Elements of Music

Question 1

Music definition

Answer 1

art of sound (and silence) and can be used to express both ideas and emotions

Question 2

What are the elements of music?

Answer 2

pitch, rhythm, timbre, texture, dynamics, and structure.

Question 3

pitch

Answer 3

how high or low a note is. Pitch is based on the FREQUENCY of a sound, nothing to do with volume

Question 4

Melody

Answer 4

is the way in which sounds of different pitches are arranged sequentially, and HARMONY (complementary notes) is the way sounds of different pitches are arranged in relation to each other. When pitches are arranged outside the rules of order, DISSONANCE is produced.

Question 5

Rhythm

Answer 5

repetitive timing or beat of music.

Tempo, meter, articulation

Question 6

Meter

Answer 6

is the way in which lines of music are divided into rhythmic units, grouping of beats (both stressed and unstressed beats)

Question 7

Articulation

Answer 7

the way in which notes are separated or blended together within a rhythm, and may be described by terms such as staccato or legato.

Question 8

What are all the terms that fall under (contribute to) rhythm?

Answer 8

tempo, meter, and articulation

Question 9

Tempo

Answer 9

TEMPO refers to speed or pace of rhythm and may be described as lento (slow), largo (very slow), allegro (fast), or presto (very fast)

Question 10

Timbre

Answer 10

refers to the unique sound produced by a specific instrument or voice. (ex: Mary had a little lamb, instruments can play the same notes, but sound very different, they have different Timbres to them. ) While every instrument has its own unique timbre, traditional instruments are general grouped into four main categories (String, wind, percussion, and keyboard)

Question 11

Examples of String instruments.

Answer 11

Harp, violin, Cello, viola, guitar

Question 12

Keyboard instruments

Answer 12

piano, harpsichord (they have keys)

Question 13

Wind

Answer 13

Woodwind and brass- always something vibrating.
woodwind- oboe, clarinet
brass- trumpet, trombone

Question 14

Percussion

Answer 14

something being struck

drums, symbols, bells, tambourine, marimba

Question 15

Texture

Answer 15

overall sound quality of a piece, as is typically affected by how voices are, or not combined. Human singers AND instruments
Examples = Monophonic- One voice/melody without accompaniment. can be multiple singers singing completely in unison.
Polyphonic- Multiple voices, w/ independent melody
Homophonic- Mul. voices, one leading and others in background/ Most WESTERN style. What you hear on the radio
Heterophonic- mult. voices, performing same melodic line with slight variations./ EASTERN (Asian) style. Or blue grass.

Question 16

Dynamics

Answer 16

softness or loudness

piano and forte
piano - soft
forte- loud (think of a loud fort battle)

Question 17

piano (not the instrument) means

Answer 17

soft

Question 18

forte means

Answer 18

loud (FORT BATTLE!)

Question 19

lento, largo, allegro, and presto are examples of….

Answer 19

tempo

Question 20

forte and piano are examples of…

Answer 20

dynamics (or volume)

Question 21

staccato or legato are examples of…

Answer 21

articulation

Question 22

what is monophonic texture?

polyphonic? homophonic? heterophonic?

Answer 22

= Monophonic- One voice/melody without accompaniment. can be multiple singers singing completely in unison.
Polyphonic- Multiple voices, w/ independent melody, rounds, canons, fugues, baroque music
Homophonic- Mul. voices, one leading and others in background/ Most WESTERN style. What you hear on the radio, barbershop, harmonizing
Heterophonic- mult. voices, performing same melodic line with slight variations./ EASTERN (Asian) style. Or blue grass.

Question 23

Structure

Answer 23

refers to the overall way in which a piece of music is arrange. Often structure is based on the conventions of pre-existing form, (meaning they are similar to each other) such as sonata or fugue. Beethoven, you hear similarities to sonatas. fugues, passing vocals from one instrument to the next, similar. Rhythms, melodic lines, similar structure.