Lesson video

Hi, my name's Mr. Pate, and welcome to this lesson on musical coherence.

From the unit composing to a brief extending ideas.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to create a coherent composition by linking sections smoothly and varying repeated material.

Some of the keywords that we'll be using in today's lesson are coherence.

This describes a sense of unity, logic, and connection between the sections in a musical composition.

We'll be looking at transitions, which is a link between sections in a piece of music.

We'll be adding variation, and variation is when we alter material to add interest, and we'll be looking at cadences, which is a short chord progression that acts as a kind of musical punctuation mark.

We'll start by understanding musical coherence, and then spend some time developing coherence in your own composition.

So coherence in music means that ideas connect clearly and the piece feels unified, rather than a disjointed set of ideas.

It's important because it helps the listener follow what's happening in the music, and it makes the whole composition sound complete and convincing.

Without good coherence, a piece can feel a bit random, or the structure can feel a bit wandering and unorganized.

So we wanna make sure our piece feels really complete and together.

To help develop the coherence of our composition, we should think about the balance of repetition and variation, and how we link new ideas together.

Repetition is a really important part of music 'cause it makes ideas memorable, and it creates a sense of familiarity when sections return.

If we just heard a musical idea once, we're unlikely to remember it and feel like it's a really significant part of the composition.

Most common musical structures like verse-chorus, ABA, sonata strophic form include repeated sections, and this can highlight ideas and give that sense of familiarity when it comes back again.

When a section repeats though, composers will often add some variation to that to maintain interest.

Rather than just having an exact repetition of the verse when it comes back round again in a pop song, there's often a little bit of variety which can give some interest, but still keep that key material that defines its identity.

So it still sounds like another verse.

Let's have a listen to an example.

Listen to these two clips from Laura's jazz composition.

The first example shows the head melody, which is her main melody at the start of the piece, and the second clip will feature that head melody when it returns at the end of the piece.

It's still gonna be that basic melody, but there is gonna be some variety.

So I'd like you to think what's different in the second clip, but what has stayed the same?

Here's the first head melody.

Now let's hear head melody two when that melody comes back again at the end of the piece.

Remember, we're looking out for what's changed and what's stayed the same.

After you've heard this, pause the video and consider your answers.

So now you've heard those two variations of the head melody, what was different, and what stayed the same?

Lucas says, "When the head melody returns, there are multiple different instruments playing it in harmony.

There's also a counter-melody on the flute playing a different tune in the second half.

The drums have been developed to use more cymbals, and the overall dynamic is louder.

" So those are the things that are different that have been varied when we hear the head melody a second time.

" Sophia points out though, "That the basic melody and chord sequence is the same in the second clip.

This helps to make it clear that this is the same section returning.

The tempo, key, and time signature are also the same, and some parts are playing exactly the same thing like the bass.

" If all of those things changed as well, it wouldn't sound like the head melody anymore so it's important to keep some things the same while also adding variety and interest.

The use of variation in repeated sections depends on the genre that you're composing in.

Baroque music has some quite clear stylistic conventions around repetition.

When a melody comes back again, it's often decorated with ornamentation.

In electronic dance music though, variety is often created through changes in texture.

A melody returning might sound different because there's a thinner texture when some parts are dropped out.

It's important to listen to music from your chosen genre, and think about what is required of your brief when you're thinking about how to balance repetition and variation.

So as your composition develops, it will include different sections, balancing repetition and variation, and it'll be organized in a structure that suits your chosen style and your chosen brief.

When you've got all these sections, composers will use transitions to link them together smoothly, such as things like cadences or modulation, changes in texture, drum fills or pauses, depending on the genre that you're working in.

Let's hear an example.

Here's an example of a transition from Izzy's classical style composition.

You're gonna hear the end of the A section and the start of a new B section.

I'd like you to think what musical techniques have been used to make the transition between these sections smooth?

Have a listen to this example, then pause the video and think what musical techniques have been used to make this transition smooth?

So now you've had a listen, what musical techniques did you spot that make that transition smooth?

You might have spotted that section A ends with a perfect cadence in the key of G Major, the home key of the piece, and this makes it feel complete.

There's then a perfect cadence into a new key, the key of E minor, which is the relative minor of G major.

This transitions smoothly then into the new section.

There's also anacrusis in the violin part, which acts as a kind of linking phrase between those sections.

