Year 8 - Revision Elements of Music The most important elements of music are dynamics, tempo, pitch, timbre, duration, texture and structure. These elements help us to create contrast in our music so that it sounds interesting. Dynamics this is how loud or quiet the music is. We have already learnt that loud is represented by the Italian word forte ( f ) and quiet is represented by the Italian word piano ( p ). There are other dynamics too. When something is very loud it is Fortissimo ( ff ). Very quiet things are described as Pianissimo ( pp ). Tempo this means the speed of the music, how fast (Presto) or slow (Lento) it is. Pitch this is how high or low the sound is. For example, a lady has a high-pitched voice, and a man has a low-pitched voice. Timbre (said tam-bre) this is the type of sound. For example, the difference between a cello and a piano, or a voice and a drum. Duration this is the length of a sound and can be long or short. Rhythm this is the beat of the music. It is most obvious when playing a percussion instrument which does not have a tune. This is a very tricky word to spell so remember, R-H-Y-T-H-M rhythm has your two hips moving! Texture this is the number of sounds happening at the same time. A Choir which has everyone singing different parts at once would have a Thick texture, a solo voice would have a Thin texture. Structure this is how the music is organised, how it is laid out. For example, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star has three parts, where the beginning and end are the same:- 1. Twinkle, twinkle, little star How I wonder what you are 2. Up above the world so high Like a diamond in the sky 3. Twinkle, twinkle, little star How I wonder what you are
Stave 5 Lines on which music is written Treble Clef Shows where the high notes are on the stave Bass Clef Shows where the low notes are on the stave
fold Quaver ½ beat Crotchet 1 beat Minim 2 beats Semibreve 4 beats fold
Rhythm Chart Length of sounds Symbol Rest Name Length American Name Semibreve 4 beats Whole note Minim 2 beats Half note Crotchet 1 beat Quarter note Quaver ½ beat Eighth note Semiquaver ¼ beat Sixteenth note Notes written below the middle line have tails going upwards and notes above the middle line of the stave have tails going downwards
When two quavers are together they join flags so becomes ry When a dot is written after a note it increases the value of the note by half of it original value = 1 + ½ = 1½ beats = 2 + 1 = 3 beats
To help us remember the names of the notes we can divide them into Notes on the spaces Treble Clef F A C E Notes on the lines E very G reen B us D rives Fast
Notes in SPACES All Cows Eat Grass Notes on LINES Bears Fear Grizzly Don t Anything
D E F G F G A B Middle C
Music is divided up into BARS using BAR LINES (lines across the STAVE) The number of beats in each BAR is shown by the TIME SIGNATURE A TIME SIGNATURE is two numbers, one over the other 2 The top number shows us the number of beats in each BAR Often this is 2, 3 or 4 beats in a BAR 4 The bottom number shows the type of beat When the bottom number is 8 we are using QUAVER BEATS When the bottom number is 4 we are using CROTCHET BEATS When the bottom number is 2 we are using MINIM BEATS
2 2 Two beats in each BAR Minim beats Means we must have the equivalent of 2 minims in each BAR 3 4 3 Three beats in each BAR Crotchet beats Means we must have the equivalent of 3 crotchets in each BAR 4 8 Four beats in each BAR Quaver beats Means we must have the equivalent of 4 quavers in each BAR
2 4 Top number tells us how many beats in a bar A March has 2 beats in a bar Time Signature The Numbers at the start of a piece of music tells us how many of what kind of beat each bar contains 3 4 Top number tells us how many beats in a bar A Waltz has 3 beats in a bar
In year 7 we perform music on the Glockenspiel It has the same layout of notes as the Keyboard and the Piano C D E F G A B C D E These notes repeat
C D E F G A B C D E Semitone Tone We use the word SEMITONE to describe moving the smallest distance between two notes or one step The distance between the E and the F on the Keyboard is called a SEMITONE We use the word TONE to describe moving two steps (or two SEMITONES) The distance between A and B on the Keyboard is called a TONE This is because there is another black note in between the A and B
The sharps and flats are the names given to the BLACK notes on the Keyboard or the second row of bars on the Glockenspiel Sharps and Flats (second row) Towards the left Lower in pitch Towards the right Higher in pitch Sharps and Flats (black notes) C D E F G A B C D E
We name SHARPS and FLATS using the names of the notes that they are next to. Sharp - raises the pitch of a note by one semitone Flat - lowers the pitch of a note by one semitone Natural - cancels a previous sharp or flat We can see that the black notes on the keyboard are between two white notes. If the black note is Higher than the white we use the Sharp name If the black note is Lower than the white we use the Flat name C# D# F# G# A# C# D# or or or or or or or D E G A B D E C D E F G A B C D E So we can see that all black notes have two names!
