (A-B-A) are subdivided into a clear Ternary Form structure as in the diagram below. Examples of Compound Ternary Form include trios and minuets.

Composing in Ternary Form Ternary Form is a great structure to compose in because the repeated A Section gives your piece a sense of unity and balance which you don’t quite get in Binary Form. The contrasting B section will also help focus you to create fresh ideas and bring variety to your composition. I would suggest writing an A Section (you may have already written a piece of music that would work well as an A Section in a Ternary Form piece). Once you have finished your A Section try writing a new section, but use the different keys suggested in the Ternary Form diagram above. Good luck!

THEM E AND V AR IAT IONS Theme and variations is a very common musical structure you will come across, especially in classical music. The structure is built upon a musical idea called the theme which is played at the start of the piece. The theme can be as short as 8 bars in length or can be much longer. It usually consists of a memorable melody with an accompaniment of some sorts. Once the theme has been played the composer then repeats it, but varies it in some way. This is called Variation 1. Once Variation 1 has been played, the composer repeats the theme again, this time varying it in a different way, thus producing Variation 2. This process is repeated as many times as the composer chooses producing a musical structure called Theme and Variations. Each variation is different, but can still be traced back to the original theme in some way.

Music Composition © Gabriel Mbugua 2018

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How are Variations Created? There are a number of ways in which composers vary the theme. Here are the most common elements of music which are changed: Melody – composers will change the original melody in a number of different ways. These include adding notes (addition), taking notes away (subtraction) and inverting the melody (if the melody went up in pitch in the theme it is played going down in pitch in the variation). Another common technique is to add ornamentation such as trills. Rhythm – composers will change the rhythm of a melody when it is played again. Harmony/Tonality – Key changes are a great way of varying a theme. A composer may play the theme in a major key and then reharmonise it in a minor key (the relative minor is a common choice) or vice versa. Time Signature – a theme played in 4/4 and then changed to 3/4 will instantly lead to a variation. Other elements to look out for which can be varied are dynamics, tempo, instrumentation and texture. How to Compose Theme and Variations Composing theme and variations is extremely rewarding as a composer as it will push you on to new levels. It will force you to get the most out of your ideas. To get started, I suggest you find a short musical idea you have written which you are really Music Composition © Gabriel Mbugua 2018

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pleased with – something that is “catchy” will help. Try recording it or writing out the score of it (whichever works best for you) – this is your theme. Once you have done that try choosing one of the techniques listed above and use it to improvise a variationbased on your theme. Varying the melody is a good place to start. Try improvising a different melody. Record or notate your idea and then compare it to your original theme. Your variation should sound different to the original theme, but should still be recognizable as being based upon the theme. Try this a few times until you have produced a variation you are pleased with. When you have done this try varying the theme again, this time using a different technique such as rhythm.

Modulation Modulation describes the process where a piece of music changes from one key to another key. When you start writing a piece of music one of the first things you do is choose a key to compose in. This choice of key determines the scale you use, how many sharps and flats there are and what chords you can use. This key is sometimes called the “home key”. Many songs and pieces remain in this home key and do not change. However, to make a piece more interesting a composer may choose to change into a different key at some point during the piece. This change is called a modulation. There are lots of different ways of modulating, but we are going to have a look at 2 of the most common ways you will come across: Pivot Chord or Common-chord Modulation The advantage of pivot chord modulation is that it enables a smooth change from one key to another. It does this by using a pivot chord. A pivot chord is a chord that belongs to both the home key and the the key the music is changing to. Let’s look at an example: Imagine we are wanting to write a piece of music in G major. We could use the primary chords of G major (I, IV, V) which are the chords G, C, D.

Music Composition © Gabriel Mbugua 2018

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Now imagine we would like to modulate to D major. The primary chords in D major are D, G, A.

Can you see that chord V in G major (D) is the same as chord I in D major (D)? This means we could use the chord D as a pivot chord to modulate from G major to D major. Can you also see that chord I in G major (G) is the same as chord IV in D major (G)? This means that we have a choice of 2 pivot chords that we could use. Have a look/listen to the following piece which modulates from G major to D major:

Click Here To Listen To Pivot Chord Modulation Music Composition © Gabriel Mbugua 2018

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This technique of pivot chord modulation works best if you move to closely related keys (keys that only have a few sharps/flats different from each other). Closely Related Keys

Phrase Modulation/Abrupt Modulation The 2nd type of modulation we are going to have a look at is Phrase Modulation or Abrupt Modulation. This modulation is a sudden change of key. No pivot chord is used. A Phrase Modulation often involves a key change that goes up by a semitone or a tone. You will hear it in lots of pop songs as the key changes for the last verse or chorus to create and exciting ending to the song. Have a listen to this example from The Backstreet Boys’ song “I want it that way”. The song starts in A major. Listen to how there is a sudden key change up a tone to B major for the last chorus of the song (2 mins 32 seconds into the video). How to spot a modulation Modulations can be spotted by listening and looking: Abrupt Modulations can be easy to hear (like the Backstreet Boys’ track above). They are sudden and not designed to be subtle! However, pivot chord modulations can be harder to spot. You will be able to spot some pivot chord modulations by listening. However, you may find it easier to spot them by looking at the sheet music. When a piece of music modulates a composer may write a new key signature – this is a sure Music Composition © Gabriel Mbugua 2018

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sign that the piece has changed key. Also, you will often see accidentals appear (accidentals are sharps or flats written next to a note in the music). However, be careful as these accidentals may also appear if the piece is in a minor key (the seventh note will often have a sharp next to it) or if the music is quite chromatic. Using Modulations Hopefully this session has helped you understand modulation better. Now it’s really important you have a go! 

Try improvising on the piano/guitar using the primary chords of G major. Then try modulating from G major to D major using a pivot chord.

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Listen to some music from different styles. Can you hear any modulations? How many pop songs can you find with an abrupt modulation for the final section?

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Have a look at some sheet music. Can you spot any pivot chord modulations?

Have fun!!

Music Composition © Gabriel Mbugua 2018

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