Monday, April 12, 2021

The Essential Elements Of Music

      As I was searching for a topic to write this blog I stumbled upon a tread on Just Plain Folks (an on-line group for musicians) about the components of music. Contributors on this tread suggested there are three or four components of music. I disagree. In music there are five components. Not just components, but essential elements of music. These five essential elements of music are melody, form, harmony, rhythm, and expressive qualities. In this blog I will further describe each essential element.


     Articulation markings, dynamics, style, and tempo markings represent expressive qualities. Expressive qualities serve to express music in meaningful ways. They are signs or words used to indicate aspects of a composition other than pitch and rhythm.


     Form represents shape and structure of composition and song by its pitches and rhythms. A number of organizational elements of a song or composition may determine the formal structure of a piece. Those organizational elements can be broken down to phrases, which a composition will have many.


     Harmony is the result of two or more pitches sounding together. This is basic harmony. As was mentioned, harmony is produced when at least two pitches are sounding simultaneously, whether playing two notes together, or mashing all 88 keys on a piano harmony is produced. However, there is an organized structure for harmony: two notes produce basic harmony, three notes produce a triad, and three or more notes produce a chord. Chords and chord progressions having a pleasant sound are known as consonance, or sounds producing a beautiful effect. Harmony can also produce sounds that are unpleasant, known as dissonant harmony.


     Melody represents that singable tune of a song or composition. Melody is a succession of single pitches that is musically satisfying. A melody is a combination of pitch and rhythm. It is the foreground to the background accompaniment. Melodies consist of musical phrases usually repeated throughout a composition of song.


     Rhythm is concerned with the organization of time through the duration of sound and silence. Rhythm organizes time by regularly recurring beasts. Beats are a succession of strong and week beats, with repeated patterns of movement or sound.


     This is a snap-shot of the essential elements of music. For those interested in learning more about the essential elements of music take a music appreciation class at your community music school, community college, or enroll in a college or university music class. Also, check YouTube, or register for a music appreciation class on-line. I hope this blog has given you at least a basic introduction of the essential elements of music.