Key Terms
Quote to know
Baseball manager Bill Veeck — "I try not to break the rules, but merely to test their elasticity." Applied directly to m
ATOMIC ELEMENT
A single repeating sound. Smallest possible unit of repetition.
MOTIVE
A short recurring figure; the most common unit of repetition. Can be melodic or rhythmic.
PHRASE
A complete musical thought; compared to a sentence. Longer than a motive; contains internal repetition but also function
THEME
A group of phrases joined together; compared to a paragraph. Contains internal repetition; can itself be repeated.
SECTION
The largest unit; compared to a chapter. An entire section of music repeated.
LOCAL REPETITION
Immediate; the element repeats right away with no intervening music.
LARGE-SCALE REPETITION
The element repeats after intervening music has taken place.
RECURRENCE
The specific term for a repetition that happens after intervening music. Know this word.
Example
Beethoven's Bagatelle, Opus 126, No. 4 — a section plays, intervening music occurs, then the entire section returns exac
POP / FOLK MUSIC
Repetition is literal and direct. This makes music immediately accessible and easy to understand.
CLASSICAL / ART MUSIC
Repetition is more frequently varied and transformed. This makes it flexible; the same material can assume many forms an
Result
Clear opening, middle, climax, and ending — all from one basic pattern. This is the definition of "repetition without re
Consistency source
Rhythm Variety source: melody and harmony
How it works
Player 1 repeats the pattern without change. Player 2 plays the identical pattern but gradually shifts its alignment so