Formal Properties of Music

How tones become music

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Formal Properties of Music

Rhythm

Melody

Harmony

Texture

Form

Timbre

RhythmHow music is arranged in time, including

duration of notes and silence, meter, and tempo

MeterDupleTriple

Time Signature 2 3 4 6

4 4 4 8

Tempo markings

Largo = Very slowAdagio = slow

Andante = moderately (walking speed)Allegro = fast

Presto = very fast

Syncopation1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Syncopation is created when accents occur at unexpected times, on usually unaccented beats, or in

between beats.

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

MelodyA sequence of musical tones,

or pitches

Conjunct - stepwise, notes relatively close’ in the scaleDisjunct - large leaps between notes

Melodies are usually created by combining pitches from a designated

scale

Major - brighter, happy, content, heroicMinor - darker, sad, somber, evil

Key Signature - set of sharps (#) or flats (b) at the beginning of a piece of music

HarmonyCreated when more than

one pitch is sounded at the same time

Chords

Chord progressions - musical phrasesCadence - end of a musical sentence

Dynamic markings

pp=very softp = soft

mp=medium softmf=medium loud

f = loudff = very loud

Texture

Monophonic

HomophonicMost common

Polyphonic

Form

Binary - 2 sections ABTernary - 3 sections ABARondo - repeating section thatalternates with 2 or more contrastingsections ABACATheme & Variations - AA1A2A3

TimbreWhat plays or sings the music

InstrumentsVoicesOther?