Music Composition DUMmIES

When staccato is light and direct it can result in Dab, and when it gets heavy

and bound, it might become Punch. Or if the energy is indirect, the light stac-

cato becomes Flickand the heavy becomes Slash. (More on these terms later

in this chapter.)

Flow: Bound and free-flowing............................................................

Bound and free-flowing are a little harder to grasp. A melody that is bound

might be one that has very few trills or other ornaments. It would be fairly

controlled and might be played by more than one instrument in unison or

harmony, one instrument “binding” the other to the task of melody making.

A free-flowingmelody is a little looser in construction. This is not to say that

it jumps all over the place (that would make it free-flowing andindirect), but

it might make more use of a single instrument’s virtuoso capabilities and not

be so apt to stay a straight and narrow course. A bound melody might seem

ponderous and deliberate, whereas a free-flowing melody rises and falls with

ease and abandonment. In a sense, bound energy doesn’t communicate hap-

piness as well as free-flowing energy does. Bound energy often conveys

sorrow, pride, and determination. Some instruments are more bound or more

free-flowing in general: The clarinet and piano are capable of free-flowing pas-

sages, but the baritone saxophone and bass viol are a bit more bound by

nature.

Space: Direct and indirect .................................................................

A directmelody doesn’t get diverted or sidetracked on its way to conclusion.

It might be peppered with trills(playing two adjacent notes of a scale

quickly), mordents(playing three adjacent notes of a scale quickly), and all

manner of nuance, or it might move straight and simply, but it is headed from

the beginning to the end without changing course or getting confused. It

doesn’t beat around the bush. If I want you to give me a ride home, I can say,

“Do you think you could give me a ride home?” Or I could say, “I wonder how

I am going to get home later. I suppose I could walk or take a cab. Is there a

bus that runs later?” That’s the difference between direct and indirect.

Eventually I get home, but the indirect example is a roundabout journey just

to get the ride.

Many composers make efforts to ensure that their melodies are always a little

indirect. Bela Bartok was a great example of this. Mozart was very direct, on

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