Music

Elements of Music

Modulation

Process of changing from one key to another within a piece of music

Melody

Sequence of musical notes that are arranged to create a distinct and memorable tune.

Register

Range of pitches that an instrument or voice can produce, from low to high.

Range

The span from the lowest to the highest note an instrument or voice can produce

Ornamentation

Decorative notes added to a melody

Harmony

The combination of different musical notes played or sung simultaneously

Harmonic rhythm

How long each chord lasts

Harmonic progressions

Sequences of chords in a piece of music

Indefinite/definite Pitch

The quality of a sound that determines whether it has a clear pitch or not

Metre and Tempo

Metre organises beats into regular patterns of strong and weak pulses, while tempo determines the speed at which these beats are played.

Syncopation

A rhythmic feature where the emphasis is placed on the off-beats

Type

Monophonic, Homophonic, Polyphonic

Thickness

the texture or density of sound, ranging from thick to thin

Instrument Roles

Melodic, Harmonic/accompaniment

Instrumentation

E.g. string quartet, orchestra, rock band, jazz big band

Sound production

How each instrument is played, what it is made of, how this affects the tone

Tone Colour Adjectives

Words to describe the tonal qualities of instruments

Macro-structures

Forms (e.g. binary form, verse/chorus, 12 bar blues)

Micro-structures

Structural features within pieces, e.g. phrases, ostinato, repetition, etc.

Volume

Dynamic markings and gradual changes

Articulation

Staccato, legato, accents

Vibrato

A technique involving slight pitch variations to add expressiveness

Instrument techniques

Ritardando, rubato, accelerando, etc.