1.1 Durational Values: Symbols Representing Time in Music
L E A R N I N G O B J E C T I V E S
1. Describing durational values orthographically: how they are drawn.
2. Defining durational values in proportional relationship to one another.
3. Defining durational values in musical time and space.
Durational values
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are symbols that represent time and action in musical space:
they delineate and mark off varying values of sound (and silence) in a composition.
Additionally, they are proportional to one another as to how they may be divided
from larger into smaller values.
There have been many differing notational systems throughout the history of
music. In the context of other study, you may encounter these various and sundry
systems from early Western notational traditions. Our current system of notation
evolved from these early systems, incorporating aspects of many.
Components of Notes
Let us first examine how durational values are drawn:
Figure 1.1
Components
Note values may be “open notes” (not filled in or blackened), or “filled-in notes.” In
the context of how musical time is organized (discussed below), these will have
greater or lesser lengths or time spans.
Chapter 2 "The Elements of Pitch:Sound,
will discuss general rules and practices as to how note values are
drawn in the context of pitch placement. In the following example they are not yet
assigned any particular value: only proportional values in relation to each other.
1. Durational Values are those
symbols (“note values”) that
are used to represent the
relative length of a particular
sound in music.
Chapter 1 The Elements of Rhythm: Sound, Symbol, and Time
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