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Music
• Pure art form: freedom from physical
restrictions of space applied to other arts
• Responsibility of the listener: we have only
the moment to capture the music
• Active listening- the ability to hear
perceptively
• Classical forms: specific style of music
from the 17th century, art music
Musical Elements
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Sound
Rhythm
Melody
Harmony
Tonality
Texture
Form
Sound: 4 basic properties
• Pitch: relative highness or lowness of a sound;
measurable in sound waves (vibrations per
second)
• Dynamics: degree of loudness or softness (size of
the sound wave)
• Timbre or tone color: distinguishing physical
qualities of the instrument that is sounding
• Duration: length of time a sound vibration is
maintained without interruption
Rhythm: beat, meter, tempo
• Beat: individual pulses
• Meter: groupings of beats into units called
measures / simple meters are triple or quadruple
• Syncopation: when accent is on the unaccented
• Tempo: the rate of speed of the composition
• Tempo markings: metronome marking, or
accelerando and ritardando
• Rubato: when a performer takes liberties with the
tempo
Tempo Terms
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adagio (slow)
andante (moderate),
allegro (fast)
presto (very quick)
Melody: succession of sound with
rhythmic & tonal organization
• Melody is linear and horizontal
• A melody may not be a tune, tune implies
sing-ability
• Theme: central musical idea that may be
restated and varied
• Motif: short melodic or rhythmic idea
around which a composer may design a
composition
Melodic Contour
• Conjunct- comprising notes close to each
other
• Disjunct- contains intervals or leaps of a
third or more
• Melodic contour- the shape of the melody
line
Harmony: two or more tones
sounding at the same time
• Harmony is a vertical arrangement, and
moves through time
• Interval- two tones played simultaneously
or the space between two different tones
• Chord- three or more tones sounding
simultaneously
Piano Keyboard
Harmonic Progression: harmonic
movement forward in time
• Consonance- intervals sounding sonorous
and stable in their arrangement
• Dissonance- intervals sounding relatively
tense and unstable
• Cadence- harmonic movement resolving (or
not) to the tonic or root note of the scale
• Modulate- harmonic movement from one
key or tonal center to another
Harmony: tonality
• Tonic- the root or first note of a scale or key
• Major tonality- seven different notes within an
octave, comprised of a set pattern of whole and
half steps
• Minor tonality- diatonic (standard) scale with half
step between second and third degrees and any of
several intervals above the fifth
 Atonal- absence of tonal center and of harmonies
derived from a diatonic scale
Texture
• Monophonic- single musical line without
accompaniment. Voices or instruments playing at
the same time with the same notes in unison.
Gregorian chant is an example.
• Polyphonic- counterpoint; when two or more
melodic lines of equal interest are played or sung
simultaneously.
• Homophonic- chords accompany one main
melody. Here the composer focuses attention of
the melody by supporting it with subordinate
sounds. Most popular music is from this genre.
More About Texture
• Texture implies spatial connotations
• Sonority- describes the relationship of tones
played at the same time
• Open texture- large intervals between tones
has a thinner, or more open, sonority
• Closed- chord with small intervals between
its tones has a tight, thick, or close sonority
FORM- type or genre; the structure
or shape of a musical piece
• Concerto- extended composition for solo
instrument and orchestra
• Sonata- instrumental piece written in several
movements for one to eight players
• Suite- set of dance inspired movements in the
same key but differing in tempo, meter, and
character
• Fugue- based on one theme that, throughout the
piece, is imitated by different melodic lines
Symphony
• A symphony is an orchestral composition
• Usually in four movements, from twenty to fortyfive minutes long
• The sequence usually begins with an active fast
movement, then changes to a lyrical slow
movement, moves to a dance-like movement, and
closes with a bold fast movement
• The first movement of the sequence is most
always in sonata form
Sonata Form
• Exposition- states two or more main themes
• Development- takes the original themes and
develops them with fragmentations and
modulations
• Recapitulation- returns to original material,
restating the opening themes
• Coda- concluding part of the piece that
integrates the previous themes or ideas
Composition & Notation
• Dynamic levels: pp (pianissimo) very soft
to ff (fortissimo), to mp (mezzo, moderately
soft or loud) very loud
• Crescendo- becoming louder; decrescendobecoming softer
• Note Values (duration) & rests (silences):
whole, half, quarter, eighth
Instrument Classifications
• Voice- soprano, contralto, tenor, baritone, bass
• Strings- violin, viola, cello, bass, harp
• Woodwinds- flute, piccolo, oboe, English horn,
clarinet, bassoon
• Brasses- trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba
• Percussion- snare & bass drums, timpani, triangle,
cymbal, xylophone
• Electronics- synthesizer
OPERA- integrates drama, poetry,
visual art, & architecture with music
• Grand opera- serious & tragic, treats heroic
subjects in highly stylized manner
• Opera buffa- comedic opera
• Operetta- light, humorous, popular themes
• Leitmotif- repeated theme that relates to a
character or idea
• Aria- highly dramatic solo piece with orchestra
• Recitative- sung dialogue
• Libretto- text the opera music is set to