ELEMENTS OF MUSIC
BEAT
BEAT is the "heart beat" or pulse of the music.
(strong/weak)
(strong/weak)
TEMPO
TEMPO is the "speed" of the beat.
(fast/slow)
(fast/slow)
PITCH
PITCH is the "highness" or "lowness" of the sound.
(high/low)
(high/low)
DYNAMICS
DYNAMICS is the "volume" of the sound.
(loud/soft)
(loud/soft)
RHYTHM
RHYTHM is "patterns" or combinations of
"long" and "short" sounds and silences.
(long/short)
"long" and "short" sounds and silences.
(long/short)
FORM
FORM is the "order" or pattern of sections in a piece of music.
(How a song is organized.)
(How a song is organized.)
A B A C A
When you want to figure out the FORM of a song, you first listen for patterns in the music. Then, identify the different sounding parts and label them alphabetically. The first, main part you hear will always be "A" because it is the first letter of the alphabet. The next part will be called "B" and the next part will be called "C", and so on. If any part repeats, we reuse the letter. (If it sounds like the music from part "A" is being repeated, we call it "A" again).
Popular FORMS in Music
A A A A
A B or A A B B
A B A
RONDO (ABACA)
a form of music where the "A" section
always repeats after each new section
always repeats after each new section
A B A C A
VERSE & REFRAIN (CHORUS)
a form of music where the verses alternate with a refrain
A B A B
(Verse 1) (Refrain) (Verse 2) (Refrain)
In POP music, the VERSE (A section) tells the story.
The REFRAIN or "Chorus" (B section) is the
"catchy" part that repeats.
The REFRAIN or "Chorus" (B section) is the
"catchy" part that repeats.
Yankee Doodle
|
Verse 1
Yankee Doodle went to town A-riding on a pony Stuck a feather in his cap And called it macaroni Verse 2 Father and I went down to camp Along with Captain Gooding And there we saw the men and boys As thick as hasty pudding Verse 3 And there was Captain Washington Upon a slapping stallion A-giving orders to his men I guess there were a million |
Refrain
Yankee Doodle, keep it up Yankee Doodle dandy Mind the music and the step And with the girls be handy Refrain Yankee Doodle, keep it up Yankee Doodle dandy Mind the music and the step And with the girls be handy Refrain Yankee Doodle, keep it up Yankee Doodle dandy Mind the music and the step And with the girls be handy Yankee Doodle, keep it up Yankee Doodle dandy Mind the music and the step And with the girls be handy |
THEME & VARIATIONS
a form of music where an idea (theme) is stated,
then altered as it is repeated (variations)
then altered as it is repeated (variations)
ROUND (Canon)
a form of music where all parts overlap the same melody,
but begin at different times
but begin at different times
Now let's analyze the FORM of a famous piece of music. This song has A, B and C sections as well as an INTRODUCTION, INTERLUDES, and a CODA!
"Finale" to the William Tell Overture
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TIMBRE
Timbre is the "individual quality" of a sound.
(tone color)
(tone color)
MAJOR vs. minor
Songs can either be in a Major or Minor key. A song in a Major key sounds "happy" or bright. A song in a Minor key sounds "sad", dark or mysterious. We can also refer to chords in the same way. If a chord sounds "happy", we say that it's a Major chord. If a chord sounds "sad", we say that it's a Minor chord.