The Building Blocks of Music ♫ The Music Elements The Building Blocks of Music

1. BEAT A steady Pulse SECOND HAND MARCHING FEET METRONOME HEARTBEAT

Beat: Always steady Some beats are strong and some are weak METER organizes beats

Listen to the following selections and determine the strong and weak beat patterns Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Strong weak Strong weak Strong weak weak Strong Strong weak weak Strong weak Strong

Fingers on Computer Keys 2. Rhythm A pattern of long and short sounds and silences Playing a drumset Fingers on Computer Keys Hammering Nails

Rhythmic Notation Symbols

Silences are also notated – they are RESTS

Make patterns of notes and rests to create rhythm

Fun With Rhythm! LeRoy Anderson’s “The Typewriter” Watch and Listen to a legendary drummer play RHYTHM!

3. Pitch The Highness or lowness of ANY sound Policeman’s Whistle Ocean Liner’s Whistle

An important rule for Pitch The rule of the 4 L’s LONG LOOSE LARGE equals LOW!

Musical Pitch is noted on a STAFF Five lines and four spaces on which music is writen

The high pitches are written on the TREBLE STAFF

The low pitches are written on the BASS STAFF

When both staves are used, it is called a GRAND STAFF

Every line and every space has a letter name F E D C B A G F E D C B A G F E D C B A G

Combine Pitch and Rhythm to create the next two elements: 4. MELODY Pitches that make up the tune of the song 5. HARMONY Other pitches or notes played at the same time as the melody to support it

Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Listen to the following Examples. Determine whether each one is MELODY only, or MELODY with HARMONY? Example 1 Example 2 Example 3

6. TEMPO! Tempo is the speed of the beat and how the speed changes.

7. VOLUME Volume in music is called “Dynamics” Dynamics show how loud or soft the music is, or changes in volume Pianissimo very soft Piano soft Mezzo piano medium soft Mezzo forte medium loud Forte loud Fortissismo very loud Crescendo get louder Decrescendo get softer

TIMBRE is to music what COLOR is to visual art Click on the pictures

What words can you use to describe TIMBRE? Warm Rich Woody Metallic Tinkling Light Airy Strident What other words can you think of?

Instrumentation shows timbre Cordophones Violin Viola Cello Bass viol Guitar Harp Piano (acoustic) Ukulele Aerophones Trumpet Tuba Horn Baritone Trombone Saxophone Clarinet Flute oboe recorder Whistle Bagpipes Pipe organ Harmonica Human voice Alphorn

Instrumentation shows timbre Membranophones Snare drum Tympani Bass drum Bongos Conga drum Djembe Talking drum Idiophones Triangle Cymbals Xylophone Bells Maracas Guiro Gong Electrophones Electronic: Keyboard Guitar Theramin Synthesizer

The complexity of a piece of music 9. TEXTURE The complexity of a piece of music MONOPHONIC POLYPHONIC HOMOPHONIC