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Contributor: Morgan Haney. Lesson ID: 13346
What makes a piece of music unique? Discover what makes each song different from every other by exploring the five elements that make up a piece of music!
Those are just the songs on Spotify, one of many ways people listen to music. Plenty of songs are not included in Spotify's catalog.
Today, you'll explore the five elements of music that composers use to create songs. The endless combinations of these elements allow for millions of pieces of music, each different from every other piece!
Try to think of two songs that sound the same. Think of two songs with the same notes, the same beat, and the same instruments.
Hopefully, no two songs are coming to mind. Many copyright laws are in place to ensure that no two songs sound the same so that artists don't plagiarize one another's work.
Today, you will examine the five core elements of music. These are the variables that composers utilize to create their music, and the enormous possibilities within each variable allow composers to continue to create unique and original music.
You are about to discover the elements of music, but before you do, take a moment to think about what they might be. Turn on your favorite song and think about what variables make it unique.
Make your own list of five elements of music, and at the end of this section, compare it to the list you are about to build.
You will listen to five sets of contrasting songs to discover the five musical elements.
As you listen to each set, try to identify the most striking difference between the two pieces. (It may help to close your eyes and not watch video content.)
Because they are two entirely different pieces, there will be more than one thing that sets them apart. For this exercise, you are listening for the most noticeable difference.
After you guess each set, click the Reveal Musical Element button to find the musical element highlighted in the two pieces!
You've developed a list of the five elements of music that make each song unique.
Compare your list before you listened to the examples to the one you discovered.
When you've familiarized yourself with the elements of music, move on to the Got It? section to test your understanding of them!
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