Elements of Music
Expression
Music is often described using the seven basic elements of music. Since
many of the projects ask that you describe music you have played or heard
using the elements, the following descriptions will help you to better
understand them. They will also give you ideas for describing or analyzing
them.
Melody
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Melody is a description of the horizontal movement of music.
Below is a list of characteristics that you should think about when
you are attempting to describe a melody.
Melodies can remain on the same note or they can move up or down
by narrow steps, small skips or wide leaps
Melodies may rise or fall in various ways. For example, a melody
may move upward and then remain there for a while or it may move
up and down repeatedly.
A melody may have a wide range or a narrow range. It may go very
high and low or it may stay within a limited note range
Melodies may include the repetition of phrases or small groups of
notes (motives).
A melody may be described as simple (Hot Cross Buns) or complex
(The Star Spangled Banner).
Harmony
Harmony is a way of looking at the vertical aspect of music – the relationship
of the notes in the melody with the notes of the other parts. Below are some
ways of describing the harmony of a piece.
 The harmony in a piece may be described as consonant (the parts
blend with one another) or dissonant (the parts clash with one
another).
 Harmony may include parallel motion (all parts move up or down at
the same time), contrary motion (one part moves up in pitch while
another moves down), or oblique motion (one part moves up and
down while another part remains on the same note).
Expression in music is created using the following:
 Dynamics: ppp to fff as well as markings such as crescendo,
decrescendo, morendo
 Accents
 Articulation: staccato, legato, slurs, ricochet, spiccato, etc.
 Tempo markings: Allegro, Andante, Maestoso, rallentando,
ritardando, caesura, fermata
 Phrasing: showing the length of phrase as well as the rise and fall of
each phrase.
Form
Musical form is the way that a piece of music is organized. Examples of
musical form include:
 Binary form (AB): The piece has two sections with different
melodies and/or harmonies. An example of this is Mary Had a Little
Lamb.
 Ternary form (ABA): A three-section piece with the last section
repeating the first section exactly or very closely. An example of
this form is Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
 Theme and Variation: An opening theme is used throughout the
piece. Each variation of the theme may include changes in rhythm,
instrumentation, meter, tempo, register and modality.
 Sonata Allegro form: This is often used in symphonies. The first
section is the exposition with two main themes, one in the tonic key
and one in the dominant key. This section leads to a development
section where the themes are used in a variety of ways to create new
music. The piece ends with a recapitulation in which the opening
themes are restated, but this time they both remain in the tonic key.
 Rondo (ABACADAEA): The A section of the piece alternates with
new material, but the piece always ends with a restatement of the A
section.
 Through-composed: This contains constantly new material with no
restatement of earlier themes or sections.
 Suite: This is a multi-movement piece made up of contrasting moods
and/or tempos. Movements from suites usually bear a relationship to
one another, such as a collection of dances, or music adapted from an
opera or musical.
Texture
Texture describes the thickness or thinness of the music a composer creates.
Thicker textures contain more voices or parts and thinner textures have
fewer. Some terms to describe texture include:
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Monophonic: A single line of music with no other parts (such as
Gregorian chant).
Homophonic: All of the parts have the same rhythm although the
pitches are different (such as a hymn sung in four part harmony).
Polyphonic: Individual parts or voices enter at different times and are
very independent of one another (such as a fugue or canon).
Contrapuntal: Musical lines that sound together but retain their own
character and importance. This is in contrast to music with a
dominant melody and other parts subservient to this melody.
Rhythm
Rhythm in music describes the time relationship between notes. Rhythm
includes both notes and rests. When we describe rhythm we talk about:
 The predominant note values such as quarter, eigth, sixteenth, half
and whole notes as well as the equivalent rests.
 The complexity of the rhythm. Rhythms that include many long
note values are less complex than those that include constantly
changing note values and syncopation.
 The use of repetition in the rhythms. Composers may choose to use a
rhythm as a unifying feature or they may avoid any repetition at all.
The meter of the piece. A piece may be in 4/4, 3/4, 2/4, 12/8, 6/8,
3/8, etc. A composer may also choose to change meter often or use
mixed meter (one bar of 4/4 alternating with one bar of 3/4. Some
meter choices such as 5/8 and 7/8 constantly confuse the feeling of
the musical accent.
Timbre
Timbre is a musical color. Composers create bright or dark colors in music
by using some of the following:
 The use of the low register of the instrument(s) is said to create a
dark color. Using the higher registers makes the color brighter. The
register of the instrument influences the types of overtones that are
sounding when that note range is used.
 Different types of instruments have different colors. Generally the
orchestra is divided into strings woodwinds, brass, and percussion.
Each of these instrumental families has different colors, but there is
also variation within each family. A viola sounds different than a
cello even if they are playing the same pitches. The same is true for
the clarinet and the oboe, both in the woodwind family. Composers
may choose to feature instruments that blend will or they may create
contrast through instrument color choices.
 Different colors can also be heard in string instruments when
composers or players use harmonics instead of fingered notes.
Harmonics have a thinner sound than regularly played notes. Some
wind instruments, such as the flute or French horn, also can make
use of harmonics or stopped pitches.