• Introduction
• Sound
• Rhythm
• Melody
• Harmony
• Structure
• Notation

Form

Composers must create a coherent composition of sounds and silences that allow the listener to make sense of the piece over time.

Music achieves unity through repetition and variation of recognizable "themes," which are the main focus of a piece of music.

Three types of frequently used classical forms are “binary,” in which two themes interact (indicated by AB); “ternary,” with two themes interacting in a more complex way (ABA); and “rondo,” with three interacting themes in an ABACA form. Experiment to see how musicians manipulate themes to create different forms for their music.