THE ELEMENTS AND

ORGANIZATION OF MUSIC

MUSICAL NOTATION Notation is a system of signs by means of

which music is written down. Serves mainly to indicate two properties of

tone which ate pitch and duration.

Notation of pitch

CLEF is a letter sign placed on the staff in order

to indicate the pitch of the notes. The clef signs used in musical notations

are the G clef, C clef, and F clef. For ordinary purposes the notes are

arranged on two staffs. The C at the beginning is located between the two staffs.

F or Bass Clef

G or Treble clef

NOTATION DURATION One has to know not only where a

note is but also how long a time it is held.

Duration of silence between notes is indicated by rest.

Every kind of note has a corresponding kind of rest to indicate that nothing shall be sounded.

TRIPLET GROUPS Sometimes note values are divided by

three’s of two’s. Indicated by the sign 3.

METER Is a series of regular pulses, as in the

ticking of a clock. If we are to think of them as being grouped

in two’s, three’s, or fours, we are in this way measuring the pulses.

This indicated the time signatures which show the number of beats to a measure.

Measures are indicated by means of vertical lines or bars down through the staff

The time signature of a composition appears on the staff or staffs at the beginning of the score.

It consists of two numbers:The upper number indicates the

number of beats to a measure.The lower number indicates the

kind of note that will receive one beat.

ACCENT MARK Above a note gives extra stress to the note

it accompanies. It means play the note louder.

CRESCENDO MARK Indicates a gradual increase in loudness. Also called Diminuendo mark, gradually

decreases the loudness.

FERMATA Means the holding of a note or chord

longer than its normal value.

LEGATO A curved line above or below or more

notes. Connected, no silence between

notes.

KEY SIGNATURE The group of flats or sharps appearing at

the beginning of a piece. Each sharp or flat, appearing on the line of

the staff, means that the tone is to be raised or lowered by a half tone throughout the entire composition unless it is temporarily cancelled for duration of the measure by the use of a natural sign appearing immediately before a note.

Every key signature may indicate either a major or a minor key.

A chart of key signatures and the keys, major or minor, can be seen in the appendix.

SOUND Music is an art whose basic material is

sound. Musical sounds have no meanings beyond

themselves and therefore may be said to deal with pure sound.

The performers who make it possible for the listener to hear or understand the composition.

TONE It is a sound produced by regular vibrations of air.

COMPONENTS OF TONE Pitch Refer s to the highness or lowness of tonal

sounds.Duration Is determined by the length of time

the vibration is sustained.

Intensity of volume Tone may vary in their degree of

loudness and softness. The fundamental to musical rhythm

and it provides the basis for a separate musical element.

Timbre Enables one to distinguish one

sound from another, one instrument from another

THE

ORGANIZATION OF THE ELEMENTS

THE ORGANIZATION OF PITCH In western music, pitch spectrum is

limited to a total 12 different pitches.Scale Is a series of consecutive tonesTonality Element for a music into which one should

have a clear insight for a better understanding of it.

THE ORGANIZATION OF DURATION Rhythm Considered the most basic element.Meter It is a way of measuring durations on

fixed regular pattern, so that the listener becomes aware of a basic pulse or beat.

Tempo Italian word which means time. Speed

Allegro – fastVivace - livelyModerato- moderateAndante- moderate slowAdagio- slower than andanteLento – slowLargo- very slow

Melody Make the most direct appeal. Consists of a series of pitches and

durations.

FOUR CHARACTERISTICS OR PROPERTIESDimension Length and range. Many melodies are neither extremely short nor

usually long. The length of the melody is relative to the

number of measure which composes it. The range of the melody is the pitch distance

from its lowest to its highest tone. Register The relative highness or lowness of the

aggregate tones of a melody.

Direction Upwards and downwards. Melody may moves rapidly or

gradually, ascending or descending.Progression Refers to the intervals between the tones

as a melody moves from one tone to the next.

FUNCTION OF MELODY Melody is the element of music that arouses interest. It is what listener can easily identify. It is the musical idea around which a composition is

constructed. This melodic idea or basic tune of the composition is called

theme. The theme is of paramount importance to composition, and

it provides one of the most important approaches to intelligent listening.

The ability to recognize one or more themes, when the recur in a composition, is clear indication that you are moving toward full appreciation.

HARMONY Simultaneous sounding of two or more

tones. Chord - is two or more notes or tones sounded at

the same time and conceived as entity.

Triad- the most common chord in our music is a certain combination of three tones.

CHORD PROGRESSION- Chords not only are constructed

in a variety ways, but also progress from one to another according to many different plans.

- The scheme by which chords change.

CONSONANCE AND DISSONANCE

Consonance – certain combinations of tones produce a quality of repose or relaxation.Dissonance – certain other combinations of tones produce a quality of unrest or tension.

Polytonality- Music which two or more keys are

combines simultaneously in a single composition,.

- Is used to bring out the different levels or planes of the harmony.

Multitonality- Displaced tonality. Atonal -It is music that rejects the framework of key.

DYNAMICS The volume or loudness of the music

This may refer to contrast among sections of a piece, the mix within a piece, or the overall presentation

Forte- loud Piano- soft Fortissimo- very loud Pianissimo- very soft Mezzo forte- moderately loud Mezzo piano- moderately soft

To the direction of dynamics: Crescendo- becoming louder Diminuendo- becoming soft Sudden stress-

sforzando(accent on a single note or chord).

The number of terms embraces both tempo and dynamics: Andante- fairly slow and majestic- Implies a stately pace and full sonority Morendo- dying away indicates that the

music is to become slower and softer. Scherzando- playful- Requires a light tone and brisk movement. Conbrio- (with vigor) suggests an energetic

pace and vibrant sonority.

Tempo- Refers to the rate of speed, the

pace of the music.- It determines the speed of the

beats in the measure, their duration in actual time.

Most frequently encountered are the following: Very slow: Largo (broad) Grave (solemn) Slow:LentoAdagio (gently, leisurely, slowly) Moderate: Andante (going at a walking pace) Andantino (a little andante, somewhat faster than andante)Moderato (moderate speed) Fairly fast: Allegretto (a little lively- not as fast as allegro)Fast: Allegro (happy, cheerful, lively)Very fast: Allegro multo (very lively)Vivace (vivacious, lively)Presto (very quick)Prestissimo (as quick as possible)

Accelerando- gradual increase of speed.

Ritardando- gradual decrease.

TIMBRETimbre: The characteristics of the sound itself

We often use terms from the visual arts to describe musical timbre

Timbres often hold strong associations in our minds

The sound of solo or section instruments is also an aspect of timbre

Certain composers were so good at creating and combining tone colors, we say their “instrument” was the orchestra

TEXTURE Refers to the melodic and harmonic

relationship of musical factors.

The consistency of musical sounds

TYPES OF TEXTURE Monophonic texture means only one

line of music sounding alone

Homophonic means one line leads and the others support it

Multiple independent lines happening together is called polyphonic texture

Nonmelodic texture

Is created for special effects in which harmonic sounds obscure or partly exclude the melodic content of a composition.

Occurs in contemporary and modern music.

Sonority

Is an attribute of texture which is based more on harmonic than melodic consideration.Refer to the quality of richness or thinness of texture.

Determined by:Number of parts

Refers to the number of voices involved.Spacing of tones

Refers to the musical intervals between parts,.Register tones

Refers to whether the tones are high, medium, or slowTimbre

Refers to the tone quality or qualities of the mediums which will play the music.

Thank you!!!!

Jalyn C. Refugio BSE2 MATH