The Elements of Music

Chapters 1 - 9

Sound: Pitch, Dynamics, and Tone Color Pitch- The high or low quality of sound Dynamics- The loud or soft quality of

music Tone color- Also known as timbre,

refers to the unique quality of sound

Dynamics

Forte--f,ff,fff-loud Piano--p,pp,ppp-very soft Mezzo---mf,mp--medium Crescendo--gradually louder Decrescendo,diminuendo--gradually

softer

Voices

Women’s Voices– Soprano– Mezzo-soprano– Alto

Men’s Voices– Tenor– Baritone– Bass

Orchestral Instruments: Stringspictures on p. 13-14

Violin- highest pitched of string family Viola- medium pitched, takes role of

supporting actor Cello- larger and lower pitched than viola,

held between knees Bass- largest and lowest pitched of string

family, played while standing Harp-47 strings and 7 foot pedals

Orchestral Instruments: Woodwindspictures on p. 17-19

Piccolo- highest pitched Flute- blown across tone hole Oboe- highest pitched of double reeds

Orchestral Instruments: Woodwinds

English horn- low oboe sound Clarinet- single reed Bassoon- lowest pitched of the double

reed instruments, aka “clown” of the orchestra. Produces deep, nasal tone

Saxophone- made of brass, single reed

Orchestral Instruments: Brasspictured on page 21

Trumpet- highest pitched of the brass family French horn-not as bright as a trumpet,

consists of coiled tubing and is often used for hunting calls

Trombone- incorporates a movable slide to change pitches

Tuba- the lowest pitched of the brass instruments

Orchestral Instruments: percussionpictured on pp. 22-23

Pitched percussion instruments– Timpani: large kettle drums– Glockenspiel: metal bars hit struck with mallets– Xylophone: wooden bars struck with mallets,

producing a dry brittle sound– Celesta: small upright piano that sounds like a

glockenspiel– Chimes: a set of metal tubes hung from a

frame which are struck by a hammer

Orchestral Instruments: Percussionpictured on pp. 23-24

Unpitched percussion instruments– Bass drum– Snare drum – Cymbals– Gong– Triangle– Tambourine

Orchestral Instruments: KeyboardsPictured on pp. 26-27

Piano: keys activate hammers that hit strings

Harpsichord: keys activate plectra which pluck the strings

Pipe organ: keys control valves that channel air through various pipes

RhythmThe flow of music through time; the pattern of

durations of notes and silences in music

Beat - the pulse of music Meter- the grouping of beats Tempo - the speed of the beat (pg. 34) Accent - a pitch that is played more loudly,

held longer or is higher in pitch than the nearby notes

Syncopation- When an accented note comes where we would normally not expect it

Tempo Markings

Tempo Markings

Molto-much Non troppo-not too much (fast or slow) Accelerando- gradually faster Ritardando- gradually slower

Music Notation

Notating pitch– Staff: the five lines and four spaces on

which music is written– Note: an oval which represents a specific

pitch– Clef: placed at the beginning of the staff,

the clef assigns pitch names to the lines and spaces (pg. 36)

Music Notation (cont.)

Notating Rhythm– Durations: the color of the note and the

presence of stems or flags and beams and dots affect the duration of a note (pg. 37)

– Rests:symbols for pauses with specific durations (pg. 36)

Music Notation (cont.)

Notating meter– Time signature: placed next to the clef, the

top number of the time signature indicates the grouping of beats and the bottom number indicates what kind of note will receive one beat.

MelodyA succession of pitches which add up to a recognizable whole

Intervals: the distance between two pitches

Sequence: the repetition of a melodic pattern at a higher or lower pitch

Cadence: a resting spot

Harmonythe vertical aspect of music

Chord: a combination of three or more notes sounded simultaneously

Consonance: harmony that is stable and restful to the ear

Dissonance:tense and unstable harmony that demands onward motion to stable harmony (resolution)

Key - Tonalitythe homing instinct of music

Major scale: a succession of eight pitches arranged from low to high, based on the intervals of the white keys of a piano (pg. 46)

Minor scale: a succession of eight pitches arranged from low to high, based on a specific pattern of whole and half steps which results in a dark quality of melody and harmony

Key-Tonality (cont.)

Chromatic scale: a series of 12 pitches based on the black and white keys of the piano

Modulation: the shifting from one key to another

Texturelayers of sound

Monophonic: a single unaccompanied melody line

Polyphonic: two or more independent melody lines happening simultaneously

Homophonic: melody plus accompaniment

Musical Formthe shape, structure and organization of music

Binary form: AB Ternary form: ABA Rondo: ABACAD… Theme and Variations:A A’ A’’ A’’’ A’’’’… Ballad form: AABA Strophic:stanzas or verses Call and response