My thought of the moment. Antecedent and consequent.
I really enjoy the musical journey or adventure that can be found in almost all classical musical works and in many modern day pop songs as well. Just what is it that makes music interesting? In my opinion it is the symmetry of phrases, the balanced nature of a harmonious collection of pitches. In regards to musical phrases it is the idea of a good anticedent and consequent melodic motive. This is the ying and yang of music, what goes up feels like it must come back down, right? Right!
This is essentially the question and answer in musical phraseology. Its like telling a joke, you set up the situation, then give the punch line. Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side. Anticedent and consequent. The first part of the phrase contains a leading melodic line that poses a question that yearns for resolution or a consequent phrase that offers the answer. A musical example would be A-B-C song: antecedent = abcdefg, consequent = hijklmnop. Typically the melody rises with the question part and decends with the answer.
Making a good melody is like telling a good story. You want to hear of adventure and excitement as well as the tender moments in the middle. You have to bring out the story in the music. Where does the music lead to? What adventure does it bring? Like any good adventure, you walk away with wisdom and more knowledge of life's emotional range. If you aren't in a different place than when you started than the music did not serve its purpose well.
One of the driving elements behind the telling of musical adventures is the proper structure of a musical phrase along with a strong antecedent and consequent phrase.
My random musical thought of the moment.
Prost.
D Oertel
