How to compose like Arvo Pärt, tintinnabuli style
Summary
TLDRThis video provides a comprehensive guide to composing music in the unique style of Arvo Pärt, an Estonian composer known for his distinctive 'tintinnabuli' technique. It delves into the fundamental concepts and practical tools needed to create a sound that blends ancient and modern aesthetics, achieving both simplicity and depth. The instructor breaks down key elements like melodic modes, tonic triads, and the systematic relationship between 'M' and 'T' voices. The video also explores advanced techniques such as incorporating rhythmic displacement, going beyond a seven-note scale, and strategically designing structures to match an instrument's range. With engaging audio mockups and animations, viewers gain an in-depth understanding of Pärt's compositional approach and leave equipped to create their own music in this captivating style.
Takeaways
- 🎵 Arvo Pärt's compositional style, known as the tintinnabuli technique, combines ancient and modern elements, creating a sound that is simultaneously simple and profound.
- 🎼 The tintinnabuli style uses two types of musical voices: M-voices (made up of scale segments) and T-voices (using only notes from the tonic triad).
- 🎶 M-voices serve as structural origins, with T-voices systematically branching out from them in various positions (close or open) above or below.
- 🎻 Pärt often structures his compositions to align with the range limitations of specific instruments.
- 🎵 The M-voice can be constructed using different systems, such as increasing or decreasing segment lengths, mirroring patterns across modes, or setting syllables to scale segments.
- 🎹 T-voices can be added above or below the M-voice in close or open positions, using notes from the tonic triad.
- 🎺 Symmetry and balance are crucial in Pärt's compositions, achieved through mirroring, alternating patterns, and strategically designing climactic moments.
- 🎼 Variety and complexity can be introduced by going beyond the seven-note diatonic scale, raising or lowering specific scale degrees, or incorporating rhythmic displacement.
- 🎻 Pärt's music invites a new perspective on existing compositions, reframing elements like parallel motion and tonic triads within the tintinnabuli style.
- 🎹 The script provides practical examples and exercises for composing in Pärt's style, including recomposing Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 as a tintinnabuli homage.
Q & A
What are the two types of musical voices described in Arvo Pärt's tintinnabuli style?
-The two types of musical voices in Arvo Pärt's tintinnabuli style are M voices and T voices. M voices are made up of scale segments, whereas T voices use members of a tonic triad.
How does an M voice function within Arvo Pärt's tintinnabuli style?
-An M voice functions as the structural origin of all other voices, either directly or indirectly, in Arvo Pärt's tintinnabuli style.
What is the significance of the tonic triad in the tintinnabuli style?
-The tonic triad is significant in the tintinnabuli style as it provides orientation for each line written, with T voices using only members of this triad, thus grounding the music in a harmonic foundation.
How are M voices and T voices related in Arvo Pärt's composition technique?
-M voices and T voices are systematically related, with T voices branching out from M voices in a patterned way, following rules that only allow the use of notes from the tonic triad in relation to the M voice.
What are the four orientations of a scale segment to a central pitch according to Arvo Pärt?
-The four orientations are: descending toward the central pitch, ascending toward the central pitch, ascending away from the central pitch, and descending away from the central pitch.
How does Arvo Pärt use instrument range in his compositions?
-Arvo Pärt often picks keys and structures to correspond with the limits of an instrument's range, carefully considering the practical concerns and capabilities of the instruments used.
What is the role of symmetry in Arvo Pärt's tintinnabuli compositions?
-Symmetry plays a crucial role in creating balance and structure in Pärt's compositions, often through mirrored segments, systematic or symmetric design, and the strategic placement of M and T voices.
How can composers add harmonic complexity using rhythmic delay in the tintinnabuli style?
-Rhythmic delay can add harmonic complexity by creating overlaps and suspensions between notes, blending consecutive sonorities into a cascade of harmonies and enriching the texture of the composition.
What is a practical approach to composing in the tintinnabuli style as described in the script?
-A practical approach includes starting with an underlying scale and tonic triad, systematically creating M and T voices, and considering instrument ranges and symmetrical structures to elaborate the music.
How does Arvo Pärt's music reorient the way one might think about other music?
-Arvo Pärt's music, with its emphasis on simplicity, depth, and structural symmetry, can offer a new perspective on existing music, encouraging a reevaluation of harmonic and melodic relationships.
Outlines
🎵 Introduction to Arvo Pärt's Tintinnabuli Style
This paragraph introduces the Tintinnabuli style of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. It discusses the aesthetic of blending ancient and modern sounds, simplicity and depth. The paragraph provides an overview of the concepts and practical toolkit for composing in Pärt's style, aiming to enable the viewer to create music after watching the video. It also mentions that the content is derived from a college course on 20th-century compositional techniques, enhanced with audio mockups and animations to illustrate the connection between music and underlying structure.
🎼 Understanding Pärt's Tintinnabuli Structure
This paragraph delves into the details of Arvo Pärt's Tintinnabuli structure. It explains the two types of musical voices: M voices (made up of scale segments) and T voices (using only members of the tonic triad). M voices function as the structural origin for other voices, either directly or indirectly. T voices branch out systematically from M voices. The paragraph also discusses how to write the first M voice using an underlying scale and tonic triad, and the four melodic modes (orientations of scale segments to a central pitch). It provides examples of different M voice patterns and highlights the importance of instrument range when defining the system.
🎻 Composing T Voices and Elaborating the Structure
This paragraph focuses on composing T voices and elaborating the underlying structure of M and T voices. It explains the rules for T voices, which use only notes from the tonic triad and relate to an M voice in a patterned way. The paragraph discusses four possible positions for T voices relative to an M voice (close or open, above or below). It provides an example of an M voice with two T voices and demonstrates how Pärt's "Variations for the Healing of Arka" elaborates the same structure in different variations. It also shows another example of building symmetry and layers through M and T voices, rhythmic patterns, and pairing singers in a choral setting.
🎹 Adding Complexity and Variety
This paragraph explores ways to add complexity and variety to Pärt's Tintinnabuli style. It discusses adding a second M voice, often in parallel motion (thirds or tenths) with the primary M voice, to create a thicker texture. The example is set in E minor to match the lowest range of an organ, with strategic placement of M and T voices across the registers. The paragraph also introduces the idea of going beyond a seven-note diatonic scale, such as using raised and lowered scale degrees 6 and 7 in the lowest register. It demonstrates a choral sketch with rhythmic displacement of T voices to create suspensions and voice overlap, adding more variety and complexity.
🎻 Applying Pärt's Concepts to Bach's Cello Suite
This paragraph explores how Pärt's concepts and techniques can reorient the listener's perspective on existing music, using an example from Bach's famous Cello Suite No. 1 in G major. It suggests interpreting the arpeggiated notes in the upper voice as an M voice moving away from and toward a central pitch, with other voices potentially functioning as T voices or parallel M voices. The paragraph proposes creating a homage to Bach and Pärt by continuing Bach's opening measures in Pärt's style, setting systematic parameters and incorporating textures and processes from Pärt's "Spiegel im Spiegel."
🎼 Conclusion: Homage to Bach and Pärt
This paragraph concludes the video by presenting a homage to Bach and Pärt, built upon the opening measures of Bach's Cello Suite No. 1. It sets parameters inspired by Pärt's style, such as using the upper line as the primary M voice, a T voice in open position below it, and a second M voice in parallel tenths. The paragraph describes how the piano left hand expresses the second M voice on downbeats, allowing for a T voice pattern alternating between high and low extremes of the piano's range. It mentions a separate video where the four melodic modes are represented by branches of a fractal-based tree and the path and symmetry of the M voice are visualized as light moving along those branches.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Tintinnabuli
💡M-voice
💡T-voice
💡Melodic Modes
💡Symmetry
💡Parallel Motion
💡Text Setting
💡Instrument Range
💡Rhythmic Displacement
💡Perspective Shift
Highlights
Introduction to Arvo Pärt's 'Tintinnabuli' style, blending ancient and modern music aesthetics.