When writing music on the stave we put the sharp or flat in front of the note we want to change
There are four sections in an Orchestra Percussion = Red Brass = Yellow Woodwind = Green Strings = Blue
Violin Highest in Pitch Number of strings = 4 Arco= Bowed Pizzicato= Plucked Viola Timbre Woody/Mellow Number of strings = 4 Arco= Bowed Pizzicato= Plucked Violoncello or cello Player is sitting Number of strings = 4 Arco= Bowed Pizzicato= Plucked Double Bass Played upright Number of strings = 4 Arco= Bowed Pizzicato= Plucked The String Section Piccolo Name means small in Italian Transverse = played sideways Highest in pitch Flute Usually made from Silver Transverse = played sideways Oboe Double Reed Larger version called a Cor Anglais Clarinet Single Reed Made from wood Bassoon Double Reed Lowest in pitch The Woodwind Section
Trombone Has NO valves but uses a slide to change pitch Change sound using mute Tuba Lowest and Largest instrument Has 3 valves The Brass Section Trumpet Uses lip buzzing to make sound Has 3 valves Highest in pitch French Horn Has 3 valves Change sound using hand or mute Percussion Section Percussion describes sound made when we hit something There are TWO types We call them TUNED and UNTUNED We can play a melody on TUNED percussion an example is a Xylophone and a Glockenspiel Snare Drum Often part of a Drum Kit UNTUNED Timpani or Kettle Drum TUNED
What is the title of the piece? Canon in D Who composed it? Pachelbel When (in which century) was it written? Seventeenth (Baroque) What is a repeated pattern called in music? An Ostinato What is a repeated bass line called in music? A Ground Bass
Baroque Dates 1600 to 1750 Term borrowed form Architecture meaning highly Music decorated Developed Major and Minor keys and harmonic theory. Used lots of musical ornaments for example; Trill = rapid alternation of two notes Italy is still the centre of culture in Europe and is the reason why we use Italian words in music today Legato = smoothly p = piano or quiet Staccato= detached f = forte or loud Instruments Antonio Stradivari the most important maker of Stradivarius violins Composers wrote for specific groups of instruments with the birth of the Orchestra The most important development in the keyboard is the Harpsichord Styles Beginning of; Opera Story told through songs (arias) or spoken over music (recitative) Ballet Story told through dance and music Composers Dance suite Minuet, Gigue, Sarabande, Gavotte Vivaldi Handel Purcell Bach Concerto Solo instrument with an orchestra backing
Indian Classical Music KEY WORDS Drone A Long Continuous Sound RAGA A Scale, A Melody and a Compete Piece of Music Tala Rhythm
Indian Instruments SITAR 7 Main strings Provides Melody (Raga) TABLA Provides RHYTHM (TALA) TAMBOURA Has 4 strings Provides the Drone Alap - Slow, non rhythmic introduction of the notes of a RAGA
Balafon (Xylophone) Djembe African Instruments Talking Drum Kalimbas or thumb piano Shekere Gankogui (gon-koe-gui) or Agogo bell