JOIN OUR MAILING LIST and GET “SONIC WEAPONS: The Official Stereo Thesis Music Sampler FOR FREE.” To get your FREE full-length album…click here.
_________________________________________________________________________
In the ancient past, the Greeks attributed an “ethos” or moral force to musical rhythms and scales. To determine the ethos of anything such as a musical rhythm they not only factored meter, but also other fundamental rhythmic elements such as lengths, beats, bars, and parts.
Their study of these elements brought about the following statements about rhythm in particular:
An equal genre such as 1/1 is calm and resolute. The sound of this rhythm would be similar to that of a heartbeat that pounds steadily away with each beat containing an equal emphasis.
The double 2/1 is vivid and loose. The sound of this rhythm could have a few variations where you would either emphasize the first or the second beat (backbeat).
The rhythm 3/2 they considered feverish and enthusiastic. The sound of this rhythm would have a waltz feel or a swaying motion.
Interestingly, by combining ones, twos and threes you can get other meters or a time signature which allows you to capture the ethos of other meters as mentioned above. You can get a 2/1 feel (vivid and loose) from a 6/8 or a 4/4 time signature or a 3/2 ethos (feverish and enthusiastic) from a 12/8 or 9/4 time signature by expertly accenting the right beats in the measures or using a complex form of syncopation.
[Note: the ancient Greeks used the word ‘harmoniai’ when referencing scales and modes.]
Similarly, the Greeks did exactly the same thing with scales and modes. For example, Aristotle in the Politics says, “melodies themselves do contain [character]…the harmoniai have quite distinct natures from one another, so that those who hear them are differently affected and do not respond in the same way to each."
"To some, such as the one called Mixolydian, they respond with more grief and anxiety, to others, such as the relaxed harmoniai, with more mellowness of mind, and to one another with a special degree of moderation and firmness, Dorian being apparently the only one of the harmoniai to have this effect, while Phrygian creates ecstatic excitement.”
Similarly, the Greeks did exactly the same thing with scales and modes. For example, Aristotle in the Politics says, “melodies themselves do contain [character]…the harmoniai have quite distinct natures from one another, so that those who hear them are differently affected and do not respond in the same way to each."
"To some, such as the one called Mixolydian, they respond with more grief and anxiety, to others, such as the relaxed harmoniai, with more mellowness of mind, and to one another with a special degree of moderation and firmness, Dorian being apparently the only one of the harmoniai to have this effect, while Phrygian creates ecstatic excitement.”
Unfortunately, scholars are not quite sure about the exact tonal character of ancient Greek music, their tuning systems, and scales. So when Aristotle refers to Mixolydian or Dorian he may not actually be referring to the scales we’re familiar with.
Either way the fact remains that scales or modes in any tuning system, including those we use today, possess an ethos and the degree to which we can become aware of the exact ethos we are trying to transmit through our music, the more we can consciously express it each time we write music or melodies for songs.
Because ultimately, it’s these two elements – rhythm and melody – more than any others in music that have a profound effect on us emotionally, intellectually, and morally.
Either way the fact remains that scales or modes in any tuning system, including those we use today, possess an ethos and the degree to which we can become aware of the exact ethos we are trying to transmit through our music, the more we can consciously express it each time we write music or melodies for songs.
Because ultimately, it’s these two elements – rhythm and melody – more than any others in music that have a profound effect on us emotionally, intellectually, and morally.
Not unlike rhythm, scales and modes can also be mixed together to compose very complex melodies and harmonic structures as is common in modern Western music.
When you mix pieces of two or more modes or two or more rhythms in a single composition, you increase the chances for more dramatic changes on the emotional, intellectual, and moral character of the listener.
So whether one is manipulating the size, duration, force, velocity and mixture of these elements, mastery of all of them is extremely important.
In addition, the use of asymmetrical meters, oddly numbered measures, syncopation, changing time signatures, modulating to distant scales, using modern embellishments and compositional techniques will result in music that possesses an ethos of unusual character. This is also the path to creating a signature sound that will make your work extremely memorable and easily recognizable.
When you mix pieces of two or more modes or two or more rhythms in a single composition, you increase the chances for more dramatic changes on the emotional, intellectual, and moral character of the listener.
So whether one is manipulating the size, duration, force, velocity and mixture of these elements, mastery of all of them is extremely important.
In addition, the use of asymmetrical meters, oddly numbered measures, syncopation, changing time signatures, modulating to distant scales, using modern embellishments and compositional techniques will result in music that possesses an ethos of unusual character. This is also the path to creating a signature sound that will make your work extremely memorable and easily recognizable.
_____________________________________________________
Praise!
Burn Rebellion
Tribal Initiation
Gothic Temple
_____________________________________________________
Related Article:
Music and Trance States of Mind
_____________________________________________________
Marc
http://stereothesis.com/
To join our mailing list, click here.
To support Stereo Thesis with a financial donation securely through PayPal, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment