In the Mood
Explore how composers and musicians add feeling to music using a variety of musical elements, such as dynamics, tempo, and articulation.
In the performance, we saw how musicians communicate certain feelings through the music and how music can affect our own mood and actions. Composers and musicians add feeling to the music using a variety of musical elements, such as dynamics, tempo, and articulation.
Mood: a state of mind or feeling. In music, it is the feeling that the music communicates.
1. Review musical elements as a class and then listen for them in music from the performance. (See musical elements and audio links below)
2. As you listen to the music, encourage students to move, use hand gestures, or draw visual representations of what they hear.
- What dynamics and tempo do you hear? Does it change or stay the same?
- Is the music smooth or choppy? Do you hear a pause or rest?
- What images come to mind when you hear this music? What is the mood?
Musical Elements: Definition and Symbols
forte (loud)
piano (soft)
crescendo (getting louder)
decrescendo (getting softer)
presto (really fast)
allegro (fast)
andante (moderate)
adagio (slow)
largo (really slow)
legato (smooth)
staccato (choppy, detached)
accent (emphasis on one note)
fermata (to hold or pause)