Arts, Music, and Recreation Music An Introduction to the Elements of Music Share Flipboard Email Print Hybrid Images / Getty Images Music Music Education Basics History Lessons Theory Rock Pop Alternative Music Classical Country Folk Rap & Hip Hop Rhythm & Blues Dance Music World Music Punk Music Heavy Metal Jazz Latin Music Children's Music Christian Music Oldies View More by Espie Estrella Updated March 13, 2018 You don't need to be a musician to understand the basic elements of music. Anyone who appreciates music will benefit from learning how to identify music's building blocks. Music may be soft or loud, slow or fast, and regular or irregular in tempo—all of these are evidence of a performer interpreting a composition's elements or parameters.Leading musical theorists differ on how many elements of music exist: Some say there are as few as four or five, while others contend that there are as many as nine or 10. Knowing the generally accepted elements can help you understand the essential components of music.Beat and MeterA beat is what gives music its rhythmic pattern; it can be regular or irregular. Beats are grouped together in a measure; the notes and rests correspond to a certain number of beats. Meter refers to rhythmic patterns produced by grouping together strong and weak beats. A meter may be in duple (two beats in a measure), triple (three beats in a measure), quadruple (four beats in a measure), and so on.DynamicsDynamics refers to the volume of a performance. In written compositions, dynamics are indicated by abbreviations or symbols that signify the intensity at which a note or passage should be played or sung. They can be used like punctuation in a sentence to indicate precise moments of emphasis. Dynamics are derived from Italian. Read a score and you'll see words like pianissimo used to indicate a very soft passage and fortissimo to indicate a very loud section, for instance. HarmonyHarmony is what you hear when two or more notes or chords are played at the same time. Harmony supports the melody and gives it texture. Harmonic chords may be described as major, minor, augmented, or diminished, depending on the notes being played together. In a barbershop quartet, for example, one person will sing the melody. The harmony is provided by three others—a tenor, a bass, and a baritone, all singing complimentary note combinations—in perfect pitch with one another.MelodyMelody is the overarching tune created by playing a succession or series of notes, and it is affected by pitch and rhythm. A composition may have a single melody that runs through once, or there may be multiple melodies arranged in a verse-chorus form, as you'd find in rock 'n' roll. In classical music, the melody is usually repeated as a recurring musical theme that varies as the composition progresses.PitchThe pitch of a sound is based on the frequency of vibration and the size of the vibrating object. The slower the vibration and the bigger the vibrating object, the lower the pitch; the faster the vibration and the smaller the vibrating object, the higher the pitch. For example, the pitch of a double bass is lower than that of the violin because the double bass has longer strings. Pitch may be definite, easily identifiable (as with the piano, where there is a key for each note), or indefinite, meaning pitch is difficult to discern (as with a percussion instrument, such as the cymbals).RhythmRhythm may be defined as the pattern or placement of sounds in time and beats in music. Roger Kamien in his book "Music: An Appreciation" defines rhythm as "the particular arrangement of note lengths in a piece of music." Rhythm is shaped by meter; it has certain elements such as beat and tempo.TempoTempo refers to the speed at which a piece of music is played. In compositions, a work's tempo is indicated by an Italian word at the beginning of a score. Largo describes a very slow, languid pace (think of a placid lake), while moderato indicates a moderate pace and presto a very fast one. Tempo can also be used to indicate emphasis. Ritenuto, for instance, tells the musicians to slow down suddenly. TextureMusical texture refers to the number and type of layers used in a composition and how these layers are related. A texture may be monophonic (single melodic line), polyphonic (two or more melodic lines) and homophonic (the main melody accompanied by chords). TimbreAlso known as tone color, timbre refers to the quality of sound that distinguishes one voice or instrument from another. It may range from dull to lush and from dark to bright, depending on technique. For example, a clarinet playing an uptempo melody in the mid to upper register could be described as having a bright timbre. That same instrument slowly playing a monotone in its lowest register could be described as having a dull timbre.Key Musical TermsHere are thumbnail descriptions.of the previously described key elements of music. ElementDefinitionCharacteristicsBeatGives music its rhythmic patternA beat can be regular or irregular.MeterRhythmic patterns produced by grouping together strong and weak beatsA meter may be two or more beats in a measure.DynamicsThe volume of a performanceLike punctuation marks, dynamics abbreviations and symbols indicate moments of emphasis.HarmonyThe sound produced when two or more notes are played at the same timeHarmony supports the melody and gives it texture.MelodyThe overarching tune created by playing a succession or series of notesA composition may have a single or multiple melodies.PitchA sound based on the frequency of vibration and size of the vibrating objectsThe slower the vibration and the bigger the vibrating object, the lower the pitch will be and vice versa.RhythmThe pattern or placement of sounds in time and beats in musicRhythm is shaped by meter and has elements such as beat and tempo.TempoThe speed at which a piece of music is playedThe tempo is indicated by an Italian word at the beginning of a score, such as “largo” for slow or “presto” for very fast.TextureThe number and types of layers used in a compositionA texture may be a single line, two or more lines, or the main melody accompanied by chords.TimbreThe quality of the sound that distinguishes one voice or instrument from anotherTimbre can range from dull to lush and from dark to bright. 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