UNIT 5 ELEMENTS OF ART

Lesson 2: ELEMENTS OF MUSIC

This lesson helps students to gain an understanding of the basic elements of music
which will help them appreciate said genre of art.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students must have:

1. Identified and described the elements of music; and,

2. Analysed music based on its elements.

In Focus

Elements of Music

One can enjoy music by just mere contact with it. But one can fully appreciate and
completely enjoy it if he/she has knowledge of its components.

Music is made of sound. But unlike any other sound, sound in music, which is called
tone, is organized and regular.

Tone is the basic sound material with which the composer works.

Components of Tone (Elements of Music)

A. Pitch. The term pitch refers to the highness or lowness of a tonal sound in terms
of its location in the musical scale. It is measurable in vibration per second, so pitch, in
relation to vibration is, the faster the vibrations are, the higher the pitch will be, and the
slower the vibrations, the lower the pitch. However, vibration depends on the length, width,
thickness, density, and tension of the vibrating body or size of the vibrating body.

Large objects vibrate more slowly than small ones, thus, produce lower tones.

Ways to Determine Pitch

Scale. It is the arrangement of pitches.

Key Signature. It indicates the key in which the composition is written.

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 B. Duration. It is the length of time in which vibration is maintained without
interruption. It is not fixed. It is designed within musical notation.

Musical Notation. It consists of series of symbols or notes.

Aspects which indicate Duration

Rhythm. It comprises recurring pulses and accent (beats).

It is shaped by meter. Meter refers to rhythmic patterns produced by grouping

together strong and weak beats.
Meter may be in duple (2 beats in a measure), triple (3 beats in a measure), quadruple
(4 beats in a measure) and so on.
Time signature is the written indication of meter.

The elements of rhythm are beats and tempo.

Beats give music its regular rhythmic pattern. They are grouped together in a
measure; the notes and rests correspond to a certain number of beats.
Measure is the units of beats indicated by bar lines in a musical score.
Tempo. It is the rate of speed determined by the length of a beat.
Composers use terms and symbols to indicate tempo.

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 C. Timbre. Also known as tone color; it refers to the quality of sound that
distinguishes one voice or instrument from another.
Timbre may range anywhere from dull to lush, from dark to bright.

Voice Timbre

Soprano is the highest register female voice.

Coloratura soprano
Dramatic soprano
Lyric soprano
Mezzo soprano is the female vocal range between the soprano and alto.
Alto or counter-tenor is lower than a soprano but higher than a tenor
Tenor is the highest register male voice.
Baritone is a male voice lower than tenor but higher than bass.
Bass is the lowest male voice.
D. Dynamics. Dynamics are abbreviations or symbols used to signify the degree of
loudness or softness of a piece of music. It also indicates whether there is a change in
volume.

Term Symbol Effects

piano p soft
pianissimo pp very soft
mezzo piano mp slightly soft
forte f loud
fortissimo ff very loud
mezzo forte mf slightly loud
fortepiano fp loud then soft
sforzando sfz sudden accent
crescendo ˂ gradually louder
diminuendo ˃ gradually soften

E. Melody. It refers to the tune of a song or piece of music. It is the memorable tune
created by playing a succession or series of pitches.

Properties of melody

Dimension. Dimension of melody is determined by melody’s length and range.

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Melody may be short and fragmented or long and extended relative to the number of
measures.

8 measures means moderate length

Less than 8 is short.
More than 8 is long.

Range, on the other hand, is the pitch distance from its lowest to its highest tone.
Range of melody is moderate if the distance between is an octave, narrow if the distance is
less than an octave, and wide if the distance is more than an octave.

Moderate range-the distance between is an octave

Narrow- the distance is less than an octave
Wide- the distance is more than an octave

Register. It is the relative highness or lowness of the aggregate tones of a melody.

Register of melody may be high, medium or low.

Direction. Direction pertains to the movement of the melody. Melody may move
upward or downward rapidly or gradually, or may be static.
 Upward
 Downward
 Static

Progression. It refers to the intervals (pitch distance) between the tones as melody
moves from one tone to the next.

Progression may be conjunct if the movement is stepwise; or disjunct if it contains

numerous prominent skips

F. Harmony. In general, harmony refers to the combination of notes (or chords)

played together and the relationship between a series of chords.

Harmony accompanies and supports the melody. It is created by playing a group of

notes (either simultaneously or as broken chords) behind the melody thus giving it musical
texture.

It is the relationship between melody and chord (where two or more notes or tones
are sounded at the same time.)
Triad is the most common chord. It is a combination of three tones– 1st, 3rd, 5th or
the do, mi, sol

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 G. Texture. Musical texture refers to the number of layers as well as the type of
layers used in a composition and how these layers are related.
It pertains to the melodic and harmonic relationship of musical factors.
Texture may be monophonic (single melodic line), polyphonic (two or more melodic lines)
and homophonic (a main melody accompanied by chords).
 Biphonic: Two different, simultaneous melodies.
 Heterophonic: A slightly elaborated melody with one or two voices.
 Thick texture. When tones, chord or voice parts are closely spaced.

 Thin texture. When tones are widely spaced.

H. Forms. Forms of music also refer to musical structure, design or plan.

Common Forms

A cappella. A choral music sung without instrumental accompaniment

Chanson. A song developed by the troubadours and trouveres with French text
Chorale. A strophic religious song often sung by a congregation
Anthem. A religious or patriotic song
Madrigal. A contrapuntal song without accompaniment
Aria. An extended solo song, usually accompanied by an orchestra, usually found in
operas, cantatas, oratorio
Opera. A musical play
Cantata. Based on religious subject for a varied combination of soloists, chorus and
instruments
Oratorio. A sacred opera
Overture. A piece of orchestral music played at the start of an opera
Sonata. A composition usually in three movements which makes use of the formal
pattern of fast, slow, and fast
Chamber music. A music played by an ensemble of two to nine instruments
Symphony. A piece of orchestral music based on the same principle of the sonata
Concerto. A composition for a solo instrument and orchestra
Dance. A music for particular dances
Nocturne. A romantic or dreamy piece, usually for piano
Absolute music. An instrumental music which does not make use of a poem or story
for its idea composer is interested only in the expressive pattern of sound
Program music. An instrumental music built around a story or poem; also descriptive
music