Explanation of fundamental concepts for composing in Pärt's style without comprehensive music theory.
Use of audio mockups and animation to demonstrate the relationship between music and its underlying structure.
Overview of 'Tintinnabuli' structure, including the roles of M and T voices.
Explanation of M voices using scale segments and their systematic design.
Introduction to T voices, relying solely on the tonic triad and their systematic branching from M voices.
Techniques for composing with text, using syllable count to define segment lengths.
Methods for creating harmonic complexity through rhythmic delay.
Discussion on how Pärt's music reorients thinking about music composition.
Recomposition of Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in Pärt's style.
Use of instrument register considerations in composition to match the instrument's range.
Strategies for going beyond a seven-note diatonic scale to add variety.
Use of raised and lowered versions of scale degrees for added complexity.
Incorporation of rhythmic displacements for a cascade of suspensions effect.
Homage to Bach and Pärt by blending elements of both composers' styles.
Transcripts
have you ever wanted to make music sound
simultaneously ancient and modern to
feel both simple and deep this is the
aesthetic produced by arvo's tinab style
I'm going to explain fundamental
concepts and give you a practical
toolkit for composing without getting
bogged down trying to be comprehensive
because I want you to be able to make
music as soon as you finish watching
this
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video
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[Laughter]
[Applause]
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St
I've taught about arvo par style in a
college course on techniques used by
composers in the 20th century and to
make this video I took my material from
that course and improved it by adding
audio mockups and animation so that you
can see in real time how the music
relates to its underlying structure this
is more than an introduction to P's
Theory though I'll show you nuances for
composing regarding instrument register
ways you can go beyond an underlying
seven note scale and how to use rhythmic
delay to add harmonic complexity at the
end I'll also explore how parr's music
might reorient the way you think about
other music and I'll show you how I
recomposed Bach's Cello Suite number one
in the style of AR
V let me start with an overview of arvo
per style tinu nabell structure before
getting into the details for what each
voice voices there will be two types of
musical voices M voices and T voices an
M voice is made up of scale segments
whereas T voices will only use members
of a tonic Triad officially T here is
for tinabell but you can remember the t
as in tonic Triad an M voice functions
as a structural origin of all other
voices either directly or indirectly
each T voice is going to Branch out
systematically from some mvo if you add
a second mvoice it will relate to the
first mvoice usually in parallel motion
and additional T voices can also Branch
out from
it to write the first envoice we need an
underlying scale to move through and a
tonic Triad to provide some orientation
for each line we write minor keys are a
bit more common in parot music so I'm
starting with an a minor scale and an A
minor chord as our substrate with this
chosen melodic lines of an mvoice will
all be segments from an A minor scale
and each segment must Orient itself in
relation to a central pitch taken from
the tonic Triad we can change the
central pitch in a piece but for now
let's make our Central pitch the tonic a
for arvo per there are four orientations
of a scale segment to a central pitch
and he calls these melodic modes in
relation to the central pitch a scale
segment may go down and toward the
central pitch up and toward the central
pitch it can also move up and away or
down and away when writing an mvoice you
should try to think in terms of some
systematic or symmetric design but the
specifics are up to you in this example
with the central note a I've written
segments which are all in the mode of
descending toward the central pitch but
I made a simple system so that segments
will increase in size from one note to
two to three Etc ET if we choose instead
to use ascending away as our mode we'd
have
this we could also do the same but
alternate between descending toward the
central pitch and ascending toward the
central pitch and end up with this
creating symmetry like this underlies
the composition spegel IM spegel by
mirroring segments from different modes
and gradually increasing the size of the
segments in that piece the underlying
scale and triat are F major but the
central note still a notice how segments
gradually increase in size while cycling
through the different modes starting at
the segments of three notes the segments
move up and toward then down and toward
the central note then they increase in
size and move away from the central note
they continue to grow while alternating
pairs of segments move toward and away
from the central
note notice also here the lowest note G
in the M voice corresponds to the lowest
