Introduction

Welcome to your our first lesson of Music Appreciation through classical masterpieces! First we're going to cover some terms so that we are on the same page. Then we're going to cover the elements of music individually so that we can begin to understand them.

So there's first these few terms that we need to have an understanding of before we can start listening to music. Review these terms, and if you have any questions feel free to send me a message!

note
A tone or pitch OR a symbol for a tone
pitch
The highness or lowness of a sound
dynamics
The loudness or softness of a sound
timbre
The character or quality of a musical sound
consonance
A combination of tones not requiring resolution for finality
dissonance
A combination of tones that requires resolution for finality
beat
The basic unit of time in music
meter
The pattern of tones in a verse
accent
An emphasis placed on a specific note
syncopation
A variety of rhythms which make an 'off-beat' verse
tempo
The speed of a verse
rhythm
The arrangement of musical sounds in time
chord
A group of notes sounded together - the basis of harmony
scale
Any set of notes ordered by pitch
key
The tonic note and chord which gives a sense of arrival and rest
form
The overall structure or plan of a piece of music