The Three Elements of Music

Music has three primary components that, when combined, create the fun and interest in the music we learn to love. They can each be presented and appreciated without the others. But this is not satisfying to most people. Rhythm is possibly the one element that can be enjoyed without the others more readily. You may have heard a drum cadence being marched to by a marching band in a parade or onto a football field. Rhythm is the time structure of music. It consists of a beat, a unit of time repeated over and over which establishes the speed, or tempo, of a piece, and the various note lengths that occur in conjunction with the beat. Some people are strong in rhythmic ability and others must work at it a little more. Another element of music is melody. This is the way in which a single voice or instrumental part goes up and down from note to note. Learning to play notes accurately enables melodies to be recognizable. The third element is harmony. Harmony occurs when more than one note is happening at the same time. Certain notes sound good together. This is called consonance. Other notes do not sound good together and produce what we call dissonance. Good music has both consonance and dissonance, but the dissonances do not last long. They make us feel good when they resolve into consonances. It is fun to try composing a melody, fitting it to a beat and specific note lengths, and then having other notes that sound good with the melody played at the same time. Listen to a piece you enjoy and try to pick out the rhythm, melody, and harmony.