Elements of Music

In the upcoming posts I want to begin a conversation about the various components that make up music.  I would like to dig deeper into our understanding of music and how it’s made.  The best way to start is to break down music into its parts:

• Rhythm – the heartbeat of music, the speed, pace and flow of sound
• Harmony – the simultaneous blending of notes for background and support of the musical framework
• Melody – the cohesive memorable line usually formed by several phrases or patterns strung together
• Timbre – the color of sound, what instruments sound like, the sound frequencies
• Texture – how many instruments are used to create the overall soundscape
• Form – the shape of a song, beginning, middle, end and everything in between
• Dynamics – the volume of music
• Lyrics – the text of a song
• Emotion/Energy – how a song makes you feel and how powerful the delivery

I would also like to use these elements to analyze various styles of music so we can see how different styles emphasize specific elements.

Please leave a comment and keep the conversation going.  It would be great to hear a variety of perspectives to see what people think about their favorite music.

Hopefully this discussion will help broaden people’s understanding of music and help raise the quality of music that’s out there.