The Elements of Music

Melody-succession of pitches with a memorable shape

Pitch-the relative height or depth of a musical sound

Scales-"a scale is any set of musical notes ordered by fundamental frequency or pitch. A scale ordered by increasing pitch is an ascending scale, and a scale ordered by decreasing pitch is a descending scale. Some scales contain different pitches when ascending than when descending, for example, the melodic minor scale."  [Wikipedia].   

Key--a melody and/or harmonies set in a given scale.  The most usual types of keys in Western music are the major and minor key. Major keys are perceived as been bright, happy, calm, upbeat, whereas minor keys are considered to be darker, sad, passionate, etc.  Comedian Bill Bailey demonstrates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dVFknALySA

In a similar vein, we can see the difference if we take a famous movie theme, the "Imperial March" from "Star Wars"  which is a serious tune in a minor key,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzWSJG93P8  ,  and change it into major https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9MShtCg4fk&t=38s.

Other types of scales used by Medieval and Renaissance music, as well by folk and non-Western musics are referred to as modal scales, or church modes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RFTJZa414c

 

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Harmony-the art of setting two or more lines to sound simultaneously

           dissonance--an interval or chord that sounds unstable and harsh, as opposed to consonance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1Ph0sa0Gc0

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Rhythm- the branch of music that concerns durations of individual pitches and the organization of time in general. It can be divided into tempo and meter.

 

      Tempo-the speed of a musical composition. Terms currently used are Italian in origin.  The following list from Wikipedia gives the equivalent of each tempo marking in terms of beats per minute (bpm).

 

From slowest to fastest:

• Larghissimo – very, very slow (24 bpm and under)
• Adagissimo – very slow (24-40 bpm)
• Grave – very slow (25–45 bpm)
• Largo – slow and broad (40–60 bpm)
• Lento – slow (45–60 bpm)
• Larghetto – rather slow and broad (60–66 bpm)
• Adagio – slow with great expression (66–76 bpm)
• Adagietto – slower than andante (72–76 bpm) or slightly faster than adagio (70–80 bpm)
• Andante – at a walking pace (76–108 bpm)
• Andantino – slightly faster than andante (although, in some cases, it can be taken to mean slightly slower than andante) (80–108 bpm)
• Marcia moderato – moderately, in the manner of a march (83–85 bpm)
• Andante moderato – between andante and moderato (thus the name) (92–112 bpm)
• Moderato – at a moderate speed (108–120 bpm)
• Allegretto – by the mid-19th century, moderately fast (112–120 bpm); see paragraph above for earlier usage
• Allegro moderato – close to, but not quite allegro (116–120 bpm)
• Allegro – fast, quick, and bright (120–156 bpm)
• Molto Allegro- very fast (124–156 bpm)
• Vivace – lively and fast (156–176 bpm)
• Vivacissimo or Vivacissiamente – very fast and lively (172–176 bpm)
• Allegrissimo or Allegro vivace – very fast (172–176 bpm)
• Presto – very, very fast (168–200 bpm)
• Prestissimo – even faster than presto (200 bpm and over)

      Meter (metrical) --a regular arrangement of stressed and unstressed beats

• duple meter a- meter with two beats per measure, with emphasis on the first beat, Simple examples are marches https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvWWXv59apY
• quadruple meter- meter with four beat per measure with emphasis on the first beat.  The Irish dance genre know as a reel is an example of this meter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS7NxJDp4zQ
• triple meter -  meter with three beats per measure, with  emphasis on the first beat.  A common example is a waltz:  This example is by the contemporary Swedish folk group, Väsen.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJS3ZTf-sWI
• compound meters - meters composed of groups of three, example ware two groups of three (6/8 time) such as an Irish jig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoiB1-Ubn2I
• complex meters - combinations of groups of beats, eg. 3-2-2, 2-2-2-3, 3-4-3-4, 5-2-3-4.                                                                       

This example is in 7, divided 3-2-2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbVbQuYcr9E                                                                           This example is the Turkish rhythm know as Aksak or Karşilama, divided 2-2-2-3   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPC03bOz7d0

Textures -  Describing how many different parts, and what they are to in relation to each other

• more parts or voices—thicker texture
• fewer parts or voices-thinner texture
• Monophony-one part, no matter how many are singing or playing it.  Often referred to as à capella.  Examples are Gregorian chant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjU-1leykmE
• Heterophony-A variant of monophony, when two instruments play the same melody at the same time, but one is in an embellished form  
• Polyphony-two or more equal melodies.  This example is a four-part from 16th-Century France: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2x_9GtvGbs&pp=ygUaY2hhbnQgZGVzIG9pc2VhdXggZHVleCBnYXI%3D
• Homophony-a main melody with supporting accompaniment   
• Here is a good summary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teh22szdnRQ

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Text to music relationships

• melismatic - a syllable contains many notes.  An example is the Gregorian chant "Viderunt Omnes" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN73kO2_PZA.   Notice how the notes in the score are set to the words.
• syllabic-a syllable contains only one or two notes. An example is the Gregorian chant "Dies Irae" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMZPdSo2qUQ
• strophic—the same music for multiple verses.  An example is the Irish folk song "The Banks of the Bann"   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq01OuEGCfA
• through composed—different music throughout the piece. A famous example is "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axAtWjn3MfI

Cadences are stopping points in music—like periods in verbal expression 

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Form—how a piece of music is constructed. A common issue is to balance the competing needs of unity versus variety

Common forms: 

• Binary form:  AA BB  two parts, each repeate
• Ternary form:  ABA  three parts, with contrast in the middle
• Strophic song form: A, A1, A2, A3…  same music with different verses
• Strophic form with chorus  A, B, A1, B, A2, B…..
• 32-bar song form (common in Broadway show tunes and jazz) 
• A, A1, B (bridge), A3

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Timbre-the quality of sound of a musical instrument (also, tone color)

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Dynamics-the levels of loudness and softness in music

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Genre -  Expectations regarding a given type of music.  For example, we expect a lullaby to be a quiet, slow, vocal genre. Playing with genre expectations is one of a number devices composers and performances can use to give new interesting and creative slants on previous works and genres. Here are some examples.

1. Here is the first movement of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. The symphony a genre for full orchestra.  Listen to the first 40 seconds to get the main theme and extension.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOk8Tm815lE&t=41s

In a major switch, the Brazilian composer José (Zé) Miguel Wisnik (born 1948) has taken that theme and turned it into a song in the style of a samba dance known as a baiao, even refers to the symphony by Beethoven in the lyrics.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1EsunJvZpI

    2.  Here is the famous pop song "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys.

It is in a very regular, square 4/4 time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fndeDfaWCg

In a major genre flip, the group Postmodern Jukebox, turns it into a 70s-style soul number in a gently swinging 6/8 where you feel the two groups of three.  The soloist adds all sorts of decorative melismas, especially at the ends of phrases. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6HtMqVRzQg

   3.  In a switch in the process, the cover version of a song became the more famous version in the case of the song "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen.  Most of us know the version popularized in the movie "Shrek" as arranged and performed by Rufus Wainwright. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR0DKOGco_o.

Here is the original version by Leonard Cohen, which has much more of a soul/folk feeling to it and is scored for a large ensemble including backup singers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrLk4vdY28Q