Elements of Music: Melody, Harmony, Rhythm

Posted on Feb 5, 2025 in Music

Melody

Melody: A sequence of pitches ordered with an aesthetic intentionality. A complete musical idea.

  • Range: Distance between two notes.
  • Sequence: Repetition of a melodic pattern at a pitch different from the original.
  • Cadence: Pause or rest (similar to punctuation in written language).

Characteristics of Melody

  • Profile: Rise and fall of the melody, resulting in a curve.
  • Scope: Distance between the lowest note and the highest.
  • Tessitura: Area in which it is played or sung with ease, without strain or effort.
  • Movement: By joint degrees or jumps.
  • Scale: A set of notes. Types: major, minor, pentatonic, whole tone, chromatic.
  • Phrasing: The articulation of the musical sentences.

Texture

Texture: Manner in which melodies are combined or weaved in a musical composition. There are five types:

  1. Monophonic: A single melody without accompaniment; all voices and instruments play the same melody. Example: Gregorian chant.
  2. Homophonic: The voices move simultaneously with the same rhythmic values but with different notes; a single melody is supported by a chordal accompaniment.
  3. Polyphonic or Counterpoint: Two or more melodic lines of equal importance interweave.
  4. Heterophonic: Simultaneous exposure of different versions of what is essentially the same melody. A melody combined with an ornate version of itself. Examples: Music of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Near and Middle East.

Harmony

Harmony: Studies the relationship between notes when these sound simultaneously. It concerns the vertical aspects of music.

  • Chord: Three or more simultaneous sounds.
  • Consonance: Stable and pleasant harmony.
  • Dissonance: Unstable harmony that creates tension and needs resolution.

Dynamics

Dynamic Nuances:

  • Forte (f): Strong (ff, fff)
  • Piano (p): Soft (pp, ppp)
  • Mezzo (m…): Half (mp, mf)
  • Crescendo (cresc.): Gradually becoming louder.
  • Decrescendo (decresc.) or Diminuendo (dim.): Gradually becoming softer.

Pace

Pace: Organization of music based on duration (long or short) and accents. Balanced distribution of lengths in time. It is a primal element.

  • Pulse: Constant underlying reference.
  • Accent: Stronger pulse (every 1, every 2, every 3 pulses).
  • Tempo: Pulse rate (slow, medium, fast, with or without alterations).
  • Meter: Regular grouping of pulses in time (binary, ternary, quaternary).

Bars of Music

If the time is divided into equal parts, the result is binary, ternary, or quaternary parts. The numerator indicates beats or parts of the measure, and the denominator indicates the value of a figure or part of time. Examples:

  • 2/4 (2 beats, each a quarter note)
  • 3/4 (3 beats, each a quarter note)
  • 4/4 (4 beats, each a quarter note)

Rhythmic Effects

  • Syncopation: Alteration of normal stress because a note begins on a weak beat.
  • Polyrhythms: Simultaneous interpretation of two or more rhythms or different meters (common in African music).
  • Anacrusis: One or more notes that precede the first downbeat of the piece.
  • Off-beat notes: Notes played on a weak beat, preceded by a rest on a strong beat.

Extension Signs

  • Tie: Adds the values of the tied notes.
  • Dot: Adds half of the note’s value to the note.
  • Fermata: Momentarily lengthens the duration of the note.

Bars of Music

  • Simple Measures: Each beat is divided into two parts.
  • Compound Measures: Each beat is divided into three parts.

Irregular Values

Those that do not follow the 1:2 ratio established in the general correlation scheme.

Tempo, Air, or Movement

Sets the pulse rate of a musical work. It is indicated by traditional metronome expressions.

Timbre

Timbre: The element of music that allows us to distinguish the same note produced by two different musical voices or instruments. It is the unique feature, color, or contrast of each sound. For example, the timbre of bells in Sibelius vs. Stravinsky.

Character

Expression of a musical work.

  • Agitato: Agitated
  • Appassionato: Passionate
  • Con anima: With soul
  • Con brio: With brilliance
  • Con moto: With movement
  • Con fuoco: With fire
  • Dolce: Sweet
  • Con grazia: With grace
  • Giocoso: Cheerful
  • Deciso: Determined
  • Scherzando: Playful
  • Cantabile: Singable
  • Espressivo: Expressive
  • Marziale: Martial
  • Mesto: Sad

Musical Form

Refers to the shape, structure, and organization of a musical work.

  • Contrast – Repetition – Variation
  • Binary: AB
  • Ternary: ABA
  • Rondo: ABACADA…A
  • Theme and Variations: AAAAA…
  • Ballad: AABA
  • Verse: Stanzas or verses

Assigned Character

Assign one of the listed characters to the pieces that are going to be played.