Chapter 2: The Elements of Music

Rhythm

• The “time element”

• How sound is organized across time

Pitch

The “sound” element (i.e. relative highness or lowness)

Volume

Determined by the amplitude of the wave, such that waves with a large amplitude

Articulation

Describes the beginning, middle, and end of a sound (e.g. connected or detached sounds)

• Has to do with how pitches are begun, sustained, and released

Timbre

Identifying a quality of sound (i.e. how we distinguish a voice, from a guitar, from a trumpet)

Texture

Concerns the contents of and interactions between various layers or voices in a musical work

Form

Provides a musical structure and organization typically consisting of distinct sections that are either repeated or are used to provide contrast

• Can be mapped using letters (A, B, C) or terminology (e.g. verse, chorus)

Pulse

A regularly spaced rhythmic emphasis; synonymous with “beat.”

Tempo

The rate at which the pulse is felt

Meter

When pulses are organized into groups containing strong and weak beats _______ is established

Measure

A unit determined by meter that contains the basic grouping of pulses (e.g. a measure in triple time will contain three beats). Synonymous with “bar.”

Bar

A unit determined by meter that contains the basic grouping of pulses (e.g. a bar in triple time will contain three beats). Synonymous with “measure.”

Bar lines

Help performers to easily perceive how the pulses are grouped and to identify which is the strongest

Duple meter

• Group of 2 beats

• (Strong, weak)

• Strong 1st beats are also called downbeats

Triple meter

• Group of 3 beats

• (Strong, weak, weak)

• (ONE-two-three)

Quadruple meter

• Group of 4 beats

• Strong, weak, medium, weak)

• Often, we can feel more than one meter at the same time

Octave/ Octave equivalence

“Sounds” the same but the range of the second pitch is higher or lower

Interval

The distance between any two pitches (Demonstration)

Melodic range

Distance between low and high pitches in a melody

• It can be small, medium, or large

Register

Concerns the part of an instruments or singer’s range in which a melody is positioned

Chromatic

• A scale made up of 12 notes within an octave separated by half steps

• European Classical music uses 12 pitches: the ____________ pitch set

Scale

A sequence of pitches containing the principal notes that can be used to compose or improvise in a given key. A scale is characterized by the intervals between the notes, which are usually major or minor seconds but can also be thirds

Major scale

• “Happy” affect

• The scale which sounds positive

Minor scale

The scale which sounds negative

Major mode

A collection of pitches that can be used to craft melodies and harmonies. The major mode is characterized by a specific sequence of intervals between scale degrees and is often heard as happy, cheerful, or confident.

Minor mode

A collection of pitches that can be used to craft melodies and harmonies. The major mode is characterized by a specific sequence of intervals between scale degrees and is often heard as tragic, ominous, or serious

Key

Main group of pitches, or notes, that form the harmonic foundation of a piece of music

Melody

Constructed from a sequence of pitches

Harmony

The pitches that support the melody; can refer generally to non-melodic voices or specifically to chords.

Melodic shape

The shape of a melody, which is determined by the trajectory of the pitches in terms of highness and lowness

Melodic motion

Described in terms of the intervallic relationship between adjacent pitches, which can produce either conjunct or disjunct motion

Conjunct motion

Melodic motion in which the pitches move up and down the scale; the opposite of conjunct motion

Disjunct motion

Melodic motion in which the pitches do not simply move up and down the scale but are instead separated by large intervals, the opposite of conjunct motion

Chord

A collection of pitches, usually three or four, that are sounded simultaneously to support a harmony

Chord progression

A sequence of chords

Dynamic level

Referred to the volume in music

Crescendo

An increase in volume

Decrescendo

A decrease in volume

Diminuendo

Also known has decrescendo (a decrease in volume)

Fortissimo

Very loud

Forte

Loud

Mezze forte

Medium loud

Mezzo piano

Medium soft

Piano

Soft

Pianissimo

Very soft

Staccato

Articulations occupy a spectrum from pointedly separated

Legato

Articulations occupy a spectrum from pointedly separated to smoothly connected

Overtone series

A sequence of higher-pitched frequencies that are activated every time a pitch is produced

Overtones

Not only sounding the pitch associated with the key, but you are also activating dozens of pitches at set intervals above that pitch, each of which might sound at a relatively high or low volume.

• Produces timbre

Monophonic

Has a single melody line, performed by a soloist or in unison, with no accompaniment

Homophonic

If you add an accompaniment that is secondary to the melody, you have ______________ music

Polyphonic

Every voice is independent but equally important, and there is less distinction between melody and harmony

Heterophonic

Multiple instruments or voices each perform a unique version of the same melody, such that unison is not achieved

Repetition

Occurs when we hear the same thing twice, whether it is a long and complicated melody, a short melodic fragment, a rhythm, or a harmonic pattern

Variation

Occurs when musical material returns, but with alterations

Contrast

Refers to musical material that has not been heard before

Ostinato

Repetitive chord progressions and some sort of repeating accompaniment (most popular songs have this)

Genre

A way of making connections between closely related works and musical artists that share stylistic, formal, and cultural elements

Subgenre

Communicate more specialized information about the music contained therein the genre

Fixed composition

A composer determines all elements of the pitches and rhythms in advance

Improvisation

When performers engage in ______________, they vary, manipulate or change musical ideas in real time OR compose new music on the spot.

Subdivision

Subdividing the pulse into equal fractions

• Hearing 2rhythmic subdivisions inside a pulse = double subdivision

• Hearing 3 rhythmic subdivision insides a pulse = triple subdivision

• Hearing 4 rhythmic subdivisions inside a pulse = quadruple subdivision

Consonance

The impression of “stable”, “pleasant”, or “agreeable” sounds

Dissonance

The impression of “discordant”, “tense”, “unresolved”, or “unsettling” sounds

Pentatonic Scale

A five-note scale

Repetition

The key to our ability to understand and enjoy music

Iterative

Repeating of the exact phrase again and again.

• Rare in Western music

Strophic Form

Melody is set and repeats with verses/ lyrics that change

Reverting Form

At least two musical sections (one statement and one contrasting statement) are repeated in various configurations

Binary Form

Material in A and B section are different, though closely related

Ternary Form

Starts with a main idea (A), goes to contrasting material (B), then returns to the main idea (A)

Organology

The study of musical instruments

Idiophones

Self-sounding instruments such as gongs, bells, hands, feet, steel drums

Chordophones

One or more vibrating strings

• Lutes (neck and body to which strings are parallel)

• Bow (implement resembling an archer’s bow uses to sound string instruments)

• Zither (without a neck or yoke whose strings stretch parallel to the soundboard)

Aerophones

Instruments that sound by means of vibrating air (trumpets, horns, pipes, etc.)

• Human voice is NOT included

Membranophones

(Drums) characterized by a membrane (drumhead) stretched across one or both ends of an instrument

Electrophones

Instrument that produces sound using electricity

Accent

An emphasis, stress, or stronger attack placed on a particular note or set of notes, or chord, either as a result of its context or specifically indicated by an accent mark

Cadenza

A virtuoso solo passage inserted into a movement in a concert or other work, typically near the end. Traditionally improvised.

Blues Scale

A six-note scale that is often played in blues music