Elements of Music
Elements of Music
Elements of Music / Properties of Sound
Elements of Music:
Sounds may be perceived                                     as pleasant or unpleasant.
What are                                     these sounds that we hear? What is "sound"? What causes it, and how do we hear it?
-Sound begins with the vibration of an object, such as a table that is pounded or a string that is plucked.
-The vibrations                                     are transmitted to our ears by a medium, which is usually air
-As a                                     result of the vibrations, our eardrums start vibrating too, and impulses, or signals, are transmitted to the brain.                                     There the impulses are selected, organized, and interpreted.
 -Music is part of this world of sound, an art based on the organization of sounds in                                     time.
Properties of musical sounds:
-We distinguish                                     music from other sounds by recognizing the four main properties of musical sounds: pitch,                                     dynamics (loudness or softness), tone color, and duration.
Duration: the length                                     of time a musical sound lasts
Pitch is the relative highness or lowness that we hear                                     in a sound
-The pitch of a sound is determined by the frequency of its vibrations.
-The faster                                     the vibrations, the higher the pitch; the slower the vibrations, the lower the pitch.
-Vibration                                     frequency is measured in cycles per second.
-On a piano                                     the highest-frequency tone is 4,186 cycles per second, and the lowest is about 27 cycles per second.
In general,                                     the smaller the vibrating object, the faster its vibrations and the higher its pitch. All other things being equal, plucking                                     a short string produces a higher pitch than plucking a long string. The relatively short strings of a violin produce higher                                     pitches than do the longer strings of a double bass.
In music,                                     a sound that has a definite pitch is called a tone. It has a specific frequency, such as 440 cycles per                                     second. The vibrations of a tone are regular and reach the ear at equal time intervals.
Noiselike                                     sounds (squeaking brakes or clashing cymbals) have an indefinite pitch because they are produced by irregular vibrations.
-Two tones                                     will sound different when they have different pitches.
-The "distance"                                     in pitch between any two tones is called an interval.
-          When tones are separated by the interval called an octave, they sound very much                                     alike.
The distance                                     between the lowest and highest tones that a voice or instrument can produce is called its pitch range, or simply its range.
-The range                                     of the average untrained voice is between 1 and 2 octaves;
 -A pianos range is over 7 octaves.
-When men and                                     women sing the same melody, they usually sing it an octave apart.
Though                                     most music we know is based on definite pitches, indefinite pitchessuch as those made by a bass drum or by cymbalsare important                                     as well. Some percussion instruments, such as gongs, cowbells, and wood-blocks, come in different sizes and therefore produce                                     higher or lower indefinite pitches. Contrasts between higher and lower indefinite pitches play a vital role in twentieth-century                                     western music and in musical cultures around the world.
Dynamics: Degrees of loudness or softness in music are called dynamics                                     our second property of sound.
-Loudness                                     is related to the amplitude of the vibration that produces the sound. The harder a guitar string is plucked (the farther it                                     moves from the fingerboard), the louder its sound. When instruments are played more loudly or more softly, or
when there                                     is a change in how many instruments are heard, a dynamic change results; such a change may be made either suddenly or gradually.
Crescendo: A gradual                                     increase in loudness.  It often creates excitement, particularly when the pitch                                     rises too.
Decrescendo: a gradual                                     decrease in loudness. It can be used to convey a sense of calm.
When notating                                     music, composers have traditionally used Italian words, and their abbreviations, to indicate dynamics. The most common terms                                     are:
For extremes                                     of softness and loudness, composers use ppp or pppp and fff or ffff.                                     The following notations indicate gradual changes in dynamics:
 
 
Tone                                     Color
We can                                     tell a trumpet from a flute even when each of them is playing the same tone at the same dynamic level. The quality that distinguishes                                     them our third property of musical soundis called tone color, or timbre (pronounced tam-ber). Tone color                                     is described by words like bright, dark, brilliant, mellow, and rich.
Like changes                                     in dynamics, changes in tone color create variety and contrast. When the same melody is played by one instrument and then                                     by another, it takes on different expressive effects because of each instruments tone color. On the other hand, a contrast                                     in tone color may be used to highlight a new melody: after violins play a melody, an oboe may present a contrasting one.
Tone colors                                     also build a sense of continuity; it is easier to recognize the return of a melody when the same instruments play it each                                     time. Specific instruments can reinforce a melodys emotional impact: the brilliant sound of a trumpet is suited to heroic                                     or military tunes; the soothing tone color of a flute fits the mood of a calm melody. In fact, composers often create a melody                                     with a particular instruments tone color in mind.
A practically                                     unlimited variety of tone colors is available to composers. Combining different instrumentsviolin, clarinet, and trombone,                                     for exampleresults in new colors that the instruments cannot produce by themselves. And tone color can be changed by varying                                     the number of instruments or voices that perform a melody. Finally, electronic techniques developed in recent years allow                                     composers to create colors completely unlike those of traditional instruments.
ELEMENTS OF MUSIC: Rhythm,Melody,Harmony,Key,Texture,Form.
Rhythm is the flow of music through time.
Rhythm                                     has several interrelated aspects: beat, meter, accent and syncopation, and tempo.
Beat: is a regular, recurrent pulsation that divides music into equal units                                     of time. When you clap your hands or tap your foot to music, you are responding to its beat.
A note                                     may last a fraction of a beat, an entire beat, or more than a beat. More specifically, rhythm can be defined as the particular arrangement of note lengths in a piece of                                     music. The rhythm of a melody is an essential feature of its personality.
Meter: In music we find a repeated pattern of a strong beat plus one                                     or more weaker beats. The organization of beats into regular groups is called meter.
A group containing                                     a fixed number of beats is called a measure. There are several types of meter, which are based on the number                                     of beats in a measure.
When a measure                                     has 2 beats, it is in duple meter; we count 12, 12,
The first,                                     or stressed, beat of the measure is known as the downbeat.
A pattern of                                     3 beats to the measure is known as triple meter. All waltzes are in triple meter, we count 123, 123,                                     etc.
Another                                     basic metrical pattern is quadruple meter, which has 4 beats to the measure. As usual, the downbeat is strongest;                                     but there is another stress on the third beat, which is stronger than the second and fourth beats and weaker than the first: 1234, 1234.
Upbeat:                                     It is an unaccented pulse preceding the downbeat.
Sextuple                                     meter contains six rather quick beats to the                                     measure. The downbeat is strongest, and the fourth beat also receives a stress: 123456.
Quintuple                                     meter, with 5 beats to the measure, and septuple                                     meter, with 7 beats to the measure, occur frequently in twentieth-century music and are found occasionally in earlier                                     music. Each of these meters combines duple and triple meter. In quintuple meter, for example, the measure is subdivided into                                     groups of 2 and 3 beats: 123/45 or 12/345.
Accent                                     and Syncopation: An important aspect of rhythm                                     is the way individual notes are stressedhow they get special emphasis. A note is emphasized most obviously by being played                                     louder than the notes around it, that is, by receiving a dynamic accent.
When an accented                                     note comes where we normally would not expect one, the effect is known as syncopation.
A syncopation                                     also occurs when a weak beat is accented, as in 1234 or 1234.
Tempo: is the speed of the beat, the basic                                     pace of the music.
A fast                                     tempo is associated with a feeling of energy, drive, and excitement. A slow tempo often contributes to a solemn, lyrical,                                     or calm mood.
A tempo                                     indication is usually given at the beginning of a piece. As with dynamics, the terms that show tempo (at the left)                                     are in Italian.
largo
moderately slow, a walking pace
moderato
prestissimo
as fast as possible
Qualifying words                                     are sometimes added to tempo indications to make them more specific. The two most commonly used are molto (much)                                     and non troppo (not too much). We thus get phrases like allegro molto (very fast) and allegro                                     non troppo (not too fast).
A gradual                                     quickening of tempo may be indicated by writing accelerando (becoming faster), and a gradual slowing                                     down of tempo by ritardando (becoming slower).
An accelerando,                                     especially when combined with a rise in pitch and volume, increases excitement, and a ritardando is associated with less tension                                     and a feeling of conclusion.
