ZIMSEC O Level · Musical Arts · Form 1, Form 2
The elements of music are the building blocks used to describe any piece.
- Rhythm: the pattern of long and short sounds. Beat: the steady pulse. Tempo: the speed (largo – slow; andante – walking pace; allegro – fast).
- Melody: a sequence of notes forming a tune.
- Pitch: how high or low a sound is.
- Harmony: notes sounding together (chords).
- Dynamics: loudness – pp (very soft), p (soft), mf (moderately loud), f (loud), ff (very loud); crescendo (getting louder), diminuendo (getting softer).
- Timbre (tone colour): the characteristic sound of a voice or instrument.
- Texture: how layers combine – monophonic (one melody), homophonic (melody with chords), polyphonic (several independent melodies). Call and response is common in African music.
- Form (structure): how a piece is organised – binary (AB), ternary (ABA), rondo (ABACA), verse and chorus.
Exam tip: When describing a piece you hear, go through the elements one by one – tempo, dynamics, texture, timbre, form.
Check yourself
- What does “allegro” mean?
- Define texture in music.
- Write the form of a piece with sections A, B, A.
Show answers
- Fast (lively).
- How the layers of sound (melody, harmony, rhythm) are combined.
- Ternary form.
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