Element
Definition
Characteristics
Beat
Gives music its rhythmic
pattern
A beat can be regular or irregular.
Meter
Rhythmic patterns produced
by grouping together strong
and weak beats
A meter may be two or more beats in a
measure.
Dynamics
The volume of a performance
Like punctuation marks, dynamics
abbreviations and symbols indicate
moments of emphasis.
Harmony
The sound produced when
two or more notes are played
at the same time
Harmony supports the melody and gives
it texture.
Melody
The overarching tune created
by playing a succession or
series of notes
A composition may have a single or
multiple melodies.
Pitch
A sound based on the
frequency of vibration and
size of the vibrating objects
The slower the vibration and the bigger
the vibrating object, the lower the pitch
will be and vice versa.
Rhythm
The pattern or placement of
sounds in time and beats in
music
Rhythm is shaped by meter and has
elements such as beat and tempo.
Tempo
The speed at which a piece of
music is played
The tempo is indicated by an Italian word
at the beginning of a score, such as
largo for slow or presto for very fast.
Texture
The number and types of
layers used in a composition
A texture may be a single line, two or
more lines, or the main melody
accompanied by chords.
Timbre
The quality of the sound that
Timbre can range from dull to lush and
distinguishes one voice or
instrument from another
from dark to bright.