Elements of music

• Music can evoke emotions, tell stories, bring people together.
• Rhythm: Shaping the structure and sound of musical composition.

  Many different aspects; tempo, meter, time signature, and duration.
• Duration: Length of time that a sound lasts. Affects the overall rhythmic feel and structure of the piece.

  Note values and rests are visible representation of duration.
• Tempo: The speed of the music, indicated by a metronome, measured in beats per minute(BPM).

  Faster tempo = excitement, urgency, or tension.

  Slower tempo = calmness, sadness, etc.
• Meter: Grouping of beats into regular patterns.

  3 main types:

  • Duple meter- two beats per bar.
  • Triple meter- three beats per bar.
  • Quadruple meter- four beats per bar.
• • Duple meter- 1st beat is stronger than 2nd beat.
  • Triple meter- 1st beat is stronger than 2nd and 3rd beat.
  • Quadruple meter- 1st meter and 3rd meter are stronger than 2nd and 4th.
• Simple vs compound time:

  • Simple beat divided by 2.
  • Compound beat is divided by 3.
  • Dotted MINIMS!
  • simple time signatures; 6 over 8
  • compound time signatures; 2 over 4
• Rhythmic terminology;

  1. Ritardando- gradual slowing down of tempo.
• 2. Accelerando- gradual speeding up of tempo
• 3. Rubato- flexible approach to tempo in which the performer is allowed to slow down or speed up(for expressive purposes.)
• 4. Syncopation- a rhythmic technique in which accents or beats are paced on unexpected parts of the measure or beat.
• 5. Offbeat- a rhythmic accent or emphasis placed on a weak beat or between bars.
• 6. Anacrusis- an upbeat or pick-up note that precedes the first downbeat of a measure.
• 7. Metronome- a device used to indicate the number of beats per minute.
• Articulation in music:

  how a particular note or series of notes is played or sung.

  does not affect duration, but rather how they are performed.
• 1. Staccato: short, detached manner. small dotes above/ bellow note.
• 2. Legato- sung in a smooth, connected manner. writing legato or phase line.
• 3. Accent- played or sung with emphasis or stress. placing an accent symbol (e.g. >) above not to be accented.
• Pitch:

  Highness and lowness of note.

  two main parts:

  Melody- the linear progression of individual notes. memorable and recognizable musical phrase.

  Harmony- a combination of different pitched motes played/ sung simultaneously. Often used to support melody.