Overview:
Music, as an art form, is composed of elements that are at one time unique to the structure of music but also related to the elements of other art forms. In this class, students will discover the basic structure of music to guide future experiences that teach the individual music elements and combine them with the other arts.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Identify the elements of music by sight and sound.
- Distinguish between pulse, duration, and stress in rhythm.
- Discover the differences and distinguish between high and low sounds.
- Distinguish between melody and harmony.
- Distinguish between form, timbre, and expression.
Form, Timbre, and Expression
Form in music refers to the overall structure of the piece. Musical form is like a blueprint or a plan for a building, or an outline for a novel or story. All art forms have a plan that is conceived and articulated by its creator unless it is completely devoid of form and in that case, the composition would be considered “free form,” which is a type of form in itself. In music, several types of musical forms have been developed and used according to the style, genre, cultural derivations, and preferences of the composer. These will be covered more thoroughly in Module Seven, but it is important to note that music has an underlying foundation of structure that can be identified and analyzed.
Musical timbre—also referred to as tone color or tone quality—references the sound qualities of the musical tone. The timbre of a voice or musical instrument conveys more than sound production through pitch or volume. It also includes characteristics such as color or texture (dark, light, warm, etc.), richness (harmonic frequencies blending high and low harmonics), or distortion as a part of style, as in heavy metal rock music. These qualities contribute to the interpretive abilities of the musician, who may use them consciously, intentionally, or intuitively to convey the meaning and emotion of the music.
Composers and musicians use musical expression as a means of emotional communication to the listener. In musical terms, expression is conveyed through the use of dynamics, phrasing, melodic and harmonic complexity, timbre, and articulation, often notated in the music by the composer through specific symbols and words. Expression is fundamental to music as a means of relating meaning, enjoyment, and value of the composition to the listener. Although the use of expression as a means of communication has varied over the centuries depending upon taste, style, and personal preference, one central purpose of music is to express emotion either to one’s self or to others.