When approached with a unity / variety question...

Composers aim to achieve an effective balance between unity and variety.

UNITY

UNITY is achieved in a piece of music by repetition of ideas.

• Rhythm

• ostinati; regular use of rhythmic motifs

• Tempo

• consistent speed maintained

• Metre

• consistent pulse and unchanging time signature

• Melody

• repeated melodic motifs

• regular contour

• stays in the same register

• consistent use of steps or leaps

• regular phrasing

• Harmony

• emphasis on particular interval

• generally consonant or dissonant

• use of pedal tone or drone

• consistent use of chord type and sonority

• regular rate of harmonic change

• repetition of progression

• regular use of cadences

• Tonality

• constant tonal centre

• consistently atonal

• return to opening key

• Tone colour

• same instrumental or vocal grouping maintained

• same instrument associated with melody or bass or accompaniment

• Expressive techniques

• consistent dynamic level

• established pattern of repeated dynamics

• consistent approach to articulation or ornamentation

• Texture

• consistent pattern of melody and accompaniment, or if melody and counter melodies.

VARIETY

VARIETY is achieved in a piece of music by contrasting ideas.

• Rhythm

• change of note patterns

• syncopation

• variation of motifs

• Tempo

• accel. or ritard.

• use of rubato

• sudden change of speed

• Meter

• irregular time signature

• additive meter

• polymeter

• Melody

• variable contour or range

• contrast of steps and leaps

• development of motifs

• irregular phrasing

• Harmony

• change between consonant and dissonant

• variable chord types

• contrast in harmonic rhythm

• new progressions

• Tonality

• modulation

• change from diatonic to atonal

• Tone colour

• contrast in instrumental or vocal groupings

• melody dovetailed between different instruments

• use of acoustic and electronic sound sources

• extremes of registers used

• Expressive techniques

• cresc. and descres. sudden f or p (terraced)

• accents and sf, fp

• contrast between legato and staccato

• different ornaments used

• Texture

• change from homophonic to polyphonic

• contrast between density and clarity

• changing number of layers of sound

• Structure

• contrasting sections, episodes