Page 73 - Glasbenopedagoški zbornik Akademije za glasbo, letnik 20, zvezek 40 ◆ The Journal of Music Education of the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, volume 20, issue 40

a) horizontal
e2
e1
e1 e2 b) vertical
A crucial question arises: can duration, as interval, contour, harmony, and
colour, also be considered as part of the pitch domain? Each event with a single
frequency has a specific duration, and each event with a specific duration has a
specific pitch. From this viewpoint, pitch and duration can be considered as in-
ascending contour descending contour arch-shaped contour U-shaped contour
terdependent musical elements. However, following only one or more events, it
is possible to insert a rest (or rests) defined as periods of acoustic silence, from
onset to offset, in which no pitch or pitch-related values are present (see Figure
4). From this perspective, duration can be considered a unique musical element.

Figure 4 7
Rests, periods of acoustic silence (from onset to offset), in which no pitch or pitch-related values are
presented.
(silence)

(silence) Lorena Mihelač ◆ FROM THE CONCEPTUALIZATION TO THE FORMALIZATION OF MUSICAL ELEMENTS
onset offset onset offset

In a summary of the hierarchical approach proposed in this section, in
which ‘the beginning of all beginnings’ is the sound, i.e. the ‘source’, and the
11
two most important primary musical elements are pitch and duration (as a
unique musical element), Figure 5 illustrates the proposed scheme of the pri-
mary musical elements. As can be seen in Figure 5, melody and harmony are
not placed in this scheme, and are considered to be on a higher hierarchical or-
ganizational level, up from the moment when more events are used combined,
20
horizontally, or vertically in a certain structure, i.e. form.
Figure 5
A scheme of primary musical elements using a hierarchical approach.

interval
pitch
harmony (chord)

color

sonic texture? loudness
sound
(yes/no)

duration

73