Concept
Music is a diverse art form especially if you consider the vast amount of music written and performed on a global scale. There are enormous numbers of artists, styles, performers and ensembles, yet all of these art forms are still referred to as 'music'. If I were to ask you what makes a bicycle a bike and not a car, you would have some very specific reasons and explanations. For example, a bike is a human powered form of transportation with two wheels, and operates on a cog and chain system, etc. etc. So I ask, what is music? Or more specifically what are the components - or parts - that distinguish music from ordinary sound?
Music is made of sounds that are organized, collected, or combined to create a composition with unity and/or continuity.
Listening Exercise
| Sound (Overall effects, instrumentation, etc.) | |
| Harmony (The sounds/notes that support the melody) | |
| Melody (The most distinct feature: what you sing or hear most prominently) |
| Rhythm (The organization of sounds in time. Tempo or 'speed' is included here.) | |
| Texture (How many different things are happening? Layers?) | |
| Form (The system used to organize the music and give it shape) | |
| Other (Anything that doesn't fit into the previous categories) |