First Day of Class - Elements of Music

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Great first day of class!  Remember that, as a Hybrid class, you are required to do some online checking (this blog will tell you what is due during the week online). 
Here’s a recap of what we covered in class today.  I will not customarily type class notes but the Basics that we learned today are a jumping point for the work that we will do throughout the semester. 
In music, there are three basic elements.
  • Melody
  • Rhythm
  • Harmony
Melody
  • The "tune" in music
Pitch
  • Pitch is the exact highness or lowness of a musical note.
Dynamics
§    Dynamics are the loudness or softness of sound.
Crescendo
  • A gradual increase in volume
Decrescendo or diminuendo
  • A gradual decrease in volume
Rhythm
§  The organization of notes in time or “beat”
Tempo
§  The speed of the music OR the character or spirit in which the piece is to be played
Harmony
§  Melody plus it’s accompaniment
Texture
  • The way in which musical sounds are combined
    • Monophony
      • Melody with no accompaniment
    • Homophony
      • Melody with accompaniment
      • Melody predominates
      • Also called song texture
    • Polyphony
      • Two or more distinct musical lines played at once
Voices
               Male:   Tenor, Baritone, Bass

               Female:  Soprano, Alto/Mezzo-soprano, Contralto

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