Ledger Lines, Polyphony, and Medieval Music
Ledger Lines
A ledger line, or leger line, is used in Western musical notation to notate pitches above or below the lines and spaces of the regular musical staff. A line slightly longer than the note head is drawn parallel to the staff, above or below, spaced at the same distance as the lines within the staff.
Origins of Polyphony
In the ninth century, music theorists in the Church experimented with the idea of singing two melodic lines simultaneously at parallel intervals, usually at the fourth, fifth,
Read MoreBaroque Music: Forms, Composers, and Evolution
Baroque Music
1600
Musical Forms
Overtures: Introductory pieces. There are two main types:
- French Overture (3 sections)
- Neapolitan Overture (by Alexander Scarlatti): Slow-Fast-Slow
Suite: A combination of dances originating in the Renaissance. It typically includes:
- Allemande (moderate speed)
- Sarabande (slower and more solemn)
- Courante (faster)
- Gigue (fast)
These dances have different rhythms, origins, and characteristics. A Minuet could also be added.
Notable examples are the four suites by Johann Sebastian
Read MorePuccini, Strauss, Debussy, and Ravel: A Comparison of Operas
Operas of Puccini, Strauss, Debussy, and Ravel
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
Giacomo Puccini, the most successful Italian opera composer after Verdi, was the son of a church organist and composer. Initially expected to follow in his father’s footsteps, he chose to focus on opera, studying at the conservatory in Milan.
Puccini gained attention with his first opera, Le Villi, in 1884. His third opera, Manon Lescaut (1893), catapulted him to international fame. Over the next three decades, he produced nine
Read MoreWest African and Caribbean Music: A Rhythmic Journey
West African and Caribbean Music
Mami Wata – Kwaa Mensah, Ghana. West African pop, Palmwine – Ghanaian highlife and Nigerian juju music. Two-finger guitar style of Liberian Kru sailors, (mostly Caribbean) and local musical elements. Mami Wata is a water spirit.
Taxi Driver – Bobby Benson (1950s) Nigeria. Classic in West Africa, Golden Age of dance-band highlife in Nigeria. Jazz swing instrumentation and big band Caribbean rhythms (calypso). Benson was a multi-instrumentalist and composer. His Trumpeter,
Read MoreDon’t Cry (Acoustic) – Guitar Tabs and Chords
Don’t Cry (Acoustic)
Introduction (continues throughout the song) – Darlon Costa Duarte
Part 1
Am Dm G C
e|-----------0---------|-------1------|---------3-------|---------------------|
B|-------------1-------|-----3---3----|-----------3-----|---------------------|
G|--------2------2-----|---2-------2--|------0------0---|------0-----0--------|
D|------2----------0---|-0---- Read More
Baroque Music: Characteristics and Forms
The Baroque era began in the late sixteenth century, as Europe underwent a social and economic crisis that shook the Renaissance order. This situation favored a change in mentality, which led to the beginning of the Baroque period. At this time, absolute monarchies thrived, and the people and the bourgeoisie accepted the monarch’s authority. In the field of religion, the Counter-Reformation continued to preside during the Baroque period.
Characteristics of Baroque Music:
- A desire for splendor, artifice,