Elements of Music essay finale

docx

School

Indian River State College *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

MUY2100

Subject

Mechanical Engineering

Date

Feb 20, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by DoctorLemurMaster359

Bright 1 Kaitlin Bright Professor Gabin MUL 2010 15 February 2024 Elements of Music Music is a form of art where the simplest words can convey profound meanings. However, a song is not just composed of its words and their meanings; it also involves utilizing various forms to create an atmospheric backdrop that mirrors the mood, tone, and emotion the artist aims to convey through their lyrics. A musical atmosphere can be comprised of the following elements: rhythm, dynamics, melody, harmony, timbre, and texture. Growing up, many of us fail to recognize the immense effort required to produce a seemingly simple song and the intricate structure that lies within it. However, after delving into the fundamentals and exploring their combination with lyrics, it becomes an exhilarating experience to identify these basics throughout a song or musical note. This process allows us to deconstruct a song and understand how it was meticulously crafted to create the iconic melodies and tunes we admire. Within this essay, you will describe a specific song that the author has become associated with. Though upbeat, this song has related to events in my life when questioning every movement became a concern, and with each decision the question regarding if it was the right one would follow. After a brief discussion about the overall meaning of the song, I will analyze each part and identify the fundamental elements used to create this captivating and expressive piece that is admired today. The song chosen for analysis is "Life Goes On" by LeAnn Rimes. Throughout the song, it tells the story of a girl who faces a setback when she meets a significant other whom she wants

Bright 2 to distance herself from and move on with her life. As the song continues to play, she gradually distances herself from her significant other until she ultimately leaves him behind in her past. By the end of the song, she is able to move forward with her life. This song illustrates a situation where someone is caught between the past and the future. As this person contemplates which path to choose, they realize that time keeps moving forward and life goes on. I chose this song because I have experienced situations where I feel stuck in a limbo between the past and present while life goes on. I had to realize the hard way that life does not just stop, and the present will always follow, whether I am mentally present or not. LeAnn Rimes incorporates various elements in her song to create an atmospheric setting that evokes a sense of seriousness and freedom. The song neither conveys sadness nor happiness, but rather captures the feeling of escaping the past and embracing the journey of life. Starting with Rhythm, it is the most fundamental element that structures a musical piece. It provides a beat that can be found at various points within a composition or throughout the entire song. Rhythm is identified within a song by the feeling of a movement that can either be performed by a tapping of a foot or finger along with the beat. Rhythm is constructed from two aspects: the duration of the sound or how long a certain sound or silence lasts, and the tempo, or how fast or slow the sound ranges. A rhythm tempo's range is described by six levels of speed; these levels include largo, adagio, andante, moderato, allegro, and meter. The first two levels, Largo and Adagio describe slow tunes that are below a short walking beat; the difference between the two is found within how slow the beat is between each. While largo is large and labored, a beat that is adagio is described as simply slow. Adante describes a beat that one can walk normally and be able to stick to the beat without falling behind or ahead of it. Moderato, sounds just like it means, it is a beat of a moderate tempo which is not too fast or slow. Allegro is

Bright 3 a fast-tempo beat, this beat usually indicates that a song is going to have an upbeat pace and that the song will normally be a happy one. The last type of tempo, meter, relates to a recurring pattern of tempo that is recognizable, whether it is a mixture of multiple tempos or just one that recurs throughout the song. LeAnn Rimes's “Life Goes On” consists of a simple rhythmic tempo that starts in a simple soft and sort of slow walking pattern that for a short period remains in a recurring pattern. This analysis means that Rmes and her team created an andante tempo where if one were to do so a person would be able to walk with the beat. This tempo is presented alone and is used to lean into the song's lyrical portion. This tempo, though faster than what a musician would consider slow, only extends for a duration of a ten-second window, before the tempo increases in speed and the period between each beat becomes shorter and shorter, which makes the beat less labored and steadier and more controlled. As the “Life Goes On” reaches its ten- second mark the song presents a minimized accelerando rise, this rise will become a recurring pattern as the song confines to one smooth functioning rhythm. Once the rhythm reaches a chosen tempo the duration becomes equalized as the song levels it establishes a steady moderate speed. After reaching and leveling out to a moderato speed, the rhythm's tempo builds into a meter allowing for the same rhythm to recur throughout the song. Throughout the song, there are certain lines or sections where the rhythm increases or decreases, allowing the listener to hear and emphasize the lyrics. After these lines, the rhythm returns to its normal level. This can be seen with lines where the following line that occurs is the chorus. As Rimes is singing her verses, the tempo expands further apart and once she reaches the line “Life Goes On” the rhythm, to add more emphasis, will lean back into a moderate pace. Another observation that can be made through analysis is that during two different sections of the song, when the singer accelerates by singing multiple sentences at once, the rhythmic tempo decreases into a largo pattern. In this

