Get acquainted with the basic elements of music the easiest way. A must for worship teams.

2. SIX MUSICAL ELEMENTS
• RHYTHM (TIME ELEMENT)
• PITCH (GOVERNS MELODY AND HARMONY)
• DYNAMICS (LOUDNESS OR SOFTNESS)
• FORM (MUSICAL STRUCTURE)
• TIMBRE (DISTINCT SOUND QUALITY)
• TEXTURE (SOUND DENSITY, NUMBER OF VOICES/INSTRUMENTS)

3. MUSIC THEORY: WHAT’S COVERED?
•RHYTHM
•DYNAMICS
•MELODY
•HARMONY
•FORM

4. MUSIC THEORY: WHAT’S NOT COVERED?
•TIMBRE (DISCUSSED IN
INSTRUMENTATION
COURSES)
•TEXTURE (DISCUSSED IN
ARRANGING COURSES)

6. RHYTHM

7. RHYTHM: THE TIME ELEMENT
• RHYTHM REFERS TO THE REGULAR
PATTERNS OF SOUNDS OR PITCHES
• RHYTHM IS WHAT DIFFERENTIATES
MUSIC FROM NOISE
• APPLIES TO ALL INSTRUMENTS
• NOT JUST A PERCUSSION-
EXCLUSIVE AFFAIR

8. RHYTHM AND GROOVE-BASED MUSIC
• SOME GENRES USE RHYTHM AS A PRIMARY
DRIVING FORCE FOR THEIR MUSIC
• EXAMPLES:
1. DANCE MUSIC
2. BLUES MUSIC
3. RNB, SOUL, AND FUNK MUSIC
4. HIP-HOP AND URBAN MUSIC
5. RAP MUSIC
CHRIS TOMLIN SINGING “GOD’S GREAT DANCE FLOOR”
@ PASSION 2013 CONFERENCE

9. RHYTHM: RELATED CONCEPTS
• TEMPO
• BEAT
• METER / TIME SIGNATURES
• SYNCOPATION
• ARTICULATIONS

10. MELODY

11. MELODY = PITCH + RHYTHM
• THE HORIZONTAL ELEMENT OF MUSIC
• [USUALLY] THE LEAD LINE OF THE
SONG THAT STAYS STUCK IN YOUR
HEAD
• [ALSO] REFERS TO BACKGROUND
LINE(S) FROM OTHER INSTRUMENTS OR
VOCALISTS

12. HARMONY

13. HARMONY = CHORDS
• THE VERTICAL ELEMENT OF MUSIC
• REFERS TO SIMULTANEOUS PLAYBACK OF
NOTES OR INDIVIDUAL MELODIES, WHETHER
ON:
1. THE SAME INSTRUMENT (E.G. GUITAR,
KEYBOARD)
2. DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS (E.G. THREE
VOCALISTS, A VIOLIN + TRUMPET +
SAXOPHONE, TWO LEAD GUITARS)
• THE CHORD IS THE BASIC UNIT OF HARMONY