Elements of Music
3 Properties Of A Musical Sound
Pitch
 Dynamics
 Tone Color Timbre

Pitch

Frequency
=
(musical term)
 Relative highness or
lowness of a sound

(scientific term)
 Speed or rate of
vibrations in a sound
producing body
Interval

the “distance” in pitch between two tones
Octave
 the interval between two tones in which
the higher tone has twice the frequency
of the lower tone
Scale

A series of pitches arranged in order from low
to high or high to low
Tonic/Keynote
the central tone of a melody or a larger
piece of music (#1 or “do” in scale)
 when the piece is in the key of C major,
for example, C is the keynote.

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Tonic
Tonic
Major Scale

the series of seven different tones within an
octave, with an eighth tone repeating the first
tone an octave higher, consisting of a specific
pattern of intervals. The intervals in this scale
sound “brighter”
Major Key

music based on the major scale
Minor Scale

the series of seven different tones within an
octave, with an eighth tone repeating the first
tone an octave higher, consisting of a specific
pattern of intervals. The intervals in this scale
sound “darker” and “more serious-sounding”
Minor Key

music based on the minor scale
JOSEPH HAYDN
Symphony No. 94 in G Major (the
“Surprise”), Movement 2
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1 2
3
1
1 2
3
1
Are you sleep-ing? Are you sleep-ing?
3 4
5
3 4
5
Bro-ther John? Bro-ther John?
5 6 5 4 3 1 5 6 5 4 3 1
Morn-ing bells are ring-ing. Morn-ing bells are ring-ing.
1
5
1
1
5
1
Ding, dong, ding. Ding, dong ding.
GUSTAV MAHLER
Symphony No. 1 in D Major,
Movement 3 (Funeral March)
1 2 321 1 2 321
345 345
5654321 5654321
5
5
1
5
5
1
.
FRANZ SCHUBERT
“Der Müller und der Bach” (The
Miller and the Stream) from Die schöne
müllerin (The Maid of the Hill)
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English
The Miller:
When a true heart
Dies of love,
Then lilies wither
In every border
German
Der Muller:
Wo ein treues Herze
In Liebe vergeht,
Da welken die Lilien
Auf jedem Beet.
Into the clouds must
The full moon go
So that its tears
Men do not see.
Da muss in die Wolken
Der Vollmond gehn,
Damit seine Tränen
Die Menschen nicht sehn.
Then angels keep
Their eyes shut,
And sob and sing
The soul to rest!
Da halten die Englein
Die Augen sich zu,
Und schuchzen und singen
Die Seele zur Ruh!
English
The Brook:
And when love
Conquers pain
A new star
Twinkles in the sky.
German
Der Bach:
Und wenn sich die Liebe
Dem Schmerz entringt,
Ein Sternlein, Ein newes
Am Himmel erblinkt.
Then three roses spring
Half red and half white,
And never wither on their
sprig of thorn.
Da springen drei Rosen,
Halb rot und halb weiss,
Die welken nicht wieder,
Aus Dornenreis.
And the angels cut
Off their wings
And go every morning
Down to earth.
Und die Engelein Schneiden
Die Flügel sich ab,
Und gehn alle Morgen
Sur Erde herab.
English
The Miller:
Ah stream,
dear stream,
You mean it so well;
But do you know,
stream,
what love means?
German
Der Muller:
Ach Bächlein,
liebes Bächlein,
Du meinst es so gut;
Ach Bächlein,
aber weisst du,
Wie Liebe tut?
Ah down below, below Ach, unten, da unten,
Is cool rest!
Die Kühle Ruh!
Ah stream, dear stream, Ach Bächlein, liebes Bächlein,
Sing on then.
So singe nur zu.
Dynamics = Volume

Degrees of loudness or softness in
music
Italian musical terms
used for DYNAMICS
Pianissimo = very soft (pp)
 Piano = soft (p)
 Mezzo-piano = medium soft (mp)
 Mezzo-forte = medium loud (mf)
 Forte = loud (f)
 Fortissimo = (ff)

Accent
Emphasis of a note, which may result
from its being louder, longer, or higher in
pitch than the notes near it.
 Example:

– IGOR STRAVINSKY “Dances of the
Youths and Maidens” from The Rite of
Spring
Crescendo

Gradually louder. (Often abbreviated cresc.)
Descrescendo / Diminuendo
 Gradually softer.
(Often abbreviated descrec. Or dim.)
GEORGES BIZET
Faradole
from L’Arlesienne Suite No. 2
•ff - MINOR
•pp - MAJOR
•Long crescendo to
•fff - MAJOR
•ff - MINOR alternates with pp
•MAJOR at the end
.