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Bright 4 pattern, the rhythm becomes more spaced apart. As the singer then evens out her lyrics, the rhythm follows suit and returns to its moderate tempo. Overall, the rhythm follows a moderate tempo throughout the song, only speeding up or slowing down during certain verses. Regarding “Life Goes On” this allows Rimes to distinguish her emotional parts that represent seriousness and freedom from one another. These spontaneous rhythmic choices provide a way for the artist to put a greater emphasis on certain lyrics. The rhythmic tempo allows an artist to establish a foundation for incorporating other elements, resulting in a cohesive and organized musical piece. Though rhythm does provide a foundation for the other musical elements, it does not form this foundation alone. Along with rhythm, the foundation of music also depends on the dynamics of the rise and fall of a note's sound. The dynamics of a note are determined by the volume at which a certain key is played or sung. Dynamic, like rhythm, it is constructed out of different levels that indicate the level of quietness a note may hold. The levels can range from very quiet to very loud. These levels are described by the term’s pianissimo (very quiet), piano (quiet), mezzo-piano (moderately quiet), mezzo-forte (moderately loud), forte (loud), and fortissimo (very loud). "Life Goes On" not only relies on rhythm but also utilizes dynamics to add depth to the song and its underlying meaning. This depth allows an artist to infuse emotion into their song, thereby enhancing the lyrics and conveying a deeper meaning through the tone of the music. "Life Goes On" incorporates multiple dynamics that are intertwined with rhythmic patterns. The dynamic level, like its rhythm, began with a mezzo piano, allowing for a soft but moderate tune to be heard. This continued for the first ten seconds of the song. Then, as Rimes began her verses, it transitioned into a crescendo, gradually increasing in speed. This is in contrast to its counterpart, decrescendo, which gradually decreases in volume. After a brief period, the increase leveled out at a dynamic between mezzo-piano and mezzo-forte volumes.

Bright 5 However, the dynamics would occasionally escalate or de-escalate during certain parts of the song. In parts of the song, such as when LeAnn sings a fast verse, the tune establishes a decrescendo in volume. This gradually lowers to a pianissimo, where the tune can still be identified, but the primary focus is on LeAnn and her lyrics. However, as she reaches the end of the chorus, the volume will gradually increase, creating a crescendo effect and bringing the volume to a moderate level. "Life Goes On" also emphasizes the title of the song when mentioned in the lyrics. This accent indicates that a note is being played or emphasized with more force than the surrounding notes, creating emphasis on those particular notes. The note that was accented the most was the name of the song. Every time Rimes was about to reach the line "Life Goes On," it would start off slow and soft. As she got closer to the line, the volume would increase. Once she reached the line, she put the accent on the three words before resuming at a moderate speed. These multiple uses of dynamics allowed Rimes to create a musical piece that expresses feelings of accomplishment, seriousness, and freedom. For Rimes, she was able to distance herself from a significant other from the past and continue with her life as it changes, without getting stuck in the past. She also emphasized certain words that conveyed a sense of strength, which is felt when one accomplishes something they once thought was impossible. In this case, it was leaving the past behind and moving forward. The use of these dynamics allows for the deeper meaning of the lyrics to come to the surface and be felt not only through Rimes' words but also through the recurring pattern of rises and falls spread throughout the song. By utilizing dynamics, listeners can experience the emotions conveyed by the singer and comprehend the message, even without fully grasping the literal meaning behind the vocals. Rhythm and dynamics allow a song to have a beat that consists of varying levels and durations, providing a basic structure for a musical piece to be formed. Melodies are described as

