MATERIALS AND

ELEMENTS OF
MUSIC
CHARACTERISTICS

OF SOUND
SOURCES OF MUSICAL SOUND
MEDIUMS OF MUSIC
ELEMENTS OF MUSIC
TEXTURE IN MUSIC

WHAT IS SOUND?
Vibrations

that travel through the

air or another medium and can
be heard when they reach a
person's or animal's ear.
Objects that vibrate when energy
is applied to them set the
surrounding air in motion
Three conditions necessary for
sound: (1)SOURCE (2)MEDIUM
OF TRANSMISSION

CHARACTERISTICS OF SOUND
PITCH
LOUDNESS
TONE

COLOR
DURATION
ATTACK AND DECAY
NOTATION

PITCH
Pitch

is directly related to the

vibrating frequency of the
sound source
the quality of a sound
governed by the rate of
vibrations producing it; the
degree of highness or
lowness of a tone.
Standard US pitch A=440

LOUDNESS
The

perception of
loudness is the
subjective reaction to
intensity
loudnessis a
subjective term
describing the strength
of the ear's perception

LOUDNESS
The

intensity or energy of
a sound is related to the
area and the amount of
displacement in the
vibrating body producing it
The perceived sound, is
also affected by the
medium of transmission
and the distance from the

LOUDNESS
DECIBEL

a unit of sound
representing the smallest
change the ear can
discern; a unit used to
measure the intensity of a
sound

TONE COLOR
Also

known as TIMBRE
(French term), and TONE
QUALITY
Is the tonal characteristic
which enables one to
distinguish the sounds of
various instruments
Overtones - a musical tone
which is a part of the harmonic

DESCRIBING TONE COLOR

Describing the quality of a
sound can be challenging.
We may be able to easily
distinguish between the
sound of a tuba and that of
a flute, but what adjectives
can adequately capture
the essence of each
instrument's sound? In

DESCRIBING TONE COLOR

a good rule of thumb is to
start by using the same
adjectives that can
describe colors. For
example, a violin might be
described as sounding
'bright' or 'brilliant,' while
a cello may sound
'mellow,' 'warm,' or

DESCRIBING TONE COLOR

other adjectives may
relate to the raw materials
of the instrument. An oboe
sounds 'reedy,' while
trumpets have a 'brassy'
quality. Words that should
be avoided include any
emotions, such as 'sad,'
'angry,' 'cheerful,' and the

DESCRIBING TONE COLOR

Any instrument can play a
cheerful melody or a sad
lament, but it is usually
the tune itself
thatproduces that
emotional effect, not the
raw sound of the
instrument.

DURATION
Sounds

may be long or
short, lasting from a small
fraction of a second to
many seconds
Wind instruments and
voices can sustain tones
only for the duration of
one breath; string
instruments for the length

ATTACK AND DECAY

Are

the terms for initial and

terminal phases of a tone
Each sound source has
characteristic attack and decay
patterns which contribute to its
identity
Phrasing and articulation how
the tones in the melody are
attacked and released, joined
and separated in a manner
deemed appropriate by the

NOTATION
Serves

as a means of
communication between
composes and performers and
as a method of preserving the
music of previous generations
Dynamics the notation of
loudness; a set of signs, really
abbreviations of Italian terms,
indicate relative degrees of
loudness from very soft to very
loud, or in extreme cases from

NOTATION

NOTATION

SOURCES OF MUSICAL
SOUND
CHAPTER 3
VOICES
INSTRUMENTS

PLAYED BY BOWING
INSTRUMENTS PLAYED BY BLOWING
INSTRUMENTS PLAYED BY STRIKING
INSTRUMENTS PLAYED BY PLUCKING
KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS
ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENTS

SOURCES OF MUSICAL SOUND

The

first source of musical sound

was the human body. It
possessed an ideal sound source
in the vocal cords, and the body
could also produce sounds by
stamping, clapping, and slapping.
The sounds of music are
produced by the voice, by
bowing, blowing, striking, and
plucking an assortment of
instruments, and by electronic

VOICES
Voices

in jazz, folk and

popular music are generally
classified only as male or
female.
The range of mature male
voices typical is about an
octave lower than that of
female voices.

