Music Basics

The Constituent Elements of Music - the Basic Building Blocks of Music

• Rhythm - The combinations of long and short, even and uneven sounds that convey a sense of movement. The movement of sound through time. Concepts contributing to an understanding of rhythm are

  • regular vs. irregular

  • strong vs. weak

  • long vs. short,

  • equal vs. unequal

• Melody - A logical succession of musical pitches arranged in a rhythmic pattern. An important part of melody is rhythm. The notes vary in pitch and duration. Form also applies to melody. Melodies include repetition as well as contrast. Pitch characteristics of melodies include:

  • Direction - up, down, stay the same

  • Range - wide or narrow spectrum of notes ranging from low to high

  • Position - Maybe use notes of high pitches or transposed to low pitches, but as long as the intervals between notes is consistent, the melody can be placed with the total pitch continuum.

  • Intervals - The distance between the pitches of the melody may be steps from one note to an adjacent note, or skips where pitches leap from one to another skipping a tone or tones.

• Harmony - The vertical blocks of different tones that sound simultaneously; a progression of chords.

  • Vertical structure - homophonic with chords connected to and supportive of the melody

  • Horizontal structure - polyphonic with chords created by simultaneously sound melodies.

• Form - The design of music, incorporating repetition, contrast, unity, and variety. The organization of music, its shape or structure.

The Expressive Elements of Music - Add variety and contrast to music

• Timbre - The distinctive quality of tone of a sound.

• Dynamics - The volume of sound; the loudness or softness of a musical passage.

• Tempo - The pace at which music moves, based on the speed of the underlying beat.