Elements of Music

1
Elements of Music

• Intro to Intro to Music

2
6 Major Elements of Music

• Texture
• Melody
• Rhythm
• Dynamics/Timbre
• Harmony
• Form

3
Texture

• Musical texture refers to both the horizontal
  and vertical relationships of musical materials
  and is defined by melody.
• Monophony Musical texture with a single melodic
  line.
• Polyphony Musical texture composed of two or more
  melodies.
• Homophony Musical texture composed of a melody
  supported by chords.

4
Melody

• Notes in a melody occur one after another in a
  line of music. A melody represents a single
  musical voice no matter how many musicians
  perform it.

It can be sung or played on an instrument.
(Click on the picture above.)
5
Monophony

• A melody performed alone is the simplest pattern
  of musical texture called "monophonic texture."
  Whenever a single melodic voice is present alone,
  the texture is monophonic. It doesnt matter if a
  melody is performed by one or many musicians as
  long as the same notes are performed by everyone.

6
Monophony

• Monophony may be produced by a single instrument-
  -
• Or by one singer--
• Or a group of singers singing the same melody--

Sanctus
7
Harmony

• When two or more different notes are sung or
  played at the same time we say there is harmony.
• Harmony may be created in a number of ways, but
  what they all have in common is that different
  pitches occur simultaneously or in rapid
  succession.

8
Harmony

• Here is an example of accompanimentfirst as
  block chords (played simultaneously) and then
  as an arpeggio (played one after the other).

9
Polyphony

• Another way to produce harmony is to perform two
  or more different melodies at the same time in
  different musical voices or the same melody
  performed 3 or 4 times but starting at different
  times. This type of harmony is called "polyphonic
  texture.

10
Polyphony

• A very simple example of polyphonic texture is a
  "round" or "canon. These are melodies performed
  by more than one musical voice, but each starting
  at different times. An example of a familiar
  round is "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."

11
Chordal Harmony

• Here is an example of Row Row Row Your Boat
  without polyphony but with block chord harmony.
• And now, with an arpeggio accompaniment.

12
Homophony

• When an accompaniment is used under a melody, we
  have the texture called homophonic texture.
  This is the texture we are most used to hearing.
  Here is an example where the chords are produced
  by several instrumentspiano, bass, and guitar.
  There is also percussion in the accompaniment.
  The melody is played by the piano.

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Texture

• Monophony Musical texture with a single melodic
  line.
• Polyphony Musical texture composed of two or more
  melodies.
• Homophony Musical texture composed of a melody
  supported by chords.

14
Texture

• Understanding texture helps us to hear all the
  different things that go on in music.
• Whatdya Hear?
• What textures are used in this piece?

15
Which Texture?

• Spring from The Four Seasons by Antonio
  Vivaldi