The Elements of Music A. Gabriele
Rhythm Melody Harmony Texture Timbre Dynamics Form The 7 Elements
Rhythm Rhythm represents the element of time in music. When you tap your foot, you are moving to the pulse of the music and keeping the beat.
There are several important aspects of rhythm in music:
DURATION how long a sound lasts represented in music as elliptical note heads may include stems, flags, and bars
DURATION Music also includes periods of silence called rests Notes have corresponding rests:
TEMPO the speed of the beat
Tempo can be indicated by designated terms (usual Italian words and phrases) or by beats per minute (BPM) indications
TEMPO INDICATIONS Largo very slow large 40-65 BPM Adagio slow at ease 60-75 BPM Andante steady walking 76-107 BPM Moderato moderate 108-119 BPM Allegro fast happy 120-167 BPM Presto very fast 168-208 BPM
Meter the way beats are organized into recognizable and recurring patterns
Diagram of a Musical Measure Conductor's Pattern STRONG weak DUPLE meter 2 a 2-pulse grouping 4 1 2 1 2 TRIPLE meter a 3-pulse grouping STRONG weak weak 3 4 1 2 3 1 3 2 QUADRUPLE meter a 4-pulse grouping STRONG weak Medium weak 4 4 1 2 3 4 2 3 1 4 basic terms relating to Rhythm are:
MELODY
Melody Melody is the horizontal aspect of pitch. It is pitches moving through time. Pitch is the word used to describe the high or lowness of a sound. It often is hummable and can be the part of the music that sticks in your head. A melody that is the basis for a larger musical work is called a theme.
A melody is a succession of pitches moving through time.
Melodies are often derived from scales...
...to create memorable tunes
HARMONY
HARMONY Harmony is the vertical aspect of music. It is the effect created when pitches are stacked on top of one another and sounded at the same time. A chord is a harmony when three are more pitches are sounded at the same time. A chord progression is a group of chords played in succession. & & E C A F F D B G E a 3-note "CHORD" A "CHORD PROGRESSION" of 4 chords
Harmonies can either be classified as consonant or dissonant Consonant harmonies sound wide open and smooth Dissonant harmonies sound crunched and may be described as harsh sounding. Dissonant harmonies create musical tension which is released by resolving to consonant harmonies. Consonance and dissonance are subjective terms dependent on the listener.
TEXTURE
Texture Texture refers to the number of distinct musical lines (melodies) and how they relate to one another There are three main types of musical texture: monophonic, homophonic, and polyphonic.
Monophonic texture is music with only one note sounding at a time (there is no harmony) phonic texture:
Homophonic texture in music involves two or more notes happening at the same time. The most common way this happens is called melody and accompaniment. (MELODY) (Chordal Accompaniment)
Polyphonic texture in music involves two or more independent melodies sound at the same time. MELODY 1 MELODY 2 MELODY 3
TIMBRE
TIMBRE Also known as tone color, timbre is the characteristic sound that an instrument or voice makes. Many factors create an instruments timbre including method of playing (struck, blown into, or bowed), material used, and overtones being sounded. Composers use timbre like a painter uses color.
TIMBRE Voices (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) Strings (violin, viola, cello, double bass, harp) Woodwinds (flute, piccolo, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon) Brass (trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba) Percussion (timpani, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals) Keyboards (organ, piano, harpsichord, xylophone, marimba, vibraphone)
BENJAMIN BRITTEN S YOUNG PERSON S GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA
Theme (8-measure theme in D minor presented six times to demonstrate the full orchestra and its four main families): 1. Full Orchestra 2. Woodwinds 3. Brass 4. Strings 5. Percussion 6. Full Orchestra
13 Variations (each demonstrating a different instrument or combination of instruments): Featured Instrument(s) Woodwinds: Variation 1: Flutes and piccolo Variation 2: Oboes Variation 3: Clarinets Variation 4: Bassoons Strings: Variation 5: Violins Variation 6: Violas Variation 7: Cellos Variation 8: Double basses Variation 9: Harp Brass: Variation 10: French horns Variation 11: Trumpets Variation 12: Trombones, tuba Percussion: Variation 13: various combinations Timpani, bass drum & cymbals Timpani, tambourine & triangle Timpani, snare drum & wood block Timpani, castanets & gong Timpani, whip and entire percussion Accompanied by Violins, harp & triangle Strings & timpani Strings & tuba Strings & snare drum Brass & bass drum Woodwinds & brass Clarinets, viola& harp Woodwinds & tambourine Strings, gong & cymbal Strings, harp & timpani Strings & snare drum Woodwinds and high brass
Dynamics Dynamics refers to the volume of music. Composers use dynamics to change the overall volume and to bring out or subdue certain parts. Soft is piano and loud is forte. When you add the -issimo suffix, it increases the intensity of the dynamic When you add the mezzo- prefix, in decreases the intensity.
pianissimo pp very soft piano p soft mezzo-piano mp medium soft mezzo-forte mf medium loud forte f loud fortissimo ff very loud < Quiet LOUD > (ppp) pp p mp mf f ff (fff)
Crescendo means to gradually get louder. Diminuendo or decrescendo means to gradually get softer. or "leaning into" a note harder to temporarily e crescendo decrescendo (diminuendo)
FORM Musical form is the overall architecture of a piece of music. It describes the layout of a piece of a composition as it is divided into sections. When describing form, letters (i.e. A, B, C...) are used to designate the sections. Each section has new melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic material distinguishing itself from the other sections.
There are many different types of musical form. We could spend hours. Here are some of the basics...
BINARY FORM Binary form is all about contrast. AB or AABB Brahms Lullaby
TERNARY FORM Ternary form is all about returning to the original idea after a contrasting section ABA Its all about symmetry and balance. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
THROUGH-COMPOSED FORM Through-composed music is where no section repeats after it is done. ABCDE... or AABBCCDDEE... A good example of this is Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen