ELEMENTS OF MUSICAL STYLE

ELEMENTS IN ORDER

• Timbre, dynamics, rhythm
• Melody, harmony, texture
• Form, text setting

TIMBRE

• This is also called the tone quality or tone color
• We describe this using adjectives
• This is the element that most distinguishes artists within the same genre
• Don't forget to make a list of actual performers/instruments

DYNAMICS

• How loud or soft
• Are there transitions or fluctuations?
• Crescendo=get louder gradually
• Diminuendo=get softer gradually

RHYTHM

• All sound has rhythm, not all has a beat
• Where is the beat? Are some beats stronger?
• Is it in patterns of 2, 3, 4? This is meter
• Is it fast or slow? This is tempo. Does it change?
• Is the pulse regular or irregular? Is there syncopation?

MELODY

• The "tune"
• Who has it?
• Is it conjunct or disjunct?
• Can you graph it with a shape?

HARMONY

• Who is singing/playing harmony?
• Is it in major or minor mode?
• Is it consonant or dissonant?

TEXTURE

• How are the various musical lines "woven" together?
• Monophonic - one solo line
• Homophonic - one melody with accompaniment
• Polyphonic - many melodic lines simultaneously

FORM

• Arrangement of large sections is a song
• We chart these with letters (AABA)
• Or with designation like verse, chorus and bridge, etc.

TEXT SETTING

• How does the text line up with other elements?
• Why?