Metronome, an apparatus which produces ticking sounds or flashes of light at                                     any desired musical speed. The metronome setting indicates the exact number of beats per minute.
Melody: After                                     hearing a piece of music, we usually remember its melody best. melody is a series of single tones which add                                     up to a recognizable whole. A melody begins, moves, and ends; it has direction, shape, and continuity. The up-and-down movement                                     of its pitches conveys tension and release, expectation and arrival. This is the melodic curve, or line.
-A melody                                     moves by small intervals called steps or by larger ones called leaps. A step is the interval between                                     two adjacent tones in the do-re-mi scale (from do to re, re to mi, etc.). Any interval larger                                     than a step is a leap (do to mi, for example). Besides moving up or down by step or leap, a melody may simply                                     repeat the same note.
-A melodys range is the distance between its lowest and highest tones. Range may be wide or narrow.
-Melodies written                                     for instruments tend to have a wider range than those for voices, and they often contain wide leaps and rapid notes that would                                     be difficult to sing.
How the                                     tones of a melody are performed can vary its effect, too. Sometimes they are sung or played in a smooth, connected style called legato. Or they may be performed in a short, detached manner called staccato.
Spiccato: it is a technique used only by                                     string instruments to performe very short notes.
-Many                                     melodies are made up of shorter parts called phrases.
-A resting                                     place at the end of a phrase is called a cadence.
Incomplete                                     cadence:  sets                                     up expectations; the second phrase ends with a Complete cadence:  gives                                     an answer, a sense of finality.
Often the highest                                     tone of a melody will be the climax, the emotional focal point.
-A repetition                                     of a melodic pattern on a higher or lower pitch is called a sequence. This is an impelling device of varied                                     repetition that gives a melody a strong sense of direction.
Frequently,                                     a melody will serve as the starting point for a more extended piece of music and, in stretching out, will go through all kinds                                     of changes. This kind of melody is called a theme.
When folksingers                                     accompany themselves on a guitar, they add support, depth, and richness to the melody. We call this harmonizing. Most music in western culture is a blend of melody and harmony.
Harmony: refers to the way chords are constructed and how they follow each other.
-A chord is a combination of three or more tones sounded at once.
Essentially,                                     a chord is a group of simultaneous tones, and a melody is a series of individual tones heard one after another.
Consonance                                     and Dissonance
Some chords                                     have been considered stable and restful, others unstable and tense.
-A tone                                     combination that is stable is called a consonance. Consonances are points of arrival, rest, and resolution.
-A tone                                     combination that is unstable is called a dissonance.
-A dissonance                                     has its resolution when it moves to a consonance. When this resolution is delayed or accomplished in unexpected                                     ways, a feeling of drama, suspense, or surprise is created. In this way a composer plays with the listeners sense of expectation.
-Dissonant chords                                     are active and move music forward. Traditionally they have been considered harsh and have been used in music that expresses                                     pain, grief, and conflict.
Now that                                     consonance and dissonance have been defined, be aware that they can exist in varying degrees. Some consonant chords are more                                     stable than others, and some dissonant chords are more tense than others. Dissonant chords have been used with increasing                                     freedom over the centuries, so that often a chord considered intolerably harsh in one period has later come to seem rather                                     mild.
The Triad
A great variety                                     of chords have been used in music. Some chords consist of three different tones; others have four, five, or even more. Depending                                     on their makeup, chords sound simple or complex, calm or tense, bright or dark.
The simplest,                                     most basic chord is the triad (pronounced try-ad), which consists of three tones.
The bottom                                     tone is called the root; the others are a third and a fifth above the root.
-A triad built                                     on the first, or tonic, note of the scale (do) is called the tonic chord.
The triad built                                     on the fifth note of the scale (sol) is next in importance to the tonic. It is called the dominant chord (sol-ti-re). The dominant chord is strongly pulled toward the tonic chord. This attraction has great importance in                                     music. A dominant chord sets up tension that is resolved by the tonic chord.
