List of musical contrast?
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Discussions about composing, arranging, orchestration, songwriting, theory and the art of creating music in all forms from orchestral film scores to pop/rock.
Discussions about composing, arranging, orchestration, songwriting, theory and the art of creating music in all forms from orchestral film scores to pop/rock.
- philbrown
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List of musical contrast?
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?
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?
I only have one item on my contrast list.
Good music - bad music.
Sorry I can't help find the list.
Good music - bad music.
Sorry I can't help find the list.
- ChrisByrd
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Re: List of musical contrast?
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?
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?
Phil
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?
Phil
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- MIDI Life Crisis
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Re: List of musical contrast?
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.
- mikehalloran
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Re: List of musical contrast?
Hmmmm...Rimsky-Korsakov did that in Principles of Orchestration
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- mhschmieder
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Re: List of musical contrast?
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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- MIDI Life Crisis
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Re: List of musical contrast?
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.
Re: List of musical contrast?
Yeah, I hear ya, ML. I was just thinking out loud (or whatever one does on the interwebs). Babbling incoherently?MIDI Life Crisis wrote:There are so many possible combinations that any "wheel" thing (IMO) would just be overly pedantic.
Phil
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- FMiguelez
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Re: List of musical contrast?
A few of my favorite:
Consonance VS Dissonance
f VS p
Timbral contrast
Homophony VS Polyphony
Consonance VS Dissonance
f VS p
Timbral contrast
Homophony VS Polyphony
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"In physics the truth is rarely perfectly clear, and that is certainly universally the case in human affairs. Hence, what is not surrounded by uncertainty cannot be the truth." ― Richard Feynman
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- philbrown
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Re: List of musical contrast?
exactly!FMiguelez wrote: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?
Was this the book?
http://www.amazon.com/Contrast-Continui ... B000M7H388
http://www.amazon.com/Contrast-Continui ... B000M7H388
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- BKK-OZ
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Re: List of musical contrast?
Not strictly on topic, but here is something sorta related, the 'Spectrotone' methodology.
Cheers,
BK
…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.
- M Kaku
BK
…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.
- M Kaku
- philbrown
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Re: List of musical contrast?
Thanks for the suggestions.
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