Fundamentals of Music - Introduction

pitch; duration; volume; timbre

What are the four characteristics of musical sound?

pitch

the frequency at which a given sound vibrates

duration

the length of a sound in time

volume

a term used to indicate the degree of loudness of a sound

timbre

the unique sound or tone color of an instrument or voice. the timbre is determined, in part, by the size and design of an instrument, and by the way in which its sound is produced.

rhythm; melody; harmony; timbre; texture; form

what are the six basic elements of music?

rhythm

it organizes musical sounds into patterns of time duration

melody

a consecutive horizontal line of pitches that contains a contour (or shape), rhythmic motion, and cadences (or arrival points of rest). The interaction of these elements can produce an infinite number of melodic possibilities.

harmony

refers to the horizontal progression of chords that takes place throughout a piece of music. this element is generated directly from the scale, or scales, on which a piece is based.

texture

indicates the density of a musical line

monophonic texture

one melodic line without accompaniment

homophonic texture

one predominant melody with accompaniment

polyphonic (contrapuntal) texture

two or more equally important melodic lines occurring simultaneously

form

the organizing principle, or structure of a piece of music. this element can be compared to the blueprint of a building. it controls how music unfolds in time. most of these that are used to any extent have been given their own names: binary, ternary, strophic, sonata forms, as well as fugue, theme-and-variation, and rondo forms