Music Elements

Beat- the steady, even pulse of the music

Rhythm- patterns of sound and silence
o Examples
 Combinations of whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth notes and rests

Meter (Time Signature)- how the beats are organized
o Examples: duple, triple

Tempo- speed of the beat
o Examples
 Presto (very fast)
 Allegro(fast)
 Moderato(medium)
 Andante (walking)
 Largo(slow)

Pitch- how high or low the sound is
o For example, ask yourself: “Did the sound of the music get higher? Did the singer hit a
really HIGH note (pitch)?”

Harmony- the supporting tones of the melody, created when more than one note is sounded at the
same time and sounds pleasant to your ears

Chord- 2 or more (commonly 3) notes that sound together
o Examples: major and minor

Melody- the main tune of the music

Instrumentation and/or Timbre (tone color)
o Describe what instruments produced the sound and the quality of the sound
o Examples: Musical families (Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion) and identifying
specific instruments
o Tone Color words: Reedy, Brassy, Clear, Focused or unfocused, Breathy (pronounced
BRETH-ee), Rounded, Piercing, Strident, Harsh, Warm, Mellow, Resonant, Dark or Bright,
Heavy or Light, Flat, Having too much, little, or no vibrato (a controlled wavering in the
sound); or narrow or wide, or slow or fast, vibrato

Dynamics- Volume of sound
o Examples
 forte(f): loud
 piano(p):soft
 Crescendo: gradually getting louder
 Decrescendo: gradually getting softer

Form- the overall structure and order of the piece
o Examples: verse-chorus-bridge, AABA

Texture- thickness of the music, how the parts weave together
o monophonic(one melody occurring at a time)
o polyphonic (2 or more melodies occurring at the same time)
o homophonic: a melody played or sung over an accompaniment with chords
 most music in our culture is this texture

Lyrical content/message of the songs
o Examples: protest, patriotism, love, anger

Visual
o
o
o
o
Lighting
Staging
Costumes or apparel
Other

Overall balance/blend
o Could you hear all of the parts clearly?
o Was the melody most prominent?
o Did the voices and/or instruments complement one another to create a desirable sound?

Technique- how the musicians played or sang
o How did the musicians play their instruments or sing? How did it contribute to the overall
sound of the music?
o What was the difficulty of the music?

Improvisation- creating music in the moment
o Describe any improvised solos occur during the concert

Emotional impact
o What feelings did you have before, during and after the concert?

Stage Presence
o How did the performer(s) connect with the audience?
o Did they express enjoyment and passion for their performance?

Concert information
o Who was performing? Give a brief description
o Where and where was concert held? Describe the setting.
o Describe the audience. How many attended(estimate, age of the audience, any other
interesting details)
Live Performance Reflection Writing Assignment – (Music Exploration Final)
Due: Friday, February 24, 2012
Attend any live music performance sometime during this trimester and type a reflection about your
experience. Staple a program or ticket to your paper as well. Reflect and write about at least 5 elements
listed from the music elements list. Place each element in a different paragraph. Your paper will be
graded using the WWS writing traits (30 points, rubric attached) as well as the two additional concepts
below.
6+1 Writing Traits
5 Music Elements accurately discussed in detail
________________ / 30 pts.
________________ / 25 pts.
TOTAL
________________/ 55 pts.
Below is an example from an Elton concert that Mr. McLaughlin attended. Your reflection should be similar
to what you read below, but should not quote any of the following material.
On the evening of September 7, 2011, I attended an Elton John concert at the Verizon Wireless outdoor
music venue in Noblesville. A sea of over a thousand excited fans filled both the pavilion and lawn seats awaiting
this music legend. Although the weather had a dreary tone of rain and chill, Elton John and his band played hit after
hit and brought the audience consisting mostly of adults to their feet. The whole night was a festive occasion that
included many people singing and dancing to his popular music that has spanned about 40 years. This concert will
be embedded in my mind for years to come.
First, the timbre of Elton John’s voice was so rich and full. Every pitch that he sang from the lower to the
higher registers demonstrated his control and full capacity of his voice especially at age 64. The melodies of his
songs are so memorable and took me back to my earlier childhood days. Singing along with thousands of other fans
makes for a fun experience.
One of my favorite parts about attending live concerts is observing how performers will often rearrange the
original form and instrumentation of the songs to include extended improvised solos, rhythmic hits, motives,
different instruments, harmonies, or dynamic changes. Elton and his band incorporated all of these elements to
bring new life to older songs. Almost every song had a slight twist compared to the original radio version. I was
also impressed that every member of the band sang harmony on many parts of each song. This created a huge
choir-like sound especially on the choruses and main hooks of the songs.
Elton’s band included many different instrumental and vocal timbres. Besides Elton on piano and vocals,
the band included keyboard, drum set, auxiliary percussion (with gong, congas, tambourine, and other hand
percussion), bass guitar, banjo, acoustic guitar, three background vocalists and…get this… two electric cellos. Every
member of the group was given a moment to shine at some point throughout the night. The two cellists, originally
from Eastern Europe, were featured before the Elton John came on stage. Everyone represented on stage brought a
lot of energy to the performance.
The blend and balance from the stage was clear even though I was sitting toward the rear of the lawn with
several fans blocking my direct line of audio. Once I positioned myself directly in front of the speakers, I could hear
a fuller spectrum of the frequencies. This is not an easy task for the sound engineer to mix this many voices and
instruments to be heard clearly.
Lastly, I was so impressed with Elton John’s attitude and stage presence. He demonstrated a joy and
humility during the whole night. It was clear to me that he enjoyed what he was doing and loved his audience. After
almost every song, he got up from his piano, walked across stage, bowed, blew kisses to the crowd, and expressed
gratitude for his fans. All of his performers seemed like they loved each moment together on stage. Each member
expressed joy and a love for music through their smiles. It was evident that they cared about each other and felt a
sense of purpose in their roles. The drummer was an original member of the band who had been touring for 40
years! Elton is a good example of someone finding joy in their job. I was thankful to witness such a concert and left
with a greater appreciation for Elton John and his legacy.