MUSICAL ELEMENTS
DURATION
PITCH
DYNAMICS
– how long the notes last.
– how high or low the notes are.
– how loud or quiet the sounds
are.
PACE
– how fast or slow the music is.
TIMBRE
– the instrument or vocal sound
used.
TEXTURE
– the layers of sound happening
at once.
STRUCTURE
SILENCE
– the sections which follow
each other.
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Musical Elements – Related Vocabulary
DURATION – how long or short the notes are.
rhythm
note value
semibreve
minim
crotchet
quaver
semiquaver dotted note
PITCH – how high or low the sounds are.
treble clef
bass clef
(ABCDEFG)
octave
letter names of note
DYNAMICS – how loud or soft the music is.
piano (soft)
forte (loud)
pianissimo (very soft)
fortissimo (very loud)
mezzo forte (medium loud)
mezzo piano (medium soft)
crescendo (getting louder)
diminuendo (getting quieter)
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PACE – how fast or low the music is.
tempo (speed or pace)
allegro (fast)
pace)
largo (slow)
accelerando (get faster)
moderato ( moderate
ritardando (get slower)
TIMBRE – the instrument or vocal sound used.
Any instruments – e.g. violin
guitar
drums
trumpet
Any voices – e.g. soprano alto
tenor
baritone bass
TEXTURE – the layers of sound happening at once.
thick
thin
unison
solo
duet
monophonic
polyphonic
contrapuntal
homophonic
trio
STRUCTURE/FORM – the sections which follow each other
binary(AB)
ternary (ABA)
rondo (ABACA)
variations (A, A1, A2, A3, A4,etc) verse
chorus
introduction (intro)
coda/ outro (ending) sonata form
ground bass
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Which Element?
Match the following with one of the elements listed below.
High
Fast
Duet
Binary
Crescendo
Largo
Loud
Accelerando
Allegro
Soft
Slow
Crotchet
Clarinet
Solo
Choose from:
Duration, Pitch, Dynamics, Pace, Texture, Timbre, Structure.
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COMMON MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
STRINGS:
violin
WOODWIND:
BRASS:
viola
flute
trumpet
cello
oboe
horn
double bass
clarinet
harp guitar
bassoon
trombone
saxophone
tuba
PERCUSSION:
glockenspiel
xylophone
piano
maracas
castanets
tambourine
triangle
claves
snare drum
bass
drum
kettle drum
cymbals gong tubular bells
Which percussion instruments can play tunes?
Which percussion instruments can only play rhythms?
Which Family of Instruments?
Flute
Xylophone
Cello
Bass drum
Bassoon
Harp
Piano
Trumpet
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Violin
Tuba
Oboe
Cymbal
Glockenspiel
Viola
Horn
Clarinet
Trombone
Choose from:
Woodwind, Brass,
Strings,
Percussion
MUSICAL ERAS
Renaissance Music
Composers:
Tallis,
Baroque Music
Composers:
Purcell,
Classical Music
Composers:
Haydn,
Romantic Music
Composers:
Verdi,
-
1500 – 1600
Dowland, Byrd,
Palestrina
-
1600-1750
Bach,
Handel,
-
1750 – 1820
Mozart,
Grieg,
Vivaldi
Beethoven
1820 – 1900
Tchaikovsky,
Chopin, Schumann
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Twentieth Century Music
Composers: Prokofiev, Bartok, Stravinsky, Schoenberg,
Copland, Messiaen, Britten, Stockhausen, Tavener
Which Era?
Match each composer with one of the eras listed below.
Mozart
Britten
Palestrina
Vivaldi
Byrd
Bach
Beethoven
Schumann
Tchaikovsky
Tallis
Haydn
Handel
Chopin
Bartok
Choose from: Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic,
Twentieth Century
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MUSICAL GENRES
Sonata - Piece for a solo instrument (e.g. piano sonata) or for solo
instrument accompanied by piano (e.g. violin sonata).
Symphony – piece for full orchestra in 3 or 4 movements.
Concerto – piece for solo instrument and an orchestra.
Concerto grosso – piece for a small group of soloists and an
orchestra, most common in Baroque times.
Opera – a play set to music (with orchestra).
Oratorio – a religious text set to music (with orchestra, but not
acted out).
Cantata – similar to an oratorio, but shorter and not always on a
religious text.
Lied – a song, usually with piano accompaniment. (Not religious and
most common in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.)
Madrigal – a part song from the Renaissance Era.
unaccompanied.
It is usually
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Which Genre?
1.
A piece for soloist and orchestra.
2. A play set to music.`
3. A solo song with piano accompaniment.
4. A three or four movement piece for orchestra.
5. A religious story set to music.
6. A Renaissance part song.
7. A piece for a solo instrument.
8. A shorter version of an oratorio.
9. A piece for a small group of soloists and orchestra.
Choose from; Lied, Sonata,
Oratorio, Symphony, Opera,
Sonata, Cantata, Concerto Grosso,
Concerto
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