Elements of Music

1
Elements of Music

• Music History

2
Sound

• What is sound?
• Vibration of an object through a medium that is
  transmitted to the brain by impulses from the
  eardrum
• Organization of sound
• Pitch
• Dynamics
• Tone Color
• Duration

3
Pitch

• relative highness or lowness of sound
• terms
• tone
• interval
• octave
• pitch range / range

4
Dynamics

• relative loudness and softness
• accent
• dynamic range
• pp pianissimo very soft
• p piano soft
• mp mezzo piano moderately soft
• mf mezzo forte moderately loud
• f forte loud
• ff fortissimo very loud
• gradual changes in dynamics
• crescendo / decrescendo

5
Tone Color / Timbre

• the quality of sound that distinguishes one
  instrument from another
• Identification of timbre is descriptive in nature
• bright
• mellow
• dark
• rich

6
Performing Media

• Voices and Instruments

7
Voices

• Women
• soprano
• mezzo-soprano
• alto (or contralto)
• Men
• tenor
• baritone
• bass

8
Musical Instruments

• Families
• Strings
• Woodwinds
• Brass
• Percussion
• Keyboard
• Electronic

9
String Instruments

• Orchestral (with bows)
• Violin
• Viola
• Cello
• Double Bass / Contrabass / Bass

• Plucked
• Harp
• Guitar
• others

10
String Techniques

• Pizzicato
• Double stop (triple, quadruple)
• Vibrato
• Mute
• Tremolo
• Harmonics

11
Woodwind Instruments

• Orchestral
• Piccolo
• Flute
• Oboe
• English horn
• Clarinet
• Bass clarinet
• Bassoon
• Contrabassoon

• Other
• Recorder
• Saxophone
• Reeds
• Single-reed
• Double-reed

12
Brass Instruments

• Orchestral
• Trumpet
• French horn / Horn
• Trombone
• Tuba

• Others
• Cornet
• Baritone horn
• Euphonium
• Ways to alter sound
• slides / valves
• mutes

13
Percussion Instruments

• Definite Pitch
• timpani (kettledrums)
• glockenspiel
• xylophone
• celesta
• chimes

• Indefinite Pitch
• snare drum
• bass drum
• tambourine
• triangle
• cymbals
• gong (tam-tam)

14
Keyboard Instruments

• Piano
• pedals una corda (soft), sostenuto, damper
• Harpsichord
• plectra
• Organ
• stops
• pedals / manuals
• Accordion

15
Electronic Instruments

• Tape studio
• Synthesizer
• Analog synthesis
• FM synthesis
• Effects devices
• Sampling
• MIDI
• Computer
• computer music

16
Rhythm, Beat, Tempo, and Meter

• What is the difference?
• Beat the regular, recurrent pulse that divides
  music into equal units of time
• Tempo the speed of the beat
• Meter the organization of beats into measures
• Rhythm
• the ordered flow of music through time
• the particular arrangement of note lengths in a
  piece of music

17
Meter

• time signatures
• duple meter, quadruple meter
• triple meter, sextuple meter
• downbeat
• upbeat
• irregular meters
• accent
• syncopation

18
Tempo

• largo very slow, broad
• grave very slow, solemn
• adagio slow
• andante moderately slow, walking pace
• moderato moderate

• allegretto moderately fast
• allegro fast
• vivace lively
• presto very fast
• prestissimo as fast as possible

19
Tempo (continued)

• Qualifying words
• molto much
• non troppo not too much
• Gradual changes
• accelerando gradually faster
• ritardando gradually slower
• Metronome markings
• indicates number of beats per minute

20
Melody

• definition
• a series of single tones which add up to a
  recognizable whole
• contour
• steps / leaps
• legato / staccato

• phrases
• cadences
• incomplete
• complete
• climax
• sequence
• theme

21
Harmony

• definition
• the way chords are constructed and how they
  follow each other
• chord
• progression
• consonance
• dissonance

• resolution
• triad
• important chords
• tonic
• dominant
• arpeggio

22
Key / Tonality

• tonic
• scale
• major
• minor
• chromatic
• key signature
• modulation

23
Musical Texture

• monophonic
• single melodic line without accompaniment
• in unison or octaves
• polyphonic
• two or more melodic lines of relatively equal
  importance
• counterpoint
• imitation
• homophonic
• one main melody accompanied by chords

24
Musical Form

• Techniques that create musical form
• repetition
• variation
• contrast

• Ternary (3-part) form
• A (statement)
• B (departure)
• A (return)
• Binary (2-part) form
• A (statement)
• B (counterstatement)

25
Performance Practice

• performers role
• improvisation
• embellishment
• virtuoso
• conductor
• concertmaster

26
Musical Style

• definition
• a characteristic way of using melody, rhythm,
  timbre, dynamics, harmony, texture, and form

• Stylistic periods of western art music
• Middle Ages (450-1450)
• Renaissance (1450-1600)
• Baroque (1600-1750)
• Classical (1750-1820)
• Romantic (1820-1900)
• Early 20th Century (1900-1950)
• 1950-present