The Elements of Music

Basic Terms to Understand as a

Song Leader

Sound: Pitch, Dynamics, and Tone Color Pitch - The high or low quality of sound Dynamics - The loud or soft quality of

music Tone color - Also known as timbre,

refers to the unique quality of sound

Dynamics

Forte --f,ff,fff-loud Piano --p,pp,ppp-very soft Mezzo ---mf,mp--medium Crescendo --gradually louder Decrescendo,diminuendo --gradually

softer

Voices

Women’s Voices– Soprano or 1st

Soprano– Mezzo-soprano– Alto

Men’s Voices– Falsetto– Tenor– Baritone– Bass

RhythmThe flow of music through time; the pattern of

durations of notes and silences in music

Beat - the pulse of music Meter - the grouping of beats Tempo - the speed of the beat Accent - a pitch that is played more

loudly, held longer or is higher in pitch than the nearby notes

Syncopation - When an accented note comes where we would normally not expect it

Tempo Markings Molto-much

Moto-Ritard means slow down exceedingly Troppo - too much (fast or slow) Poco – Literally “little by little” Accelerando - gradually faster Ritardando - gradually slower A Tempo – Return to original tempo after

Ritard Rubato – means “Robbed”. A lingering on

some notes and hurrying of others; free from strict tempo.

Tempo Terms Grave, Very Slow Largo, Lento – Slow Larghetto, A little faster than Largo Adiago, Moderately Slow Andante, “Walking” Tempo Andantino, A little faster than Andante Allegretto, A little slower than Allegro Allegro, Fast Vivace, Lively Presto, Very Fast Prestissimo, Very Very Fast Moderato, Moderate(ly) Accel, Accelerando, Gradually becoming faster Rit., Ritardando, Gradually becoming slower

Music Notation

Notating pitch– Staff: the five lines and four spaces on

which music is written– Note: an oval which represents a specific

pitch– Clef: placed at the beginning of the staff,

the clef assigns pitch names to the lines and spaces

Music Notation

Notating Rhythm– Durations: the color of the note and the

presence of stems or flags and beams and dots affect the duration of a note

– Rests: symbols for pauses with specific durations

Music Notation

Notating meter– Time signature: placed next to the clef,

the top number of the time signature indicates the grouping of beats and the bottom number indicates what kind of note will receive one beat.

MelodyA succession of pitches which add up to a recognizable whole

Intervals: the distance between two pitches

Sequence: the repetition of a melodic pattern at a higher or lower pitch

Harmonythe vertical aspect of music

Chord: a combination of three or more notes sounded simultaneously

Consonance: harmony that is stable and restful to the ear

Dissonance: tense and unstable harmony that demands onward motion to stable harmony (resolution or resolve) voice - Intonation

Key - Tonalitythe homing instinct of music

Major scale: a succession of eight pitches arranged from low to high, based on the intervals of the white keys of a piano

Minor scale: a succession of eight pitches arranged from low to high, based on a specific pattern of whole and half steps which results in a dark quality of melody and harmony

Key-Tonality

Chromatic scale: a series of 12 pitches based on the black and white keys of the piano

Modulation: the shifting from one key to another

Texturelayers of sound

Monophonic: a single unaccompanied melody line

Polyphonic: two or more independent melody lines happening simultaneously

Homophonic: melody plus accompaniment