1. Melodic, Harmonic, and Rhythmic Dictation
  2. Module 14: Post-tonal Music

Module 14: Post-tonal Music

Authors’ Note: The traditional solfège syllables that you have used in the rest of this text fundamentally show relationships between tonal structures. All of the elements in this module deal with post-tonal music, where a sense of tonal centricity is often blurred at best or, more commonly, avoided altogether. As a result, this module will shift to using numbers that indicate the quantity of semitones away from a starting pitch, except where the student is instructed to hear a structure using tonality.

a. Whole Tone and Octatonic Scales

Melody 14-a1

  1. Listen to the following pitch pattern.
  2. Listen to the pitch pattern again. Determine the number of pitches.
    3. 10
  3. Listen again. Determine which scale type is being used.
    4. Whole-tone scale
  4. The pitch pattern begins on middle C in the treble clef. Listen and notate the pitch pattern.
    5. Melody_14-a1a

Melody 14-a2

  1. Listen to the following melody.
  2. Name the time signature.
    3. 4/4
  3. Listen to the melody again. Determine the number of measures.
    4. 8
  4. Listen again. Notate only the rhythm above the staff.
    5. Melody_14-a2b
  5. Listen again. Determine the scale that is being used.
    6. W-H Octatonic
  6. The melody begins on E first line in the treble clef. Listen and notate the melody.
    7. Melody_14-a2a

Melody 14-a3

  1. Listen to the following melody.
  2. Name the time signature.
    3. 6/8
  3. Listen to the melody again. Determine the number of measures.
    4. 8
  4. Listen again. Notate only the rhythm above the staff.
    5. Melody_14-a3b
  5. The melody begins on D below the staff in the treble clef. Determine the clef and scale.
    6. W-H Octatonic
  6. Listen again. Notate the melody.
    7. Melody_14-a3a

Melody 14-a4

  1. Listen to the following melody.
  2. Name the time signature.
    3. 4/4
  3. Listen to the melody again. Determine the number of measures.
    4. 8
  4. Listen again. Notate only the rhythm above the staff.
    5. Melody_14-a4b
  5. The melody begins on A first space in the bass clef. Determine the clef and scale.
    6. H-W Octatonic
  6. Listen again. Notate the melody.
    7. Melody_14-a4a

Melody 14-a5

  1. Listen to the following melody.
  2. Name the time signature.
    3. 5/8
  3. Listen to the melody again. Determine the number of measures.
    4. 8
  4. Listen again. Notate only the rhythm above the staff.
    5. Melody_14-a5b
  5. The melody begins on E first line in the treble clef. Determine the scale.
    6. Whole tone scale
  6. Listen again. Notate the melody.
    7. Melody_14-a5a

b. Post-tonal Music

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  1. Begin by taking a rhythmic dictation of your melody (see steps above). Figure out where things happen before you try to figure out what happens.
  2. Listen for and identify the tonic. If the melody modulates, listen for indications of each tonal area (usually you can listen for dominant sounds).
  3. Identify important scale degrees along the way by writing their numbers above the notes on your rhythmic dictation. Mark chromatic notes. These may include longer notes, notes on cadences, the first note, the last note, etc. Be sure to listen to pitches as scale degrees, using your scale degree patterns to verify what you think you hear.
  4. Listen for how the “important” scale degrees (from step 3 above) are approached and left. Listen also for groups of notes that form identifiable structures such as triads, seventh chords, etc.
  5. Once you have labeled your rhythm with scale degrees, transcribe this into standard notation on a staff.
  6. Double check your answer by singing what you have written and comparing it to what you remember.
  1. Begin by taking a rhythmic dictation for the melody as described above.
  2. Listen for repeating pitches or pitches that are close to known pitches, even if (especially if) they are separated by only a few pitches. Listen for embedded chromatic lines in the melody.
  3. Listen for characteristic intervals. For example, many melodies will use a particular interval repeatedly. Try to find all instances of that interval wherever it occurs.