How to Write a Musical Analysis

Musical Analysis

Things to consider when writing a musical analysis

State overall:

• Key
• Metre
• Tempo
• Instrumentation
• Form

Melody

• Does it start immediately, or can you hear an introduction first?
• Does it move in leaps or steps?
• Is it legato (smooth) or staccato-like (short and detached)?
• Is the approximate range, small or large?
• Are the phrases balanced or uneven?
• Are there clear cut cadence points?
• Is it motivic or lyrical?
• Is there frequent and consistent use of sequence
• Are there other compositional devices such as arpeggios,leaps, repeated notes and imitation (where melodic motifs are being played in another part)?

Harmony/Tonality

• Is it major or minor, modal, atonal, polytonal?
• What keys are used and how are they related to each other, if at all?
• Does it use another scale or tonal-system?
• Does it use chromatic chords?
• Does it have treatment and resolution of dissonance, any unresolved dissonance?
• Does it have clear cadence points, consistent harmonic rhythm (when does the harmony change)?

Rhythm/Metre

• Is the beat obvious or is it more hidden?
• Is it in simple or compound time? Duple, triple or quadruple
• time?
• Do the parts (various instruments) play the same rhythm, or are there different rhythmic patterns for each part?
• Are there irregular metres and time changes?
• Are there rhythmic contrasts e.g. 3 against 2?
• Are the note values all very similar or constantly changing?
• Is there a simple rhythmic pattern, of perhaps one note per beat, or is the rhythm more complex than that?
• Does the rhythm develop or is it made up of repeated rhythmic motives

Instrumentation

• What instruments is the pieced scored for?
• At what point do more instruments come in?
• Can you hear one or more solo instruments in the work?
• What role do the various instruments play? (Are they all playing the same thing or do some play thematic material and some play an accompaniment role?)

 Timbre/Dynamics

• How is the sound built up?
• Is the use of dynamics unexpected or logical?
• How does sound intensity (loudness or softness) contribute to the music?

 Texture

• Does one texture predominate (polyphonic, homophonic, monophonic) or is it  mixture?
• Is it thick and heavy or light? What makes it so?

 Form

• Is the structure clear? e.g. binary, ternary, rondo, theme and variation.
• Is it free flowing, episodic, through composed or cyclical?
• Is it determined by factors outside the music? e.g. words or story.

FREE: PDF Download of How to Write a Musical Analysis