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211 - PDFsam - Kupdf - Net - Techniques and Materials of Music

The document discusses exotic and artificial scales. It defines them as scale forms other than traditional major, minor, and church modes. Some are derived from folk music or other cultures, while some are constructed by composers to yield special interval relationships. Common exotic scales mentioned include the whole-tone scale and pentatonic scale. The document notes that exotic scales emphasize certain intervals and may completely lack others. When using these scales, composers should emphasize the characteristic intervals of each scale as well as the tonic note through repetition, cadences, and other techniques.

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41 views5 pages

211 - PDFsam - Kupdf - Net - Techniques and Materials of Music

The document discusses exotic and artificial scales. It defines them as scale forms other than traditional major, minor, and church modes. Some are derived from folk music or other cultures, while some are constructed by composers to yield special interval relationships. Common exotic scales mentioned include the whole-tone scale and pentatonic scale. The document notes that exotic scales emphasize certain intervals and may completely lack others. When using these scales, composers should emphasize the characteristic intervals of each scale as well as the tonic note through repetition, cadences, and other techniques.

Uploaded by

paco desantis
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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b.

c.

5. Harmonize the following melodies, arranging them for combinations of instruments available in class.
Employ the harmonic vocabulary and technique associated with modal music.
a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

198 TWENTIETH-CENTURY MATERIALS


6 Pandiatonicism

I. Pandiatonic (freely diatonic) music uses traditional scalar materials, but in somewhat nontraditional ways. In
this technique any note of the prevailing scale—most often simply a major scale or diatonic mode—may be
combined with any other notes of that scale if the result is pleasing to the composer. Any kind of chord
construction may be used, although tertian sonorities are most typical. Tritone relationships are usually avoided,
and chromaticism is minimal. The key is firmly established. The most common types of pandiatonic use follow.

A. The composer may use nontraditional arrangements of scalar notes; chords can be understood as tall
chords, added note chords, or suspensive chords.

B. The composer may use tall or additive tertian sonorities, often associated with pedal effects and typically
dominant.

C. The composer may use chordal ostinato effects, usually involving alternation of two or three chords.

199
D. The composer may use two contrapuntal “streams” of chords, often resulting in a polychordal sound
(see Part IV, Unit 9).

II. Suggestions for class discussion.

A. Analyze the examples as discussed in paragraph I.

B. Analyze the examples in Unit 32 of Music for Analysis. Students may bring additional examples from the
literature into class.

C. Suggested reading (see the Bibliography): Dallin, Persichetti, Reti, Ulehla.

Exercises
1. Study the Ravel Mother Goose Suite: The Magic Garden (#402 in Music for Analysis). Then, write six to
eight measures in the style of Example I–A.

2. Write two phrases for piano employing pedal effects as in Example I–B.

3. Continue and complete Example I–D for brass choir.

4. Write a brief choral “Amen,” starting as follows:

5. Complete the following fanfare for brass choir:

200 TWENTIETH-CENTURY MATERIALS


6. Harmonize the following using a pandiatonic idiom. Strive for an effective accompanimental pattern,
possibly an ostinato. Experiment with a variety of devices such as added notes, interior pedal points, and
so forth. This may be written for piano or instruments available in class.

PANDIATONICISM 201
7 Exotic (Artificial, Synthetic) Scales

I. Scale forms other than traditional major, minor, and church modes are known as exotic, artificial, or synthetic
scales. Some are derived from folk music, some come from cultures other than Western, and some are con-
structed by composers to yield special interval relationships. These scale forms may be built on any pitches.
Among the most common scales in these categories are the following:

II. Any arrangement of two to twelve notes of the tempered scale may constitute a scale, although most exotic,
artificial, and synthetic scales contain five to eight tones. Each scale tends to emphasize certain intervals and
may completely lack other intervals. For example, the whole-tone scale, rich in M2, M3, and A4 (and their
inversions), lacks m2, m3, and P4 (and their inversions). The pentatonic scale lacks m2 and A4. Interval con-
tent may affect the choice of transposition. All scales are abstractions; they are merely conventionally
arranged collections of notes from which the composer may select in writing music. Composers occasionally
employ nonconventional key signatures when exotic or artificial scales are consistently used.

A. In composing with these scales it is important to emphasize the characteristic intervals within each scale,
as well as to emphasize clearly the tonic note by the usual means of reiteration, return, line emphasis,
and appropriate cadence formulas.

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