The Five Surface Elements of Music
The surface elements of music are those musical elements that can be readily identified by the listener.
Typically, you do not need to have a background in music to hear and understand these elements.
1. Melody
A melody is a succession of single notes. Each note is defined by its pitch and duration. The
distance from one note to another is an interval.
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Pitch describes the relative highness or lowness of a musical tone, or note. Graphic
symbols represent notes on a musical staff, with the lower lines representing lower
pitches and the higher lines representing higher pitches.
A note is heard for a certain amount of time, which is called its duration. Duration is
graphically notated in music with a variety of musical signs.
An interval is the distance between any two pitches in a melody. Intervals range in size
from narrow to wide. The combinations of intervals are referred to as conjunct or
disjunct.
How to Analyze Melody:
Each melody has its own distinct character based on its range, contour, and movement.
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Range is the distance between the lowest and highest tones of a melody. This span can
be generally described as:
o Narrow (interval of about 3 to 5)
o Medium (interval of about 5 to 8)
o Wide (interval 8 + )
Contour is determined by the direction a melody takes as it turns upward or downward
or remains static. On a line graph, contour might be charted as an ascending,
descending, wave, or static line.
Movement of a melodic line is either conjunct or disjunct. Conjunct melodies move principally in
a stepwise motion. Disjunct melodies move principally in leaps or skips rather than steps.
2. Rhythm
Rhythm is musical events arranged in time. Rhythm is connected to pulse, meter, and beat.
Rhythm also addresses the nature of sound vs. silence in music.
3. Tempo
Tempo is the speed of the beat. In music, we use Italian words or abbreviations to explain many
of the common terms and signs to indicate tempo. Here are a few common ones:
Largo
Adagio
Andante
Moderato
Allegro
Vivace
Presto
Accelerando (accel.)
Rallentando (rall.)
Tempo Primo
very slow and broad
slow and leisurely
at a walking speed
medium speed
quick and lively
lively with vigour
very fast
gradually going faster
gradually going slower
returning to the original pace
4. Dynamics
Dynamics describe the volume levels in music or the change in volume levels. Again, we use
Italian words to describe some common terms in music:
Fortissimo
Forte
Mezzo-forte
Mezzo-piano
Piano
Pianissimo
Crescendo
Decrescendo
Sfortzando
(ff)
(f)
(mf)
(mp)
(p)
(pp)
(cresc. <)
(decresc. >)
(sfz)
very loud
loud
moderately loud
moderately soft
soft
very soft
gradually louder
gradually softer
strongly accented; suddenly loud
5. Timbre (Tone Colour)
Timbre (Tone Colour) describes the quality of sound that makes it unique. Western instrument
families include:
Strings
Brass
Woodwinds
Percussion
Soprano
Alto
Tenor
Bass
violin
viola
cello
double bass
trumpet
French horn
trombone
tuba
flute
clarinet
oboe
bassoon
triangle, snare, bass, timpani, bongos, xylophone, cymbal, etc.