note available on the violin thinking
about range of instruments is an
important consideration when defining
the system you want to put in place
because you're going to apply this
system onto real instruments with their
own practical concerns arvo par often
picks keys and structures to correspond
with the limits of an instrument's range
the example here comes from a duet for
violin and piano but there's an
arrangement of this same piece for solo
organ in that version It's transposed
into C major so that the lowest bass
notes correspond to the lowest keys on
the organs manual and almost the entire
span of the pedal
board let's have a look at another
mvoice design found in P's music which
I've transposed to a minor the M voice
has individual phrases each of which
starts and ends on a different member of
the tonic Triad then lines start and end
on different pairs pairs of notes from
the Triad there's balance here after
motion upward through notes of the Triad
to get to the high tonic pitch we get
every pair of notes downward to rest on
the lower tonic
pitch working with a text offers yet
another possibility for structuring an M
voice each syllable of a word can
determine a segment's length you don't
have to do this but this is precisely
what occurs arvo de profundis in that
piece each syllable gets one note so
each word defines the length of a
segment if a word has two syllables
it'll Define a segment of two notes of
the scale whereas a word of five
syllables defines a segment with five
notes let's see an example with a text
I'll use something Latin to keep things
sounding sacred but you could use any
language using Google translate I came
up with this in this case the number of
syllables in each word is respectively 3
1 2 5 1 and
3 if I pick the mode that ascends away
from a central note we end up with this
melodic line let's hear this example of
cabic text setting I've put in some
organ accompaniment which incorporates T
voices and in the next section I'll show
you how to write
those
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in order to write a t voice we need an M
voice to tether it to let's have our M
voice be a complete iteration of the a
minor scale first go going up and then
coming back down to where we started I
should point out that even this has some
structural balance to it I've created an
idea to go seven steps up and away from
the central note a then I wrote a
symmetrical response that goes seven
steps down and toward our Central
pitch a t voice essentially has two
rules you may only use notes of our
tonic Triad and those notes should
relate to an mvoice in some patterned
way since I've picked a minor our t-
voice will then only use the pitches a C
or E let's have a look at four possible
relationships or positions that a TVO
might occupy in relation to our mvoice
the TVO can be the first available node
of the Triad above the mvoice it can be
the first available note below the
mvoice it can be the second available
note above or it can be the second
available note Below in these examples
I'll notate the T voice with with
diamond not heads which to me seems
fitting as the t- voice reminds me of
natural string harmonics when a t- voice
is the first available pitch above or
below I'll call this a close position in
contrast to an open position which would
be further
away to make actual music we come up
with a way of activating and expressing
an underlying structure of MN voices
arvo's minimalist piano piece for Alina
has just one M voice and one t voice but
a good starting point is probably to use
three or four underlying voices since I
haven't yet explained how to write a
second mvoice let's add two t voices to
our mvoice that went up and down the a
minor scale and use that as an
underlying structure one t-o will be the
closest position above and the other
will be the closest position
below to make this into a piece of music
we need to pick what instruments or
voice types will Express the structure
and come up with a patterned way of
expressing the structure parr's
variations for the healing of arka uses
this exact structure for its variations
but each variation is a different way of
elaborating the same structure at the
piano in the first variation all three
voices are expressed in a single line
with a rhythmic pattern of short short
long it starts with the upper T voice
and then moves to the lower T voice
before holding the M voice for twice as
long a nice touch is that holding the
notes of the mvo longer makes that line
easier to hear and there's an even more
beautiful subtlety when the mvoice
reverses Direction and goes down the
scale the pattern flips as well so that
the pattern begins from the lower T
voice instead of the upper
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one
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that's just one way to elaborate the
underlying structure per demonstrates
other options in the other variations of
that piece let's try out another example
of creating a structure and turning it
into something musical I'm starting with
an mvoice pattern of segments that
decreases in size from four notes to
three to two and then to one such that