Bright 6 sweet or agreeable successions or arrangements of pitches. When combined, they create a tuneful arrangement of individual successions of sounds that together form the emotional atmosphere. This atmosphere provides the song with the tone and mood of the musical piece. Melodies are typically played within a single scale, which is created by combining high and low pitches with varying durations from the rhythm. Without the use of different variations of melodic pitches, a song would sound repetitive and robotic. The melody represents the catchy portion of a song. When listening to a particular song, one can immediately recognize and follow along with its tune. For "Life Goes On," the melody refers to LeAnn Rimes' vocals. Throughout the song, she uses different variations of high and low pitches, creating a string of sounds that, when presented in succession, produce an organized and rhythmic sound. These high and low variations of pitches refer to scales. Two of the scales used within "Life Goes On" include major and minor scales. The traditional major scale is used to create an upbeat and happy tune in music, while a minor scale provides a more somber and melancholic atmosphere. "Life Goes On" utilizes both of these scales in two different scenarios. In some cases, they are used individually, while in others, they are combined together. The traditional major scales found within "Life Goes On" provide a backdrop that conveys feelings of accomplishment and freedom. Using these scales, Rimes expresses the importance of letting go of one's past and moving forward in life, rather than getting stuck in limbo. This message influences the listener to understand the positive impact of freeing oneself from the past and adopting a positive outlook on life and the future. In contrast, the use of traditional minor scales creates a lower tone that sets a somber mood, evoking a sense of uncertainty and indecision. It represents the feeling of being caught between the past and the future, unsure of which path to take. However, as mentioned above, "Life Goes On" also utilizes a combination of these tempos. When combined, they create a serious

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Bright 7 atmosphere, suggesting that longing for the past may hinder personal growth and the ability to learn from mistakes in order to improve in the future. A melody can also determine whether a song can be easily performed or not performed at all. This ability can be described in two different terms. A song can either be conjunct, which means it is smooth and easy to play or sing, or it can be disjunct, which is disjointed, ragged, or jumpy, making it difficult to sing or play. Regarding "Life Goes On," the pitches are organized into a pattern that allows for a smooth and connected playing part. For most of the song, when pitches change, they usually follow either a falling pattern where the vocals gradually decrease or a rising pattern where the vocals gradually increase. This pattern allows someone with basic knowledge of certain chord progressions to perform the song without any difficulty in reaching high and low notes. A song's melody enables it to sound simultaneous and organized while emphasizing one key over others. This creates a clear and organized tune with depth, allowing it to sound sweet and gentle rather than robotic. In order to add depth to a melody, an artist will incorporate one or more supporting elements that are played in the background. The sound produced by these pieces creates a sense of harmony. Harmony is the simultaneous combination of melodies that, when arranged in a congruent and orderly manner, create a harmonious relationship between each melody, resulting in a pleasing chordal structure. Harmony is valued based on the degree of harshness or softness of the sound when combined to create its overall sound. Harmony is referred to as dissonance when a harmonic combination produces a harsh sound, and as consonance when the combination is smooth and gentle. Music, like all sounds, is measured in frequency, which determines the pitch of the chord being played. Frequencies that are closer together sound better than those that are further apart. The more complex or larger factors can be used to add a little flavor; however, using too many may result in an unharmonious sound. "Life Goes On" utilizes harmonies that

Bright 8 blend within similar frequency ranges, occasionally incorporating higher frequencies. LeAnn Rimes uses several instruments to create its consonant harmonic sound. The first instrument used was a guitar. The guitar contributed to the mellowness of the tune when it intertwined with the melody of Rime. The guitar throughout the song provided a soft and consistent sound, with occasional rises and falls in certain parts. It maintained the same chord and frequency from the beginning. Once the melody started, we were introduced to the second instrument that was used, which was the drums. The drums were kept at the same frequency as the guitar, which allowed the guitar's sound to be amplified, resulting in a sweet, angelic, and smooth harmonious sound that complemented the melody. The drums, however, were also used to provide a deeper and more complex frequency and add emphasis to the emotionally charged words provided by the melody. The drums were typically used to add flavor to the tune. As the artist's melody became softer, the drums introduced a touch of dissonance, contrasting with the seriousness conveyed by the pitch of the melody. With the combination of melodic guitar sounds and the contrasting smooth and harsh tones of the drums, Rimes was able to create a clear distinction between the feelings of accomplishment and freedom, and the seriousness of making decisions about one's life as it unfolds. The harmonious sounds produced by the combination of the guitar and drums add depth to the melody, allowing for the blending of different pitches and tunes. These instruments can be played simultaneously while maintaining similar frequencies and volumes, resulting in a beautiful and pleasing sound that enhances any musical composition. "Life Goes On" utilizes a variety of instruments to produce a captivating blend of soft and intense harmonies. When played together simultaneously, these harmonies create a pleasing and balanced sound that resonates within the same frequency range. The distinction between these instruments in terms of tuning refers to their individual timbre. Timbre (Tam-ber), or tone color,

