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MUSIC QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE
Elements of Music
The Elements of Music are the foundational theory by which music is designed and produced. Varying
authors may have differing terms; but they all lead back to the same purpose. The elements are the
building blocks of the music. The elements are a part of the Big Idea of Structure in the Kentucky
Combined Curriculum Document.
Students who create a project for a class outside of the arts greatly benefit from authentic feedback from
teachers about the work as well as the content area. This quick reference guide will assist non-music
content teachers to learn to give that feedback.
ELEMENTS OF MUSIC:
RHYTHM: Rhythm is how beats are divided into measures. Rhythm encompasses the time signature
(the numbers at the beginning of the music that tell a performer how many beats are in each measure and
which note receives one beat) as well as the meter (this can be classified as duple—a top number divisible
by two and triple—a top number divisible by three). The most basic notes and rests used in rhythm are
whole, half, quarter and eighth.
MELODY: The most basic definition of melody is “the tune of the song.” Melodies move upward,
downward, and repeating as well as by step, skip, and repeat.
FORM: Form is how the large “chunks” of music are put together to create the whole selection. If you
have sung songs in church, then you are very familiar with AB form (verse/refrain). ABA might begin
slowly, transition to a quick middle section, then end as it began—slowly. Rondo form is ABACA.
Other popular forms are call and response and ABC.
TONE COLOR: Tone color refers to the way a particular instrument or voice sounds. Instruments are
divided into the following families: string, percussion, folk, brass, woodwind, keyboard, and electrical.
Voices fall into one of the 4 main categories (from high to low): soprano, alto, tenor, bass. A “mezzo
soprano” would sing in a range between soprano and alto.
HARMONY: When notes are played simultaneously, the result is harmony. There is a misconception
that harmony must sound pleasing to the ear, but this is not necessarily so especially in 20th Century
music where dissonance is prominent.
TEMPO: The tempo is the speed of the music. Italian is the universal language used in musical
terminology, so you may find words such as largo (very slow), andante (walking speed), moderato (a
medium speed), allegro (quickly), or presto (very quickly) to indicate the intended speed of the work.
DYNAMICS: Dynamics relates to the volume of the music—how loudly or softly it should be played.
Again, the Italian language is used. The most basic terminology used regarding dynamics: fortissimo
“ff”(very loud), forte “f” (loud), mezzo forte “mf” (medium loud), mezzo piano “mp” (medium soft),
piano “p” (soft) and pianissimo “pp” (very soft). You may also see a greater than sign (exactly as it
appears in math) to tell a performer to gradually get louder. A lesser than sign would indicate that the
music should gradually grow softer.
STYLE: Musical pieces classified as a particular style will utilize similar rhythmic, melodic, and
harmonic patterns as well as similar instruments. For example, you will find an array of electric
instruments, driving rhythms, and verse/refrain form in heavy metal. Though each heavy metal piece of
music is different, the elemental use is similar in each piece. Therefore, it is categorized as heavy metal.
Other styles include: bluegrass, symphonic, orchestral, rock, hip-hop, country/western, rap, military
march, opera, alternative, new age, vocal and jazz.
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MUSIC QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE
The Purposes of Music
Similar to art, man has created music for varied purposes throughout time. Man has used music as a
vehicle to express emotions when mourning, celebrating, storytelling, as well as for specific ceremonial
reasons.
CEREMONIAL: Creating music for religious or superstitious beliefs. (i/e wedding music, music to heal
the sick etc.). This purpose is also very prevalent in dance and art.
RECREATIONAL: Music created for the sole purpose of entertaining.
PERSUASION/PROPAGANDA: Societies utilize the arts to convince audiences to buy, or believe as
they do. Commercial jingles are examples of using music to persuade.
ARTISTIC EXPRESSION: At the highest level of artistic creation, artists create works for aesthetic
purposes and for self expression. This purpose is also prevalent in dance, drama, and music.
Composing music for a project
Using music to show comprehension of content material can be an effective and enjoyable tool for
students to demonstrate acquisition of knowledge. For example, rather than ask students to compose a 2
page report of how a bill becomes a law, why not ask them to create a verse/refrain song that contains the
details? When composing, incorporate and discuss the elements of music. What was the tempo? Did the
dynamic level change? In which style was the piece written?
As with creating art, teachers and students should consider three “C’s,” Composition (a conscientious use
of elements of music), Craftsmanship (how appropriately the material is delivered) and Concept (how it
shows understanding of the content).
CONSCIENTIOUS USE OF THE ELEMENTS OF MUSIC: In the assignment objectives, require
that students use the elements of music in their composition. In the rubric, use language such as “create a
song that describes the process by which a bill becomes a law. Indicate an appropriate tempo and
dynamic level for music and perform it accordingly for the class. At the end of the song, sum up the
elements of music that you utilized in a one page report. Include the movement of the melody, the
construction of the form, and the various notes used.” For primary classes, it would not be appropriate to
ask them to notate the music. However, for upper levels it is feasible as an extension of the content.
CRAFTSMANSHIP: When the student performs the composition for the class, they should take it
seriously. Often times, students are embarrassed of their own singing voice and will rush through the
music, laugh inappropriately, or perform it carelessly. If they choose to use music as the vehicle to
demonstrate understanding of a concept, then they should perform it as appropriately as possible—as
though performing in a concert. To accept a mediocre performance of their composition downplays the
importance and sincerity of the arts. The performance is part of the package.
CONCEPT: How well has the student shown comprehension of the content (both musical and crosscurricular content)? Is the song a conglomeration of disjointed words and melodies? Has the student
created an original work? Keep these questions in mind as you evaluate the work for both content and
artistic merit.
Rubric
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MUSIC QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE
In the beginning, create a standard rubric to assess the projects with. Perhaps the art teacher and content
teacher could collaborate on this. Be sure that students know that the appearance and artistic merit of their
work is going to be a part of the assessment as well as the content. Students will achieve in both areas at a
higher level if they know that both the artistic and content is going to be assessed. It goes without saying
that projects should be formatively assessed to inform the student about progress with the work.
Eventually, content teachers may wish to have students develop rubrics together or individually.
Amy Bolar, NBCT
Flemingsburg Elementary
Fleming County Schools
Flemingsburg, KY
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