each segment corresponds to a different
one of our modes though admittedly the
last segment won't have any motion to or
from the tonic since it's only one note
but it continues the pattern now let's
add two t voices above the mvo I've
started with one t voice in the first
position above and the second one will
be a member of the tonic Triad above the
first T voice before activating this
into music I want to compose a second
phrase way that demonstrates how parr's
music can create layers of symmetry I'm
still cycling through all four modes but
this time I started with the descending
mode toward the central note instead of
away I want to build symmetry into the
second phrase by having the T voices
occur below the mvo instead of above I'm
going to make this phrase in the style
of an Acappella Coral piece like arvo's
Magnificat this time each singer will
correspond to an M or t voice of the
underlying structure and I want to add
another layer of symmetry in how I
choose which singers take which part one
of P's Hallmarks in Coral writing
involves pairing up combinations of
singers so that when the full chorus
finally comes together it represents a
culmination of these pairings in my
example so far I only have two phrases
of structure to work with but it's
enough for me to demonstrate the idea
I'll make each half for a different pair
of singers the first phrase will be for
tenor and bass and the second half when
the T voices go below the mvoice I'll
write that for soprano and Alto and we
now have another layer of symmetry
between the two phrases to generate some
interest I've added a rhythmic pattern
of longer notes corresponding with the
beginnings and ends of each scale
segment in an mvoice I'm still
indicating the roles of M and T Voice by
putting the T voice into Diamond note
heads in the score and mvo segments are
shown with slur lines since this is
still a sketch I don't have Dynamics bar
lines or text but you should be able to
hear the layers upon lay layers of
structure and symmetry that I'm building
in if I were composing this with a text
I'd probably want to take that into
consideration from the beginning as I
build up the underlying
[Music]
structure
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to get a nice Lush and complex harmonic
fabric we can add a second mvoice which
is related to the first one by moving in
parallel T six or thirs since my example
is already written for voices in close
position let's make another mvoice that
is close to the rest of the notes by
setting it just a third away to continue
the systematic symmetry I've begun I
think the new envoice should lie below
the base part in the first half but then
when the positions invert the new
envoice can now be above the suprem line
we have a thicker texture with more
branches and Reflections from the
original M
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voice
[Laughter]
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the last example had M voices a third
apart but it also works really well to
have parallel tenths between your
primary and secondary M voices this is a
very frequent Construction in arvo's
music because there's enough space to
fit another voice in between if you want
to I'm going to make the next example
for solo organ so I'm switching to E
minor this is strategic because I have a
structure in mind already and I want the
lowest note of my structure to
correspond to the lowest note of the
organ per frequently makes underlying
structures that will match the lowest
range of instruments we saw this once
already when the lowest note of the M
voice for spegel imle corresponded to
the lowest note of a violin I'll start
with a pattern of scale segments for the
primary mvoice which I'm planning to put
into the left hand of the organist a
secondary mvoice which will go into the
pedals is going to be a tenth below it
the right hand can take two t voices in
open spacing above the primary mvoice
you don't have to choose an open
position like I did but whatever
relationship you choose you have to
stick with
it as I built my underlying structure I
was thinking about more than just the
lowest notes on the instrument I
strategically designed the system for my
mvoice so that there would be a
climactic high point around 2/3 of the
way through the piece to me this
provides some aesthetic balance it feels
like it builts up to something and still
had some time to settle down after since
I've already planned out the instrument
I only need to decide on some Rhythm for
this I'll put the M voices on downbeats
and arpeggiate the T voices but you're
free to try out another time signature
arhythmic pattern as long as your choice
for rhythm and meter stays consistent
let's hear how this
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sounds
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[Laughter]
I think this sounds pretty good it's a
texture that's simple enough to
improvise with but it might also be a
little bit too simple notice for example
that whenever an M voice has a
particular note that entire measure will
be the same as any other measure which
has the same note in the mvoice what I
have here is a piece that evokes parot
at a local level but maybe doesn't
