Grade 8 Arts

Music Appreciation

Just like there are elements of art, there are also elements of music. They are:• Dynamics

• Rhythm

• Pitch

• Timbre

• Texture

Elements of Music

Dynamics describe the degree of loudness or softness of sounds in relationship to what effect or mood is being communicated.

Loud: Carmina Burana: O Fortuna - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD3VsesSBsw

Ode to Joy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBlQZyTF_LY

Soft: Moonlight Sonata - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-MT5zeY6CU

Crescendo: Bolero - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urfjyj4FnUc

Curse of the Black Pearl Soundtrack - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npWSI9iu2i0

Dynamics

Rhythm can be separated into four categories:

Beat -- the regular, repeated pulsation in music

Tempo -- the speed or pace of the music

Fast: William Tell Overture (Finale) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7O91GDWGPU

Slow: Pachelbel’s Canon in D -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlprozGcs80

Rhythm

Patterns of duration -- groupings of longer and shorter sounds and silences (the term rhythm is sometimes used in this context as well)Metre -- the grouping of beats into recurring patterns (twos, threes, fours, fives).

3/3 Time: Moonlight Sonata - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-MT5zeY6CU

4/4 Time: Drum Beat - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1alYsjEkFs

Rhythm

Pitch describes the highness or lowness of sounds. A melody is a combination of pitches and durations that make a musical statement similar to a sentence. Melodies may consist of one or more smaller sections (phrases) similar to clauses in a sentence. Pitch direction describes the movement of pitch patterns or melodies, which may move upward, downward or stay the same.

Pitch

High: Queen of the Night Aria - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2ODfuMMyss

The Fifth Element - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MR6D7tL38U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QfjDnWndwc

Range: Hallelujah Chorus - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHyczXkm0SY\

Range/Mood: Disney Compilation - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp1BYzIVi0U

Pitch Examples

Timbre describes the quality or "colour" of sound. Timbre is determined by those characteristics of sound that help us distinguish one sound from another.

Sweet Child O’ Mine - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w7OgIMMRc4

Acoustic - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRfc_Y_AsLo

Sweet Child O’ Mine Flute - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AddbfweolQ0Orchestra - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcg8RihO_m4

School Band – (go to 1:42) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gP5Sc9e49c

Timbre

Twang Country - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyYjDswH2w8

Blues - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxRIRaMDayc

Bluegrass - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmG0q_vX_kQ

Rockabilly - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e22M-WzszVE

Bebop and Swing Guitar - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxfGugocgo8

Disco Guitar - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtfZbj4J71A

Spanish Guitar - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up5qSOBF9Z8

Timbre Examples

Texture is the combination and layering of different sounds in music. Composers create various textures by combining sounds, instruments or voices to achieve expressive effects. The texture may be thick, thin, dense or transparent. Harmony is one aspect of texture. Harmony occurs when two or more sounds are heard simultaneously.

Texture

Harmony Singers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1OSKFYkUs8

Orchestra: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRt1gc0e1MY

Dubstep: (first 4.5 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rGiKv1xkE0

Texture

The elements of art are combined together using certain principles in order to create music. Those principles are:• Variety

• Repetition

• Balance

• Acoustics

• Transition

• Tension and Resolution

• Unity

Principles of Composition

A musician or composer uses variety within a musical composition to create interest. Variety is created by using or altering different elements in numerous ways. Variety is often created through the use of contrast, such as loud to soft dynamics, harsh to smooth timbres, and thick to thin textures. A composer might, for example, repeat a previously heard melody twice as fast (tempo change) or in a different key (tonality change).

Variety

Musicians and composers use repetition to help the listener become familiar with the major ideas or themes of a musical work. The restatement of a particular melody, theme or rhythm often draws the audience back to an idea or thought that the musician or composer wants to communicate. Repetition also serves to unify many compositions and draw attention to ideas that are central to the work, just as repetition does in poetry.

Rap Beats: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4InqZVJoJD8

Repetition

Balance in music traditionally has referred to the relative volume of various sounds. It can also pertain to the equalization of other elements. For instance, a musician can try to balance timbres through instrument selection in order to maintain a desired sound or effect. Balance could also refer to similarities of style or duration in the A sections of a composition in ABA form. A lack of balance can also be used to create a desired effect. A very loud sound in a quiet section might redirect the listener’s attention or introduce a different theme or melody.

Balance

Acoustics pertain to the properties or qualities of sound transmission in a space. This includes the way places such as meeting halls, classrooms or an outdoor field reinforce, absorb and reflect sound. Students can explore the many ways acoustics can be changed. For example, a student could play a drum in an empty closet and then again when it is full of clothing. The acoustics of a space can also alter the timbre of a sound by reinforcing or absorbing certain parts (frequencies) of the sound. A musician or composer might create a piece of music for a particular space such as a specific church, or a general space such as “outdoors”.

Acoustics

Transition in music typically involves the connection of ideas or "bridging" of one part of the music to another. Transitional material might foreshadow upcoming material or include a change of tonality from major to minor. Transitions might be subtle and difficult to notice initially or very prominent in order to attract attention.

Transition

Tension can be created in music through the use of many different elements. For example, a building of dynamics, a rising of a melodic line, or the use of more dissonant harmony could all lead to an increase in tension. Resolution is a common occurrence after the building of tension. This involves the manipulation of the elements to create a sense of release or relaxation.

Resolution might be created by a change in dynamics, a change in height of melody, or movement from dissonant to consonant harmony. In many forms of music, tension builds to a climatic peak and is followed by a brief concluding resolution to finish the work.

Tension and Resolution

Unity is achieved when all the parts of a composition work together to make a whole. The elements, ideas and principles are combined in such a way that all are essential to the product. Alteration of any part of the creation changes the effect.

Form refers to the organizational structure of the music, or how the musical ideas are arranged. The form is usually described using letters. For example, AB form describes a composition with two contrasting sections; ABA form has two contrasting sections and the first section is repeated to conclude the work.

Unity

300 Violin Orchestra http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCebJodm0lY

Duelling Cellos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V7EugoweM4

Trans Siberian Orchestra • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG4zpG03O0A

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fC0v5gn8M0

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61fthB9uxQg

Honeywagon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zy1ANvojfk

Original http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXhy7ZsiR50

Examples