Elements of Music

These flashcards cover key concepts related to the elements of music, including definitions of terms and explanations of musical components.

Sound

The general term for anything that can be heard, includes aspects like pitch and tone color.

Pitch

The highness or lowness of a sound, also known as a 'tone'.

Melodic Interval

The distance between any two tones played separately.

Timbre

The tone color or quality of a sound that distinguishes different types of sound production.

Rhythm

The ordered flow of music through time.

Meter

The underlying pattern of beats (pulses) that maintains itself consistently throughout a work.

Triple meter

A rhythmic pattern where beats are grouped in threes.

Duple/Quadruple meter

A rhythmic pattern where beats are grouped in twos or fours.

Melody

A series of single tones that add up to a recognizable whole.

Step

The interval between two adjacent tones.

Leap

Any interval larger than a step.

Harmony

How chords are constructed and how they follow each other.

Chord

A combination of three or more tones sounded at once.

Harmonic Interval

The distance between two notes sounding simultaneously.

Genre

A characteristic way of using melody, rhythm, tone color, dynamics, harmony, texture, and form.