create quite enough depth and variety
over the course of the
piece I'll show you two great ways of
adding more variety and depth one way is
to go beyond a seven note dionic scale
for your underlying structure
a common way to achieve this is to do
something with raised and lowered
versions of scale degrees six and seven
in your structure if you're using a
minor scale you might opt for a change
in scale to correspond with different
sections of the piece or you might only
raise these notes for lines that Ascend
to Tonic what I'll demonstrate here is
to only raise scale degrees six and
seven in the lowest register of the
lowest voice I'll start by sketching out
a new structure this time in c minor
with the intention of of later working
it into a four-part coral work my mvoice
can go into the alto with the pattern of
alternating descending and ascending
segments now I'll add a t- voice above
and below in open position using only
members of the C Minor triad we can make
the base a second mvoice I'll write it a
tenth below my alto mvoice now we're
ready for the extra spice I'm going to
raise scale degrees 6 and seven but only
in my lowest voice we have an underlying
structure with a little more complexity
which is great but when we elaborate
this into a piece of music I want to
show you how to create even more variety
so that measures with the same pitch in
the envoice won't all end up identical
like in the last organ piece I
made I'm going to incorporate a pattern
of rhythmic displacement so that some
notes will stretch out into the
following measure then each voicing of a
measure will depend not just on on the
note of the mvoice in that measure but
also on the material preceding it with
the underlying structure I already have
I'll make a sketch for satb choir
without text and add in rhythmic
displacements of the T voices so that
each note lasts three beats followed by
AR rest my M voices will stick to down
beats to reinforce a 44 meter but I'll
delay the T voices consistently by two
or three beats so that those notes hold
into the following measure blending the
consecutive sonorities into a Cascade of
suspensions there will be a lot more
variety overall and notice how there
will even be a voice overlap when the
base has its big leap up to a flat
because the tenor will still be holding
G from the previous
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measure
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l
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so
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oh
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I'd like to close by showing you how
this material can give you a new
perspective on on existing music have a
look at this example from Box's famous
Cello Suite number one in G major the
cello arpeggiate notes to convey a sense
of three-part Harmony on most days I
would describe this as a simple
progression of tonic predominant
dominant occurring over a repeated bass
note but today after going through this
material maybe it sounds a little
different if we change our mindset from
ostrog German tonality the upper voice B
CB can also sound like of an M voice
away from and back toward a central note
of B in G major I could hear the motion
of d and e as another M voice moving in
parallel six and maybe that little lower
neighbor under C isn't so much a lower
neighbor as motion to a member of the
tonic Triad having M voices a sixth
apart and filling in between with a
member of the tonic Triad is what arvo
does in the piano part toegel
imel I want to make a little homage to
Bach and parrot by taking that opening
measure of Bach's Cello Suite and
continuing it in the style of arvo
perrot I can set some systematic
parameters which could have given rise
to the texture of box opening measures
and then follow through with some of the
textures and processes found in parrot's
spegel IM spegel not everything here
will sound exactly like parrot and I'm
okay with that since this homage will be
more about finding inspiration than
precisely imitating I'll make the upper
line the primary M voice the middle line
can be a t voice in open position below
it and I'll have the lowest voice as a
second mvoice in parallel tense to the
first mvoice just like in my last two
examples in the style of spegel egel
I'll make our M voice articulated in
Long notes on a string instrument but
since this is drawn from box Cello Suite
I'll make the line for cello instead of
violin to evoke spegel IM spegel I'm
going to have the piano left hand
Express the second M voice only on down
beats so that on beat 3 it can play an
additional TVO pattern related to the
mvoice by alternating between twinkling
highs and rumbling lows in arvo par
style I'm specifically setting this up
so that the pattern will push toward the
extremes of a piano's
range if you want to hear this I've done
that in a separate video where the four
melodic modes are each represented by
branches of a fractal-based tree and you
can see the path and symmetry of the mvo
as light moving along those
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branches
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