What Is Music?
Sounds are around us, from birds chirping and waves lapping against a coastline to cars honking in traffic. Often time's sounds are put together in purposeful ways to create a specific atmosphere or to express ideas or emotions. Such organized sounds are called music.
Music is a collection of coordinated sound or sounds. Making music is the process of putting sounds and tones in an anscending order or descending order, often combining them to create a unified composition. People who make music creatively organize sounds for a desired outcome. Music is made of sounds, vibrations, and silent moments, and it doesn't always have to be pleasant. It can be used to convey a whole range of experiences, environments, and emotions. Almost every human culture has a tradition of making music. Examples of early instruments like flutes and drums have been found dating back thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians used music in religious ceremonies. Many other African cultures have traditions related to drumming for important rituals. Today, rock and pop musicians tour and perform around the world, singing the songs that made them famous. All of these are examples of music.
To better understand how music is made, let's discuss some important musical terms. If you can sing the tune of a favorite song, you've experienced melody. Melody is the series of coordinated pitches that form the main line of a tune. Think about it as the primary voice in a musical work. When we speak of 'voice' in this way, it might be a human voice or an instrumental one. When you hear a work, the melody stands out, but sometimes other sounds or voices help support it and make the music more complex. Harmony refers to multiple lines of musical notes that are subordinate to the melody and complement it. You can hear the harmony, but it's not as prominent as the melody. Harmony is often formed by a series of chords, or three or more notes played at the same time. Another important element of music is rhythm, or the repeated patterns of movement in sound. Basically, rhythm is the placement of sound in time. It involves specific units of sound arranged as beats. Also important to rhythm is the idea of tempo, or the speed at which the beats are performed.
Music also has many terms that describe how it should be played or sung. These include words like allegro, which means quick and lively, and largo, which means slow. Other terms give instructions for loud or soft or bold or calm, or even suggest how specific notes should be emphasized. All of this helps to create a desired end result.
Understanding Music. This lesson explained many important terms and concepts surrounding music. It's a concept that most people in the world can relate to. Now it's your turn to think about what you've just learned in new ways using the following activities.
Music Around the World
As this lesson mentioned, all human cultures have musical traditions. Choose just one musical tradition and write a paragraph about it. What does this kind of music sound like? What terms from this lesson can you apply to it? What is the history of this musical tradition? Make sure you listen to examples of whatever music you choose.
