Andrew Keegan - A guide to talking and writing about music

A. Keegan

guide to talking
and writing
about music

Andrew Keegan - A guide to talking and writing about music

A guide to talking and writing about music

Music is one of the most interesting, thought provoking and often argument causing
subjects we learn about. We are surrounded by music in our every-day lives; from
Rock to Hip-Hop, Jazz to 21st Century Classical, there is something for every taste.
The biggest problem with music is being able to talk about it. I dont mean
saying your type of music is the best and arguing with friends about it; I mean
talking about the details. What makes a piece of music or a song sound the way
it does? What makes it good?
Use this guide to help you to learn and improve your ability to talk about
music in a musical way.
The Elements of Music
At the heart of everything to do with talking about music are the Musical
Elements. You probably know them by name, but here they are with a little detail
and some things you should think about:
Element

Dynamics

Rhythm

Tempo

Definition

Is it loud (f) or quiet (p)?

How loud or quiet the music is Do the dynamics change? When?
at any point.
Do they change suddenly or
gradually?
The types of beats used in
the piece; the different
combinations of note lengths.

Are the beats simple or complex?

Are the rhythms on the beat or
of the beat?

How fast or slow the music is

Is it fast (allegro) or slow (largo)?

Is it in between (adagio or
andante)?
Does the speed change? When?
Does it get faster or slower?

Texture

How many instruments are

playing at once.

Timbre

The types of instruments you

can hear; the sounds being
made.

Duration

How long or short the notes

are.

Silence

When there are no

instruments playing.

Pitch

How high or low the sounds

are.

A. Keegan

Questions to ask yourself

Are there lots of instruments

(thick)?
Are there only a few instruments
(thin?)
What family of instruments is that
from?
Is it a real instrument or an effect?
Are the notes very long or very
short?
Is there a mixture of both?
Are there any points where nobody is
playing?
Are the notes high or low?
Is an instrument playing unusually
high or low?

Andrew Keegan - A guide to talking and writing about music

Structure

The way in which a piece of

music is put together; the
different sections within a
piece.

How is the piece put together?

Is there an introduction or an
ending?
Are there verses and/or choruses?
How many different sections are
there?

Talking about and discussing music

When you are talking about music, it is really important that you dont just say that you
like or dislike a piece or song. You need to be able to talk about the musical elements
and explain why you think something. You must also try to avoid making snap
judgements or stereotyping music.
Try listening to something and use some of these phrases to talk about it:
I think this piece/song is good because
I dont think this is a very good piece/song because
The (element of music) is used effectively by(eg. The dynamics gradually crescendo,
building up the tension in the music)
The style of music is...I think this because
It is really easy to judge a piece negatively because it is not what you would normally
listen to. However, it is so important to remember that everybodys tastes
are different. Just saying something is boring or rubbish, or similarly
amazing and brilliant, without saying why is not an appropriate
response.
Writing about music
Talking about a piece of music is often quite an informal way of discussing
it. When writing about music there are a few more things you need to
consider. The language you use, for example, should be much more
formal. Try to avoid too much personal opinion and focus more on the
musical elements. Along with talking about the elements of music, you
should
also try and discuss:

The metre of the music (time signature)

The pulse of the music (is it regular or irregular?)
The tonality of the music (is it major or minor?)
The style of the music
The genre of the music
When it was written

Remember to also use a variety of sentence starters and connectives to keep your
writing from becoming boring. For example:
Starters
At the start of the
piece...
A. Keegan

Connectives
...because...

Andrew Keegan - A guide to talking and writing about music

After the
introduction/chorus/et
c.

...causing...

I think...

...meaning...

When the...

...therefore...

Next...

...although...

Then...

...however...

In addition...

...yet...

Practice tasks
Have a go at the tasks below. Some of them are relatively straight forward, others a little
more difficult. All of them are designed to help you to improve your ability to talk and write
about music in detail.
1) Listen to any piece of music and write ONE WORD about the following:
Timbre (instruments)
Dynamics
Tempo
2) listen to a piece of music and make a list of as many instruments, voices and sounds you
can hear.
3) As an extension to 2, listen to a piece of music and answer the following:
Which instrument(s) are playing the melody (tune) ?
Which instrument(s) are playing the accompaniment (backing) ?
4) Listen to 5 different pieces of music and say:
What type of ensemble (group) is performing the music
Is the song in a major or minor key?
5) Listen to a piece of music and write down 3 characteristics (musical elements) you can
hear. Do not just write down 3 instruments though...
6) listen to various pieces of music. Can you describe the pitches used? Are some pieces
always high or low? Do all pieces use a range of high an low notes?
7) If possible, find 2 different versions of the same song/piece of music. Listen to them both
several times and try to answer the following questions to compare them:
What instrument(s) are playing the melody?
What instrument(s) are playing the accompaniment?
Describe the tempo?
Is the pulse regular or irregular?
What is the metre (time signature/beats per bar)?
Are the rhythms simple or complex? Are they on the beat or off the beat?
What is the structure of the pieces? (How are the different sections presented?)
What is the overall texture of the pieces? (Lots of instruments or only a few? Does it
change?)
What style/genre is the music played in?
A. Keegan

Andrew Keegan - A guide to talking and writing about music

8) Listen a song/piece of music which is at number 5 in either a classical or popular chart. Do

you like it? Explain your answer.
The above examples are just a small way of writing about music. You could also have a go at
writing an album or concert review, or even writing about your own performances or
compositions.
Just remember that if you are stuck, or can't think of pieces to listen to, you can
always ask your teacher. The important thing is to enjoy listening to and talking about music!

A. Keegan