Bright 9 is described as the characteristic that distinguishes one musical sound from another, even when they have the same pitch and loudness. The type of timber produced can be the result of a combination of the quality of a musical note, sound, or tone. "Life Goes On" utilizes instruments that create a moderate pace and result in a high-quality musical piece. The beautiful harmony and melody produced by "Life Goes On" were constructed using three separate musical instruments. When composed together, they create the soft and strong sounds that we listen to today. The first instrument introduced was the guitar. For the first ten seconds, the guitar was used to create a smooth and gentle upbeat tune that followed a rhythmic pattern. This setting provides an opportunity to express a sense of happiness and fulfillment that relates to the theme of "Life Goes On." It symbolizes the joy one feels when they overcome setbacks and achieve freedom. While the setting continues with its smooth tempo, the song soon introduces the second instrument, which is vocalization. After a brief pause, LeAnn Rimes starts her lyrics, complementing the melody and maintaining the gentle, uplifting rhythm of the guitar. Adding vocals to the mix allowed the feelings to become tangible and evolve into a narrative, rather than remaining abstract emotions. However, to add dimension to the song, Rimes would emphasize certain lyrics while keeping others at a soft and moderate tone. This led to the use of the third and final instrument, the drums. The drums started off with a soft-beat tempo, but as the song progressed, they would regularly play at a lower and harder beat than the other instruments. This allowed the song to have a dynamic range, with moments of falling and rising, and provided a deeper emphasis on the lyrics, transitioning from a happy tone to a more serious one. However, in order to connect the three instruments together and distinguish relationships between them, a musician will add textures to their instruments. Texture refers to the differences between musical elements that can be distinguished through a song's individual melodies and the relationship

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Bright 10 between multiple musical lines. A song can have either one or more textures present during a single note. When referring to the texture of a musical piece, there are two main types: monophonic texture, which consists of a single note played at a time, and homophonic texture, which involves two or more notes played simultaneously, with one note being the focal point. The homophonic texture is generally characterized by a prominent melody in the upper part, accompanied by a less complex harmonic accompaniment underneath. "Life Goes On" presents a mixture of monophonic and homophonic textures that are present throughout the song. The musical piece features LeAnn Rimes' vocal cords layered with harmonies provided by the guitar and drums. These harmonies can either appear on their own or in unison. The song begins with a monophonic texture provided by the guitar, which gives the song a simple and sparsely spaced rhythmic pattern. As the song progresses, the monophonic texture starts to appear spontaneously, and homophonic textures become more frequent. After the ten-second mark, a homophonic texture is introduced. The guitar maintains its smooth rhythmic texture, but as the song progresses, we are introduced to the primary feature of the song. The standout feature of "Life Goes On" is the elevated and empowered vocal chords, complemented by the less complex harmonies and accompanied by a blend of guitar and drums. The song maintains a steady pace, allowing the vocals to take the spotlight while the gentle rhythmic texture of the guitar supports them. However, as the vocals become stronger, the song requires a deeper rhythm to enhance its flavor. This deeper flavor is provided by the drums. The drums create a thumping, heartbeat-like rhythm that allows the supporting noise element to decrease along with its primary. Lastly, the prominent or primary texture of "Life Goes On" provides the artist with the ability to follow through with notes that express the setting provided by the less intricate structures. The timbre allows one to distinguish between certain parts of a song's elements, decipher what features were

Bright 11 used to create the musical piece and learn how different instruments helped enhance its primary. The combination of tones in a piece creates a gentle and harmonious sound, capable of expressing a wide range of emotions as intended by the artist. In conclusion, this essay has analyzed the song "Life Goes On" by LeAnn Rimes and examined how each individual element contributes to the formation of its smooth and upbeat sound, as well as its deeper meaning of detaching from the past and moving forward with life. When the elements of rhythm, dynamics, melody, harmony, timbre, and texture are combined in a musical piece, it is able to express its atmosphere to the listener in a beautiful way. In "Life Goes On," the song effectively combines low and high tunes to create an upbeat and accomplished atmosphere. Additionally, it highlights the importance of moving on from the past. Therefore, the art of music derives its richness from a diverse range of elements such as rhythm, dynamics, melody, harmony, timbre, and texture. These elements combine to create the multitude of sounds that we are familiar with today. Without these components, music would lack emotion, expression, and depth, rendering it devoid of any artistic value. These elements are what gives music its distinctiveness and vitality, and without them, music would be monotonous and uninspiring.