A progression                                     from dominant chord to tonic chord is called a cadence. The word cadence means both the resting point                                     at the end of a melodic phrase and a chord progression that gives a sense of conclusion.
Broken                                     Chords (Arpeggios): When the individual tones                                     of a chord are sounded one after another, it is called a broken chord, or arpeggio. Arpeggios                                     may appear in the melody or in the accompaniment.
-The central                                     tone is the keynote, or tonic, of the melody. When a piece is in the key of C, for example, C                                     is the keynote, or tonic. The keynote can also be E, or A, or any of the twelve tones that fill the octave in western music.
Key: involves not only a central tone but also a central scale and chord.                                     A piece in the key of C has a basic scale, do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do, with C as its do, or tonic. Key, then, refers to the presence of a central note, scale, and chord within a piece. Another term for key is tonality.
After 1900,                                     some composers abandoned the traditional system, but even today much of the music we hear is built around a central tone,                                     chord, and scale.
Practically                                     all familiar melodies are built around a central tone. The other tones of the melody gravitate toward this central one. Since                                     the central tone is especially stable and restful, a melody usually ends on it.
Modulation:                                     Change of Key
Shifting                                     from one key to another within the same piece is called modulation. A modulation is like a temporary shift in the center of gravity. When the music starts out in                                     the key of C major, for instance, C is the central tone, and the C major scale and chord predominate. With a modulation to                                     G major, G temporarily becomes the central tone, and the G major scale and chord are now the main ones. Though modulations                                     are sometimes subtle and difficult to spot, they produce subconscious effects that increase our enjoyment of the music.
Texture:                                     homophonic, Polyphonic, Monophonic
Polyphonic                                     Texture
Simultaneous                                     performance of two or more melodic lines of relatively equal interest produces the texture called polyphonic, meaning having many sounds. In polyphony several melodic lines compete for attention. (When several jazz musicians                                     improvise different melodies at once, they produce polyphony.)
The technique                                     of combining several melodic lines into a meaningful whole is called counterpoint.
The term contrapuntal texture is sometimes used in place of polyphonic texture
Polyphonic music                                     often contains imitation, which occurs when a melodic idea is presented by one voice or instrument and is then                                     restated immediately by another voice or instrument.
Homophonic                                     Texture: When we hear one main melody accompanied                                     by chords, the texture is homophonic.
Monophonic                                     Texture: When we hear one main melody without                                     accompaniment, the texture is monophonic. 
 
Form: in music is the organization of musical elements in time. In a musical                                     composition, pitch, tone color, dynamics, rhythm, melody, and texture interact to produce a sense of shape and structure. 
Techniques                                     That Create Musical Form
Repetition,                                     contrast, and variation are essential techniques in short tunes as well as in compositions lasting much longer. Repetition creates a sense of unity; contrast provides variety; and variation, in keeping some elements of                                     a musical thought while changing others, gives a work unity and variety at the same time.
 Repetition:                                     In music the repetition of melodies or extended sections is a technique widely used for binding a composition together. Through                                     repetition, a melody is engraved in the memory.
 Contrast: Forward motion, conflict, and change of mood all come from contrast.                                     Oppositionof loud and soft, strings and woodwinds, fast and slow, major and minorpropels and develops musical ideas. A composer                                     can emphasize the power and excitement of one musical idea by contrasting it with another idea that is calm and lyrical
Variation:In                                     the variation of a musical idea, some of its features will be retained while others are changed. For example, the melody might                                     be restated with a different accompaniment. Or the pitches of a melody might stay the same while its rhythmic pattern is changed.                                     A whole composition can be created from a series of variations on a single musical idea.
Types                                     of Musical Form
Three-Part                                     (Ternary) Form: A B A. During the last few centuries three-part form (A B A) has probably been used most frequently. This form can be represented as statement (A), contrast or departure (B), return (A).
Two-Part                                     (Binary) Form: A B. A composition subdivided into two large sections is in two-part form (A B). Two-part form gives a sense of statement (A) and counterstatement (B).
 
The Instruments of the Orchestra:
 We can divide the instruments of the orchestra in four families:(This classification                                     is made by the way the sound is produced)