VOICES
Voice

classifications in concert music

reflect not only sex, but range and to
some extent quality.
From high to low, the basic
classifications are: SOPRANO, ALTO,
TENOR, BASS
The terms Soprano, alto, tenor, bass are
applied not only to voices and singers
but to the parts they sing in ensembles
and to corresponding parts in
instrumental music

VOICES
Voice

types:

Soprano
Mezzo soprano
Alto
Contralto
Tenor
Baritone
Bass

VOICES
Soprano

voices in
concert and operatic
music are subdivided
into coloratura, lyric,
dramatic, and mezzo

Coloratura Soprano:
Coloratura sopranos have
unusually high voices and
specialize in performing music
colored by ornamentation, run,
and rapid passages requiring
great agility. In operas the
heroines role often calls for a
coloratura
soprano
Bell Song from
Lakme Leo
Delibes >>

Lyric Sopranos
Lyric

sopranos concentrate on
beauty of sound rather than
extreme range or power. Their
literature demands a light vocal
quality and a melodious, flowing
style
A lyric soprano voice is ideal for
many art songs and for leading
parts in light operas and musicals,
and also grand operas
Micaelas Aria Carmen (Opera) by
Bizet >>

Lyric/Coloratura Sopranos
Some

voices possess both

the agility of a coloratura
soprano and the quality of a
lyric soprano

Anton Webern: Three Songs, op.

18 >>

Dramatic Soprano
Is

the designation for

sopranos with powerful voices
and a flair for acting. Operatic
roles portraying intense
emotions are assigned to
dramatic sopranos

Giacomo Puccini: Tosca (Opera) Vissi

darte >>
Henry Purcell: Didos
Lament >>

Mezzo Soprano
Mezzo-soprano

voices lack both the brilliance of

the higher soprano voices and the richness of
the lower alto voice
Supreme vocal quality and musicianship are
essential for mezzo-sopranos who make a career
of singing
Mezzo-soprano quality is particularly appropriate
for romantic art songs like those in Schumanns
Frauenliebe und Leben (Womans Love and Life)

Bizet: Carmen (Opera) Act I: Habanera

>>
Robert Schumann: Du ring an meinem
finger >>

Alto and Contralto

Used

interchangeably in referring
to voices, though contralto
sometimes seems to carry the
connotation of an exceptionally
deep alto voice.
Rich, resonant, dark, and
throaty voice quality
G. F. Handel: Messiah
(Oratorio)
O thou that tellest

Tenor Voice
Classified

type:
Robusto
Dramatic
Heroic
Lyric

according to

Tenor Voice
Tenor

Robusto is the type

with tremendous power in the
upper register featured in
Italian opera. A type of voice
to which most young tenors
aspire
Giuseppe Verdi: Rigoletto (Opera)
La donna e mobile

Tenor Voice
Dramatic

and Heroic tenors have much in

common with robust tenors, but the terms are
associated with German opera.
These tenors often begin their careers as high
baritones and through training and practice
add to their natural range the high tones
necessary to sing tenor roles.
Lyric Tenors are the counterpart of lyric
sopranos

Felix Mendelssohn: Elijah

(Oratorio)
If with all your hearts

Baritones
Are

in competition with the most

prevalent voice type of their sex.
They compensate with solid production
and skilful interpretation.
They often excel in singing art songs just
like mezzo-sopranos
Ruggiero Leoncavallo: Pagliacci
(Opera)
Prologue
Franz Schubert: Who is Sylvia
(1826)

Bass
Is

the general term for all low male voices

A bass singer especially proud of his low
notes may advertise himself as a basso
profondo
One who claims a range encompassing
that of bass and baritone combines may
adopt the title of bass-baritone
A bass specializing in a lyric style with be
known as basso cantante
A bass associated with comic roles will be
known as basso buffo

Bass

Is the general term for all low male voices

A bass singer especially proud of his low notes may

advertise himself as a basso profondo

One who claims a range encompassing that of bass and

baritone combines may adopt the title of bass-baritone

A bass specializing in a lyric style with be known as

basso cantante

A bass associated with comic roles will be known as

basso buffo

W. A Mozart: The Magic Flute (Opera),

1791
Act II: Within these hallowed portals
W.A. Mozart: Don Giovanni
Act I: Madamina, Il Catalogo (Catalog
Aria)

INSTRUMENTS PLAYED BY BOWING

VIOLIN

VIOLA

CELLO

DOUBLE BASS

STRING INSTRUMENTS

WOODWIND
INSTRUMENTS

BRASS INSTRUMENTS

PERCUSSION
INSTRUMENTS

PERCUSSION
INSTRUMENTS

KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS

PIANO

PIPE ORGAN

CELESTA

DOUBLE HARPSICHORD