The Elements of Music

Question 1

What does the term ‘Texture’ mean in music?

Answer 1

Texture describes how many layers or parts there are in a piece of music. People may refer to texture as ‘thick’ or ‘thin’. Some of the typical texture you could have are:

• Monophonic textrue, meaning 1 melody or voice part only.
• Polyphonic texture, meaning 2 or more melodies or voices playing at the same time.
• Homophonic texture, meaning all parts move together at the same time (like chords).

Question 2

What does the term ‘Timbre’ mean in music?

Answer 2

Timbre describes the particular sound quality of an instrument or voice. Different combinations of instruments provide different timbres. For example, a flute and piano playing together will have a different timbre compared to that of a flute and trumpet.

Question 3

What does the term ‘Silence’ mean in music?

Answer 3

Silence is the absence of sound. It can be used to create tension, uncertainty and suspense.

Question 4

What does the term ‘Tempo’ mean in music?

Answer 4

Tempo is a word that describes how fast or slow a piece of music is. There are lots of different tempos in music such as:

• Andante (means to play at walking pace)
• Largo - (means to play slow and stately)
• Allegro (means to play fast)
• Presto (means to play very quickly!)

Question 5

What does the term ‘Pitch’ mean in music?

Answer 5

Pitch means how high or low notes sound. Some instruments may naturally sound higher than others, whilst some instruments may naturally sound much lower. Each instrument and voice has its own unique range.

Question 6

What does the term ‘Duration’ mean in music?

Answer 6

Duration is a musical term that describes how long or short notes are in music. Some notes can be longer or shorter than others to contribute to the overall affect of a piece of music.

Question 7

What does the term ‘Dynamics’ mean in music?

Answer 7

Dyanamics is term used in music to describe how loud or quiet a piece of music should be. If you wanted to have really quiet dynamics, you could use the symbol pp - meaning pianissimo or if you wanted louder dynamics, you could use the symbol ff - meaning fortissimo.

Question 8

What does the term ‘Structure’ mean in music?

Answer 8

Structure (also refered to as ‘stucture and form), is how an overall piece of music is put together, a plan or outline of the music. There are many different structures and forms in music. For example, a song uses a verse/chorus structure, whereas a classical piece of music may use a ternary form (ABA) or rondo form (ABACAD) structure.