Unit 10. Tones and Scales The pitch and sentence stress components of intonation can be represented graphically
either on the so-called staves or in the line of text itself.
The staves are two horizontal (parallel) lines which represent the approximate upper and
lower limits of the pitch range of the voice in speech.
Speech melody together with sentence-stress is indicated on the staves with the help of
dashes, curves and dots placed on different levels:
A dash ( — ) represents a stressed syllable pronounced with level pitch.
A downward curve (
) represents a stressed syllable pronounced with a fall in pitch
within that syllable.
An upward curve (
) represents a stressed syllable pronounced with a rise in pitch
within that syllable.
A dot (
) represents an unstressed syllable.
Two parallel lines (staves) (
) represent the upper and the lower limits of human
voice or the range of the voice.
The temporal component of intonation can be indicated graphically only as far as pauses
are concerned.
Two vertical bars ( ) denote a long pause, which usually occurs at the end of a sentence.
A single vertical bar ( ) denotes a short pause inside a sentence.
Tones All
the English terminal tones can be classified under two types: tones of unchanging
pitch, known as
level tones and tones of changing pitch, known as
moving tones. There are two main forms of pitch change: a
fall and a
rise. 1. The Low Fall The voice starts at a medium pitch level or a little below it and falls to a low pitch level.
The Low Fall is categoric in character and expresses finality. It sounds cool, categoric,
calm.
