MUSIC

Part I - ELEMENTS OF
MUSIC
MUSIC - Is considered to be the universal language of people around the
world.
Is the art of organizing and putting together an array of sounds
into a meaningful, perceptual experience.
Is an abstract form of art, maybe even the most abstract and
subjective of all the arts.

ELEMENTS OF
MUSIC
Rhythm: beat, rhythmic pattern, accent, syncopation, time signature

Beat - is the regular pulse of music where we may count by two’s, three’s, four’s
and so on.

Rhythm - on the other hand, is the pattern made by combining different durations of
sound and silence in music
ACCENT - are emphases or stress on certain notes within a meter.

SYNCOPATION – is the accenting of a note which would usually not be accented. It is

often described as being off beat
Time Signature – Time signatures in sheet music are used to specify how many
beats are contained in each measure of music, and which note value is
equivalent to one beat. In sheet music, vertical black bars called bar lines divide
the staff into measures. The time signature in music is represented by a set of
numbers, one on top of the other, resembling a fraction.

Example:
Melody: pitch, conjunct, disjunct

Is a group of pitches used in a coherent pattern or succession.

Pitch – is the quality of highness and lowness of a sound.

A melody that rises and falls slowly, with only small pitch changes between one note and
the next, is conjunct

A melody that rises and falls quickly, with large intervals between one note and the next, is a
disjunct melody.
Tempo and Dynamics: moods, theme

tempo tells you how slow or fast to play the music.

Dynamics – is the property of music that deals with its loudness or softness (volume).
Harmony and Texture: chords, how harmony is designed

Harmony – is that event in which two or more pitches, or notes, sound simultaneously.

Chords - a device in harmony where two or three pitches are sounded together.

Texture - in music, refers to the various layers of melodic lines and sounds happening
simultaneously in a composition.

Monophonic texture consists of one layer: a single unaccompanied melody.

Polyphony is the type of musical texture consisting of two or more

simultaneous lines of independent melody.
Polyphonic texture is formed when harmony is formed by interweaving sounds that come
from various directions that do not necessarily synchronizes in the rhythm or lyrics of the
main melody, but still maintains harmony that vertically agrees with the chord progression.

Homophony is a texture in which a primary part is supported by one or more additional

strands that flesh out harmony. Here, you will notice that vocal harmony is formed based on
the chord progression designed for this song.
Form: unitary, binary, melodic, rhythmic/recitative

Form – is a musical work’s shape, structure, and the organized arrangements of its elements
– and how these elements are manipulated so that the work makes sense.

a. The Unitary form limits the form of music style to only one and repeats the
motif and rhythmic pattern all throughout the song. Example of this is the famous
Tagalog folk song, “Sitsiritsit”
b. The Binary form comes in two different musical styles which may be represented by A and B. Elements
of repetition may be followed as in AABB.
Timbre – quality of sound or the tone color of a song

Is the quality of notes we hear in music, dependent on the instruments, voices, and the
method of how these instruments and voices are played/manipulated.