1. I
Elements

2. Purposes of Elements Breaks down each piece of the “puzzle”
Makes each “puzzle” piece understandable
When we put the pieces back together then we have a complete understanding of the piece.
NO we are NOT talking about lyrics!

3. Rhythm/Meter
Your definition: The arrangement of musical time. Music is arranged in beats/note values grouped into measures. Rhythm is the arrangement of note lengths in a piece of music.
Questions to ask:
Long vs. Short?
Repeat?
Pattern?

4. Tempo
How fast or slow music is played. This is usually marked using with symbols or Italian terms
Tempo Markings
Largo
Andante
Allegro
Allegretto
Questions?
Does it change/repeat?

5. *Pitch/Timber PITCH/Timber
This is how high or low the sounds seem, but for this section it tells us what we here.
Questions:
What families do we hear?
What specific instruments do we hear?

6. Pitch/Melody
MELODY
This can be considered the recognizable ‘tune’ of the piece.
Questions:
Who has the melody?
Does it move to someone else?
Does it change or stay the same?
**(Think main thing in a picture)**

7. Harmony
HARMONY
This is a group of notes played together, that supports the melody; played simultaneously or as broken chords.
Questions:
Who has the harmony?
Does it change?
How is this helping the melody sound better?
**(Think background in a picture)**

8. PITCH, DYNAMICS, AND TONE COLOR
CHAPTER 1—SOUND:
PITCH, DYNAMICS, AND TONE COLOR
Tone Color
This is the quality of a sound
Can be bright, dark, mellow, etc.
Questions to ask:
What is the tone color of the melody?
Does it match the harmony?
How does it affect the overall sound of the piece?
Ex. The tone color for this piece would be best described as bright and happy - It makes me want to get up and dance.

9. Texture
This describes the layers in music and how they relate to each other.
**(Think how complex is the picture I’m looking at?)**
THICK/THIN
MONOPHONIC (Simple 1 item picture)
HOMOPHONIC (Normal picture with a couple of things in it)
POLYPHONIC (Abstract art!) O_o

10. Texture – Monophonic Texture = thickness of sound
Monophonic: “one sound” music is performed in unison; (everyone plays or sings the same part at the same time.) Therefore, Harmony DOES NOT exist in monophonic music.
Think picture with only a flower in it.
Simplest form of music. Period.
Examples?

11. Texture – Homophonic
Homophonic: “same sound” music has multiple or different parts being sung or played, but ARE done at the same time.
Melody and harmony exist, BUT melody RULES!
Think picture with a flower in a vase on a table next to a window. (The flower is still the main thing in the picture!)
Most COMMON form of music heard!
Examples?

12. Texture – Polyphonic
The final texture-
Polyphonic: “many sounds” music has multiple, independent parts that are sung or played at the same time.
Each part is as important as the others.
Thickest sounding of the three!
Picture a Picasso painting of a flower… though you are not sure it’s a flower and there are so many colors and too many lines