I don't know how all those little notes do it, but I *think* it's magic...

[capri0mni]

I'm not serious when it comes to writing music, but I like to doodle around with it a little bit, 'cause sometimes words that come into my head ask if they could please have a bit of a tune, too, thankyoukindly.

When I first started, it was hit or miss whether a melody worked or not (mostly miss), so I looked around the Internets for music lesson sites. And somewhere along the way, I discovered one "rule" that seems to hold true no matter what -- I'm sure there are exceptions, I just haven't come across them yet:

For a melody to sound "complete" -- like it's reached it's natural conclusion, rather than sounding like it was cut short in the middle -- the last note should be the same a whatever key its in.


I'll give you some examples, based on a wee tune I wrote back in October. To hear what I mean, copy each set of bolded text (one at a time), and paste it into the window at The ABC Convert-O-Matic, and click [Submit] (might want to right-click to open in a new window)

First, here's the tune in D minor, but with the last note shifted up to an E:

X:1
Q:1/4=100
K:Dm
A B2 A D4|A B2 A E4|A B2 A G2 A2|F2 A2 D4|
D G2 A B4|B c2 B A4|A G2 A G2 F2|G2 F2 E4|]

See what I mean about it sounding "cut off in the middle?"

Now, here's the same tune, ending in D, like it should:

X:1
Q:1/4=100
K:Dm
A B2 A D4|A B2 A E4|A B2 A G2 A2|F2 A2 D4|
D G2 A B4|B c2 B A4|A G2 A G2 F2|G2 F2 D4|]


It's not a real big difference, but it feels like a big difference.

And for an even bigger feeling difference, here's the same tune, but in D Major:

X:1
Q:1/4=100
K:D
A B2 A D4|A B2 A E4|A B2 A G2 A2|F2 A2 D4|
D G2 A B4|B c2 B A4|A G2 A G2 F2|G2 F2 D4|]


No, I don't have any real point to all this, I just think its mysterious and cool, and nifty-keen that such small changes should lead to such big shifts in mood.

By the way, does anyone here know what key Patrick Troughton's recorder was in (D major is a popular one, I think)?

Comments

Remembering theory...

[brassfire.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Scale notes are broken down into different weights, and the same note as the scale has the most weight so feels more emotionally satisfying to end on.

I don't remember all of music theory class, but the scale note is called the tonic and the 5th is called the dominant because that's the strongest harmonic of the tonic so whenever there's a 5th it tends to sound a little louder and purer than other notes in the scale around it. (Which is why I prefer stringed instruments that tune in 5ths rather than the guitar, it's so much easier to tune perfectly when you can just hear the pure harmonic and tune to that.)

Re: Remembering theory...

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

hmmm... I was never very strong in mathematical fields, so the relationships between notes described as numerical ratios tend to fly right over my head with a whizzing sound...

But I've often wondered if the way keys sound "angry" or "Sad" or "cheerful" happen because the different pitches are related to way the pitch of our voices change with our mood when we speak... Just a thought, anyway. I wonder if anyone's studied that, or how different keys and modes are interpreted in different cultures...