List of musical contrast?

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philbrown
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List of musical contrast?

Post by philbrown »

This came up on a thread on my modular synth group. We're talking about various forms of musical contrast. There was an excellent list in a book I had long ago on improvisation. It went something like:

high notes - low notes
ascending lines - descending lines
small interval jumps - large interval jumps
staccato - legato
fast lines - slow lines
cluster chords - spread out chords
space - density
fast tempo - slow tempo

The list in the book was much longer and more comprehensive.
I've Googled around and come up empty.
Are any of you aware of a list like that floating around the interwebs?
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MIDI Life Crisis
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Re: List of musical contrast?

Post by MIDI Life Crisis »

I only have one item on my contrast list.

Good music - bad music.

Sorry I can't help find the list. :)
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ChrisByrd
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Re: List of musical contrast?

Post by ChrisByrd »

I remember seeing something like this, another contrast was dynamics : soft - loud. I'll have a look through my books to see if I can find it
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Re: List of musical contrast?

Post by Phil O »

How about contrast in sounds (i.e., bassoon vs Fr. horn)? Or whatever.
You know how painters use the color wheel. I wonder if you could set up a similar wheel for orchestral sounds. What sounds would be opposite on the wheel? Hmm?

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Re: List of musical contrast?

Post by MIDI Life Crisis »

Rimsky-Korsakov did that in Principles of Orchestration (P.O.O.) but I think a wheel or comparative thing would be very limiting artistically for any serious orchestration tasks.
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Re: List of musical contrast?

Post by mikehalloran »

Rimsky-Korsakov did that in Principles of Orchestration
Hmmmm...

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Re: List of musical contrast?

Post by MIDI Life Crisis »

18??
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Re: List of musical contrast?

Post by mhschmieder »

My understanding is that Rimsky-Korsakov oriented his famous text towards the budding composer of a young age... perhaps 17, to keep the trend going? :-)
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Re: List of musical contrast?

Post by MIDI Life Crisis »

I really don't know his motivation, but I do know he was very focused on color and effect. Frankly, I learned a hell of a lot more just studying the scores of Tchaikovsky, in terms of understanding how different combinations of instruments could be used to compliment each other. There are so many possible combinations that any "wheel" thing (IMO) would just be overly pedantic. Then again, I've been wrong before.
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Phil O
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Re: List of musical contrast?

Post by Phil O »

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:There are so many possible combinations that any "wheel" thing (IMO) would just be overly pedantic.
Yeah, I hear ya, ML. I was just thinking out loud (or whatever one does on the interwebs). Babbling incoherently?

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Re: List of musical contrast?

Post by FMiguelez »

A few of my favorite:
Consonance VS Dissonance
f VS p
Timbral contrast
Homophony VS Polyphony
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Re: List of musical contrast?

Post by philbrown »

FMiguelez wrote:A few of my favorite:
Consonance VS Dissonance
f VS p
Timbral contrast
Homophony VS Polyphony
exactly!
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Re: List of musical contrast?

Post by bayswater »

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Re: List of musical contrast?

Post by BKK-OZ »

Not strictly on topic, but here is something sorta related, the 'Spectrotone' methodology.
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…string theory says that all subatomic particles of the universe are nothing but musical notes. A, B-flat, C-sharp, correspond to electrons, neutrinos, quarks, and what have you. Therefore, physics is nothing but the laws of harmony of these strings. Chemistry is nothing but the melodies we can play on these strings. The universe is a symphony of strings and the mind of God… it is cosmic music resonating through 11 dimensional hyperspace.
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philbrown
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Re: List of musical contrast?

Post by philbrown »

Thanks for the suggestions.
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