Period built of two five-bar phrases in Haydn's Feldpartita in B♭, Hob. II:12.[1]Diagram of a period consisting of two phrases[2][3][4]
A phrase is a substantial musical thought, which ends with a musical punctuation called a cadence. Phrases are created in music through an interaction of melody, harmony, and rhythm.[7]
Terms such as sentence and verse have been adopted into the vocabulary of music from linguistic syntax.[8] Though the analogy between the musical and the linguistic phrase is often made, still the term "is one of the most ambiguous in music....there is no consistency in applying these terms nor can there be...only with melodies of a very simple type, especially those of some dances, can the terms be used with some consistency."[9]
John D. White defines a phrase as "the smallest musical unit that conveys a more or less complete musical thought. Phrases vary in length and are terminated at a point of full or partial repose, which is called a cadence."[10]Edward Cone analyses the "typical musical phrase" as consisting of an "initial downbeat, a period of motion, and a point of arrival marked by a cadential downbeat".[11]Charles Burkhart defines a phrase as "Any group of measures (including a group of one, or possibly even a fraction of one) that has some degree of structural completeness. What counts is the sense of completeness we hear in the pitches not the notation on the page. To be complete such a group must have an ending of some kind … . Phrases are delineated by the tonal functions of pitch. They are not created by slur or by legato performance ... . A phrase is not pitches only but also has a rhythmic dimension, and further, each phrase in a work contributes to that work's large rhythmic organization."[12]
In common practice phrases are often four bars or measures long[13] culminating in a more or less definite cadence.[14] A phrase will end with a weaker or stronger cadence, depending on whether it is an antecedent phrase or a consequent phrase, the first or second half of a period.
However, the absolute span of the phrase (the term in today's use is coined by the German theorist Hugo Riemann[15]) is as contestable as its pendant in language, where there can be even one-word-phrases (like "Stop!" or "Hi!"). Thus no strict line can be drawn between the terms of the 'phrase', the 'motiv' or even the separate tone (as a one-tone-, one-chord- or one-noise-expression).
Thus, in views of Gestalt theory, the term of 'phrase' is rather enveloping any musical expression which is perceived as a consistent gestalt separate from others, however few or many beats, i. e. distinct musical events like tones, chords or noises, it may contain.
A phrase-group is "a group of three or more phrases linked together without the two-part feeling of a period", or "a pair of consecutive phrases in which the first is a repetition of the second or in which, for whatever reason, the antecedent-consequent relationship is absent".[17]
Phrase rhythm is the rhythmic aspect of phrase construction and the relationships between phrases, and "is not at all a cut-and-dried affair, but the very lifeblood of music and capable of infinite variety. Discovering a work's phrase rhythm is a gateway to its understanding and to effective performance." The term was popularized by William Rothstein's Phrase Rhythm in Tonal Music.[18][non-primary source needed] Techniques include overlap, lead-in, extension, expansion, reinterpretation and elision.
A phrase member is one of the parts in a phrase separated into two by a pause or long note value, the second of which may repeat, sequence, or contrast with the first.[20] A phrase segment "is a distinct portion of the phrase, but it is not a phrase either because it is not terminated by a cadence or because it seems too short to be relatively independent".[19]
^Benjamin, Thomas; Horvit, Michael; and Nelson, Robert (2003). Techniques and Materials of Music, p. 252. 7th edition. Thomson Schirmer. ISBN0495500542.
^Winold, Allen (1975). "Rhythm in Twentieth-Century Music",[page needed]Aspects of Twentieth-Century Music. Wittlich, Gary (ed.). Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. ISBN0-13-049346-5.
