Page 10 - Music

similarities and differences in using these elements. At this level, you will learn
the following basic elements of music:
(a) Rhythm: It is the element of time in music. It is the basic and repetitive
pulse of the music. When you listen to music and follow it, you are simply

following the rhythmic pulse of that particular music. There are several
important aspects of rhythm. These include:
(i) Duration: how long a sound (or silence) lasts
(ii) Tempo: the speed of the beat
(iii) Meter: repetitive pattern of strong and weak beats
(b) Dynamics: These are aspects related to the loudness or softness of music. The

terms used to describe dynamic levels are often in Latin. These are such as:
(i) Piano (p), which means soft
(ii) Pianissimo (pp), which means very soft
(iii) Mezzo-piano (mp), which means moderately soft
(iv) Forte (f), which means loud
(v) Fortissimo (ff), which means very loud
(vi) Mezzo-forte (mf), which means moderately loud
(c) Melody: The linear or horizontal arrangement of pitches. Melodies can be
described as:

(i) Conjunct: Melodies which are smooth with small steps and easy to
sing or play
(ii) Disjunct: Melodies which are jumpy or have larger steps and difficult
to sing or play

(d) Harmony: The vertical arrangement of two or more pitches played or sung
at the same time. Harmony is often described in terms of its consonance and
dissonance.
(i) Consonance: a smooth-sounding harmonic combination
(ii) Dissonance: a harsh-sounding harmonic combination

(e) Tone colour or timbre: This is a characteristic that allows a musician to
distinguish the sound of one musical instrument from another. Every
instrument produces its own tone colour. When note "C" is played on a piano

and a guitar, both instruments will produce the same pitch. However, it is the
tone colour of each instrument that enables you to differentiate the sound of
piano from that of a guitar.

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