The Elements of Music 1) Melody 2) Rhythm 3) Harmony 4) Texture 5) Form 6) Tempo and Dynamics

The Elements of Music

1) Melody

2) Rhythm

3) Harmony

4) Texture

5) Form

6) Tempo and Dynamics

1) Melody: Musical Line

• The Nature of Melody– Melody is a succession of single tones

perceived by the mind as a unity

– Most memorable part of a song

– Range: lowest to highest notes

– Shape: upward/downward movement

1) Structure of Melody

• Melodic structure is analyzed much like a sentence• phrase - unit of meaning within a larger

structure

• Combination of phrases make up most music; like sentences in a paragraph

2) Rhythm: Musical Time

• Rhythm refers how long or short notes are.– The quality which causes people to

move in response

– Meter- groupings of notes/beats• Beat - the basic unit of length• Measure – how many beats are grouped

together

3) Harmony: Musical Space

• Harmony is two or more notes occurring simultaneously

• Melody is horizontal aspect and harmony is vertical aspect– Chord - combination of two or more tones that

constitute a single block of harmony– Harmony implies movement and progression of

chords in music

3) Tonality: Character of Harmony

• Tonality - the principle of organization around a central tone, called tonic– Major - has brighter sound; used for

triumphal marches and grand finales, etc.– Minor - has darker sound; used for

dirges, laments, etc.

4) Musical Texture• Types of Texture

– Monophonic - single-voice texture

– Polyphonic - combination of two or more melodic lines

– The instruments/voices present is also a part of texture.• Thin: few voices• Thick: many voices

5) Musical Form

• What is Form?– That quality in a work which presents to

the mind of the listener an impression of conscious choice and arrangement

– relationship of the parts to the whole

– Binary Form - two part or A-B form;

– Ternary Form - three part or A-B-A form

– Can you recall the form of a typical pop song?

5) Form: Pop Song

• Verse

• Chorus

• Verse

• Chorus

• Bridge

• Chorus

5) Components of Form

• Theme - most basic element of form which provides unity and from which the idea develops– Repetition - fixes material in the mind; familiarity

– Contrast - sustains interest by introducing change

– Variation - falls between repetition and contrast where aspects are altered but recognizable

6) Tempo and Dynamics

• Tempo – how fast or slow– Adagio……………… Slow– Moderato…………… Moderate– Vivace……………… Lively

• Dynamics – how loud or soft– piano (p)……………....Soft– mezzo piano (mp)……Medium soft– mezzo forte (mf)………Medium loud – forte (f)........................Loud

6) Tempo and Dynamics

• Markings for tempo and dynamics contribute to the expressive content of music– Ex. Slow= ballad, Fast= exciting, Soft=

gentle, Loud= powerful