1. Pitch
- Sound has a perceived highness or lowness. This quality of sound is called “pitch.”
- Pitch is measured in units called Hertz (Hz). One Hz is equal to one vibration per second.
- The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch. The lower the frequency, the lower the pitch.
2. Tempo
- This refers to the speed or pace of a musical piece.
- Tempo can be indicated by the composer using words such as "Allegro" (fast), "Adagio" (slow), and "Moderato" (moderate).
- It can also be indicated by a metronome marking, which specifies the number of beats per minute (BPM).
3. Dynamics
- Dynamics refer to the loudness or softness of a sound or a piece of music.
- Dynamics can be indicated by the composer using words such as "forte" (loud), "piano" (soft), and "crescendo" (gradually getting louder).
- Dynamics can also be indicated by musical symbols, such as > (crescendo) and < (decrescendo).
4. Timbre
- Timbre is what makes different instruments or voices sound different from each other, even when they are playing the same note at the same volume.
- Sound qualities such as brightness or darkness, harshness or smoothness, and thinness or thickness contribute to the overall timbre of a sound.
5. Texture
- Refers to the overall “layering” of the different sounds in a musical piece.
- Texture can be described as monophonic (a single melody line), homophonic (a melody line with accompanying chords), or polyphonic (multiple melody lines played simultaneously).