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