Music Fundamentals

Elements of Music

Rhythm- Distribution of sound over time.
Beat- Unit of pulse
Tempo- Speed or rate at which beats pass
Measure- Group of beats
Accent- An emphasis placed on a certain note
Subdivision- The division of a beat
Meter- Underlying pattern of beats that maintains itself consistently throughout a work
Syncopation- Off the beat. Achieved by the silence occurring between beats
Genre- Category of music
Melody- Single line of notes heard in succession as a coherent unit
Texture- Texture is based on the number and general relationship of musical lines or voices. Texture can be thick or thin
Monophonic- Single melody with no accompaniment
Homophonic- Melody performed with supporting accompaniment
Polyphonic- Melody is performed against another line of equal importance
Harmony- Sound created by multiple voices playing or singing together
Timbre- The color and character of a sound
Dynamics- The volume at which sound is heard (loud–soft)
Form- The architecture of music
AAA (strophic)- Setting of words in which all verses and stanzas are set to the same music. This is an ideal song form to use for story telling.
AABA (American popular song form)- Three related sections, third section is a recapitulation of the first (ABA) or (AABA)
AB (verse/chorus)- Two related sections usually repeating (AB)
ABC (verse/chorus/bridge)- Identical in structure to AB song form with the exception that a bridge is inserted into the song structure.