MELODY

A melody in music is a group of notes of various pitches (how high or low a note sounds) which
are played one after another. Together they make a tune in the same way that a group of words make a
sentence. Some people like to sing melodies. Melodies have rhythm (the length of the notes).

In music, 'melody' contrasts with 'harmony'. Harmony means notes which are played at the
same time, like chords. Composers often think of a melody and then add harmony to it.

Some music has more than one melody happening at the same time. When this happens
throughout the whole piece, it is called polyphonic music. Rounds and fugues are types of polyphonic
music. If the other melody only happens sometimes, then the second melody is called a countermelody.

The adjective of melody is melodic. There is also the adjective melodious which means: 'a sweet-
sounding melody'.

Music that does not have an obvious melody may be hard to understand (unless it is focused on
rhythm, such as a drum solo).

Many melodies are easy to sing, while others are difficult to sing. Still other melodies are
impossible to sing. Those melodies can still be played on instruments such as the piano or guitar.

TEMPO
In musical terminology, tempo [ˈtɛmpo] ("time" in Italian; plural: tempi [ˈtɛmpi]) is the speed or pace of
a given piece.

In classical music, tempo is usually indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often
using conventional Italian terms). Tempo is usually measured in beats per minute (BPM). In modern
classical compositions a "metronome mark" in beats per minute may supplement or replace the normal
tempo marking, while in modern genres like electronic dance music, tempo will typically simply be
stated in BPM.

Tempo may be separated from articulation and metre, or these aspects may be indicated along
with tempo, all contributing to the overall texture. While the ability to hold a steady tempo is a vital skill
for a musical performer, tempo is changeable. Depending on the genre of a piece of music and the
performers' interpretation, a piece may be played with slight tempo rubato or drastic accelerando. In
ensembles, the tempo is often indicated by a conductor or by one of the instrumentalists, for instance
the drummer. In music, timbre (/ˈtæmbər/ TAM-bər, also known as tone color or tone quality from
 TIMBRE
psychoacoustics) is the perceived sound quality of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre
distinguishes different types of sound production, such as choir voices and musical instruments, such as
string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. It also enables listeners to distinguish
different instruments in the same category (e.g. an oboe and a clarinet).

The physical characteristics of sound that determine the perception of timbre include spectrum
and envelope. Singers and instrumental musicians can change the timbre of the music they are
singing/playing by using different singing or playing techniques. For example, a violinist can use different
bowing styles or play on different parts of the string to obtain different timbres (e.g., playing sul tasto
produces a light, airy timbre, whereas playing sul ponticello produces a harsh, even and aggressive
tone). On electric guitar and electric piano, performers can change the timbre using effects units and
graphic equalizers.

In simple terms, timbre is what makes a particular musical sound have a different sound from
another, even when they have the same pitch and loudness. For instance, it is the difference in sound
between a guitar and a piano playing the same note at the same volume. Both instruments can sound
equally tuned in relation to each other as they play the same note, and while playing at the same
amplitude level each instrument will still sound distinctively with its own unique tone color. Experienced
musicians are able to distinguish between different instruments of the same type based on their varied
timbres, even if those instruments are playing notes at the same pitch and loudness.

DYNAMICS
In music, the dynamics of a piece is the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are
indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings still require
interpretation by the performer depending on the musical context: for instance a piano (quiet) marking
in one part of a piece might have quite different objective loudness in another piece, or even a different
section of the same piece. The execution of dynamics also extends beyond loudness to include changes
in timbre and sometimes tempo rubato.