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What do you know about music? Find out in this quiz.

Fundamental Elements of Music 01

The elements of music are your building blocks, rhythm, pitch, dynamics and more. Learn to hear them in real songs, then use them confidently in KS3.

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Fascinating Fact:

Timbre is the tone colour of a sound, which is why the same note sounds different on a flute and a guitar.

In KS3 Music, the fundamental elements of music help you describe what you can hear with clear, musical vocabulary. You learn to identify features such as rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, texture, harmony and structure, and explain how they shape the mood and style of a piece.

Key Terms

Rhythm: The pattern of long and short sounds, including beats, accents and rests.
Dynamics: How loud or quiet the music is, and how the volume changes over time.
Texture: How many musical parts are happening at once, and how they fit together, for example a single melody or layered parts.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What are the elements of music in KS3?

In KS3 Music, the elements of music are the features you listen for and describe, such as rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, texture, harmony, structure and timbre.

What is the difference between tempo and rhythm?

Tempo is the speed of the beat, for example slow, medium or fast. Rhythm is the pattern of notes and rests that sits on top of the beat.

What does timbre mean in music?

Timbre means the sound quality or tone colour that helps you tell instruments and voices apart, even when they play the same pitch at the same volume.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

Which of these instruments has a 'bright' timbre?

Bassoon

Cello

Double bass

Piccolo

The others are low sounding and have 'darker' timbres

2 .

What best describes the effect of a 'ritardando'?

A gradual increase of volume

A sudden pause

Changing of key signature

Gradually getting slower

This is often generalised as 'rit.' on sheet music

3 .

Which element of music best describes how 'high' or 'low' notes sound?

Pitch

Rhythm

Texture

Timbre

A piccolo is high pitched - a tuba is low pitched

4 .

What does 'andante' mean?

At a moderate/'walking' pace

Gradually getting faster

Very fast

Very slow

Andante is derived from the Latin word, ambulare, which means 'to walk'

5 .

What is the purpose of dynamics in a piece of music?

To express how loud or quiet the music should be played

To illustrate a key signature

To represent a change of speed

To show a change of time signature

They can illustrate both sudden and gradual changes

6 .

A minim is made up of how many quaver beats?

Three

Four

Six

Eight

Remember - minim = two crotchets, crotchet = two quavers

7 .

What does the marking 'mezzo forte' (mf) mean?

Moderately loud

Moderately quiet

Very loud

Very quiet

Mezzo means 'half' in Italian and forte means 'strong'

8 .

Binary form is made up of how many sections?

One (A) - a single section often repeated

Two (AB)

Three (ABA)

Five (ABACD)

However, both sections are sometimes repeated

9 .

What is a 'homophonic' texture?

A single and unaccompanied voice

Multiple voices varying a main melody simultaneously

The overlapping of several melodic voices in a piece

Where one voice stands out on top of a backing harmony

Note: homophonic and homophony are not the same!

10 .

In terms of duration, which is longest of these notes?

Dotted quaver

Minim

Semi-breve

Semi-quaver

A semi-breve lasts as long as two minims, four crotchets or eight quavers

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Music

Author: Thomas Daish (Keyboard & Woodwind Specialist, Music Teacher & Quiz Writer)

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