Art Appreciation Preliminaries I: Music as an Art

Definition and Origins of Music

• Music is defined as an art form that organizes sound and silence in varied patterns and contexts.
• The term 'mousike' originates from ancient Greece, referring to the art of the Muses, encompassing music, dance, and poetry.

Elements of Music

• Rhythm in music is characterized by patterns of beats and the timing of sounds and silences.
• Melody denotes the part of music that can be sung or played, often forming the main theme.
• Tempo refers to the speed of a piece of music, indicating how fast or slow it is played.
• Harmony involves the combination of melodies and chord structures, creating depth and richness in music.

Musical Genres and Types

• OPM stands for Original Pilipino Music, signifying songs created in the Philippines.
• The relationship between melodies and harmonic elements is known as texture in music.
• Kundiman is a musical genre that emerged during the Spanish Tradition period (1521-1898).

Instrument Classification

• A chordophone is a class of musical instruments that produces sound through vibrating strings.
• 'Idiophones and membranophones' categorize instruments that generate sound through the material of the instrument itself or through membranes.

Musical Structure and Characteristics

• The overall plan or structure of a piece of music is referred to as its form.
• Dynamics describe the loudness or volume of a tone, contributing to the emotional expression of the music.

Vocal Ranges

• The voice type with a high register male voice is called a tenor.

Instrument Specialization

• The term 'labrophones' refers to instruments that produce sound through vibrating lips, such as brass instruments.

Notable Composers

• The composer known for Kundiman songs before World War II is Nicanor Abelardo.

This instructional module covers the preliminary aspects of art appreciation, focusing on music as an art form. It includes a brief introduction and lesson objectives aimed at helping learners understand the diverse means of artistic expression and the freedom of artists to choose their preferred forms.