ALL MUSIC HAS VALUE TO SOMEBODY
What is Music?
The Organization of Sound in Time
What is Music? The Organization of Sound in Time Sound Time Organization
Hearing vs Listening Passive listening (hearing) - being mildly aware of sound Active listening - concentrating on sounds.
Properties of Objects Size Shape Color Texture
Elements of Music Pitch Duration Dynamics Timbre
Pitch High or low sounds (notes)
Pitch High or low sounds (notes) Melody - the “tune”. A series of pitches heard one at a time. Motive - a short, instantly recognizable idea. Like a musical "word". Usually, a melody consists of several motives.
Pitch Harmony: Two or more sounds heard at the same time. Chords. Consonant - stable sound Dissonant - unstable sound
Pitch Interval - The distance between two pitches. Conjunct - step (small interval) Disjunct - leap (large interval)
Pitch Vibrato - a rapid, slight variation of pitch. Produces a stronger, richer tone. Done by voices and instruments (many, but not all).
Pitch Phrase - Part of a melody - when singing, as much as you sing in one breath
Pitch Shape - the contour of a melody - mapping out the highs and lows.
Pitch Cadence - Resting place. Complete (final / permanent) or incomplete (temporary or a mid-way pause). A phrase will often end with a cadence.
“The Ball” Watching an unfamiliar sporting event It is difficult to try to absorb all the rules and protocols immediately My advice, “Watch the ball”. The ball is the object of primary importance. Watch the ball to try to follow gameplay. In music, the melody is “the Ball”.
Pitch = Frequency Frequency is measured in Hertz, or cycles per second. The sound wave vibrates a number of times per second, and it in turn produces a specific pitch or note. A=440 is a standard tuning pitch for instruments. 440 cycles per second is the pitch A.
Frequency 440 Hertz is a tuning A. Human hearing commonly extends from 20 Hertz to 20,000 Hertz (or 20 KiloHertz KHz).
Duration The element of time.
Duration Beat - the steady pulse that flows through a piece of music. Fast or slow May be easy to hear (or feel), or it may not be. Nonmetric - If the beat is not evident.
Duration Meter - how the beats are grouped. Most often in either in 2, 3 or 4 (most common) Usually first beat is accented. Occasionally, meter is in another grouping.
Duration Tempo - the speed of the beats. Fast or slow. Remember, the beat usually remains steady
Duration Rhythm - a pattern of beats and accents, shorts and longs. Often the rhythm is a pattern that repeats.
Duration Syncopation - when the emphasis falls on a beat that is normally not accented. An exception in “classical” music, but a feature of “popular” music.
Dynamics Volume. Loud or soft The relative loudness or softness. Relative - loud to a flute is not the same as loud to a trumpet!
Dynamics p = piano - soft f = forte - strong (or loud) Mezzo- = medium or half -issimo = very
Dynamics pp = pianissimo p = piano mp = mezzo-piano mf = mezzo-forte f = forte ff = fortissimo
Dynamics pp - p - mp - - mf - f - ff (0) 1 2 3
Dynamics Crescendo - gradual increase in volume Decrescendo - gradual decrease in volume Subito - sudden change in volume
Timbre A description of the actual sounds you are hearing.
Timbre Timbre can be a list of the instruments or voices that you hear. Timbre can also refer to the variations in tone color of a specific instrument (a bright guitar or dark voice).