4._The_Elements_of_Music

Pitch

The highness and lowness of a note.

Rhythm

The duration of all sounds and silences in music.

Harmony

The simultaneous sounding of two or more pitches.

Form

The plan (order and arrangement) for a piece of music.

Timbre

The uniqueness sound quality of an instrument or voice.

Texture

The thickness or thinness of the music.

Dynamics

Markings that indicate the volume of music, such as loud (forte) or soft (piano).

Tempo

Markings that indicate the speed of music, such as quick (allegro) or slow (andante).

Articulation

Markings that indicate how music should be played, such as detached (staccato) or smoothly (legato).

Monophonic Texture

One melody line with no accompaniment.

Homophonic Texture

Two or three voices that have different pitches but the same rhythm.

Polyphonic Texture

Two or three voices that have different pitches and rhythms.

Crescendo

A gradual increase in volume.

Decrescendo

A gradual decrease in volume.

Sforzando

A sudden sharp accent in volume.

Ritardando

A gradual slow down in tempo.

Accelerando

A gradual speeding up in tempo.