V1 - Elements of Music

Rhythm

A sequence of sounds and silences of different durations in musical time.

Pulse/Beat

The basic underlying unit of musical time.

Tempo

The speed of the basic pulse.

Meter

A recurring pattern of weak and strong pulses or beats.

Syncopation

A reversal or subversion of the normal pattern of weak and strong beats or pulses.

Groove

The channeled flow of a recurring rhythmic pattern.

Pitch

A named frequency (e.g. 'A4' = 440 cycles per second).

Interval

The distance between two pitches.

Melodic interval

Pitches separated in musical time.

Harmonic interval

Pitches sound at the same time.

Scale

A defined set of pitches.

Modality

The mode of a scale; its shape, quality, and character.

Tonality

The primacy of a central pitch (tonic) in a scale.

Key

The basic tonality and modality of a musical piece or song.

Modulation

A change of key in a musical piece or song.

Melody

A sequence of pitches of different durations in musical time.

Phrase

A larger subsection of a melody.

Cadence

A pause or stopping point between phrases in a melody.

Harmony

The interaction between two or more notes sounded simultaneously.

Chord

Two or more pitches sounded simultaneously.

Chord Progression

A recurring sequence of chords that provides harmonic accompaniment for a melody.

Texture

All the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic things that happen in a section of a musical piece.

Monophony

Single melody without harmonic accompaniment.

Polyphony

Two or more different melodic lines played simultaneously.

Homophony

Single melody with harmonic accompaniment.

Form

The structure of a musical piece; blueprint or road map.

Strophic Form

A song that employs the same music for each poetic unit of lyrics.

Verse-Chorus form

A song that consists of sub-sections with recurring lyrics and changing poetic text.

Bridge

Sub-section of a song that contrasts with and prepares for the return of the verse and chorus.

12-bar Blues form

Standard song form developed by Blues singers in the 1900s.

Distortion

A buzzing or fuzzy tone color achieved by overdriving an amplifier.

Feedback

An out-of-control sound oscillation that occurs when the output of a loudspeaker enters a microphone.

Hook

A catchy or memorable musical phrase or pattern.

Reverb

The prolongation of a sound by virtue of an ambient acoustical space.

Riff

A simple, recurring melodic idea or rhythmic pattern.