How to Understand Music: A Concise Course in Musical Intelligence and Taste (1881) by William Smythe Babcock Mathews
What We Hear in Music: A Course of Study in Music History and Appreciation (c. 1921) by Anne Shaw Faulkner
December 01, 2023
phrase, music, phrasing, expressive, music, musical, phrasing, music, theory, phrase, greek, φράση, unit, musical, meter, that, complete, musical, sense, built, from, figures, motifs, cells, combining, form, melodies, periods, larger, sections, period, built, . For phrasing as expressive music see Musical phrasing In music theory a phrase Greek frash is a unit of musical meter that has a complete musical sense of its own 5 built from figures motifs and cells and combining to form melodies periods and larger sections 6 Period built of two five bar phrases in Haydn s Feldpartita in B Hob II 12 1 source source source Diagram of a period consisting of two phrases 2 3 4 A phrase is a substantial musical thought which ends with a musical punctuation called a cadence Phrases are created in music through an interaction of melody harmony and rhythm 7 Terms such as sentence and verse have been adopted into the vocabulary of music from linguistic syntax 8 Though the analogy between the musical and the linguistic phrase is often made still the term is one of the most ambiguous in music there is no consistency in applying these terms nor can there be only with melodies of a very simple type especially those of some dances can the terms be used with some consistency 9 John D White defines a phrase as the smallest musical unit that conveys a more or less complete musical thought Phrases vary in length and are terminated at a point of full or partial repose which is called a cadence 10 Edward Cone analyses the typical musical phrase as consisting of an initial downbeat a period of motion and a point of arrival marked by a cadential downbeat 11 Charles Burkhart defines a phrase as Any group of measures including a group of one or possibly even a fraction of one that has some degree of structural completeness What counts is the sense of completeness we hear in the pitches not the notation on the page To be complete such a group must have an ending of some kind Phrases are delineated by the tonal functions of pitch They are not created by slur or by legato performance A phrase is not pitches only but also has a rhythmic dimension and further each phrase in a work contributes to that work s large rhythmic organization 12 Contents 1 Duration or form 2 See also 3 References 4 Further readingDuration or form editIn common practice phrases are often four bars or measures long 13 culminating in a more or less definite cadence 14 A phrase will end with a weaker or stronger cadence depending on whether it is an antecedent phrase or a consequent phrase the first or second half of a period However the absolute span of the phrase the term in today s use is coined by the German theorist Hugo Riemann 15 is as contestable as its pendant in language where there can be even one word phrases like Stop or Hi Thus no strict line can be drawn between the terms of the phrase the motiv or even the separate tone as a one tone one chord or one noise expression Thus in views of Gestalt theory the term of phrase is rather enveloping any musical expression which is perceived as a consistent gestalt separate from others however few or many beats i e distinct musical events like tones chords or noises it may contain nbsp Phrase group of three four bar phrases in Mozart s Piano Sonata in F K 332 first movement 16 source source source A phrase group is a group of three or more phrases linked together without the two part feeling of a period or a pair of consecutive phrases in which the first is a repetition of the second or in which for whatever reason the antecedent consequent relationship is absent 17 Phrase rhythm is the rhythmic aspect of phrase construction and the relationships between phrases and is not at all a cut and dried affair but the very lifeblood of music and capable of infinite variety Discovering a work s phrase rhythm is a gateway to its understanding and to effective performance The term was popularized by William Rothstein s Phrase Rhythm in Tonal Music 18 non primary source needed Techniques include overlap lead in extension expansion reinterpretation and elision nbsp Phrase segments in the opening of Beethoven s Symphony No 6 19 source source source A phrase member is one of the parts in a phrase separated into two by a pause or long note value the second of which may repeat sequence or contrast with the first 20 A phrase segment is a distinct portion of the phrase but it is not a phrase either because it is not terminated by a cadence or because it seems too short to be relatively independent 19 See also editPeriod music Strophe Melodic pattern Lick music References edit White 1976 p 44 Benjamin Thomas Horvit Michael and Nelson Robert 2003 Techniques and Materials of Music p 252 7th edition Thomson Schirmer ISBN 0495500542 Cooper Paul 1973 Perspectives in Music Theory p 48 Dodd Mead and Co ISBN 0396067522 Kostka amp Payne 1995 p 162 Falk 1958 p 11 full citation needed Larousse cited in Nattiez 1990 p page needed 1980 New Grove full citation needed cited in Nattiez 1990 p page needed Benward amp Saker 2003 p 89 1958 Encyclopedie Fasquelle full citation needed cited in Nattiez 1990 p page needed Stein 2005 p page needed White 1976 p 34 Winold Allen 1975 Rhythm in Twentieth Century Music page needed Aspects of Twentieth Century Music Wittlich Gary ed Englewood Cliffs New Jersey Prentice Hall ISBN 0 13 049346 5 Burkhart Charles The Phrase Rhythm of Chopin s A flat Major Mazurka Op 59 No 2 full citation needed cited in Stein 2005 p page needed Larousse Davie 1966 19 full citation needed cited in Nattiez 1990 p page needed Larousse full citation needed cited in Nattiez 1990 p page needed Hugo Riemann System der musikalischen Rhythmik und Metrik Leipzig 1903 page needed White 1976 pp 43 44 White 1976 p 46 Rothstein William 1990 Phase Rhythm in Tonal Music New York Schirmer p page needed ISBN 978 0 02 872191 0 a b Kostka amp Payne 1995 p 158 Benward amp Saker 2003 p 113 Sources Benward Bruce Saker Marilyn 2003 Music In Theory and Practice Vol I 7th ed McGraw Hill ISBN 978 0 07 294262 0 Kostka Stefan Payne Dorothy 1995 Tonal Harmony 3rd ed McGraw Hill ISBN 0073000566 Nattiez Jean Jacques 1990 Music and Discourse Toward a Semiology of Music originally Musicologie generale et semiologue 1987 Translated by Carolyn Abbate ISBN 0 691 02714 5 Stein Deborah 2005 Engaging Music Essays in Music Analysis New York Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 517010 5 White John D 1976 The Analysis of Music ISBN 0 13 033233 X Further reading editHow to Understand Music A Concise Course in Musical Intelligence and Taste 1881 by William Smythe Babcock Mathews What We Hear in Music A Course of Study in Music History and Appreciation c 1921 by Anne Shaw Faulkner Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Phrase music amp oldid 1101680890, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
