Elements of Music

Rhythm – the time element of music. A specific rhythm is a specific pattern in time; we usually hear
these in relation to a steady pulse, and mentally organize this pulse or tempo into meter (sometimes
called a "time signature"). Meter organizes beats into groups, usually of two or three; beats can be
divided into small units usually 2, 3 or 4 subdivisions

Dynamics – loud or soft. A composition that has extremely soft passages as well as extremely loud
passages is said to have a large or wide dynamic range. Dynamics can change suddenly or gradually
(crescendo, getting louder, or decrescendo, getting softer).

Tempo - how fast the music is. Often described with Italian words such as adagio – slow, moderato –
medium, allegro – fast, presto – very fast. In contemporary music it is usually described with beats per
minute. Don’t get confused with the time signature – this has nothing to do with tempo, rather the
songs rhythmic divisions.

Harmony - when more than one note pitch is played at the same time. This is in contrast to a melody
which has only one note playing at one time. A voice, flute, saxophone or trumpet for example cannot
play harmony by itself unless there are at least two of them playing different notes together. A guitar,
and piano can play chords, so can harmonize by itself.

Texture – monophonic (one voice or line),

polyphonic (many voices, usually similar, as in Renaissance or Baroque counterpoint),

homophonic (1. a melody with simple accompaniment; 2. chords moving in the same rhythm
(homorhythmic))

heterophony – “mixed” or multiple similar versions of a melody performed simultaneously (rare in

European music; possibly used in Ancient Greece)

Timbre – sound quality or tone color; timbre is the characteristic that allows us to distinguish between
one instrument and another, and the difference between vowel sounds (for example, long "a" or "ee").
Terms we might use to describe timbre: bright, dark, brassy, reedy, harsh, noisy, thin, buzzy, pure,
raspy, shrill, mellow, strained. I prefer to avoid describing timbre in emotional terms (excited, angry,
happy, sad, etc.); that is not the sound quality, it is its effect or interpretation. Rather than describe the
timbre of an instrument in other terms, it is often more clear just to describe the timbre by naming the
instrument, once we have learned the names and sounds of a few instruments.

Melody - or musical line, is a combination of pitch and rhythm (some say "duration"). Sometimes a
melody is considered to be the theme of a composition. We might characterize melody by its contour
(rising or falling) and the size of the intervals in it. A melody that uses mostly small intervals (or scale
steps) and is smooth is said to be a conjunct melody. Not surprisingly, a melody that uses large
intervals is called a disjunct melody. A motif (or motive) is either a very short melody or a distinctive
part of a longer melody. I might describe the opening four notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony as a
"motific cell."

Form - in music is the organization of musical elements in time. In a musical composition, pitch, tone
color, dynamics, rhythm, melody, and texture interact to produce a sense of shape and structure.
Techniques That Create Musical Form
Repetition, contrast, and variation are essential techniques in short tunes as well as in compositions
lasting much longer. Repetition creates a sense of unity; contrast provides variety; and variation, in
keeping some elements of a musical thought while changing others, gives a work unity and variety at
the same time.

Repetition: In music the repetition of melodies or extended sections is a technique widely used for
binding a composition together. Through repetition, a melody is engraved in the memory.

Contrast: Forward motion, conflict, and change of mood all come from contrast. Oppositionof loud and
soft, strings and woodwinds, fast and slow, major and minorpropels and develops musical ideas. A
composer can emphasize the power and excitement of one musical idea by contrasting it with another
idea that is calm and lyrical

Variation:In the variation of a musical idea, some of its features will be retained while others are
changed. For example, the melody might be restated with a different accompaniment. Or the pitches of
a melody might stay the same while its rhythmic pattern is changed. A whole composition can be
created from a series of variations on a single musical idea.

Types of Musical Form

Three-Part (Ternary) Form: A B A. During the last few centuries three-part form (A B A) has probably
been used most frequently. This form can be represented as statement (A), contrast or departure (B),
return (A).

Two-Part (Binary) Form: A B. A composition subdivided into two large sections is in two-part form (A
B). Two-part form gives a sense of statement (A) and counterstatement (B).

The Instruments of the Orchestra:

We can divide the instruments of the orchestra in four families:(This classification is made by the way
the sound is produced)

The String Family: The Brass family: -Xylophone

-Violin -Trumpet and cornet -Celesta

-Viola -French Horn and -Chimes

baritone Horn
-Cello Indefinite Pitch:
-Trombone
-Double bass -Snare Drum
-Tuba
The Woodwind Family: -Bass Drum
The Percussion Family:
-Flute and Piccolo -Tambourine
Definite Pitch:
-Clarinet and Bass Clarinet -Triangle
-Timpani (Kettledrums)
-Oboe and English Horn -Cymbals
-Glockenspiel
-Basson and Contrabassoon -Gong (tam-tam)
The 7 Elements of Art

Line - A path created by a moving point, mark or object. It is a dot that takes a walk. Line can
be straight, swirly, wavy, jagged, dotted, dashed, broken, thick, thin, zig zag, diagonal,
vertical, horizontal, curved, bold, parallel or perpendicular.

Shape - A two-dimensional (2D), flat enclosed area. When a line crosses over itself it creates a
shape. Examples of shapes could be geometric, organic/natural, irregular, circle, square,
rectangle, diamond, oval, crescent, heart, triangle, octagon.

Color - The element of art derived from reflected or absorbed light. Color adds interest and
mood to a work of art. It is also referred to as "Hue". The primary colors are red, yellow and
blue. The secondary colors are created by mixing the primary colors. They are purple (violet),
orange and green.

Value - The lightness or darkness of an object. The degree of lightness or darkness. The effect
of light and shade in a picture. Value vocabulary includes tint (adding white to make
something lighter), shade (adding black to make something darker) and hue (the true color).
Shadow, highlight, and light source are also some vocabulary words to consider with this
element of art.

Texture - How something feels or looks like it would feel if you could touch it. There are two
kinds of texture: Real (how something actually feels, such as a sculpture) and Implied (when
an artist paints or draws a texture but it is artificial).

Form - Objects having three dimensions (3D), or height, width, and depth. You can walk
around a form. Examples of form can include cubes, cylinders, and spheres.