An introduction to talking about music Musical language An introduction to talking about music (CRICOS) #00212K

Describing sound All sound can be described using a few basic adjectives: Pitch: high or low Volume: loud or soft Texture: thick or thin Speed: fast or slow (CRICOS) #00212K

Describing music Music is a special kind of sound which can also be described in terms of: Melody Harmony Rhythm Tempo Dynamics Instrumentation Structure/Arrangement (CRICOS) #00212K

Describing melody The melody is a sequence of notes or pitches. The melody gives the music ‘shape’, e.g.: Smooth Angular Wavy (CRICOS) #00212K

Describing the mood You might also describe the mood that a piece of music creates. The melody, harmony etc create mood, e.g. happy (usually major key) or sad (usually minor key). You can also use adjectives relating to colours or shades to describe mood, e.g. dark or light. (CRICOS) #00212K

Describing the arrangement A composer arranges music by organising different pitches and volumes over a space of time. When talking about arrangement, you might consider repetition, variation, and contrast. Useful adjectives include: moving, changing, surprising, unexpected… (CRICOS) #00212K

Describing the speed When talking about the speed of music, adjectives associated with motion can be helpful, e.g.: Skipping, trudging, plodding, racing You can also think about the effect of the speed of the music on the listener, e.g.: Calm, sleepy, sad, exciting, thrilling (CRICOS) #00212K

Describing the style You may also find it helpful to talk about the style of the music (though this can lead to generalisations), e.g.: Punk Military Country Medieval Romantic Hollywood Bollywood Britpop (CRICOS) #00212K