So use of cadences has created a kind of musical punctuation point in this piece, which helps to make that transition smooth.

Let's hear an example from a different genre.

Listen to an example from a pop composition showing a transition from a verse section to a chorus.

I'd like you to think what musical techniques have been used here to create a smooth transition, and how does the transition build excitement as the piece gets towards the chorus.

Here you can see the end of a verse section and the beginning of a chorus section.

Let's have a listen, then pause the video and think what musical techniques have been used to build excitement towards the chorus and create a smooth transition.

♪ We found our voices slowly in quiet and in sound ♪ ♪ In every shared beginning, in everything we found ♪ ♪ We grew beyond the doubts that try to hold us in ♪ ♪ And then that every ending is where new things begin ♪ ♪ So here's to all the memories ♪ ♪ The ones we'll always keep ♪ ♪ In every step that lies ahead ♪ ♪ Their hearts we hold so deep ♪ ♪ So here's to all the memories ♪ ♪ The ones we'll always keep ♪ ♪ In every step that lies ahead ♪ ♪ Their hearts we hold so deep ♪ <v ->So now you've had a listen,</v> what musical techniques did you spot to create a smooth transition between the verse and the chorus?

Sam says, "The dynamics get louder as the chorus approaches, and there's a drum fill linking the two sections.

" In this style, things like drum fills can be great to create a smooth change into a new section, and dynamics getting louder builds excitement.

Jun says, "The melody rises as the verse ends, which builds excitement.

The texture changes in the chorus with added backing vocals.

" Alex says, "The piano bass and strings build anticipation in the bar leading into the chorus.

The piano and bass drive forward with quaver rhythms, while the strings rise in pitch.

" So all of these things are examples of techniques you can use in this style to create a build in excitement and a smooth transition.

Now we've spent some time understanding musical coherence, let's look at developing coherence in your composition.

You're now gonna spend some time developing the coherence of your own composition, focusing on the balance of repetition and variation and how you use transitions to link sections together.

Remember to think about the conventions of your chosen genre and the requirements of your brief.

We should only be using these techniques if they're stylistically appropriate, and if they fit the brief that you're working towards.

We want them to enhance your composition rather than be used randomly.

Which of the following would be an effective way to vary the final chorus of a pop song?

Could you A, completely change the chord sequence and melody, B, change all of the instrumentation, or C, keep the overall melody the same but change the texture, adding new parts?

The answer is C.

You wouldn't wanna completely change the chord sequence and melody or it won't sound like the chorus anymore, and it's unusual to completely change all of the instrumentation in a song in a final section.

Generally, keeping the overall melody the same but changing the texture and adding new parts will create variation while also still making it sound like a chorus.

What is the purpose of a transition in music?

Is it A, to change the tempo suddenly, B, to link sections smoothly, C, to repeat a melody exactly, or D, to end the piece in a satisfying way?

The answer is B.

Transitions help us link sections smoothly together.

Now it's over to you.

Spend some time developing the coherence of your own composition.

I'd like you to consider the following.

When you've got a section returning, for example, the A section coming back later on in your piece or the chorus returning after you've heard the second verse, how could it be varied to maintain interest, but also still preserving its core identity as a repeat of that previous section?

Think about how you can use musical features like cadences, drum fills, modulation, changes in texture, pauses, or any other musical devices to create some smooth and effective transitions between sections.

Pause the video now and spend some time developing the coherence of your own composition.

Now you've spent some time working on your composition, how did you do?

How have you developed the coherence of your composition?

Jacob says, "I considered the overall balance of repetition and variation.

When my A section returns at the end of the piece, I added some ornamentation and developed the accompaniment parts to add interest.

" Sophia says, "I used perfect cadences to smoothly move between different sections of my composition.

" And Aisha says, "I added drum fills, and changes in texture, and dynamics to make my sections flow together while emphasizing the contrast between them.

" These are all great uses of musical features to improve the coherence of your composition.

In today's lesson, we've learned that coherence helps musical ideas connect clearly, giving compositions a clear sense of direction.

We've learned that we can use transitions to help different sections flow smoothly from one idea to the next.

We've learned that when we repeat sections, including some variation can help maintain interest.

And finally, a coherent composition sounds unified rather than disconnected or disjointed.

Well done for your work improving the coherence of your composition in today's lesson.

I look forward to seeing you again in the next one.