Guide to the Analysis of Music
Describe what you hear in this extract in terms of relevant:
Musical features: such as (but not limited to) harmony, melody, and rhythm
Structural features: such as (but not limited to) form, phrases, motifs and texture
Contextual features: such as (but not limited to) style, time, culture, geography and
history.
STEP 1 – TIMELINE (Musical features)
If no score is given, indicate time using minutes and seconds.
If a score is given, indicate time using measure numbers from the score.
1. MEDIUM
Voices or instruments or both
Type of ensemble (quartet, orchestra, etc.)
Orchestration – instruments assigned to various materials
Division of parts – doubling
Special effects – pizzicato, tremolo, harmonics, mutes, percussion, electronics
2. METER, TEMPO, RHYTHM
Duple, Triple, Simple, Compound, Complex
Multimetric – different time signatures in one line of music
Non-metric – no meter
Tempo – fast, slow, changes (use appropriate Italian words)
Rhythm – prominence of rhythmic element (ex. running 16ths, triplets)
3. HARMONY
Major, Minor, Modal, Whole-tone, Pentatonic
Kinds of intervals
Chords structure/progression
Intervals of root movement
Figured bass
Emphasis on different scale degrees (I, IV, V)
Diatonic or Chromatic
Cadence structure
4. MELODY
Prominence of melodic element
General Qualities / Dimension
Conjunct/Disjunct
Range – narrow, wide, medium
Contour – wave, ascending, descending, static
Phrases – long continuous lines or short motivic fragments
Ornamentation – embellishments, improvisation
Dynamics
Text and programmatic considerations
Guide to Analysis of Music cont.
5. TEXTURE
Monophonic – one melody line
Homophonic – Melody with chordal accompaniment
Chordal Homophony
Sustained chord accompaniment
Repeated chord accompaniment
Arpeggiated accompaniment
Polyphonic – Contrapuntal movement with two or more melodic lines
Number of parts
Degree of melodic independence
Spacing of parts
Voices of parts
Imitation
Hybrid – combinations of homophonic and polyphonic parts
Special Effects – antiphonal, responsorial, instrumental/vocal effects
STEP 2 – ANALYZE (Structural features)
6. FORM
Basic Internal Structure
Sectional – Binary, Ternary, Rondo, etc.
Variation – Theme and Variation
Developmental – Sonata Allegro Form
Fugal – Fugue, Motet, Madrigal
Through Composed
Twelve Tone / Dodecaphonic
Toccata, Prelude, Fantasy, Rhapsody
Number and relationship of movements
Time factors – total length / length of movements
STEP 3 – ANALYZE (Contextual features)
7. CONTEXT
Style/Genre
Historical era
Historical context
Nationality / culture
Sacred / Secular
Socio / religious / political / economic implications
0
