Music 110 Lecture Notes 6/23/25

Introduction to Elements of Music

Benefits of Listening to Music

• Triggers activity in the nucleus accumbens, releasing dopamine.

• Relieves anxiety and depressive symptoms.

• Enhances mood and helps in healing.

• Motivating and improves sleep.

Ways of Listening

• No restrictions or correct ways to listen; subjective to personal taste.

• Requires an open mind and willingness to understand.

• Sensory Approach:

  • Passive listening, letting music wash over you.

  • Can stir emotions and trigger daydreams.

  • Music affects visual perception (University of London study).

    • Happy music makes faces seem happier.

    • Sad music exaggerates sadness.

  • Used as a marketing tool and in sports games.

  • Relaxing in spas and enhances worship in churches.

• Critical Music Listening:

  • Takes effort and concentration.

  • Discovering sound combinations, tonal differences, and blends of voice and instruments.

  • Requires regular practice.

  • Involves listening exercises with note-taking and comparison.

Chapter 1: The Elements of Music (EOM)

Sound

• The basis for understanding sound is the physics of waves.

• Sound is a mechanical wave created by a vibrating object.

• Waves disturb air molecules and travel from one location to another.

• Air molecules are the medium for travel.

• Music is the organization of sounds.

• Types of Sounds:

  • Definite Pitch:

    • Regular, measurable vibration with a specific frequency.

    • Higher tone = faster vibration.

  • Indefinite Pitch (Noise):

    • Irregular vibrations.

    • Example: Book hitting the floor, drums, cymbals.

    • Percussion instruments.

Emotion and Dynamics

Emotion of Music

• Illustrated by Aretha Franklin singing Carole King's song at a tribute.

  • Watch the performance to feel the emotion.

Dynamics

• Volume of sound.

• Crescendo:

  • Gradually getting louder.

  • Effective emotional tool.

  • Used by Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven to heighten emotion.

  • Other dynamics: sudden accents, soft playing to add emotional quality.

Timbre/Tone Color

• Personality of the sound.

• Describing the sound of a bell, violin, or tuba.

• Examples of descriptive words: raspy, dark, bright, warm, resonant, etc.

Examples with Human Voice

Two Timbre Comparison:

• Rod Stewart and Michael Buble singing together
  *Rod Stewart's voice, kinda sandpapery andMichael Buble clearer, a cleaner sounding voice.

Singing Voice

• Willie Nelson, very clear, but with a nasally sound.

• Tina Turner is a soulful singer distorted and raspy voices.

• Barry White, a deep, resonant bass voice.

• Example: Vocal by Bjork, a slightly distorted and sharp sound.

Human Voice Classification

• Divided by gender.

• Vibrating object: Vocal cords.

  • Made to vibrate by air.

• Women:

  • Soprano (highest), mezzo soprano (middle), alto (lower range).

  • Trained singers can often cover multiple categories.

• Men:

  • Tenor (highest), baritone (middle), bass (lowest).

  • Countertenor: Man singing in falsetto (edge of vocal cords).

  • Women can achieve falsetto to called it head voice.

• Historical Male Singer Classification (Castrato):

  • It developed in the middle ages and perform strict interpretation of apostle Paul in the bible.

  • Castration of boys before puberty to maintain high vocal range with adult lung capacity.

  • Stopped around 1750 due to outcry against the inhumanity of this procedure.

• Terms:

  • Acappella: Singing without instruments.

  • Ornamentation:Singer often takes liberties with the melody decorating it, improvisation and is a form that
    Acoustic examples: Christina Aguilera.