THE CONCEPTS OF MUSIC: A quick reference!
These definitions have come straight from the NSW Board of Studies Website, and you will find the link to the full syllabus below for your easy reference.
Duration
Duration refers to the lengths of sounds and silences in music and includes the aspects of beat, rhythm, metre, tempo, pulse rates and
absence of pulse.
Students should be able to manipulate and discuss the following aspects of duration as relevant to the music studied:
Beat: The underlying pulse in music.
Metre: The groupings of beats.
Tempo: The speed of the beat: Music may be relatively fast or slow and may become faster or slower.
Rhythm: Patterns of long and short sounds and silences found in music.
Pitch
Pitch refers to the relative highness and lowness of sounds. Important aspects include: high, low, higher and lower pitches, direction of pitch movement, melody, harmony, indefinite and definite pitch.
Students should be able to manipulate and discuss the following aspects of pitch as relevant to the music studied:
High/Low: Pitches can be comparatively high or low.
Indefinite Pitch: Non-melodic sounds, for example, the speaking voice.
DefinitePitch: Melodic sounds, for example, the singing voice.
Direction of Pitch Movement: Up, Down, Same Level.
Melody: A succession of pitches.
Harmony: Two or more pitches sounding together.
Tonality: The effect created by the observance of a particular scale pattern.
Dynamics and Expressive Techniques
Dynamics refer to the volume of sound. Important aspects include the relative softness and loudness of sound, change of loudness (contrast), and the emphasis on individual sounds (accent).
Expressive techniques refer to the musical detail that articulates a style or interpretation of a style.
Students should be able to manipulate and discuss the following aspects of dynamics and expressive techniques as relevant to the music studied:
A range of dynamics, including gradations
Articulations
Gradations of tempo used for expressive effect, (for example, rubato)
Stylistic indications
Tone Colour
Tone colour refers to that aspect of sound that allows the listener to identify the sound source or combinations of sound sources. Students should be able to manipulate and discuss the following aspects of tone colour as relevant to the music studied:
Sound source material, (for eg., wood, metal, string, skin, electronic and vocal).
Combination of sound sources, (for eg., single voice, multiple voices, voices accompanied or unaccompanied by instruments).
Method of sound production, (for eg., blowing, hitting, plucking, scraping and shaking).
Texture
Texture results from the way voices and/or instruments are combined in music.
Students should be able to manipulate and discuss the following aspects of texture as relevant to the music studied:
The layers of sound and their function.
The roles of instruments and/or voices.
Structure
Structure refers to the idea of design or form in music. In organising sound the concepts of duration, dynamics, pitch and tone colour are combined in some way for a particular purpose. Structure relates to the ways in which music sounds the same (or similar) and/or different.
Students should be able to manipulate and discuss the following aspects of structure as relevant to the music studied:
Phrases
Motifs
Repetitive patterns (eg. riffs, ostinati, ground bass)
Techniques of call and response/question and answer
Traditional and non-traditional patterns of musical structure
Structures used in single pieces of music (eg. song form, da capo aria)
Multi-movement structures (eg. symphony)
http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_sc/pdf_doc/music_710_syllabus.pdf
Print your own copy of the attached file for your own easy reference in class this year.
Duration
Duration refers to the lengths of sounds and silences in music and includes the aspects of beat, rhythm, metre, tempo, pulse rates and
absence of pulse.
Students should be able to manipulate and discuss the following aspects of duration as relevant to the music studied:
Beat: The underlying pulse in music.
Metre: The groupings of beats.
Tempo: The speed of the beat: Music may be relatively fast or slow and may become faster or slower.
Rhythm: Patterns of long and short sounds and silences found in music.
Pitch
Pitch refers to the relative highness and lowness of sounds. Important aspects include: high, low, higher and lower pitches, direction of pitch movement, melody, harmony, indefinite and definite pitch.
Students should be able to manipulate and discuss the following aspects of pitch as relevant to the music studied:
High/Low: Pitches can be comparatively high or low.
Indefinite Pitch: Non-melodic sounds, for example, the speaking voice.
DefinitePitch: Melodic sounds, for example, the singing voice.
Direction of Pitch Movement: Up, Down, Same Level.
Melody: A succession of pitches.
Harmony: Two or more pitches sounding together.
Tonality: The effect created by the observance of a particular scale pattern.
Dynamics and Expressive Techniques
Dynamics refer to the volume of sound. Important aspects include the relative softness and loudness of sound, change of loudness (contrast), and the emphasis on individual sounds (accent).
Expressive techniques refer to the musical detail that articulates a style or interpretation of a style.
Students should be able to manipulate and discuss the following aspects of dynamics and expressive techniques as relevant to the music studied:
A range of dynamics, including gradations
Articulations
Gradations of tempo used for expressive effect, (for example, rubato)
Stylistic indications
Tone Colour
Tone colour refers to that aspect of sound that allows the listener to identify the sound source or combinations of sound sources. Students should be able to manipulate and discuss the following aspects of tone colour as relevant to the music studied:
Sound source material, (for eg., wood, metal, string, skin, electronic and vocal).
Combination of sound sources, (for eg., single voice, multiple voices, voices accompanied or unaccompanied by instruments).
Method of sound production, (for eg., blowing, hitting, plucking, scraping and shaking).
Texture
Texture results from the way voices and/or instruments are combined in music.
Students should be able to manipulate and discuss the following aspects of texture as relevant to the music studied:
The layers of sound and their function.
The roles of instruments and/or voices.
Structure
Structure refers to the idea of design or form in music. In organising sound the concepts of duration, dynamics, pitch and tone colour are combined in some way for a particular purpose. Structure relates to the ways in which music sounds the same (or similar) and/or different.
Students should be able to manipulate and discuss the following aspects of structure as relevant to the music studied:
Phrases
Motifs
Repetitive patterns (eg. riffs, ostinati, ground bass)
Techniques of call and response/question and answer
Traditional and non-traditional patterns of musical structure
Structures used in single pieces of music (eg. song form, da capo aria)
Multi-movement structures (eg. symphony)
http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_sc/pdf_doc/music_710_syllabus.pdf
Print your own copy of the attached file for your own easy reference in class this year.
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